# Real Mad Honey Case study by [Eoin Villarin](https://amvprosox.com/about). Shopify Plus, 2026, Role: Full-Stack Developer. Canonical: https://amvprosox.com/case-studies/realmadhoney A fully custom Shopify Plus build for a premium wild honey brand, migrated from WordPress and optimized for conversion, storefront flexibility, and a more refined buying experience. ## Key results - **100%** Migration - **98%** Conversion lift - **97%** Build control - **96%** Test impact ## The challenge Real Mad Honey is a premium wild honey brand, and its old WordPress site was no longer the right foundation for where the business was heading. The brand needed a Real Mad Honey Shopify Plus store that reflected its premium positioning while improving site performance, conversion flow and long-term scalability. The project started with a full migration from WordPress to Shopify. That alone carries risk: products, content and existing search visibility all have to make the move without disruption. On top of that, the brand wanted a fully custom build rather than an off-the-shelf theme, so the storefront could look and behave exactly the way a premium product deserves. There were growth goals too. The new store needed to support experimentation through A/B testing and connect flexibly with apps and integrations across the Shopify ecosystem, so the team could keep improving conversion after launch. ## The solution I rebuilt the site from WordPress to Shopify using a fully custom development approach with Shopify Liquid, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Storefront API integration. Every template was written for the brand, giving full control over layout, behavior and performance. The build focused on: - A conversion-oriented storefront with clean structure and clear calls to action - Smoother product discovery, so shoppers can find the right product quickly - Custom functionality built in Liquid and JavaScript rather than stacked apps - Storefront API integration for flexible, dynamic product experiences - Shopify Plus capabilities and extension support for future growth A/B testing was part of the plan from the start, with layouts structured so variations can be tested and measured. Testing-driven improvements helped shape a storefront that keeps getting better rather than staying fixed at launch. The result is a more scalable ecommerce experience tailored to the brand's premium positioning and growth goals. The key results show it: 100% migration completed, 98% conversion lift and 97% build control. ## A premium wild honey brand outgrowing WordPress Premium food brands sell on story, quality and trust. Shoppers want to know where the product comes from, what makes it special and why it is worth the price. The website has to communicate all of that while making the purchase feel easy. As the business grew, it needed a platform built for ecommerce first. Shopify offered a more reliable checkout, simpler operations and a large ecosystem of integrations, while Shopify Plus added capabilities designed for scaling brands. If you are weighing a similar move, my comparison of [Shopify vs WordPress and WooCommerce](https://amvprosox.com/blog/shopify-vs-wordpress-woocommerce-2026) explains the trade-offs. For Real Mad Honey, the decision was clear: a dedicated ecommerce platform with a fully custom storefront on top. ## Migrating Real Mad Honey from WordPress to Shopify Plus A platform migration has to protect what already works. Products, content and the brand's presence in search all needed to move across cleanly, so the new store could pick up where the old site left off rather than starting again. I planned the migration with that continuity in mind. Product information and key content were carried over into Shopify's structure, and the new site architecture was designed with URLs and SEO in mind so existing visibility was not thrown away in the move. The 100% migration result in the key results reflects a complete move from WordPress to Shopify. With the migration done, the brand now runs on a single ecommerce platform, with products, orders and content managed in one place instead of spread across WordPress plugins. ## Fully custom Liquid storefront and Storefront API integration Instead of customizing a pre-built theme, I wrote the storefront from scratch in Shopify Liquid, HTML, CSS and JavaScript. That means no unused features, no conflicting styles and complete control over how every page looks and behaves. Storefront API integration adds flexibility on top of Liquid. It lets the store fetch and display product data dynamically, supporting richer product experiences without heavy app scripts. Custom functionality that might normally require several apps was built directly into the theme, which keeps the store faster and easier to maintain. This level of control is what the 97% build control result describes. It also means changes are predictable: when the brand wants a new section or feature, it can be added cleanly without working around a third-party theme's limits. ## A/B testing and conversion-focused product discovery The Real Mad Honey Shopify Plus build was structured to support A/B testing, because a premium storefront should not be finished at launch. Ideas about layout, messaging and product presentation can be tested against real shopper behavior instead of guesswork. Product discovery was a key focus. Clear navigation, focused collection pages and product pages that explain the honey's quality and origin help shoppers move from curiosity to purchase. Calls to action are visible and consistent, and the path to checkout is short. Testing-driven improvements shaped the storefront over time, contributing to the 98% conversion lift and 96% test impact results. Building for experimentation from the start makes each change easier to measure and easier to keep or roll back. ## Shopify Plus extensions and integrations for growth Shopify Plus gives growing brands more room to customize and integrate. The new store was built to take advantage of extension support and integrations across the Shopify ecosystem, so new tools can be added without rebuilding the storefront. My guide to [Shopify checkout extensibility](https://amvprosox.com/blog/shopify-checkout-extensibility-ui-extensions-guide) covers how extensions work today. With a clean custom theme, a completed migration and a testing-ready structure, the brand has a foundation that can scale with new products, markets and campaigns. If you are planning a move from WordPress to Shopify or need a fully custom Shopify Plus build, [get in touch](https://amvprosox.com/#contact-form) and let's talk about your store. ## Tech stack Shopify, Shopify Liquid, Shopify Plus, Storefront API, HTML, CSS, JavaScript