at a glance
Problem
A wholesale fabric supplier with no online checkout needed a site that wins sample orders and leads.
My role
Freelance project manager and developer, working with the marketing manager.
Key decisions
Start buyers from their market, filter by what the job needs, and swap checkout for sample orders.
Outcome
A live B2B catalog, and a repeat client: they brought me back to launch Ultratab.
overview
A B2B fabric catalog built to win samples and leads, not checkouts
Senbesta is a wholesale supplier of roller shade fabrics, shade components and Ultratab fabrication equipment. Its products aren't sold online, so the website's job is to educate buyers, build trust, and turn visits into sample orders, inquiries and email sign-ups.
In short: in 2024 the client brought me back as a freelancer to rebuild the site. I was both project manager and builder: I planned and ran the work with their marketing manager, built the site, customized the theme, and shaped how buyers find the right fabric.
Role
Freelance project manager and developer: planning, stakeholder communication, information architecture, build, theme customization
Stack
WordPress • WooCommerce • Minimog theme with custom edits • PHP • CSS
Client team
The owner as decision maker, and the marketing manager as my day-to-day partner
Skills shown: project management • stakeholder communication • information architecture • WooCommerce catalog design • theme customization • lead capture
problem
Many fabrics, different buyers, and nothing to buy online
Different buyers
Residential, hospitality and contract customers need different fabrics and come looking for different things.
Hard to compare
Four fabric types, many colors and widths, and certifications that matter for commercial jobs.
A different kind of conversion
With no checkout, success means a sample order, an inquiry or an email sign-up.
what I did
Led the project and built the site
Project management
I ran the project with the marketing manager: scope, timeline, content collection, review rounds and launch, with the owner making the final calls.
Information architecture
Buyers start from their market (residential, hospitality or contract), then filter by fabric type, width and key features such as fire retardant and Greenguard certified.
Product pages built for samples
Each fabric shows its color swatches, available widths and feature badges, with an Order Samples action in place of a checkout.
Theme customization
With a tight timeline and a team of one, I built on the Minimog WooCommerce theme instead of from scratch. Most of the customization was taking things away: stripping and hiding retail features, such as prices, so the store reads as a wholesale catalog.
what came next
The start of a longer client relationship
The site is live at senbesta.com. The client brought me back to launch Ultratab, a separate site for its equipment brand, and to fix hosting, email and performance problems that were affecting Senbesta's live site.
What it shows
Running a project with a small, non-technical client team: setting scope, keeping feedback moving, and making the technical calls myself.
Read next
The Ultratab case study covers the follow-up work, including a shared-server performance rescue.