A creative collaboration between N69 and the SNOWDOG agency aimed to implement a major redesign of the adult website in line with the Polish Accessibility Act, using Magento and Hyvä technology – a study of this process provides valuable lessons.
Objectives of joint work between N69 and Snow.dog
The overarching task was to create a modern, practical design using Hyvä Theme and Hyvä Checkout for the n69.pl online shops. The sites were to be available in Polish and Czech, and ready to be launched in further dedicated foreign markets. The task of the project was not only to replicate the functions of the current shop site using the new Hyvä tools, but also to improve its performance. Particular emphasis was placed on optimising the user experience on mobile devices. Snowdog worked with the Centuria team, responsible for managing the configuration of the server infrastructure.
Objectives of Hyvä implementation in N69
Improving accessibility
The introduction of the core functions of the Hyvä framework has allowed the user interface to comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which was passed in Poland in April this year under the name of the Polish Accessibility Act. The main objective of this act is to eliminate social exclusion resulting from limited access to everyday items and common services.
Improving performance
Aiming to improve the performance of the n69.co.uk online shop, in particular to achieve page load times of less than a second, was our main objective. We were keen to provide an excellent shopping experience, resulting in increased customer satisfaction, increased sales and sustainable business growth.
New Magento version
The latest versions of Magento offer advanced security and compliance features and capabilities, ensuring that the latest standards for web security and information protection are met.
Optimisation of processes and databases
We have taken the decision to optimise processes and database operations to achieve exceptional performance and security standards. This, in turn, results in faster site response and smoother transactions, significantly enhancing the customer experience.
Transferring functionality to new modules
It proved to be a challenge to transfer existing functionality to Hyvä’s simplified and more efficient modules and then bring them into compliance with WCAG requirements.
Challenges in implementing Hyvä at N69
One of the more challenging aspects of the project work was to optimise the loading of colours for related products on the product list page, while avoiding reloading all content using AJAX.
To solve this issue, we used a tool called ecomdev/magento2-product-data-preloader, created by Magento performance specialist Ivan Chepurny. It works on the principle of simplified, collective data access for products loaded as part of a collection.
The big challenge for the front-end team was to design the shop and reintroduce specialised functionality from the old site as an integral part of the new Hyvä modules, without sacrificing performance.
The Centuria team, prior to the final implementation, conducted an in-depth performance test, which allowed them to fine-tune the server configuration and detect potential security vulnerabilities.
Technical aspects of Hyvä implementation
Hyvä Checkout
Checkout is one of the biggest problems for most online shops. Hyvä Checkout offers a streamlined and faster transaction process, which has a positive impact on conversion rates and increases user satisfaction on the Magento platform. Hyvä Checkout is based on Magewire, a technology primarily based on PHP. The implementation of the Hyvä Checkout module has made it possible to significantly improve and optimise the shopping experience for customers.
Hyvä theme
The Hyvä theme offers a lightweight and flexible design architecture to create aesthetically appealing and responsive storefronts that load quickly on a variety of devices.
Magento Page Builder
The Magento Page Builder module was incorporated into the project because of its flexible and intuitive content management features, which allow content to be easily created and edited on the site without requiring deep technical skills. This gave the N69 team more flexible and creative tools for building landing pages, creating category lists and blog posts.
New delivery and payment methods
The implementation of new delivery and payment methods has been instrumental in enhancing the user experience and expanding the payment options available. Checkout changes the traditional checkout settings and allows orders to be placed by just entering a phone number, which is particularly useful for collection at automated pick-up points.
Image proxy
We have implemented an image proxy to optimise image loading and the loading of cloned images. We introduced image formats such as WEBP and AVIF, which reduced the load on Magento itself via ImgProx.
Server for faster data processing
Server service provider Centuria opted to use a single HPE DL360 Gen9 server, which proved to be an effective balance of cost and performance. This server has two Intel Xeon E5-2696 processors and is configured to be easily expandable in the future by adding additional RAM and disk slots.
Implementation results
The result of our collaboration is an infrastructure solution that is not only highly functional, but also cost-effective. With the support of Centuria administrators available around the clock, every day of the year, we guarantee the full security of our e-shop.
Managing content on the website and blogs has become much easier. The new, functional design allows users to shop more easily and intuitively.
The renewed website of the n69.pl online shop introduces an innovative approach to e-commerce, with a focus on optimisation and accessibility. Everything has been designed so that users can place orders quickly and seamlessly, in line with the European Accessibility Act.
You can read more about the implementation of the Hyvä module on n69.pl on the SNOWDOG agency website: https://snow.dog/our-work/n69-pl
More about N69.pl
N69.pl is a shop that specialises in selling erotic gadgets. Products are available both online and on site in a stationary shop in Warsaw. The shop offers almost 57,000 different products from global brands.
As independent reports indicate, it is the largest online erotica shop in Poland. The origins of N69.pl date back to 2018, when the first version of the website on the Magento 2 platform was launched. The shop won first place in the Ceneo.pl ranking in the “lifestyle” category in 2021, 2022, 2023. In addition, at the XBIZ Europa Awards 2023 gala held in Amsterdam, the N69.pl shop was recognised as the best adult shop in Europe.
In addition, it is also a professional knowledge platform and source of reliable information in the field of sexology and psychology, run through the N69 Academy – http://blog.n69.pl
More about SNOWDOG
Snowdog, being one of the most experienced IT players in Hyvä and Magento 2 implementations in Poland, is the first company in our country to be awarded the status of “Hyvä Gold Partner”. The agency specialises in developing Hyvä solutions of the highest quality, using a proprietary accelerator called Hyvä Sparq.
They streamline Hyvä implementations for the B2C and B2B sectors, while passionately supporting the idea of platform accessibility. They are also the creators of the popular free menu module for Hyvä.
They have been working with both Magento Open Source and Enterprise (now Adobe Commerce) for over a decade. They have also been organising the well-known Meet Magento conference since 2012.
