ecommerce and mobile ecommercemarketing
Digital Transformation in Wellness: Wells Stringham on UX, Scalability & AI-Ready Experiences
1. Why was it critical to develop two separate e-commerce sites for the US and Canadian markets instead of a unified North American site?
In most cases, we’d advocate for a unified site because it’s easier to manage and maintain. But in this instance, the nuances of Canadian health regulations presented a challenge. Infrared saunas are classified differently in Canada, which restricts how you can talk about their health benefits. To ensure Radiant Health could meet compliance requirements in both markets without compromise, we split the build into two market-specific sites — both powered by BigCommerce for a consistent backend experience. It’s a model that gives the business room to grow while staying within the lines.
2. What were some of the biggest challenges in integrating CRM and operations tools?
Radiant Health had previously been using QuickBooks Online for bookkeeping, accounting and invoicing; we integrated this directly with BigCommerce and Hubspot to simplify the sales process and remove manual steps. There’s always an adjustment curve when introducing entirely new systems, but the team embraced the shift faster than expected, aided by a bit of training from us and the platforms themselves.
The bigger challenge was maintaining Radiant’s high-touch, ‘white-glove’ service approach while making operations scalable. Previously, they called every customer individually. That’s amazing service, but hard to sustain for a growing brand. But with a CRM integrated into the e-commerce flow, they can still offer that human connection, but focus on where it matters most.
3. How did you ensure that the infrastructure was scalable and secure for future market expansions or traffic surges?
We deliberately chose a MACH-focused, composable architecture, using BigCommerce and HubSpot as our foundation. While more monolithic systems might have worked for a simpler use case, Radiant has plans to expand its product range and presence over time. A composable setup allows new services, markets or community features to be bolted on without breaking what’s already working. That flexibility is critical when you’re both reacting to and planning for growth.
4. What role did customer insights or behavioural data play in shaping the website’s UX and content strategy?
With little legacy data to draw on, we leaned into qualitative insights. We spoke with customers, internal teams, and even a few long-time sauna reviewers — yes, they exist — who’d tested just about every model on the market. They all told us the same thing: people want to buy premium wellness products online, but they also want confidence and clarity before making such a big purchase.
That fed into the content strategy, which combines informative resources with lifestyle-led storytelling. There’s a long buying cycle for a product like this, so the site has to do more than sell, it has to support, educate, and reassure. No one wants to end up with thousands of dollars of buyer’s remorse should they buy the wrong model!
5. Have there been any measurable ROI indicators since the project launch that validate the success of the transformation?
Prior to the launch of the new e-commerce sites, all orders were processed through the sales team from start to finish - and this meant a lot of back-and-forth, generally by phone. That changed with the launch of the new platform, within six weeks 41% of transactions were already 'self-guided', which means the customer places the order through the website. From here, the team conducted follow-up interactions — whether that’s a call or an email. The time saved at the start of the buying journey will ensure Radiant is best-placed to maintain the premium service it has become known for as it expands.
6. How should legacy wellness brands think about digital experience transformation in 2025 and beyond?
We can expect wellness brands to be resilient even as we head into a recessionary climate. McKinskey’s recent Future of Wellness survey suggests consumers are less likely to cut spending across a range of wellness subcategories than on categories, including clothing, entertainment, and home decor. This is driven in part by Millennials and GenZ who spend disproportionately on wellness. Consequently, this is the perfect time for legacy wellness brands to consider investing in a modern, connected digital experience.
While GenAI is becoming more deeply embedded in the marketeers’ toolkit, the fundamentals of building engaging digital businesses haven't changed. Success remains contingent on strong strategic foundations built on your customers’ needs, an adaptable tech stack is needed to take full advantage of data-driven opportunities as they emerge.
At the top of the funnel AI, composable tech stacks, and GenAI-based search tools are reshaping how people find and engage with brands. If you’re not building your digital experience with adaptability in mind, you risk being invisible to tomorrow’s customers. For wellness brands especially, where education and personalization are crucial, it’s no longer enough to bolt on a web store. You need to think about how you show up in people’s discovery journeys, whether that’s through search, content, or emerging channels like AI-led recommendations.
The wellness brands that win over the longer-term will be those that think beyond tech and transactions alone, community building will increasingly be as important as flexible infrastructure in this space.
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