As one of the founding members of the San Diego microbrew community, Ballast Point has been brewing hand-crafted, uniquely flavorful beers for over twenty years. Their obsession with the details and passion for their process helped them grow from a small local brewery to national sensation. Their digital presence, however, still reflected their humble beginnings. The simple brochure-ware site failed to embody the core tenants of the brand, created challenges for shoppers and visitors, and offered little opportunity for social engagement.

The task of transforming a dated website with limited functionality into an immersive experience took place over a series of sprints covering five months. Traina worked closely with the Ballast Point marketing and retail teams to identify the needs of the consumer and push the limits of the online experience.

We dove into the analytics of the existing site to understand common user flows and identify deficiencies in user experience. These findings served as the foundation for our strategic recommendations to simplify the site map, enhance site-wide search capabilities, elevate social and cross promote merchandise alongside profiles of their beer. And with 50% of visitors accessing the site via phone or tablet, Traina’s interactive and development team set out to radically improve the site’s mobile experience.

Traina created more than just a website for Ballast Point, but an authentic brand experience where enthusiasts could take a deep dive into the company’s culture, their obsession with making the finest quality product, and even Ballast Point’s long-term relationship with label artist Paul Elder. We fused this storytelling with powerful site features to drive business–immersive detail pages for their locations, a streamlined online merch store and product marketing that stays one step ahead of the user. The site gives Ballast Point the national brand feel it now deserves without losing its heritage of being dedicated to the craft.