Szymon Janiak
A personal brand that sells books
A website and store for a VC investor and author: book and ebook bundles, secure payments, a newsletter and UX true to the Figma design. Szymon Janiak is an entrepreneur, investor and author. He co-founded a EUR 50 million VC fund that invests in tech startups. He has written three books, hosts a podcast about venture capital and advises on fundraising and company sales. His website therefore brings together three roles: author, investor and advisor.
Selling his own publications without a platform built for his expert brand
- Selling without middlemen. The client wanted to sell the ebook and the print book on his own site, not only through third-party bookstores.
- A website as a brand showcase. The site had to reflect the expert's personal brand. Every visual detail affects his credibility as an author and investor.
- Frictionless payments. Buyers expect fast, secure checkout. Every unnecessary step in the cart is a lost sale, especially on mobile.
- Supporting marketing. Book sales thrive on launches, announcements and campaigns. The site had to work with email marketing tools.
- Several roles on one site. Author, investor and advisor each speak to a different audience. Each audience looks for something else and must not get lost.
- Smooth UX. Visitors arrive from LinkedIn, the podcast and the media. They need to find the book, the advisory offer or the contact details right away.
Vue.js on WordPress, built exactly to the Figma design
- Figma as the reference. We built the site strictly to the Figma designs. The final result matches exactly what the client approved at the design stage.
- Vue.js on the front end. We chose Vue.js for the presentation layer. It lets us build smooth, interactive elements without page reloads.
- WordPress as the content back end. The client and his team edit copy, testimonials and news themselves. They don't need a developer for it.
- WooCommerce for sales. The cart, orders and payments run on WooCommerce. It is a proven engine that integrates well with WordPress.
- Dedicated product pages. The ebook and the book each got their own page with a description and a secure payment gateway. Buyers face one decision at a time, which shortens the path from description to payment.
- SendGrid for communication. The newsletter and automated campaigns are sent via SendGrid. This separates email traffic from the web server and improves deliverability.
- Analytics and launch support. We set up analytics, ran QA and supported the client through the sales launch.
- Product bundles. The offer includes the print edition, the ebook, print plus ebook, and print plus two ebooks. Buyers pick a variant on a single page and immediately see the price difference.
What we built it with.
Analysis and design
We gathered the sales and branding goals. We agreed which products and sections take priority. The Figma designs served as the binding visual specification.
Front end
We translated the design into Vue.js with close attention to spacing, typography and mobile behavior.
Store and payments
We configured WooCommerce, the ebook and book product pages and the payment gateway.
Email marketing
We connected the site to SendGrid. Newsletter sign-ups and automated campaigns run without manual work.
QA and launch
We tested the purchase path across devices and browsers, from choosing a bundle to order confirmation. We then set up analytics and supported the client at launch.
What changed.
See other projects.
Selling expertise under your own name?
We'll build a website that strengthens your brand and sells your products. If you're building an expert brand, your website is often the first place where people judge your credibility. Selling a book, course or ebook on your own site gives you the margin, the customer data and the ability to keep the conversation going. It pays to connect the store with email marketing from day one, because your contact list works for you with every new launch. Using a Figma design as the binding specification cuts down on revisions and misunderstandings.
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