Aquaist.com
Blog & E-commerce
Project Name
Aquaist.com – Content-Driven E-Commerce Platform for Aquascaping Enthusiasts
Timeline
2003 – 2022
Role
Founder & Operator
Tools & Technologies
WordPress, WooCommerce, Photoshop, Shopier, Google Analytics, Google Merchant Center, Mailchimp
Overview
Aquaist.com was a long-term personal project born out of my interest in aquascaping. Originally launched as a blog, it later evolved into a functional e-commerce website during the pandemic. Without external funding or a commercial growth plan, I built and managed the entire platform independently while maintaining a full-time job.
Goals
– Share educational content on aquascaping
– Experiment with small-scale e-commerce and logistics workflows
– Learn SEO, marketplace integration, and data analytics
– Test product discovery, conversion rates, and content-based sales funnels
Responsibilities
– Designed and maintained the website using WordPress and a premium theme
– Integrated WooCommerce for e-commerce operations
– Connected Shopier as a local payment solution
– Managed customer experience, including shipping and shipment tracking
– Created custom email flows for each step of the order process
– Wrote SEO-optimized product descriptions and blog content
– Linked products contextually within high-traffic blog posts to drive conversions
– Set up and managed Mailchimp newsletter campaigns
– Connected the store to Google Merchant Center and monitored performance via Webmaster Tools
– Tracked visitor behavior and conversions using Google Analytics
– Tested multi-channel integrations via Dopigo and ICAST for Trendyol and Hepsiburada
– Handled over 150 SKUs and sustained 5–6 daily orders at peak
Screenshots – UI Samples
– Homepage
– Product Detail Page
– Search Results
– Checkout Flow (visualized via directional arrows in Figma)
– Order Confirmation Page
– Live Chat Interface
Screenshots – Performance Insights
– Sales Graph (Orders per Day / Month)
– Best-Selling Products
– Google Analytics Traffic Reports
– Search Engine Keyword Rankings
– Newsletter Campaign Results
Outcome
This project helped me gain firsthand experience in running an independent digital business, managing content and commerce in parallel. Despite its growth, I chose not to scale the operation further due to market conditions and limited time. Eventually, I decided to close the business, but the project remains one of the most educational and hands-on digital ventures in my career.
