Lewis Leathers - we rebuilt the site from the ground up – faster, stronger, and still unmistakably iconic.

Modernising a legacy brand with custom development and SEO - heritage intact, performance enhanced.

Preserving heritage while driving performance.

Case Study: Engineering Digital Growth for a Heritage Icon

Lewis Leathers – Web Development, SEO, and Long-Term Technical Partnership

Sector: Premium Motorcycle Apparel & Accessories (B2B & B2C)

Location: United Kingdom & Japan

Client Since: August 2020

Services: Web Development, SEO Optimisation, UX, Technical Revamp, Magento Rescue, SLA Support

About the Client

Lewis Leathers is Britain’s oldest motorcycle clothing company, established in 1892. Renowned for their high-end leather biker jackets, boots, and accessories, the brand has become a cultural icon with strong ties to the film, fashion, and motorsport industries. Their AviaKit line is especially revered for its vintage authenticity and bespoke craftsmanship. With dedicated audiences in both the UK and Japan, Lewis Leathers bridges legacy and lifestyle, offering custom products that embody over a century of design heritage.

Lewis Leathers

Project Goals & Initial Challenges

Key Challenges:

  • Legacy Magento codebase had been directly modified, creating instability and upgrade limitations.

  • No version control or repositories were in place from the previous agency.

  • Poor SEO structure and lack of technical optimisation.

  • Weak mobile UX and performance bottlenecks.

  • Slow load times and frequent site disruptions.

  • Inefficient site architecture causing conversion loss.


Success Criteria (from Client's Viewpoint):

  • A stable and scalable Magento eCommerce solution.

  • Improved organic search visibility.

  • Custom product ordering functionality for bespoke jackets.

  • Better mobile performance and faster page loads.

  • A UI/UX that reflects their prestigious brand identity.

Scope of Work

Magento Website Redevelopment

We fully redeveloped the Lewis Leathers website from the ground up using Magento. The previous version had suffered from direct core-code modifications by a past agency, with no use of version control or repositories. This made it unstable, unscalable, and difficult to maintain. Rather than patch an already compromised system, we built a clean, modular Magento instance that restored integrity to the platform and created a robust base for future updates and enhancements.

Technical SEO Audit & Fixes

Our initial audit revealed multiple technical SEO issues, including broken internal links, missing canonical tags, redundant metadata, and slow crawl efficiency. We addressed these systematically by restructuring the site architecture, repairing broken elements, improving internal linking, and resolving crawl depth issues. The result was improved crawlability, faster indexing, and better alignment with Google’s ranking algorithms.

SEO Metadata, Heading and Structure Overhaul

We rewrote all page-level metadata, ensuring that every title and description was optimised for both SEO and click-through. Header structures were cleaned up for consistency and semantic value, helping search engines better understand the content hierarchy. These changes also improved on-page readability for users, contributing to lower bounce rates.

Site Caching and Speed Optimisation

Page load speed was one of the most pressing concerns. We implemented full-page caching, optimised image delivery, reduced JavaScript bloat, and configured Redis and Varnish to accelerate dynamic content delivery. These improvements significantly reduced server response times and brought mobile and desktop PageSpeed scores up to modern standards.

UX Restructuring and Mobile Performance Optimisation

The user journey, especially on mobile, was clunky and inconsistent. We performed a complete UX audit and redesigned key flows to be more intuitive and streamlined. Navigation was simplified, product pages restructured, and all forms made mobile-friendly. This led to measurable improvements in mobile engagement and conversion rates.

Figma-Based UI Collaboration

To align visuals with Lewis Leathers’ premium branding, we used Figma for collaborative prototyping and design iteration. Every layout and design element was signed off in Figma before development, allowing us to maintain a high design standard and avoid costly rework. This process was crucial in ensuring that the finished site faithfully represented the brand’s historic identity while delivering a modern experience.

Custom Product Configuration Module

A core requirement was the ability to allow customers to customise leather jackets directly on the site. We developed a bespoke module within Magento that lets users select materials, colours, linings, and more, with real-time previews and variant handling. This functionality mirrors the in-store customisation experience and has become a key differentiator for their eCommerce offering.

Payment Gateway and POS Integration

We integrated modern payment gateways that support both domestic and international transactions, and ensured compatibility with Lewis Leathers' in-store POS systems. This enabled unified reporting and order management across channels, offering customers a frictionless checkout experience whether shopping online or in-store.

Email Server Enhancement

Their previous email system was unreliable, with frequent delivery issues affecting both customer communications and internal workflow. We migrated the email infrastructure to a more secure and performant provider, ensuring stable delivery, improved inbox placement, and fewer disruptions to day-to-day operations.

SEO Training and In-House Knowledge Transfer

To give the Lewis Leathers team more control and understanding of their digital presence, we conducted a series of SEO training sessions. These included best practices for product descriptions, metadata updates, keyword usage, and tracking performance using tools like Google Search Console. This has allowed the in-house team to maintain optimisation efforts independently and sustainably.

Ongoing SLA and Performance Support

Beyond the initial project, we’ve continued to support Lewis Leathers under a service-level agreement that includes monitoring site performance, resolving emerging issues, and providing guidance on SEO and UX trends. This ongoing relationship ensures the site remains fast, secure, and aligned with the evolving needs of the brand and its customers.

Key Results

Massive Growth in Orders and Backlog

Following the launch of the new site in October 2021, Lewis Leathers experienced a 1325% increase in online orders. This dramatic surge not only reflected improved customer engagement but also created a two-year product backlog, highlighting the effectiveness of the new eCommerce infrastructure in driving demand. The bespoke product configurator played a key role in encouraging more high-value custom orders.

Significant Boost in Website Performance

PageSpeed scores rose from below-average levels to industry-leading figures—jumping from 42 to 84 on mobile and from 51 to 93 on desktop. Load times dropped from 4.6 seconds to just 1.3 seconds, thanks to advanced caching, code optimisation, and image delivery enhancements. These performance gains directly contributed to better user retention and reduced bounce rates.

Improved SEO Health and Rankings

After our comprehensive SEO overhaul, the site’s overall SEO score improved from 63 to 91. Improved metadata, clean URLs, structured headings, and better indexing practices led to stronger keyword rankings and increased organic traffic. Within months, Lewis Leathers began ranking on page one for several high-intent product keywords across both UK and Japan markets.

Mobile Engagement Gains

Mobile user experience had been a pain point prior to redevelopment. After our mobile-first redesign and performance optimisation, mobile engagement rose by 8%. More users were completing purchases on mobile devices, which was particularly important for the brand’s Japanese customer base, where mobile commerce is dominant.

Stronger Market Positioning

The technical rebuild, design refresh, and personalised ordering functionality helped position Lewis Leathers as the go-to digital destination for premium leather biker jackets. The brand's reputation for craftsmanship was now supported by a user experience and eCommerce platform that felt equally bespoke and premium, elevating the overall perception of the brand online.

Enhanced On-Site Interaction

We introduced new features like “Write Your Own Question” on product pages, which improved customer interaction and reduced pre-sale inquiries via email. This functionality gave users more confidence before making a purchase and contributed to higher conversion rates while reducing customer service load.

Technical Highlights

Rebuilding from a Compromised Codebase

One of the biggest technical challenges was the state of the existing Magento installation. The previous agency had modified the core code directly without any version control, creating serious limitations for future upgrades and module compatibility. We chose to start from scratch, rebuilding the site using best practices and version-controlled code to ensure long-term stability and maintainability.

Removal of Legacy Scripts and Unused Modules

The inherited codebase contained a number of deprecated, unused, or conflicting scripts and modules that were causing performance issues and errors. We performed a full code audit, stripped out unnecessary elements, and rewrote sections of the frontend and backend to streamline the site’s functionality. This cleanup contributed significantly to the site's improved loading times and backend efficiency.

Advanced Image and Media Optimisation

High-resolution imagery was a vital part of Lewis Leathers’ product presentation, but poor media management had been weighing down performance. We introduced automated image compression, lazy loading, and CDN integration to ensure that images retained their quality while being delivered quickly. These changes alone improved visual load times on mobile by several seconds.

UX and Accessibility Improvements

Beyond performance, we tackled core UX issues that were affecting accessibility and user engagement. We adjusted contrast levels, improved button sizing and spacing, and added alt text across the site to enhance compliance with accessibility guidelines. We also ensured keyboard navigation worked properly and tested across screen readers for key templates.

Mobile Experience Revamp

We restructured the mobile layout to reduce load time, eliminate pinch-and-zoom scenarios, and improve navigation. The original design had been desktop-focused with little thought for handheld usability. Our mobile-first approach led to a cleaner, faster, and more intuitive experience, particularly important for the Japanese segment of the customer base, where mobile usage dominates.

Core Web Vitals Compliance

We prioritised Google’s Core Web Vitals as a performance benchmark. Through a combination of optimised rendering paths, preloading key assets, and reducing layout shifts, we moved the site from failing to passing scores across all major metrics—Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). These improvements helped increase organic rankings and user trust.

Use of Advanced Diagnostic Tools

Throughout the project, we employed a range of tools including Google PageSpeed Insights, Sitechecker, DebugBear, and Hotjar. These helped us identify and monitor issues from multiple angles—technical, SEO, and user behaviour. The data-driven approach enabled us to prioritise high-impact fixes and track measurable progress.

Custom Module Development for Product Personalisation

A standout technical achievement was the development of a fully integrated customisation module for leather jackets. Unlike off-the-shelf plugins, this module was built specifically for Lewis Leathers’ needs, allowing customers to choose from a range of materials, styles, and colours. The module is deeply integrated with Magento’s inventory and variant system, maintaining backend consistency while delivering a premium frontend experience.

Have a Project in Mind?

Got questions or ready to get started? Fill out our quick contact form, and we'll respond promptly. You can also reach us directly via email or phone—we're here to discuss your project anytime

Pole Brand

Marco House

25 Goodge Place

London, W1T 4SP

[email protected]

t: +44 20 3911 0335

Get social

Keep in touch