Try to imagine life without sugar . . . no, let’s not. Sugar and other sweeteners have always been among the world’s most popular food products, and consumption as at an all-time high. That’s great news for Wholesome Sweeteners, a leading supplier of Fair Trade Certified organic and natural sugars, syrups, nectars and honeys.

Although the company’s roots go back to 1843 (in aptly named Sugar Land, Texas), Wholesome Sweeteners is a relatively young company. It was formed in the mid-1990s in the early days of the Internet explosion.

“We were new and wanted a web site quickly then,” explains Karen Stevenson, Wholesome Sweeteners’ Marketing Communications Manager. “Our site was fine at first, but it started to look like Grandma’s refrigerator. After a while, it didn’t reflect the company and our values. We needed to tighten and freshen it.”

The redesign presented unique challenges. SpiralFX was awarded the project, and fortunately, brought many great ideas to the process.

“They were spot-on with every suggestion,” Karen said. “We needed a customized site with layers of information. We had various product types and lots of different audiences (retailers, consumers, social/environmental groups). We wanted to upload videos. We needed a store locator. It all could have been unwieldy, but they made it work great.”

One key aspect of the site is a searchable, interactive library of more than 1000 separate recipes, and it’s continually growing as people send in new submissions. SpiralFX implemented a password-protected Update Wizard, a special editing tool which enables non-technical people to modify the site themselves by simply clicking through ordinary links.

“The Wizard really helps me manage the site,” Karen added.

SpiralFX also developed a “My Favorite Recipe” section where visitors can catalog recipes for reference. 

“That function was Vanessa’s idea,” Karen said, “We already have about 40 new people a month signing up for it.”

The new Wholesome Sweeteners web site has seen a dramatic increase in activity. One of its benefits is a reduction in phone calls to the company’s Customer Service department: visitors can now find answers online through the site’s expanded FAQ section.

“We love SpiralFX,” Karen concluded, “and I’ve already recommended them to a friend. I told her, ‘Save yourself the crazies.’”

For more information about this site, please go to www.wholesomesweeteners.com. To contact SpiralFX, please click here.