Kernow Fires Website Case Study: 11 Years of Digital Growth
Client: Kernow Fires - Cornwall's largest fireplace and cooker showroom
Owner: Simon
Industry: Fireplace installation, wood-burning stoves, cookers, outdoor cooking
Project Duration: 2014 - Present (11 years of website collaboration)
Location: Cornwall, UK
The Website Challenge
In 2014, Kernow Fires needed a professional website to showcase their growing fireplace and stove installation business. As a local Cornish business expanding beyond simple installations, they required a flexible platform that could grow with their ambitions.
The Original Website Solution (2014-2024)
Back in 2014, I built Kernow Fires a bespoke website using a custom framework. Working closely with Simon and the team, I created a fully managed website that included:
Custom product displays for fireplaces, stoves, and cookers
Detailed product information and specifications
Image galleries showcasing installations
Contact and enquiry forms
Brand-specific landing pages
For 11 years, I managed and maintained this website as the business grew dramatically. During this time, Kernow Fires expanded from a single showroom to become Cornwall's largest fireplace and cooker retailer with two showrooms and an outstanding international reputation.
What We Achieved Together (2014-2024)
Through our website and marketing collaboration:
Two complete rebrands as the business evolved
Integrated marketing strategy across Google, Facebook, and Instagram advertising
Event management including sales events and cookery demonstrations
First virtual sales demonstration for Everhot Cookers, connecting Cornwall with Gloucestershire
Industry recognition - manufacturers showcased our online presence as an example to other dealers nationwide
Expanded business offerings - from basic installations to comprehensive showrooms, outdoor cooking, sweep services, and exclusive brand distribution
The bespoke site served them well, featuring:
Custom blocks with various layouts and manufacturer branding
Video and image integration throughout
Product selectors to help visitors navigate thousands of options
Flexible page designs accommodating diverse products and services
The Problem (2024)
By 2024, despite the website's success, several issues had emerged:
Too large and complex to manage - the site had grown organically over a decade
Limited flexibility - the CMS couldn't keep pace with modern marketing needs
Third-party dependency - some updates required external developers, slowing response times
Expensive to expand - adding new features (online booking, ticket sales, e-commerce) required costly custom development
Technology had moved on - modern platforms offered capabilities the bespoke framework couldn't match
As the business continued expanding (adding sweep services, outdoor cooking showrooms, and new brand distributions as sole distributors), the website was holding them back rather than enabling growth.
The 2025 Solution: Complete Redesign on Squarespace
After working with Squarespace for five years on other projects, I understood what was achievable with modern website platforms. I knew I could give Kernow Fires everything they needed without the complexity and cost of custom development.
I proposed a complete redesign and rebuild on Squarespace. This wasn't a simple migration - it was a ground-up reimagining of their digital presence. Like swapping a heavy wax jacket for a lightweight waterproof, the new site would be faster, more agile, and far easier to manage while looking and feeling completely different.
The new Squarespace website would deliver:
Flexibility to add online shops for products and services
Event management and ticketing directly through the website
Service booking with integrated invoicing and payment systems for sweeps and servicing
Micro-sites within the main site for brand-specific content and resources
Customer signup and engagement tools for marketing automation
Client self-management - the team could update content without developer assistance
Faster loading times - optimized for modern web standards
Streamlined product data - easier to manage and update
Better mobile experience - essential for modern users
SEO and AIO optimization - improved visibility in both traditional and AI-powered search
Thousands of external link redirects - ensuring no broken links from the old site
The team agreed, and I launched the new Squarespace website in August 2025.
The Results
Within one month of launch:
Site visitors tripled - demonstrating improved SEO and user experience
First major event launched through the new website booking system
Team empowerment - staff can now manage most updates independently
Marketing coherence - seamless integration with their overall marketing strategy
Future-proofed - platform can grow with the business without expensive custom development
Key Features of the New Website
Modern, clean design that loads quickly on all devices
Integrated e-commerce for product sales
Event booking and ticketing system for demonstrations and shows
Service scheduling with invoicing and payment systems for sweeps and servicing
Micro-sites for brand-specific content (e.g., Everhot Cookers resource site)
Brand showcases with manufacturer-specific pages and branding
Video integration throughout for product demonstrations
Mobile-optimized responsive design
SEO-optimized for local Cornwall searches
AIO-ready for AI-powered search visibility
Easy content management - no developer needed for updates
Complete redirect strategy - thousands of external links redirected to new pages
Project Details
Timeline:
Original website: 3 months (2014)
Website management period: 11 years (2014-2025)
New website redesign and build: 6 months (February - August 2025)
The extended timeline for the new build was due to sole project management, including independently finding, writing, and creating all content without team input - ensuring every detail was perfect.
Ongoing Support: Weekly website management including content updates, product additions, event setup, blog posts, marketing integration, social media scheduling, and advertising management.
What Makes This Project Special
This 11-year website collaboration (within a 13-year overall marketing relationship starting in 2012) demonstrates how a website should grow with a business. From a simple local installer to Cornwall's largest showroom with international recognition, the digital presence evolved alongside the business.
The 2025 redesign wasn't about starting over - it was about taking everything we learned over 11 years of website collaboration and building it into a platform that can support the next decade of growth.
The complete redesign involved not just creating a new look and feel, but meticulously redirecting thousands of external links to ensure seamless continuity for customers and search engines alike.
Client Testimonial
"Our website has been lovingly built and nurtured by Kelly, growing with the company as we have expanded, diversified and modernised. When I think of where we were when we met Kelly in 2012 to where we are now, there is no comparison. Throughout this time she has worked to continually adapt and improve our website and we are now working with her to create a whole new website which reflects our modern business and allows her more creative scope as well as flexibility with our marketing campaigns - exciting times!"
— Simon, Owner, Kernow Fires
Lessons for Cornish Businesses
This case study demonstrates several important principles:
Long-term website collaboration matters - 11 years of working together means deep understanding of the business
Websites must evolve - what worked in 2014 needed a complete redesign for 2025
Choose platforms that empower you - being able to manage your own content is invaluable
Don't wait until it breaks - proactive redesigning prevents crisis situations
Modern platforms are powerful - you don't always need expensive custom development
Complete redesigns can feel transformative - like swapping a heavy jacket for a lightweight one
Results speak - tripling traffic within a month proves the value of optimization
Details matter - thousands of redirects ensure continuity and preserve SEO value
Interested in a website that can grow with your Cornish business?
See how Kernow Fires' website works in practice: [Read the blog post about their current features and results →]
Ready to discuss your project?
Call Kelly: 07545 313994 | Email: kelly@cornwall-websites.co.uk
“We had some very complex requirements but the team had no problem handling them.”
— Simon Breckon, Owner of Kernow Fires
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