Ares Experience
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Websites · E-commerce

Online stores built for how Kenya buys.

If orders come in through Instagram DMs and WhatsApp, and payments are checked by hand against M-Pesa messages, an online store can take that work off your hands.

Get a quote for an online store
printknight · configurator
Print Knight order configurator: choosing quantity, size, stock and finish with the price updating live

Print Knight: configure a print job and see the price change as you goAbout this project

What goes into a good store.

Most people will find and buy from your store on a phone. Everything is designed for that first.

  • 01

    A catalogue people can browse

    Categories, search and filters that match how your customers think about your products, with sizes, colours and other options handled properly.

  • 02

    Checkout without friction

    As few steps as possible, guest checkout where it makes sense, and clear delivery or pickup choices with costs shown before payment.

  • 03

    M-Pesa and cards

    Payments run through Safaricom’s M-Pesa APIs or a licensed payment provider for cards. We build the integration. The provider processes the money.

  • 04

    Orders your team can manage

    New-order notifications, order status, stock and products in one admin area instead of across chats and notebooks.

Custom store or platform?

Not every store needs to be built from scratch. Hosted platforms such as Shopify or WooCommerce suit many shops with a standard catalogue and checkout, and we’ll tell you if that’s you.

A custom build makes sense when buying has steps a template can’t handle: configuring a product before pricing it, booking a time, ordering for delivery within set zones, or connecting orders to systems you already use. Print Knight’s print-job configurator is an example.

What depends on others: M-Pesa needs a business Paybill or Till and Safaricom’s approval for API access. Card payments need an account with a payment provider. Their fees and approval times apply, and we’ll walk you through them.

Ordering and checkout we’ve built.

Print ordering with live pricing, restaurant order-ahead, and gym memberships paid online.

printknight · home
Print Knight, home screen
Client project · liveE-commerce · Ordering platform

Print Knight

Printing & branding · Nairobi

Print Knight wanted customers to order print the way they’d order anything else online. Pick a product, choose the options, see the price change as you go, upload artwork, check out. Behind it is an admin desk where the team manages products, orders and leads.

Our role
Design and development of the customer-facing site, ordering flow and admin desk.

What’s in it

  • Brand site covering the print services and the creative agency
  • Catalogue across stationery, marketing, large-format and promotional work
  • Job configurator with live pricing by quantity, size, stock, finish, turnaround and proof
  • Artwork upload, cart, promo codes and VAT
  • M-Pesa checkout, live in production
  • Admin desk for products, orders, earnings and media leads (not shown)

Admin screens aren’t shown because they contain business data. Shown with the client’s permission.

restaurant-site · home
Restaurant website, home screen
Portfolio projectOrdering & reservations

Restaurant website

Hospitality

A restaurant website that does more than show the menu. Guests order ahead for pickup or delivery, add extras, or request a table, and the front-of-house team handles both from one screen.

Our role
Design and development of the website, online ordering, reservations and the admin screen.

What’s in it

  • A warm, editorial identity to match the food
  • Menu by category, with dietary filters and item extras
  • Order-ahead for pickup or delivery
  • Table reservation requests with seating preferences
  • Front-of-house admin for orders, reservations and the menu (not shown)
  • Order status updates emailed to customers

A portfolio project designed and built by Ares to show how a restaurant site can take orders and bookings. The brand shown is part of the design exercise, not a client.

gym-site · home
Gym website, home screen
Portfolio projectMemberships & checkout

Gym website

Fitness

A premium gym website where people compare membership plans and pay for one online without calling anyone first, plus classes, schedule, events and personal training.

Our role
Design and development of the website, membership checkout and content admin.

What’s in it

  • A bold, high-contrast identity
  • Membership plans with online checkout
  • Classes, schedule, events, pool and personal training pages
  • Admin for plans, pricing, classes, trainers, events and site content (not shown)

A portfolio project designed and built by Ares to show a membership business online. The brand shown is part of the design exercise, not a client.

Online store questions.

Can my store take M-Pesa payments automatically?

Yes. With Safaricom’s M-Pesa APIs (Daraja), customers get a payment prompt on their phone and the store records the payment when it’s confirmed. You need a business Paybill or Till number, and Safaricom has to approve the integration before it can go live.

Do I need a custom store, or will Shopify do?

If your products and checkout are standard, a hosted platform can be quicker and cheaper to run. If customers need to configure products, book times or order within delivery zones, or you need the store connected to other tools, a custom build is usually worth it. We’ll recommend one or the other after we understand your business.

Can you move my existing shop across?

Usually, yes. Products, categories and images can be moved, and we set up redirects so links to your old product pages keep working.

Who handles delivery?

You or your courier do. The store can show delivery zones and costs, collect addresses and notify your team, and can connect to a delivery provider where they offer an integration.

Tell us what you need.

Not sure whether you need a website or something bigger? That’s a good place to start the conversation.

I need a website New site, redesign or online store. Get a website quote I need a system Ordering, bookings, payments or operations. Discuss a digital system

Rather talk it through?

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