White twin-engine turboprop aircraft approaching for landing against a bright overcast sky
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National Aviation

National Aviation: A Shopify Redesign For Aviation Buyers

  • National Aviation, operating under Seattle Aviation Solutions, needed a Shopify store that matched the way aviation buyers shop, i.e., fast, part-number-driven and with no tolerance for friction.
  • Digital Silk delivered a mobile-first Shopify redesign that improved product discovery, streamlined conversion pathways and modernized the experience without disrupting the custom inventory and API logic the store depended on.
  • Sessions grew by +434.36%, active users by +461.53% and engaged sessions by +417.43%.
National Aviation eCommerce website shown across desktop and mobile screens with hero banner, product listings and key performance stats
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Full-length before and after comparison of National Aviation's website showing the old layout alongside the newly redesigned version
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The Challenge

Aviation buyers know exactly what they need, often down to the part number and they expect to find it quickly.
The existing store was not built for that.

Three stacked desktop screenshots of National Aviation's website showing homepage, about page and product detail page at an angled perspective

A Complex Inventory Presentation

The store pulled stock from multiple sources, including internal inventory and external sourcing, but the way that information was displayed created confusion rather than confidence. Fixing it meant working around existing API logic without breaking it.

A Gap Between Traffic & Conversions

Paid campaigns were bringing people in. The store was not converting them. The drop-off pointed to UX, speed and flow issues that needed to be addressed at the structural level.

Two Different Shopping Behaviors To Support

Some buyers search by part number. Others browse by category or brand. The site needed to handle both cleanly rather than forcing one type of buyer to work around a structure built for the other.

Mobile As A Priority

The team was clear that mobile traffic was significant and growing. The experience on smaller screens needed to be as polished and fast as desktop.

Trust & Support Accessibility

Technical products raise technical questions. Buyers needed fast, visible access to support and the site was not making that easy enough.

Small propeller aircraft banking in flight above a dramatic cloudscape at golden hour with a deep blue gradient overlay

THE SOLUTION

We treated this as a customer experience redesign, not a visual refresh.
Every decision was made around how aviation buyers truly use a store like this.

  • UX & Navigation Rebuild

    We restructured the navigation to support high-intent, part-driven searches while still allowing browse-based discovery for less-experienced buyers. We reinforced Shop by Brand and product category pathways to match how aviation buyers move through a store.

  • Mobile-First Shopify Redesign

    We rebuilt the entire experience with mobile as the starting point and made it responsive, fast and consistent across devices.

  • Conversion Pathways & Speed To Purchase

    We reduced the steps between homepage and cart, prioritizing quick access to frequently purchased items and making the path to purchase as short as possible. We strengthened trust signals and made support touchpoints prominent throughout.

  • Integration-Safe Build

    We planned the redesign around the store’s existing Shopify apps and custom API and inventory logic. We didn’t touch the elements that were working and we improved what was visible without disrupting what was running underneath.

Three desktop screenshots of National Aviation's website pages displayed in a reverse angled arrangement showing homepage and inner page layouts

The Results

Comparing December 23, 2025-February 23, 2026 to the previous period:

Increase in sessions by

434.36 %

Increase in active users by

461.53 %

Increase in engaged sessions by

417.43 %
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