Aspen Publishing
Aspen Access (PLP custom build by users) and Custom Subscriptions
Aspen Publishing partnered with SMG to launch two major Shopify enhancements: Aspen Access, a fully custom experience for professors to create course-specific shopping pages. A custom subscription system that integrates tightly with Aspen’s licensing infrastructure. SMG was brought in as consultants for Shopify architecture and implementation for both solutions, bridging user experience needs, backend integrations, and Shopify limitations — all while minimizing change for internal and external users.
Our Impact
- New sales funnel launched
- 100+ custom PLPs (course pages)
- Shareable course URLs
- Subscriptions fully integrated
- No third-party tools needed
- Deliverables
- Custom PLP Builder ("Aspen Access")
- Course Page Creation & Adoption Flow
- Role-Based UX and Verification Enforcement
- Subscription Purchase & Renewal System
- Grace Period and Lifecycle Handling
- Email Automation for Subscription Lifecycle
- A/B Testing Integration
- Year
- 2024 - 2025
- Industry
- Educational Publishing
Partners
Apps & Integrations on this project
Aspen Publishing is a top academic publisher specializing in legal education materials. Serving students, professors, and institutions, Aspen delivers industry-leading digital and print content across a wide spectrum of legal subjects.
Fast Paced Project
While working with Aspen Publishing, we delivered the project on a tight deadline without compromising on quality.
Easily Customizable Theme
We developed a fully custom Shopify theme, designed to be easily editable and manageable by Aspen Publishing's team without developer assistance.
Challenges Addressed
Rigid Product Listing Logic:
Professors needed to create and manage custom course pages without relying on Shopify’s default collection structure.
Subscription Complexity:
Aspen’s unique needs required deep integration between Shopify and their third-party system, which manages product-level entitlement handling.
Non-Standard Access & User Flows:
Educators, students, and institutions needed differentiated experiences tied to verification, access roles, and entitlement logic.
A/B Testing and Variant Control:
PDPs had to support test-driven layout and purchase logic while remaining stable across Shopify's selling plan structure.
Login and Compliance Enforcement:
Subscription checkout flows required gated access, email verification, and consent capture without degrading UX.
Klaviyo Integration
We integrated Klaviyo with automated newsletter sign-up flows to support marketing and customer retention efforts.
VWO
Aspen Publishing enhances legal education with Aspen Access and subscriptions. We optimize user experience with VWO, simplifying content access.
Aspen’s Internal System
The project integrated Shopify with Aspen's internal system and APIs to manage licensing, entitlements, and subscriptions, enabling professors to create course pages and handle subscription lifecycles.