Web Design Case Study: Plonk Wine
From Startup to Exit (with SEO at Its Core)
Client: Plonk Wine
Industry: FMCG / DTC Wine
Location: London, UK
Project Duration: 2 months (initial build + launch)
Website Size: ~50+ pages
Exit: Sold in September 2025
The Challenge
In 2020, at the height of COVID lockdowns, the founders of Market Jar launched Plonk Wine. The mission was bold: create a fresh, unapologetic wine brand that speaks directly to consumers (and restaurants), challenge traditional wine norms, and become visible online in a saturated market.
They came to Market Jar asking for:
A bespoke website that feels premium yet disruptive
Seamless e‑commerce flows for both direct consumers and trade clients
A platform that can scale with content, discovery, and SEO
A brand voice that breaks wine industry tropes
The constraints were real: tight timeframes, budget pressure, and intense competition in the online wine space, especially during a pandemic when consumption was shifting heavily to DTC channels.
What did we deliver?
Plonk Wine now have a fully operational e-commerce wine website with UX design in mind. At home, consumers can purchase their wines online, and restaurants are also able to apply for a trade account using their smart integrated online application form.
Over time, Plonk achieved:
Strong organic traffic growth, the share of organic visits rose steadily amid lockdowns and beyond
Keyword rankings, many non‑branded, high‑intent wine keywords began ranking in top 10
Improved conversion paths, content drove awareness, and product pages converted visitors effectively
Better domain authority, thanks to consistent, relevant backlinks from niche wine and lifestyle sites
Brand recognition in wine circles, media coverage, mentions in wine blogs, trade journals
Because the site was built with SEO in mind from day one, growth was more sustainable — not entirely dependent on paid ads. The content engine became a compounding asset: older content still brought in traffic, supporting acquisition costs. After scaling and establishing Plonk as a differentiated wine brand with strong SEO foundations, the business was sold in September 2025. The SEO assets, brand content, domain authority, and customer base all added to its valuation.
Results, not promises
We’ve helped clients all over the world to grow their pipeline, and increase their revenue. Here’s what they had to say about working with Market Jar.
