Rock Maniac Records is Jitse’s record store. Since 2016, the go-to place for rock, metal, punk, stoner, and everything similar. Our collaboration extends beyond this site; I originally built a website for him in 2019. When it was time to take the next step, continuing our partnership was an easy decision.

The goal remained consistent: a professional site that reflects the raw, authentic character of the store: dark, atmospheric, and entirely focused on the music, with no distractions. The records are the stars.

The initial plan was a single WordPress site with WooCommerce for the webshop. It worked well initially, but as the store grew, the whole thing became heavier and slower. In 2024, I therefore separated the webshop and the main website and built them separately. This allows each component to excel at what it does best, without hindering one another.

This year, I’ve been running my own CMS. I've completely migrated the non-webshop portion: the main site with all its information, atmosphere, and visibility to that CMS. The result is a lightweight, fast website built from scratch around the dark, distinctive aesthetic that suits the store.

During this transition, I also revamped the SEO to ensure the store is more easily found. And because accessibility is just as important, I also manage email hosting. In this case, consciously through Google Workspace, as it best aligns with how Jitse works.

The move to a custom CMS delivered an approximate 70% performance improvement: the main site loads noticeably faster than before. With improved SEO, Rock Maniac Records is stronger online than ever.

Equally important is the underlying foundation. The webshop and main site can be maintained separately, email runs smoothly through Google Workspace, and the management sits within a CMS that I will continue to develop. A partnership that has been running since 2019, and isn’t stopping anytime soon.

Visit rockmaniacrecords.nl →