From Creative Vision to Digital Empire: My Journey with Bunnypants Studio

by Lorraine Haasbroek Nelson

When people hear the name “Bunnypants,” they don’t forget it. That’s exactly what I was hoping for when I launched my graphic design and web development studio back in early 2004. The story behind our unusual company name is one that always brings a smile to people’s faces—it comes from my maiden surname, Haasbroek. In Afrikaans, “Haas” translates to “Bunny” and “Broek” means “Pants.” Hence, Bunnypants was born.

The Foundation Years and My Vision

I started Bunnypants with a clear vision and deep passion. Having studied Graphic Design, Photography, and Interior Design, I had the creative foundation, but more importantly, I had a mission. I’m passionate about women in business and believe deeply that moms and housewives can have very successful careers while still being homemakers and mothers. This belief has shaped not just our company culture, but our entire approach to business.

In those early days, I was the driving force behind our creative vision, pouring my heart into building something that would prove that women could succeed in business while maintaining their roles as nurturers and homemakers. Today, I serve as the support manager for both Bunnypants and our sister company, BP Online Solutions. I’m the one who makes sure all the wheels and gears keep turning while ensuring we maintain the highest quality work. People often tell me I’m that person everybody wants to hug within the first few minutes of meeting me—and I take that as the highest compliment.

When I’m not running operations, I pursue my other passion through my hobby business called Pluk, where I sell Dahlia seeds that I cultivate myself from my extensive dahlia collection and beautiful garden. It’s another way I express my nurturing nature and love for growing beautiful things.

Willem Joins Our Journey

Fourteen years ago, my husband Willem Nelson joined me at Bunnypants, bringing a completely different but wonderfully complementary background to our portfolio. Willem’s journey started in the corporate world—he studied Computer Systems Engineering and began his career at IBM in early 1997, where he worked for 13 years as a Senior Systems Engineer.

In 2010, Willem made the decision to leave the corporate world and join me at Bunnypants to follow his dream of building and developing websites and online systems. It was a leap of faith that has proven incredibly rewarding for both of us and our business. Since then, Willem has taken over much of the day-to-day business operations, focusing on developing our staff’s skills and creating what we believe are some truly awesome online products and websites that not only look stunning but actually work.

Willem’s technical background didn’t stop with his IBM experience. He also studied Theology at the Sovereign Grace Seminary and has received numerous certifications from IBM, Lenovo, Dell, Google, and Microsoft. This diverse educational foundation has given him a unique perspective on both the technical and human elements of what we do.

Building Something Different Together

What sets Bunnypants apart from our competitors isn’t just our 21 years of experience—it’s our approach. We’re not a one-man freelancing operation; we’re a team of professionals. We have a very strong design team as well as a robust technical and administration team. This means we can make websites that look great AND function perfectly.

Every client who works with us is assigned a dedicated project manager, and we have strict policies and procedures in place that protect both us and our clients. Our staff are fully proficient in English and Afrikaans, so we can help all South Africans, and we also assist clients overseas—many of whom are South African expats working for international companies.

Our Unique Market Position

Our ideal clients are startups, entrepreneurs, and any business that needs assistance. We have extensive experience across many different industries because we don’t like to focus on just one sector. Our client base includes industrial services companies, consultants, business and life coaches, doctors, lawyers, and businesses offering specialized services or products. The largest part of our client base consists of businesses offering business services and consulting, as well as product-based companies (though not so much in the retail space).

Our portfolio is incredibly diversified, spanning commercial, industrial, agriculture, and bio sectors. We service businesses of all sizes, and while people may say we’re more expensive than other agencies in South Africa, Willem always explains it this way: we’re not fast food or takeout—we’re a Sunday roast or fine dining experience with a great view to enjoy. Our quality, expertise, strict procedures, balanced timelines, and experience are what clients are paying for.

Transparency and Education

We pride ourselves on being transparent in our pricing and pricing structure. We’re also excellent communicators—we’re always promptly ready to answer clients’ questions or give updates even before they ask. I believe that educating our clients as much as possible is beneficial for our business. The more clients understand what we can offer and how we do it, the more inclined they are to start a relationship with us.

We also train our clients to manage their own WordPress websites, although many end up asking us to do content maintenance for them afterward. All our staff work remotely—we gave up physical offices during COVID and have never returned. Our staff are very efficient and disciplined in this arrangement, which aligns perfectly with my belief that people can be successful while maintaining flexibility in their work and personal lives.

Expanding Our Reach

As Bunnypants continued to grow, Willem founded BP Online Solutions, our sister company that focuses on Performance Hosting, SEO, and Search Engine Marketing. BP Online Solutions offers monthly WordPress Maintenance, Backups, Restore Services, WordPress Security, and Plugin Updates. We have very strong core knowledge and implementation of SEO, including Keyword Tracking and Rank Tracking, with case studies to prove our results.

Both companies’ teams are South African-based with our combined 21 years of experience. Our ability to create custom, functioning, and good-looking websites makes us stand out in our space. We specialize in e-Commerce, LMS (Learning Management Systems), and other WordPress systems. Our staff are professionally trained in design and custom WordPress web design and development.

Our “Party Trick”

What we call our “party trick” is taking premium off-the-rack WordPress solutions and customizing them, thus saving our clients both money and time. We don’t use templates—we custom design our clients’ websites from scratch based on their brand, needs, functionality, and audience. This is a very important distinction that differentiates us from other WordPress designers who tend to buy and edit themes for customers.

Willem currently specializes in building custom Online Learning Systems and has developed an “out of the box” LMS System that can be cloned but is still 100% customizable. We’re specialists in Divi Builder, but we also work with Elementor Builder and other visual builders.

Our Comprehensive Service Offering

Core WordPress Services

We can add web systems to our clients’ websites and configure and modify them perfectly to suit their needs. These include Booking Systems, LMS, Community systems like BuddyBoss, eCommerce, Cart to Quote Systems, Catalogue Systems, Web Calculators, Advanced Input Forms, and more.

We offer Monthly Maintenance Services including Core and Plugin Maintenance and Updates, WordPress Security, Backups and Restores. We also provide performance hosting for our clients because we have a strong belief that proper hosting is important. Our hosting might be a bit more expensive, but it’s proper hosting.

SEO and Digital Marketing

Monthly SEO Services are a large part of our business, and we’re good at it. We offer Local SEO, SEO Landing Pages, SEO Updates, Keyword Tracking, and Keyword Reporting. We can do competitor analysis and analyze client websites.

We also handle Google Ads Setup and reporting, though we believe that a strong advertising campaign needs to co-exist with a strong monthly SEO strategy. We’re more passionate about SEO than running ads because we believe in the long-term results it can offer.

We do Local SEO including Google Business Profile setup and management, monthly advanced SEO strategies, and one-off fixes if no SEO was previously in place. We also handle performance optimization (Performance technical SEO) for WordPress.

We’re always exploring the AI space when it comes to SEO, but we believe AI tools should be used as tools, not replacements for real humans. When you contact Bunnypants for new services and product support, you’ll interact with real humans.

Design and Branding Services

We offer Logo & Corporate Identity Design with packages to choose from, or we can provide custom quotes. We design presentation decks, business cards, digital brochures, and company profiles. We don’t do printing, but we supply clients with print-ready formats.

Importantly, we give our clients the open design files of their Corporate Identity in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop format, so they can store them or give them to other designers if needed. In other words, clients own their design files after payments are fully made.

We create Social Media Graphics, but we don’t manage clients’ social media because we believe clients are the best people to manage their own social media content—they know their products and industries best. When needed, we’ll advise clients to get a social media expert.

Specialized Systems

We develop WooCommerce Store Development and can convert eCommerce stores to Quote systems or Catalogue systems where needed. We build many Cart to Quote systems for clients who have large products or products that need customization, manufacturing, or specific shipping requirements.

We’re specialists in LearnDash LMS and BuddyBoss. We can customize LearnDash and integrate payment systems, subscriptions, and more. We also design and build invitation & RSVP websites, such as wedding invite sites.

We handle fault-finding on WordPress websites that are broken and suggest ways to fix them. We’ll quote clients to implement repairs or rebuilds where needed.

Analytics and Consulting

We can set up Google Analytics for clients and supply statistics. We can also provide heatmaps of their websites, silo structures, and consult with clients who need professional guidance. We supply clients who use our Advanced SEO services with detailed reports.

The White Label Solution

Years into building Bunnypants, we realized how difficult it was for smaller agencies to offer comprehensive services due to factors like time restrictions (there’s only so much work one person can do in a day), low staff numbers, and skill gaps. How do you offer all the comprehensive services your clients need while also handling your own marketing, finances, billing, and more?

Our solution was to offer comprehensive white/private label design services tailored for agencies, freelancers, and marketers aiming to expand their service offerings without increasing in-house resources.

Our White Label Services Include:

• Website Development: Creation of fully functional websites and system websites that can be rebranded and delivered to your clients as your own
• Graphic Design: Professional design services to enhance your brand’s visual identity
• WordPress Specialization: Expertise in WordPress development, including theme customization and plugin integration, Core and Plugin Maintenance, Backup and Security
• SEO & Performance Optimization: Services to improve website visibility and performance, ensuring optimal user experience

Not Everyone Is an Ideal Partner

Our white label services are perfect for:

• Online & Social Media Marketers: Focus on marketing strategies while we handle the technical aspects of web design and development
• Project Managers: Seeking temporary or permanent assistance with design jobs or help clearing out design backlogs
• Web & Marketing Agencies: Looking to grow their businesses and increase capacity without expanding their in-house teams
• Digital Marketing Companies: Aiming to offer web design as part of their service offering while focusing on their niche services
• Agencies or Freelancers: Who offer basic web design but would like to expand their offerings without investing in additional resources

We carefully select our White Label Partners. We don’t onboard just anyone—we follow a thorough vetting process, including interviews, to ensure the partnership is a good fit. All partners must agree to our terms of engagement before any work begins.

To protect our partners, we sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and strictly keep all client and project information confidential.

Flexible Partnership Models

Our partners benefit from discounted pricing across products and services, ensuring white label arrangements are profitable for both sides. Partners have full freedom to invoice and brand client work as they wish.

Interestingly, some partners openly introduce us to their clients. While this may seem counterintuitive to the White Label model, we’ve found that transparency often builds greater trust with end clients and strengthens the agency’s credibility. These partnerships tend to be more successful and sustainable over time.

Client Integrity Is Non-Negotiable

We will never bypass a partner to quote or work directly with their clients—unless the partner themselves makes a formal handover. Your client relationships are protected.

The more consistent work a White Label Partner brings, the better their pricing structure becomes over time through our Volume Rewards program.

Our Track Record

The numbers speak for themselves. Up until the end of 2024, we’ve completed 8,244 design projects with a very high success and satisfaction rate. We’ve successfully helped 3,277 individual clients over the years. We’ve designed and built 680 custom WordPress websites and developed 482 new brands from scratch. In the past 12 months alone, we’ve built 56 custom WordPress websites.

Our customers come from everywhere in South Africa, but we currently have clients all around the world. Most of our clients use our services because of the custom high-quality work we deliver and our approach to excellence in product delivery and project management.

Always Growing, Always Learning

At Bunnypants, we’re always growing, and our staff keep up with all kinds of trends and new technology. I believe in continuous improvement and staying ahead of the curve, while never losing sight of the human element that makes our business special. Our portfolio is proof of our success—you can check out our website to see more of our work.

What started as my vision to prove that women could build successful businesses while maintaining their roles as mothers and homemakers has evolved into a comprehensive digital solutions provider. But our core values remain the same: quality work, excellent communication, transparency, and treating every client relationship as a partnership. Whether you’re a startup looking for your first website or an established business needing a complete digital transformation, we’re here to help you succeed online.

The Bunnypants name might make people smile, but it’s our work that makes them stay. And most importantly, we’ve proven that with passion, dedication, and the right partnership, you can build something truly special while staying true to your values and the people you love.