Tales in the e-commerce world of web sites failing due to traffic spikes are all-too-prevalent.

Sports bra etail startup KALYX clearly hurdled that barrier, after its brand was highlighted prominently on national television recently. (The company sells activity-specific sports bras using "K-Force Eco-Loving Fabric," a lightweight technical fabric designed to offer stretch, durability, softness and wicking).

Kimberly Cayce, founder and CEO of KALYX recently appeared on "Shark Tank," the ABC prime-time program where new companies compete to win much needed venture capital.

While Cayce lost out at that ultimate prize of more funding, the opportunity to appear exposed her brand and website, (GoKALYX.com),  to millions of viewers -- and also offered the potential of providing a huge boost in sales -- if her web site was up to the task. Traffic from the show could have easily shut down the site which could have been disastrous for the budding company.

But with limited time and money according to Cayce, she says she successfully brought her web site up to speed to swim with the sharks.

Just prior to the show, Cayce, a former pro golfer, upgraded the KALYX site using a solution from Volusion, one that offers built-in shopping cart capabilities and whose backend infrastructure is designed so the site could be managed KALYX's non-technical employees.

The new e-commerce site successfully proved it had enough server capacity to withstand the flood of first-time visitors.
 

The revamped KALYX site went live the day of "Shark Tank". Following its debut, the company reports site handled more than 6,000 visitors and $4,000 in orders the day of the show without any errors, downtime or technical difficulties.

The previous KALYX website was built as a placeholder, according to the company, using basic template designs from another provider during the company's initial start-up phase. According to Cayce, the solution was too elementary and "didn't adequately portray KALYX as a real player in the competitive athletic apparel market."

KALYX reports Volusion's built-in search engine optimization capabilities have helped its website move to the first page on many Google searches. And Cayce said the company saved thousands of dollars in web design costs.

"While we didn't get funding, we received hope and encouragement from thousands of viewers to keep moving forward," Cayce said. "As our company grows we're glad to know that we now have the infrastructure and expertise necessary to meet the demands of a larger company."