Our e-commerce client, who wishes to remain anonymous, required a high-performing website able to manage high product volumes and sales, and live stock levels. We developed a large-scale e-commerce website, with functionality to add bespoke features to increase conversions and boost basket value.
Project Brief & Overview
With over 120,000 products, our client required a high-performing site to allow users to browse products at their fingertips. WordPress and WooCommerce were our platform of choice, due to their ability to handle high levels of traffic and stock, as well as support expanded functionality, allowing us to utilise a number of trusted plugins to meet the client’s requirements as well as develop custom features, functions and integrations.
For example, we were able to integrate with our client’s Business Management System in order to pull product data and live product statuses to the website. Additionally, we utilised a brand logo plugin to allow customers to easily navigate the vast catalogue of products, streamlining the purchase journey.
Website Design
Initially, we used the client’s existing website design as a starting point, developing a style guide for universal elements, including typography, iconography, colour palette, buttons and logo usage, and refined these with accessibility in mind to apply across the new design. Once created, we then added to this with a clear multi-level navigation, and all the elements you’d expect to find on a large-scale e-commerce site, resulting in a modern, dynamic appearance, using strong imagery and calls-to-action to encourage customers to purchase. We ensured that all design decisions were device appropriate, allowing the website to be fully mobile responsive.
Adaptable Theme
We added functionality to allow website admins to change the colour theme of the site in limited areas depending on the current season/sales run, allowing for greater control to connect with customers without compromising the integrity of the design or introducing accessibility issues.
Administration
Order Management
Website admins can view orders, including the status of an order, discount codes used, and other important information on the backend of the website. Staff are even able to print picking/packing lists and view orders from mobile devices using the native WooCommerce app for Android and iOS. This increases the productivity of staff having to manage a large volume of orders in any given day, particularly during sales.
Dispatch Manager
Dispatch manager allows admins to keep track of orders. The area on the website allows the dispatch team to scan numbers, update order status throughout the process and add tracking codes, and send an email to customers once the order has been dispatched.
Products
Search Bar
We built an advanced search bar for customers to easily search for the product they are looking for, providing a full, internal search engine, catering for spelling errors, synonyms and incomplete words. The search bar is located prominently in the header, regardless of device, meaning customers can always find products easily to streamline the customer journey.
Product Appearance
To boost customer conversions, we designed each category product row to include three products, each showcasing a large product image, name, price and CTA, allowing customers to easily identify products that they wanted to expand on.
Once clicked, customers can zoom into images, view longer descriptions, select sizes and colours from drop down menus, and read customer reviews. This content is displayed in easy to navigate tabs – ensuring that the web page isn’t too long to scroll to allow customers to view the information that they are after quickly and easily, whilst maintaining quick load times.
Product Feed
Our client uses an existing Business Management Software to manage their products and stock, meaning the new site was required to integrate easily, in order to pull stock numbers and new products automatically through to the new site.
While common in their industry, the software they use internally is not common and therefore pre-existing integrations didn’t exist. So, we built functionality that allows Woocommerce to pull the products from the third party software three times daily, showcasing them on the website, to maintain current products and prices. In addition to this, we added functionality to allow admins to force a manual upload if needed ahead of schedule.
Stock status is fetched live from the third party software, providing visibility to customers on the website, showing them if stock is available for immediate dispatch, low in stock, or showing dates for when the product will be restocked (configured per manufacturer/supplier). Customers can also sign up for email notifications when products are back in stock.
It was essential that this feed does not affect the website loading times whilst, meaning no delays or downtime for customers given the fact the third party software is not always reliable and highly available.
Related Products
The website houses over 100,000 products, meaning plenty of opportunities to upsell to encourage higher order values. We created functionality for related products to be pulled in on each product page, using associated products on the backend to identify which products to show.
Checkout & Account
Customer Accounts
We built a full customer account area that allows customers to login to their secure account, view their order, wish lists, edit their account details, return an order, and view loyalty points which they can use for future orders.
Basket & Checkout
We created simple steps to navigate to the basket and checkout pages, to allow a streamlined customer journey. Basket pages include a full product summary, with a postcode feature that allows customers to input their postcode for accurate postage calculation. What’s more, all information entered in the basket fields is automatically fed to the relevant fields in the checkout page, preventing the customer from re-entering data – thus making the checkout process easier and quicker.
Collections & Split Delivery
Customers can split the delivery of their order, if stock is not currently available for some items within their order.
Customers also have the option to collect orders from the store – once ordered, they receive confirmation including instructions for collection, such as reminders to bring ID.
International Customers
The brand has built up a reputation and customer base with an audience all over the world, so it was important that international customers had an easy shopping experience in addition to UK customers. Shipping is calculated dependent on location and courier chosen, giving transparency to customers and building trust to miaximise conversions.
Integrations
eBay Integration
Our client required functionality for products to be fed into their eBay store. We installed and set up the integration, allowing admins to choose products to be populated, with products automatically fed twice weekly.
Google Shopping
Similar to eBay, we implemented functionality to allow a product feed to be automatically pulled in to populate Google Merchant Centre. Again, admins can choose which products should be displayed, and the feed is pulled regularly.
Google Analytics
It was essential that the brand is able to track and analyse data from the website, in order to optimise the user journey and boost conversions. We set up Google Analytics for accurate tracking, showing the value of conversions and other non-purchase events such as contact form submissions.
Ecommerce Digital Agency
Interested in boosting your ecommerce business through a new, streamlined website that allows your brand to grow and expand? We’re here to collaborate with you and build your custom e-commerce website, providing solutions for your business to help it thrive online. Contact us now to discuss your requirements and find out how we can help your business grow online.
