A Need For Digital Transformation

We helped our client transform digitally by creating a uniquely designed Shopify website with POS integration that allowed them to expand their reach while streamlining their online and brick-and-mortar operations.

Our client, a for-profit subsidiary of World Bicycle Relief, was looking for a transformative solution that allowed it to be more accessible to communities across the world while streamlining its operations in brick-and-mortar locations. Driven by the need to expand their reach and optimize their processes, the company reached out to us for an e-commerce solution based on Shopify.

Problems That Needed To Be Addressed

Having relied primarily on brick-and-mortar stores for sales, the client felt restricted and particularly challenged when they wanted to expand their mission globally. They realized that establishing an online store was the only way to overcome this. However, while doing so, the client wanted to make sure that the online platform was designed uniquely to communicate their core mission and values and not appear too sales-y. Moreover, it had to offer a comprehensive solution for streamlining and centralizing purchase and inventory data management.

The Solutions We Provided

Our team at Expeed implemented a two-part solution to meet the client’s requirements:

• Digital Transformation: Custom development of a Shopify-based e-commerce platform, enabling them to manage online sales, creation of a store management portal with a Point of Sale (POS) application for mobile or tablet devices, and integration with Sage Evolution ERP using an adapter service to record Shopify transactions into the ERP system.
• UI/UX Revamp: An overhaul of the website’s user interface and user experience to enhance customer retention and simplify the user journey.

The Impact and Long-term Results

Our solutions have introduced a new level of efficiency into the company’s daily operations, especially when it comes to inventory management. The real-time data synchronization between their stores and the online platform enables them to make informed decisions regarding stock levels and purchasing strategies. The platform also offers enhanced accessibility and improved user-friendliness. The design revamp allows visitors to navigate and engage with ease, promising improved customer retention and higher conversion rates.

So, here’s how we did it

Understanding the Required Features and Functionalities:

Just as with any other project, we began by analyzing the client’s existing website and understanding the features and functionalities or the lack of it. We also worked closely with their larger team to understand their internal processes and how well-placed they were for a digital shift. This helped us understand their expectations better and also gave us insights into their ideal customer behaviors.

Some of the important takeaways from our research were:

• Their existing website was too weak to support online transactions and hence we recommended building a new e-commerce platform using Shopify.
• The space for bicycle shopping online was already filled with other brands and hence they needed a website that educated the audience about their larger mission along with product details.

Shopify Theme Identification:

Since the client had specifically requested to use Shopify for the new website, our team’s next activity was theme identification. Here our UX team stepped in to recommend the best Shopify themes available that could be customized freely and that also matched the company’s branding styles. The chosen theme provided a framework for the project’s design and development teams to work cohesively, ensuring a unified and visually appealing final product.

Custom Development of Shopify:

This phase involved the actual implementation of the website’s custom features and functionalities. While the Shopify theme already supported most of the basic shopping features like product catalogs, carts, checkouts, etc, our team customized these features to improve the functionality, accessibility, speed, and security of the website. For instance, we added additional layers of security while integrating the payment gateways and payment methods to ensure the highest compliance standards.

POS Integration:

Another pivotal component of this project was the enabling of a Point of Sale (POS) channel in Shopify for mobile and tablet devices. This integration allowed the brick-and-mortar store managers to track and manage their inventory better with improved product categorization, warehouse-specific product data access, and real-time stock updates. The app pulled inventory and sales data from all the physical and virtual stores, unifying their sales data channels, easily accessible by the company’s backend offices.

Seamless Integration with Sage

The integration of the online platform with the client’s Sage Evolution ERP was the next critical step. To achieve this our team leveraged the adapter integration service that facilitated the recording of all Shopify transactions into the client’s ERP system, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in financial data management. Real-time data synchronization between the two systems streamlined the flow of information, reducing manual data entry and minimizing errors.

The UI/UX Revamp:

While our development team worked on perfecting a customized technology that would help the client streamline their global operations and centralize data collection, our UX team was developing a whole new brand shopping experience for the site visitors and B2B stakeholders. This included in-depth research and analysis of ideal user journeys, defining user personas, developing design guidelines, and creating a roadmap to increase app and site user retention.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the notable UX improvements that the team brought to life:

• Removed excessive white space to optimize screen real estate.
• Improved information communication through strategic image composition and well-crafted headings.
• Optimized the landing page with vibrant colors, compelling imagery, and an organized layout to engage users effectively.
• Enhanced the visibility and accessibility of the “Shop Cycle Gear” and “Discover Cycling Accessories” sections for a clear Call-To-Action.
• Created a dedicated page for bicycle models to ease user exploration and selection.
• Improved readability by changing the body text color from gray to black for better contrast and legibility.
• Enhanced user-friendliness and accessibility, contributing to an improved overall browsing experience.