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URL : https://www.mailersusa.com
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Business Type : Business to Business, Business to Consumer
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Focus : Ecommerce
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Client Industry : Office Supplies & Equipment
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Platform : Magento
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Services Provided : Web Design, Web Development, Web Development Retainer
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Launch Date : 11/01/2019
Overview
MailersUSA is a wholesale supplier of an assortment of shipping and office supplies. This office supplies brand has been focusing on growing its online and wholesale channels. The client was frustrated with their website mailersusa.com and highlighted several of its pain points. It was slow, did not have enough content, and they desired a more modern ecommerce page layout. Read on to see how we redesigned, developed, and launched mailerusa.com to be a robust and ultrafast website that is easy to navigate and actively engages users.
Problem
MailersUSA approached Coalition to design, develop, and launch a modern website. While mailersusa.com was operational, the website had functionality limitations. There were issues with the home page, inadequate content impacted search results, and the site was antiquated. The clients also believed that the current site was not informative enough and that changes were needed to improve the look and feel of the product and category pages. They sought a more traditional ecommerce page layout, which they hoped would have a substantial impact on the company’s organic search presence and lead to increased revenue levels.
The client had a general knowledge of what they wanted for their new site and were actively involved in the design phase. They did not like the limitations on the content slots, promotional messages could not be placed in the header spot, and the search bar was not useful. Another pain point highlighted by the client was that there was no built-in inventory management system in place to properly track inventory levels. As a result, they would use excel spreadsheets to update inventory, which was time consuming and prone to errors.
Some of the key features they wanted for the new site were a balance in color schemes for the site, the right amount of content, an automated return merchandise authorization (RMA) process, and the ability to distinguish the inventory shared with their parent company. The site also had issues with title and meta keywords tags which needed fixing.
Solution
Design and Development
The client presented us with a general style guide of what they hoped to incorporate into the design of the new site. The client agreed that Magento would be the best platform to accommodate all their requests. We designed the new site using a customized Magento 2 version of the Ultimo theme.
As the client had their points of discontent with the functionality of the previous mailersusa.com, we redesigned and redeveloped the site to look, feel, and operate the way they envisioned. We started by implementing several functionalities that enhanced their home page. The site was improved to now have a quote request for shoppers. We also developed a Magento 2 shopping cart to enhance the shopping experience of the site users.
Final Product
Results
Once the new mailersusa.com was completed and launched, the client was extremely satisfied with the capabilities and functionalities of the new mailersusa.com.
Custom Functionalities
Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA)
Improvements were made to the administrative capabilities. Administrators are now able to update the RMA online, rather than having to continue sending out emails manually. As MailersUSA shared inventory with their parent company, we focused on developing an inventory management system that no longer required manual input and would separate its inventory from that of its parent company. This was a welcome relief as the clients openly expressed their displeasure with the manual efforts previously used.
Content Optimization
Our focus then shifted to creating content for the pages. We ensured that all the product and category pages had the right balance of text, images, and attributes to improve site users’ experiences. We created a unified appearance for MailersUSA across all digital and print media platforms to make the products resonate with customers each time they engaged with the site.
Integrations
Magic 360 Degree Images
To convey product features to site visitors, our team installed the Magic 360 app. This feature enables all products on the site to be displayed from multiple angles. This app shows site users the details of each product with a 360-degree spin. Additionally, customers are able to zoom in and out on product images as well as using a full screen enlargement. By providing site users with viewing multiple angles of a product, it helps potential customers evaluate the product easier. This app will not only enhance site users’ experience but can potentially boost sales level significantly.
Zendesk
Our team installed Zendesk – a cloud-based help desk management solution – on mailersusa.com. This tool offers brands customizable tools to assist in improving customer service, knowledge base, and in expanding their online presence. With Zendesk, the client can now manage and improve relationships with potential and existing customers. Not only did our team successfully install this feature, we assessed its capabilities and potential impact on page load speed.
Avalara
Our client wanted a sales tax automation tool implemented. For many years, Avalara has assisted brands with registering, filing and remitting their sales tax liabilities. Our team of developers installed the Avalara app in this Shopify site, to automate tax filing. Once implemented, the client is now able to collect and upload all its sales tax returns, accurately track each jurisdiction’s tax obligations to improve the brand’s compliance with tax authorities all from using a single account.
Additional Integrations
Our team of experts implemented and tested Magento 2 compatible versions for all extensions located on the site. For those extensions that were not available for Magento 2, alternative extensions were tested for their compatibility. The new site was built to accept sample requests via API, along with a customized single checkout page for increased conversions. Mailersusa.com is now integrated with a supported email marketing service. Some of the other notable features implemented were the setup of domestic and international shipping, administrative accounts, multiple payment gateways, as well as the custom redirect strategy for up to 1,000 URLs. The robust structure and functionality of the Magento 2 platform also supported the successful installation of a mega menu.
Homepage Updates
The homepage no longer lacks content valued by search engines. We also removed the contents of the homepage meta keywords tag. Initially, more than 70 percent of the site’s pages had duplicate meta descriptions. Our team ensured that the duplicate meta descriptions were removed and created more landing pages to increase site traffic.
Our findings showed that some resources or external elements of the homepage could not be loaded on mobile devices. We utilized a responsive design, corrected 404 URL errors, and ensured that the content was not blocked by robot.txt.
The client was satisfied with the timely execution of all the project milestones and with the functionalities and capabilities of the new website. The client retained us to maintain and update their site and we continue to provide web development services for them.