September 8, 2009
ReStockIt.com Employs 9 High Impact Site Improvements to Lift Conversions 53% A site overhaul including improved search, guided navigation, guest checkout and marketing promotions led to profit increases of 26% and revenues lifts of 28% Hollywood, FL (PRWEB) September 8, 2009 – Success for an ecommerce company is not only about getting customers to a website, but it’s about getting those customers to buy. ReStockIt.com has spent the past year implementing new ecommerce and user experience tactics that have not only increased traffic to the site, but have increased conversion 53% in year-over-year sales.
One of the leading online retailers of restaurant supplies, janitorial and cleaning supplies, office supplies, technology, consumer electronics and tools for the small business and consumer markets, ReStockIt.com started seeing its sales leveling off. So, the company took a step back and decided it needed a major overhaul of its website and marketing.
With new ecommerce initiatives including a taxonomy overhaul, improved search, enhanced merchandising and competitive pricing, the company has seen a more than 50% increase in year-over-year revenue from September 2008 to August 2009 vs. the same period in the previous year, and a 26% increase during the last six months vs. the previous six months. Specific user experience tactic that led to the increase in the last six-month period: Improved Search The company added Endeca guided search in November 2008. The new search allowed the company to analyze conversions per search term and use the Endeca tools to better merchandise the search results. This led to a 50% increase on search conversions. Guided Navigation The analysis of customer search patterns prompted the company to implement Endeca-guided navigation in January 2009. This allowed the company to funnel its customers to the products they were looking for, resulting in an increase in sales and average order size. Because of this, overall conversions have increased 60%. Guest Checkout ReStockIt.com realized that sometimes users just want to buy a product without creating an account. By adding Guest Checkout at the end of June 2009, checkout abandonment decreased by more than 80%. Taxonomy With more than 150,000 new items added to a site in just one year, there were bound to be multiple taxonomy issues. To help customers find the products they wanted, ReStockIt.com started from scratch and, in August 2009, developed new category names and a new navigation structure based on competitor and customer search analysis. The company estimates orders have increased by 7% with the new taxonomy in the last month and expect the long-term impact to increase conversions even higher. Along with ecommerce and UI enhancements, ReStockIt.com also introduced key marketing initiatives in the same period, such as: Promotions The company tested several new promotions to new and repeat customers and developed successful promotions to satisfy its customer repeat purchase habits. These promotions have increased conversion rates by 5% to 7% along with increasing AOS by 15%. Targeted Emails ReStockIt.com also overhauled its daily emails, targeting offers and products based on different customer segments. Open rates, click through rates and gross profits on email have increased by 20%, 30% and 10% respectively. The company researched what its customers wanted, the frequency of those items like paper towels and toilet paper, and targeted customers to get those emails at the right time. Top Sellers
Improved product descriptions, product details and images on the top 500 products led to an increase in orders and conversion. ReStockIt.com found their customers wanted stronger descriptions and images so they are fully informed on the products they’re purchasing. By making the changes the customers wanted, the company has seen order and conversion increases between 2% and 50% per product. Pricing
Pricing played a major role in the ecommerce overhaul. ReStockIt.com’s value to its customers is to be competitive in pricing. So, the company changed its focus from margin percentage to margin dollars. Focusing on the dollar amount rather than the percentage, the changes made to the pricing system have led to a margin increase of about 26%. Free Shipping and Revised Shipping Charges
ReStockIt.com changed it entire Free Shipping model to offer tens of thousands more products at free shipping. Its customers, both new and returning, wanted free shipping. Since the company sells many heavy, bulky items like furniture and 24-roll case packs of paper towels, the company revised its shipping policy to give them the best shipping deals – better rates or free shipping- on more than 100,000 items. This tactic increased total margin dollars by 13%. About ReStockIt.com
ReStockIt.com founded in 2004 by entrepreneurs David Redlich and Matt Kuttler, has fast become one of the leading online retailers of name brand restaurant, office and cleaning supplies, technology, electronics and toolsserving the small business and consumer markets. Through its website, ReStockIt.com, the company offers more than 200,000 products from manufacturers such as Avery, Energizer, Hewlett Packard, and Purell-Gojo. ReStockIt.com has been honored with many prestigious awards including South Florida Business Journal Business of the Year, Finalists for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and one of the 500 fastest growing companies by industry leading Internet Retailer Magazine.
Visit us online at http://www.ReStockIt.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ReStockit or follow us on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/ReStockIt
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