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Result of the webshop upgrade: better engagement with B2B and B2C customers and increased sales

"During the preparation and implementation of the upgrade of the solutions, we realised that we can create a lot with the stroka.si Group, because we can now adapt to every customer with the developed add-ons. We have managed to replace unanswered questions with praise, because the innovations have speeded up procurement processes."

Polona Krenker,
Marketing manager / Makom

For more than 25 years, Makom has been helping customers who value product quality, cost-effectiveness, fast response and an ecological and development orientation to find the perfect cleaning solutions.

Makom specialises in facility hygiene and increasing productivity in workplaces using the 5S method. They follow the latest trends in cleaning automation and help companies to increase added value. The company specialises in the field of facility hygiene and raising productivity at work. As an eco-conscious company, they place emphasis on organic products and packaging.

With free delivery across the country, they offer quality service, installation, tailor-made cleaning plans, advice on optimising consumption, and education and training by their experts. They place great emphasis on the relationship with the customer.

Upgrade = breakthrough

Makom's online shop has a well-established tradition, and in cooperation with the Stroka Business Group it has already undergone two major upgrades to its online shop.

According to Marketing Manager Polona Krenker, the biggest challenge in the last redesign in January 2021 was to merge the two types of stores: business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C). "In the past, individuals wondered whether they could also buy the products in the online store. Thanks to the solutions coordinated with the stroka.si Group, these questions no longer exist."

The redesign not only redesigned the (graphical) appearance of the site, but also highlighted (additional) B2C services alongside the established B2B model.

Leap over barriers with integration

As part of the redesign, a "one page checkout" is now available, which has shortened the check-in process and improved the user experience. Analytics show that the ratio of desktop to mobile users is split down the middle, so they focused on both platforms at the same time. "Even though the ratio is split in half, more orders come from desktop," explains Polona Krenker.

When analysing the website in depth, Makom identified a few obstacles, one of which was the stock of items. "When users came to a product organically through a search engine, but we didn't have it in stock, customers left the website. We found a solution in these cases by suggesting alternative products for the customer."

Within PANTHEON's primary classification, it now offers three alternative products each time.

More ways to access products

At Makom, the redesign of the online shop now provides more (new) ways to access products. In addition to the basic categories, access is possible via activities (e.g. hotels) or content (blog). "Now each segment also has its own sub-page."

At the same time, the renovation also offers filters. These allow customers to indicate what is suitable for them when they choose only a certain type of product. "It's a link to PANTHEON, where we add documents that are automatically uploaded to the website and linked to the desired product via the online shop."

One of the main elements of the reform was the selective validation option. Certain major customers wanted the option to confirm orders only for responsible persons, which the redesign allows. Other customers (e.g. kindergartens) expressed a preference on a unit/compartment basis. The online shop now offers a more in-depth personalised experience according to the customer's needs and challenges.

"It was during the preparation of this part of the upgrade that we realised that we can create a lot with the stroka.si Group, because we can adapt to every client with the finishing touches. It would not be possible to integrate what we have now with other (open web) solutions," says Polona Krenker. "If you want to upgrade and add to anything, NopCommerce is the right individual solution."

New possibilities for new opportunities

During the COVID-19 actions, Makom offered more and more content; in particular, webinars. As they wanted to highlight other events, they created a specific content format depending on the type of content: news, webinars, blogs. At the same time, they added different colour shades, which Polona Krenker says proved to be a good solution. "The same applies to the estimated reading time, which has now been refined. Previously, it was not possible to add news and events because everything worked like a blog, but now, together with our CGP, we have been able to harmonise this as well."

They have also added the possibility to rate products. When monitoring the analysis of online shops, they realised that product ratings are a very important factor when making purchases. For the B2C model, they have introduced a follow-up email after the purchase in which customers can give a rating, which builds up the rating database.

In the case where the customer has not placed an order, the redesign of the online shop sends an email to the customer that the products are still waiting in the basket. At the same time, additional payment options have been added. Previously, alongside the existing cash on delivery payment methods, only a certain form of online payment (PayPal) was available. Following the link with the new programme (Stripe), the remaining card payments are also offered.

"The option of additional payment methods has proved to be a very good one – regardless of the fees that come with it. This is a great advantage of the stroka.si Group, as they were able to suggest the right tool for integration or placement within the site."

Digital warehouse integration

The core of the online shop redesign also included the integration of the warehouse business. The WMS warehouse processing merged the Leoss system with the PANTHEON platform. As part of the digital transformation process, Makom also switched to digital warehouse operations. Therefore, they are arranging for the customer to see the delivery note already when ordering online, which is linked to the online shop with PANTHEON within the warehouse system. "It is a four-channel connection. The next stage is the invoice in the online shop — all with the aim of giving the customer the possibility to see everything in one place."

Makom aims to send offers from PANTHEON to the online shop, where the customer can either confirm they accept the offer or simply acknowledge the offer.

Proven initial victories

When looking at the analytics of the new website compared to the period before the upgrade, positive initial developments are already visible. Average time on site has increased by almost 39% and the basket has been accessed by 1375% more visitors. The company aimed to positively adapt for mobile users, which they have proven to have done. For Android mobile users, page views increased by 852%. The set objectives have therefore been successfully achieved, and the initial statistics show results that will win Makom a number of trophies.

Long-distance running

Customer feedback on their website is very important to the company, so to optimise it, they regularly send out satisfaction surveys on their existing website. They have received a lot of positive feedback from customers about the redesign, which they say has speeded up the buying process. "We are most proud of the customer response. They are happy to point out that all the changes introduced have speeded up the processes."

The web upgrade is not the end of the company's marathon of improvements. In the future, Makom aims to continuously upgrade the website to be even closer to its customers. Together with the Stroka Business Group, they also want to achieve ongoing optimisations that will always benefit visitors.