Flashback to early 2019, Jessup Manufacturing found itself using eCommerce, but not how it envisioned. What was once innovation, was now antiquated. Between the inability to grow due to numerous restraints its eCommerce platform created and its site’s less than friendly user experience, Jessup Manufacturing knew it needed a change in order to evolve and meet customer demands.
Making an Investment in The Future
Jessup Manufacturings eCommerce franchise began in 2009. This was around when many companies found themselves seriously starting to explore the technology. The manufacturer started with an online audience selling action sports products and slowly grew into a base of buyers of both small retailers and consumers within the United States. Since then, all its products for safety, graphics and signage are sold online to businesses of all business sizes in many industries.
The Jessup Manufacturing team realized they had outgrown their eCommerce solution several years back. What was once sufficient now constrained their ability to grow.
Key factors in their decision to invest in a eCommerce re-platform and UX update were:
- Inflexible freight terms and payment methods limited growth from other countries.
- Inflexible promotional and marketing options lacked the competitive edge they required.
- Their content was not able to be personalized in the nature that today’s B2B and B2C customers desire.
The company knew by investing in an eCommerce platform that better fit their vision they would be able to not only gain access to more online selling capabilities but meet customer expectations for accessibility and ease of use now and in the future.
Ultimately, Jessup Manufacturing decided to invest in Magento Commerce technology and an ongoing partnership with Echidna. Magento Commerce afforded Jessup Manufacturing the opportunity to meet current requirements and scale with their future company vision. As a certified Magento Commerce agency, we were delighted to partner with them to help with technology implementation, system integration, user experience, and ongoing continual innovation.
eCommerce Turns Essential in 2020
Move forward to New Year’s 2020. Jessup Manufacturing's Magento eCommerce storefront with improved user experience goes live to hundreds of thousands of customers. While the team anticipated it to be a cornerstone of the business, no one could have imagined what 2020 would bring.
By March, companies around the world were scrambling to find new ways to adapt to the abrupt change in shopping behaviors. Jessup Manufacturing, like many companies, was looking for opportunities to pivot and minimize disruption. The team found an unexpected opportunity in their graphics media business unit as the need for social distancing signage skyrocketed.
Working alongside the Echidna team, they were able to quickly pivot their focus to seize the opportunity by leveraging the capabilities of their Magento Commerce platform. In doing so they grew a new market of customers. Their eCommerce quickly turned into an essential part of their business and gave them the ability to re-focus with ease.
“As an organization, we serve a range of disparate markets,” said Robert A. Jessup, third-generation owner of the company, whose markets include commercial, industrial, residential, and action sports. “Because our market reach is so expansive, we needed a proven digital partner who understood, with clarity, the challenge we faced in transforming and simplifying a user experience. That partner proved to be Echidna.”
Working Together While Apart Through Covid-19
Instead of floating through the year, Jessup Manufacturing made the conscious decision to continue to invest in its online innovation. Echidna stayed by their side every step of the way. From guiding them through remote working to helping them plan, design, build and continue to release new enhancements to their online presence.
The team’s regular delivery of innovation was starting to show in ways Jessup Manufacturing never imagined. Through the pandemic, it was clear their graphics media business unit could provide great value with their customized social distancing signage for businesses, schools, and medical facilities. Jessup Manufacturing was able to leverage the capabilities Echidna created for them on the Magento Commerce platform to refocus the business on the customers that needed them the most.
HIGHLIGHTED METRICS:
- 150% growth in conversion rate
- 400% growth in traffic
- 300% growth in transactions
When Jessup Manufacturing connected with Echidna in 2019 to help them build their eCommerce business no one imagined what the next year would hold and how essential their digital business platform would become.
The ability to adapt and seize opportunities in some of the toughest of situations is no easy feat. The new site offers them the unification of all their digital tools, creating a powerful instrument of growth and what is now a cornerstone of their business.
Companies can’t afford to put eCommerce on the back burner in 2021. Even as stores and offices reopen, COVID-19 has changed buying habits in both B2B and B2C long term. Echidna is a Magento Commerce Agency with over 10 years of experience. Learn more about our experience as a Magento Commerce Agency and contact the eCommerce experts at Echidna to start a conversation about your online vision today.
