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Marine Sanitation & Supply Case Study

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Duran Inci

How We Implemented Custom Functionalities to Marine Sanitation & Supply’s BigCommerce Site

The Business

Marine Sanitation & Supply has been serving the Pacific Northwest since 1975, providing reliable marine sanitation systems, toilets, holding tanks, treatment units, and replacement parts to yacht owners and boating professionals. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company built its reputation on ethical, compliant solutions that keep marine environments clean while keeping vessels up to code.

By 2017, Marine Sanitation had established itself as a trusted name in yacht sanitation. However, its eCommerce operations had fallen behind the expectations of modern customers. Their Volusion-based site lacked the scalability, functionality, and user experience required to handle complex product configurations, freight logistics, and customer-specific requirements.

Recognizing the need for a more powerful platform, Marine Sanitation partnered with Optimum7 to modernize their online infrastructure, streamline operations, and prepare the business for long-term digital growth.

The Objective

Marine Sanitation & Supply set out to modernize its eCommerce experience and transition to a more scalable platform that could support the company’s growth. The goals went beyond design — they focused on creating a more intuitive shopping experience, improving backend efficiency, and future-proofing the business for continued expansion.

Before working with Optimum7, Marine Sanitation managed a legacy Volusion store with limited customization options. Their internal team struggled with slow order processing, outdated checkout flows, and limited functionality for products that required freight shipping or custom fittings. The objective was to create a seamless BigCommerce experience that solved these pain points while preserving all the unique, specialized functions that defined Marine Sanitation’s catalog.

Ultimately, the project aimed to achieve three core outcomes:

  • Enhance user experience for both customers and internal staff.
  • Build a scalable infrastructure capable of supporting advanced custom functionalities.
  • Enable smoother operations — from order preparation and freight calculation to product previews and fulfillment.

The Strategy

Optimum7 developed a complete technical and strategic plan to enhance Marine Sanitation & Supply’s online store while ensuring a seamless transition from Volusion to BigCommerce. The goal was to preserve the company’s existing custom functionalities, improve user experience, and build a foundation for scalability and long-term growth.

Custom Functionality

Marine Sanitation’s catalog includes complex sanitation systems, tanks, and fittings — products that require precision in selection and installation. To support this complexity, Optimum7 reimplemented and enhanced two essential custom functionalities on their new BigCommerce site:

Fitting Preview Functionality

For systems like VacuFlush, choosing the correct part can make the difference between a seamless repair and an expensive return. To eliminate uncertainty, Optimum7 built a visual fitting preview tool that allows customers to view detailed part diagrams before purchase.

On each relevant product page, users can interact with diagrams that display part layouts, reference numbers, and compatible connections — helping them identify exactly what they need without contacting support.

The VacuFlush Toilet Parts Diagram provides a visual reference that guides customers through complex system components, ensuring accuracy during part selection.

This feature doesn’t just look good — it saves time, reduces order errors, and builds confidence. It reflects Marine Sanitation’s long-standing reputation for expertise and precision, while transforming a technical buying process into an intuitive online experience.

Freight Shipping Functionality

Selected products required freight shipping, which introduced complexity at checkout. Optimum7 integrated real-time freight estimates directly into the checkout process, allowing customers to see accurate costs and choose the most efficient delivery method.

 

eCommerce Migration

After years on Volusion, Marine Sanitation needed stronger built-in eCommerce capabilities. Optimum7 handled a full migration to BigCommerce, transferring every product, category, customer record, and order history — along with all previously developed custom functionalities. The migration process took roughly three months and was executed without disrupting live operations.

 

BigCommerce Template Customization

A new theme was designed to enhance scalability, visibility, and overall user experience. Optimum7 implemented a modern top and side navigation layout to improve engagement, set up store configurations, and integrated payment and shipping methods aligned with Marine Sanitation’s operational flow.

By combining custom functionality, seamless migration, and tailored design, Optimum7 transformed Marine Sanitation & Supply’s eCommerce environment into a faster, cleaner, and more efficient platform built to serve its customers and sustain future growth.

Results

The migration to BigCommerce and the implementation of custom functionalities brought measurable improvements to Marine Sanitation & Supply’s performance. The combination of technical precision and thoughtful design produced clear gains in both revenue and user engagement.

85% Increase in Conversion Rate

After the migration to BigCommerce, Marine Sanitation saw a clear shift in customer behavior. The redesigned navigation, simplified checkout flow, and faster site speed reduced friction at every step of the buying process. Customers could now find the exact part or system they needed in fewer clicks, review accurate shipping costs instantly, and complete orders with confidence. This improved user experience led directly to an 85% increase in conversion rate, transforming casual visitors into active buyers.

300% Increase in Organic Revenue

The new site architecture also played a major role in boosting discoverability. By moving to a platform built for performance and scalability, Marine Sanitation gained stronger SEO visibility across its niche categories. Product pages loaded faster, metadata was cleaner, and structured data helped search engines better understand the catalog. As a result, organic traffic became not only more consistent but also higher quality — leading to a 300% increase in organic revenue from search alone.

200% Increase in ROI

With automation handling freight estimates, customer group logic, and complex product previews, the business reduced time spent on manual operations while increasing order accuracy. Fewer returns, fewer support tickets, and faster order processing meant higher profitability on every sale. Combined with the gains in conversion and organic reach, these efficiencies produced a 200% increase in overall ROI, turning Marine Sanitation’s digital investment into a long-term growth engine.

Marinesan
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