The Business
EcoEnclose is a retailer of corrugated cardboard boxes. These boxes are made of one hundred percent recycled cardboard. The company then delivers these boxes to interested businesses and customers, practicing both B2B and B2C. A company is more likely to have a representative order in bulk with an established budget, and even take a customized labeling option. In contrast, an individual may have a smaller order which they pay for out of pocket. The boxes are recyclable in turn and labeled with biodegradable algae ink.
We started working with EcoEnclose in March 2013, and they have been a valued client ever since. EcoEnclose wanted our web developers to design a customization feature so that customers could order boxes with specific dimensions and personal branding, according to their needs. With such a customization option, they could automate the process and save on time manufacturing such items.
The Objective
Our objective was two-fold: we wanted to develop this customization feature for the site, which would enhance the user experience, and migrate EcoEnclose from Volusion to BigCommerce. We believe that if you enhance the experience for your customers, then they are more likely to stay on the site and make a purchase.
The Strategy
-
eCommerce Migration
-
Custom Product Views
eCommerce Migration
We migrated the original EcoEnclose site from Volusion to BigCommerce in September 2018. The reasons are that Volusion is a very limited platform that provides a scant amount of support to its business owners and users. BigCommerce, in contrast, provides better customer experiences for its users and flexibility within their digital storefronts. We could only develop the feature and optimize it using BigCommerce, to ensure that EcoEnclose would remain relevant.
Custom Product View
The custom product view of ordering personalized boxes had to meet two challenges: notify consumers when their choice of dimensions is not possible to make while allowing for a wide variety of specifications. If a customer cannot order a product in a certain size, they need to know before going to checkout so that they can make a different choice. They also need to see the minimum ordering number and the option to personalize their box. An Add-To-Cart would be the final touch, to notify them about shipping.
Our web developers narrowed down the process to five steps, to also include logo branding and personalization. The feature displays six box options, in terms of the shape that a customer may prefer, from long and narrow to single pads of cardboard. It also warns users that if they choose dimensions that the manufacturer cannot fulfill, they will get an error page and a chance to edit their wears. Before the user goes to checkout, they see a reasonable shipping window of 5-7 days for orders under one thousand boxes. The printing guidelines for personalized labeling is also listed, to ensure that no images or logos become blurred or incoherent. This prevents any art errors and streamlines the process.
Results
Thanks to the customization feature and migration, revenue doubled in size for EcoEnclose as of 2020. More businesses and individual customers had an incentive to make an order knowing that they could specify the box dimensions, which better suited their business or personal needs. That way they wouldn’t have to settle for a standard size, which would reduce productivity for ordering and delivering products. Prices became more accurate for their requests, which in turn enhanced the user-friendly experience.
