Project Objective:
As My Essentials continued to grow, their web-based system was in need of an upgrade and new features that would prove to be crucial to their continued success. Troy Web Consulting was tasked with developing a replacement system deployed on Amazon AWS, and at the direction of My Essentials with the following objectives:
Perform an in-depth Analysis and Design phase to provide a compelling user interface and design that enhances the overall usability of the system
Replace the stack of the current web-based system with a more modern stack that can support rapid growth scaling using Amazon AWS cloud services
Provide a simple, manageable admin panel to capture the core entities of the system while tracking customer interaction with detailed analytics
Reduce the need to hire on more staff as the program expands, and grows in the number of stores and end customers
Implement high-level systems that support warranty management, membership, eCommerce (discounts, special offers, and high-value services), and customer relationship management (CRM)
Optimize customer retention, increase website traffic and close more sales via the eCommerce system thanks to the new and improved system
With these objectives in mind, the Troy Web Consulting team assessed the previous system to determine proper documentation requirements, crucial features, and gauged the overall performance of the site. Overall, My Essentials’ main goal was to retain more customers by providing a more robust system that can better serve them.
Project Background:
Since customer “acquisition” is primarily handled through the current storefronts, the main focus of this new system/program, from future designs to the data collected, is customer “Retention.” For that reason, CRM features are prioritized to communicate and foster customer interaction with the community. At the end of the project, the system will be sized, optimized, and load tested for 3X growth year over year.
The Challenge:
There are several complicated pieces of this project, including improved landing pages, streamlined checkout processes, and a customer sign-up wizard. A product search and filter selection will be included to help navigation through the website. Developing user and administrative dashboards will also be included to create an easier experience for people behind the scenes as well as customers. There are some areas of special interest as well. One of the most helpful features for their customers is a password reset loop, especially for their core audience of seniors. This will help to keep the information that is in their profile safe.
As more ideas came across the drawing board, one of the biggest challenges was prioritizing features while keeping to the allotted schedule. As the customer base grows, so does the need for a robust and scalable system which can mean more features. Realizing this would be an issue, the Troy Web Consulting team worked alongside My Essentials to keep those features in check to build a website with customer retention and system scalability in mind.
Business Impact:
Customer interaction is measured at launch to analyze retention and a strategy is built to bring currently enrolled members to the new site. As the customer base grew, the improved CRM system built by the Troy Web Consulting team removed a lot of friction as customers transitioned to the new system. On the backend, the new admin panel made it easier for My Essentials’ employees to update the systems’ content while the compelling user interface & visual design enhanced the overall usability of the system for everyone.
These objectives and goals will give way to a more user-friendly site as well as help to retain more customers because the new system will be easier to use. Through better navigation and overall processes, My Essentials will be able to achieve its goal of retaining more customers. Leveraging AWS for cloud based services (AWS EC2, RDS, S3, VPC and CloudFront) also allowed for the highly secure and scalable services required for this system