CNC Router Store

Ecommerce Case Study Client: CNC Router Store

This Ecommerce case study is based on CNC Router Store located in Concord, Ontario. The purpose of this case study is to examine the impact Digital Shifts conversion optimization and usability strategy has had on CNC Router Store's online ecommerce. The case study also focuses on CNC's return on investment, sales per annum, and their investment payback period. Continue reading to learn how we can help!

Customer Highlight

CNC Router has been providing router bits, knife blades, and engraving tools to companies in North America for over 20 years. They carry some of the most trusted brands in the industry such as Onsrud, Belin, and Dimar, and are dedicated to providing customers with the most up to date and innovative router technology available. Whether you are looking to start a new do it yourself project at home, or replenish existing tools at work, CNC Router can provide router consumables quickly and effectively via their online ecommerce services.

Client Opportunities

• Redesign Ecommerce Site
• Increase Online Engagement And Usability
• Sync Marketing Tools With Email Marketing Campaign

Our Approach and Strategic Case Analysis

Website Review

CNC Router Store's previous web page design was very poor. It lacked content and information about each product. The website template did not engage customers and could benefit greatly from conversion optimization services. It's clear the previous website did not have a user-centric design as troubleshooting and support services were not easily accessible. However, CNC Router Store's website did do a few things well. The web page was mobile responsive, making it accessible from desktop or cellphone. CNC was also trying to work towards a user-centric template by incorporating a product search bar as well as banners containing their best selling products. Yet, the website remained difficult to navigate and appeared bare. Adding more content about their products, color to their homepage, and increasing the filtering and search options would go miles for the ecommerce store.

Keyword Research

Digital Shift analyzed CNC Router Stores conversion funnel and determined that they were not generating enough traffic to the website and that the bounce rate was too high. Keyword research was completed to discover better options that would help the website rank higher, leading to more click throughs and higher quality traffic to the website.  By attracting more relevant customers to their online store, conversion rates would be positively affected.

Content Analysis

It was also imperative that SEO optimization services were used on the content and images to assist with organic ranking. More specifically, by having text and images properly optimized with alt-tags and descriptions the site becomes more discoverable on search engines. Digital Shift also worked on redesigning the template, making the original static images interactive and engaging. The website also greatly benefited from new images that had more color. Overall, the new, optimized content decreased the bounce rate because site visitors were more engaged and ecommerce conversion shot through the roof.

Customer Analysis

The most crucial component impacting conversion rate optimization was customer activity on the website. After conducting in-depth interviews with CNC Router Store's marketing manager, Digital Shift was able to identify website conversion optimization opportunities. It became clear that customers were having a hard time searching for, and finding products through the old website. It's impossible for a customer to convert and buy a product if they cannot find it. Therefore increasing website usability and search options became a top priority for Digital Shift.

Email Marketing

CNC Router Clinic also wanted to work with Digital Shift to adjust their email marketing campaign. Digital Shift designed a new plan to encourage product promotion while focusing on remarketing to encourage the customers to return to their website. A few simple modifications to their email marketing campaign could greatly increase ecommerce conversion rate.

A Conversion Optimization Strategy Was Used For This Business Because:

• CNC Router Clinic's ecommerce site had a high bounce rate
• High competition means CNC's online presence must be optimized
• Difficult search navigation was impacting usability and sales revenue

Deliverables

• Ecommerce Conversion Rate Calculation
• Total Sales/Annum
• Payback Period
• Website Traffic

Digital Shift Delivered Results That Exceeded Expectations!

As you can see from the images provided the new web design has had a tremendous impact on CNC Router Store. The new website is more eye-catching and engaging. When the customer visits the web page they immediately learn who CNC is, what they do, how they can help and are provided with four different search tools to easily find products of interest. There are also company trust icons and their SSL certificate to provide a sense of familiarity and comfort. The new template really emphasizes website usability and highlights the four selector calculation tools. These tools help educate the consumer and make it easier for them to find exactly what they need. They can now search by the material they need to cut, the tool they need to use, or by cutting application. Additionally, a cost estimator tool is also provided so the customers are not shocked or scared by the price tag. The new tools simply make the website more navigable and user-friendly.

The bottom of the page has also been redesigned. The new template really emphasizes website usability and highlights the four selector calculation tools. These tools help educate the consumer and make it easier for them to find exactly what they need. They can now search by the material they need to cut, the tool they need to use, or by cutting application. Additionally, a cost estimator tool is also provided so the customers are not shocked or scared by the price tag. The original site had the cost estimator but it was not easily accessible. The new tools simply make the website more navigable and user-friendly. The ultimate goal of the ecommerce design was to increase website usability and search functionality. It's clear that the way visitors search and browse the website has become much easier. Furthermore, simply educating ecommerce visitors has had a great impact on the store's conversion rates and return on investment.

Conversion Optimization Ecommerce Results

CNC Router Store partnered with Digital Shift because they wanted to increase their sales, growth, and conversion rates. For the sake of confidentiality, Digital Shift will not release exact numbers in this e-commerce case study, however, percentages and dates will be included. After redesigning their website and increasing the search functionality Digital Shift was able to drastically help CNC Router's ecommerce. CNCs annual total number of sales have doubled from the period of implementation and it hasn't even been a full year (January, 2015-November, 2016). The company's return on investment for the new ecommerce website is 6.71% and continual growth is forecasted with one month remaining (December). One of CNC Routers concerns with the new ecommerce website design was how long it would take them to start making money from their investment. After implementation, the companies payback period was a mere 2.5 months!

The Digital Shift Advantage

The ecommerce case study results speak for themselves. Digital Shift increased web functionality by focusing on the customer's search process. The key revisions to CNC Router Stores ecommerce site paid for themselves, doubling sales and greatly increasing website conversion. By spending time with the company and learning about the challenges target customers face, Digital Shift was able to redesign and implement a more user-friendly, modern website to help customers actually find products they're looking for.