Benefits

• On-line ordering capability enables account executives to focus on key customers
• Site moved in-house, where client can control maintenance, updates
• Creates new marketing opportunities

Challenge

A manufacturer of solenoids and electronic controls sought to improve its company website. The site was basic ‘brochureware’ — it provided information about the company and its products, but lacked any functionality that would generate revenue or improve business processes.

The company envisioned a more vital site that could interact with its enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. Specifically, because 80% of its products were bought in quantities of ones or twos, the company wanted to have customers place orders on-line.

The company also wanted to post its own updates to the site — such as employment notices, newsletters, photos of products and employees, product changes — quickly and easily.

Stratagem’s Solution

Stratagem assigned a development team to the job. A Web Architect redesigned the site, adding more functions. He also built a Web interface to the client’s data, which enabled the client to take orders for its controls on-line.

The Web Architect used an e-Business system design that lets the client make content changes whenever it chooses to do so. Graphic artists also worked to adapt a new corporate look created for the client by an outside agency.

During the course of the project, the client decided to discontinue its external ISP service. A Stratagem networking professional helped the client move the website in-house and conducted all the troubleshooting to ensure that the site functioned properly on its new server.

Finally, Stratagem discovered that the client’s competitors had copied its metatags and key words to their own sites to lure customers. Stratagem was able to resolve the problem.

Result

The client now hosts the improved website in-house, and has decided to move the site of a sibling company in-house, also. An administrative employee makes content changes to the site each day. Customers now come to the site to make small-quantity purchases, and the sales force is free to concentrate on serving larger accounts.