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Bespoke product database, order management system and linked Umbraco e-commerce website for premium HiFi distributor Henley Audio

A fully integrated solution for one of the UK's top high-end HiFi distributors, allowing management of product specifications and ordering by dealers and the public, linked to a high end e-commerce Umbraco website and integrated with Sage accounts.

Being able to undertake the complex work we required with just one company like Achorda has made the entire multi-year project we engaged them for so much easier. They understand our business and so work with us to help produce systems that suit our workflow and allow us to achieve our strategic goals. It’s always a pleasure to deal with any member of their team.

Simon Powell, Henley Audio

Key Elements

Full analysis of current and desired workflow across the business from product stock through to distribution and handling RMAs
Full product database including specifications, pricing, promotions and stock levels
Public and per-dealer sales promotions
Umbraco CMS with dynamic content fed from the back-end management system
Integration with Sage for two-way ordering and stock updates
E-commerce functionality linked to Opayo (Sage Pay)
User registration and login linked to external CRM
Where to Buy dealer map linked to product allocations
Ordering system for dealers in a Dealer Zone as well as for the public through the website
Spare Parts finder
Warranty registration tool
Self-service user account functionality
Fully responsive UI design
Optimised for SEO
Google Analytics and cookie consent code included

The brief

Our client Henley Audio, a premier audio equipment distribution company, asked us to design and develop a new management system connected to a new eCommerce website. They wanted to have more control over product specifications and pricing and gain efficiency from software that allows them to follow their own workflows rather than adapt to suit a commercial solution. They wanted the new linked website to better reflect the company’s high end brand image and deliver a better experience for their dealers and direct customers, allowing comparisons and live stock updates linked to either e-commerce or intelligent dealer location depending on the product type. The current system was preventing the company from pricing products and offering dealer incentives and the website did not link products and related information or provide the desire high-end image.

The solution

Achorda’s first step was to understand exactly how our client’s business works. As a distribution centre with multiple dealers handling multiple brands, the eCommerce Management System needed to handle an array of unique requirements.

Achorda then planned out the architecture for the new system using wireframes and flow charts to agree on the functionality and the relationships between the various data. Some key examples of the functionality we built into the Management System to streamline our client’s business processes are:

Dynamic content publishing to a new Umbraco website
Discount management both to dealers and end-users
Dealer management including dealer page, discounts, promotions, specials and integration with the website's Where to Buy tool
Complex product hierarchy with specifications and dealer tier assignments
Spare part management linked to website
Product registration and warranty management linked to website
Orders and RMA management
Sophisticated product search
Product reviews management linked to website
Product comparison management linked to website
Product-specific FAQs linked to website
Integrated with Mailchimp CRM
Integrated with Opayo (Sage Pay) for order processing
Stock availability management linked to website
Shipping management linked to website
Product and imagery import allowing easy maintenance of the product database and web page display
Business intelligence – sales dashboard
Business intelligence – RMA dashboard

Management System

Achorda created a back-end management system for use by Henley staff and Dealers using Microsoft .Net technology. The ABP.IO framework was used along with SQL Server database and Angular for front-end JavaScript.

The management system contains a CRM to control contact details and security access by Henley staff, their dealers and website access by end users.

Design

Achorda began this project by wireframing key screens to nail down the perfect user journey. The client has a unique business model which means that the user journey needed to be thought out very carefully to offer the best possible user experience. Enabling users to search within a single brand, and showcasing each brand individually, was key to providing the client with the solution they needed.

Once the wireframes and bare bones of the website were agreed, a brand new look and feel was needed to lift the brand to its rightful place. A new font, sleek responsive design and modern web animation techniques brought the products to life and showcased the wealth of expertise and skill demonstrated by the client’s team.

Bespoke Umbraco CMS

Because the majority of the website content was to be driven by a new bespoke back end system, the Umbraco CMS had to be adapted to allow it to talk to the new system via API.

Some templates (Umbraco Document Types) were created using the traditional method so that content could be entered manually via the CMS forms. Other templates were created to be driven by dynamic content from the Management System.

Umbraco Macros were created to enable editors to drop dynamic content into static pages wherever it was needed.

E-commerce functionality connected to Opayo (formerly Sage Pay)

Using a 3^rd party secure payment gateway by Opayo, e-commerce functionality was added to enable discounts and shipping costs to be calculated at checkout. Automated confirmation emails were also built in to reduce admin burden.

User account self-service functionality

Functionality was added to introduce self-service for website users including:

Account registration, integrated with Mailchimp CRM
Manage account details, integrated with Mailchimp CRM
View and manage orders, integrated with Sage
Manage communication preferences, integrated with Mailchimp CRM
Register product warranties

reCAPTCHA

Using the reCAPTURE widget, the website was protected from spam and abuse. The latest version of this widget protects the website without bombarding the user with annoying puzzles to complete when submitting forms. Achorda can help clients set up an account with reCAPTCHA to protect any website we develop.

Google analytics integration

Our client was already using Google Analytics on their previous website to keep track of their website traffic data. Adding Google’s code to their new website meant they had a seamless transfer from one site to the next as the new website went live. Achorda recommends adding this free service to all websites to gain invaluable insights into the performance of individual web pages.

Osana cookie consent widget integration

The Osana cookie consent widget was added to the site code to ensure our client’s compliance with current UK GDPR law. Simple to use and completely customisable, the Osana widget provides the perfect solution to this small but important issue.

E-commerce self service software solutions from Achorda

The Results

The benefits of this Microsoft .Net + Umbraco web solution for our client are:

All product data can be managed via the Management System, updating the website content dynamically in real time saving hours of work for content editors
Any number of dealer-specific discount codes are automatically applied to purchases
New functionality can easily be added to the system as the business expands
Business processes have been simplified and tasks automated to vastly improve efficiency and dramatically reduce admin burden
Vast improvement in the visual quality of the product display and ability for end users to obtain full information about the product range across all brands
The company's customers are provided with a much improved brand experience, raising their brand value and adding value to their offering
Editors are able to populate the website and manage content much more efficiently thanks to a bespoke Umbraco CMS and Management System integration
With the website now much simpler to manage, more time is available to concentrate on expanding other areas of the business and growing sales
SEO is easier to manage thanks to Umbraco's easy-to-use templates, helping improve the site page ranking

If you'd like to talk about creating a new database application and/or Umbraco e-commerce website for your business, give us a call today or complete the form and we'll get straight back to you.