Project Context
Hancocks Cash & Carry has a strong history of being a successful confectionery wholesale specialist. Historically, their routes to market were via 20+ large wholesale warehouses located across the UK, but in recent years they have invested in online and developed a website to support their online presence and brand awareness. Over the course of about 6 years the Hancocks website had established itself as a profitable ecommerce site, contributing significantly to the businesses sales. However, to stay competitive and expand in a growing digital world it was in need of investment. More online competitors were emerging and as a brand it was important for Hancocks to stay ahead of the game; showing their strength as market leaders.
The functionality of the site needed improving to enhance the customers' experiences and simplify their journeys. Additionally with Hancocks having just undergone a rebrand, it was a perfect time to capitalise on the current buzz.
It was also noted that the website had been built on the Magento 1 ecommerce platform which was to be replaced by Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce). This meant the redevelopment needed to be completed in a timely manner, as support and security updates for Magento 1 were to be stopped in the near future.
Key Insights
Having been a part of the Hancocks eCommerce team for a couple of years, I was aware of how the customers interacted with the website, the diversity of customer types and which developments would be beneficial to support the customers as well as increase engagement and sales from the site. Research had been conducted in the way of feedback forms both online and in store, which identified and confirmed key elements and pain points that needed addressing.
- Website speed needed improving; not all content was optimised and the way content was loaded impacted the first contentful paint.
- Greater clarity was needed around product details, including pricing. This needed alignment with the in-store experience.
- Improved layouts were needed, with greater focus being on showing relevant products.
- Landing pages needed more attractive visual content to prevent user drop off.
- 'Click and Collect' needed revisiting and implementing. This was previously attempted but failed due to stock management, poor online user journeys, and slow website speeds.
Design Requirements
After discussions with the marketing and ecommerce teams, as well as input from the board of directors and store managers, a clear strategy was set out for a successful redevelopment.
1. Follow the strong new brand identify and visual language. Provide high quality artwork that shows professionalism, that we care about our appearance and want the best for our customers.
2. Enhance the customers experience and engagement with us, providing high quality resources and support, as well as ultimately growing online sales.
3. Work alongside the in-store teams to ensure clear consistent identity, pricing and promotions were followed.
4. Display relevant prices for customers with bespoke pricing, as well as allow correct credit terms and limits whilst logged on to the website.
5. Provide user focused product listings, to support the customer in finding what they are looking for, as well as increasing order values and conversions. Also reduce user drop off.
6. Provide a simple yet rich search experience to improve user retention.
7. Ensure the in-store and online execution of 'Click & Collect' was seamless, stock was correctly managed and the processes implemented are efficient.
My experience in website development and design, as well as a detailed understanding of the business requirements, helped ensure I would achieve my goals in improving the build of the website as well as UI/UX on the site.
UI Mockups
Final Thoughts
The redevelopment of the website was highly successful with revenue increasing from £4m to £40m. Key areas were addressed helping to ensure the customer's journey across the site was easier and more informative with relevant information to support the wide range of different customer needs.
Click and collect was successfully launched providing the customers with a convenient way to browse the range of products in comfort and have their order prepared for collection. This speedy service is great for the modern world where saving time is a priority.
The website was however launched with a few bugs that needed ironing out but as it needed to launch before support of the old website elapsed, this was a necessary evil. Ongoing testing and development work was therefore carried out from the beginning and continued as a live project to ensure best possible experience for the users.
