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Company: Hippo Creative Solutions Ltd
Project: Creation of online shop for Shades of Green
Dates: Oct 2007 to Mar 2008
How did the project start?
Hippo was approached to develop the on-line shopping facility for Shades of Green, having worked with the business throughout its development on a number of promotional projects.
What options did you consider?
We worked with Shades of Green to review a variety of approaches to the project. Ultimately we decided to develop a range of facilities that would be a strong reflection of the value and choice offered by our client, combining clear presentation, straight-forward administration and a high level of user security.
What help and expertise did you receive?
We aimed to deliver a site that represented best practice in terms of product presentation and features to ensure that Shades of Green could realise its full potential. This included the integration of our CMS to enable the team at Shades of Green to manage products, orders and customers in a way that enhanced their business processes.
Did you face any challenges or learn any lessons?
A key challenge was to design the site in such a way that it made clear our client's position as a provider of quality products at really competitive prices. We used a bold style and presented offers on a rolling basis to expose users to a wide range of products. The shopping basket totalizer featuring savings versus RRP is among features that help to reinforce the value proposition. The navigation of products across such a wide range required a product table with a range of attributes that could be allocated dynamically to develop different outcomes based on a strong, common category structure. The result is fast loading and excellent product search facilities.
What are the outcomes and how has it improved your business?
It is still early days for the new site. Already it has delivered a new sales channel to Shades of Green that will broaden the appeal of the company, complementing its store with the convenience of an on-line option. The reporting tools on the site will enable managers to critically assess the range of goods on offer, supporting merchandising decisions and enabling Shades of Green to give its customers more of what they want.
What are your plans for the future?
A second phase of development has been specified to add more features to the site, making browsing and product selection even easier. More service based tools will also make the site a useful resource for gardens looking for support and advice.
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