AdMerch, a standout player in the online retail space with a diverse range of industrial and commercial merchandise, was grappling with significant performance issues on their WooCommerce store. Their category pages were painfully slow, taking up to 15 seconds to load. This resulted in high bounce rates and a frustrated customer base. On top of that, the site’s navigation, search, and filtering functionalities were subpar, leading to a lacklustre user experience that hindered conversions.
Understanding the gravity of these challenges, AdMerch turned to Blaze Commerce for a comprehensive solution. Blaze Commerce, an open-source project, promised to leverage cutting-edge technology and the latest UX research to overhaul AdMerch’s online store. The goal? Deliver exceptional performance and a seamless user experience to drive engagement and sales.
Remarkably, this transformation was achieved in just 60 days.
Key Highlights:
- Page Load Times: Reduced from 15 seconds to one second.
- Bounce Rate: Significant reduction due to faster loading and improved usability.
- Server Response Time: Improved Time to First Byte (TTFB) by 78%.
- User Experience: Overhauled navigation, search, and filtering functionalities.
- Page Weight: Decreased by 56%, leading to quicker downloads and less data usage.
- Open-Source Flexibility: Leveraged Blaze Commerce’s open-source platform for extensive customization.
- Rapid: delivered in just 60 days
The results were astounding. By implementing Blaze Commerce’s headless architecture and integrating features like Max Mega Menu and Gravity Forms, AdMerch saw massive improvements across all key performance metrics. Category pages that once took 15 seconds to load were now blazing fast, clocking in at one second. The enhanced user experience led to significant bounce rate reductions and substantial conversion rate increases.
In this case study, we’ll explore the specific challenges AdMerch faced, the solutions we deployed, and the impressive outcomes. We’ll also provide a detailed comparison of the before and after performance metrics, highlighting the transformative power of Blaze Commerce. Whether you’re a store owner looking to enhance your WooCommerce store’s performance or a developer/agency seeking a robust solution for your clients, this case study will showcase how Blaze Commerce can be a game-changer.
Understanding AdMerch’s Initial Struggles
AdMerch, known for its extensive range of industrial and commercial merchandise, had established a strong online presence through their WooCommerce store. However, as their product catalog expanded and traffic surged, they began experiencing severe performance issues. The most pressing problem was the slow loading times of their category pages, which often took up to 15 seconds to fully load. This sluggish performance frustrated users and resulted in high bounce rates, severely impacting customer retention and sales.
Besides performance woes, AdMerch’s site suffered from several UX challenges. The navigation was cumbersome, making it difficult for users to find products efficiently. The search functionality was inadequate, often failing to return relevant results. Moreover, the filtering options were limited and unintuitive, further complicating the shopping experience. These issues combined to create a subpar user experience, hampering AdMerch’s ability to capitalize on their extensive product offerings and driving potential customers away.
Identifying the Core Challenges
AdMerch’s primary challenges were twofold: performance and user experience.
- Performance Issues:
- Category Page Load Times: Pages taking up to 15 seconds to load drove users away and negatively impacted search engine rankings.
- High Bounce Rates: Slow page speeds contributed to high bounce rates, meaning users were leaving the site before engaging with the content or making purchases.
- Server Response Times: Delays in server response times (Time to First Byte) were a significant bottleneck, slowing down the entire user experience from the outset.
- User Experience Challenges:
- Navigation: The site’s navigation was complex and unintuitive, making it difficult for users to browse categories and find products efficiently.
- Search Functionality: The existing search system was inadequate, often delivering irrelevant results, leading to user frustration and abandonment.
- Filtering Options: Limited and unintuitive filtering options made it hard for users to narrow down product selections based on specific criteria, affecting their ability to find what they needed quickly.
These challenges highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive overhaul of AdMerch’s WooCommerce store. They required a solution that could deliver both exceptional performance and a seamless user experience to drive customer satisfaction and increase conversions.
Blaze Commerce’s Strategic Solution
To tackle AdMerch’s critical performance and UX challenges, we implemented a comprehensive solution leveraging the power of Blaze Commerce. Our approach focused on redesigning the site using the latest UX research and integrating our advanced headless architecture to deliver exceptional speed and user experience.
Redesigning with the Latest UX Research
Guided by findings from leading ecommerce UX research firms, we initiated a thorough redesign of AdMerch’s site. Our process included:
- Intuitive Navigation: We revamped the site’s navigation to make it more intuitive and user-friendly. This included clear categorization, easy access to subcategories, and a streamlined menu structure.
- Enhanced Search Functionality: By integrating advanced search algorithms, we improved the search functionality to provide more accurate and relevant results, reducing user frustration and increasing satisfaction.
- Robust Filtering Options: We implemented comprehensive filtering options, allowing users to quickly narrow down their product searches based on various criteria, such as price, brand, and specifications.
Implementing Blaze Commerce’s Advanced Architecture
To achieve the desired performance improvements, we transitioned AdMerch’s store to Blaze Commerce’s headless WooCommerce architecture. This involved several key steps and enhancements:
- Headless Architecture Integration: By decoupling the front-end and back-end, Blaze Commerce’s headless architecture allowed for faster, more flexible development and significantly improved page load times. As an open-source project, Blaze Commerce offers extensive customization options and community support, ensuring that the platform can be tailored to meet the specific needs of each business.
- Optimized Technical Stack: Our team optimized the technical stack, focusing on reducing server response times, minimizing page weight, and streamlining code to ensure a faster, smoother user experience.
- Collaborative Implementation: The project was a collaborative effort between AdMerch’s team and Blaze Commerce experts. This synergy ensured that the implementation was aligned with AdMerch’s business goals and technical requirements.
Product-Led Growth Philosophy
We adhered to our Product-Led Growth philosophy throughout the development and implementation process. This approach prioritizes features that drive user engagement and satisfaction, ensuring that every enhancement directly contributes to a better user experience and higher conversion rates.
As part of the AdMerch project we enhanced the Blaze Commerce platform to support Gutenberg Blocks, Max Mega Menu for better navigation and Gravity Forms for improved user interactions and data collection.
By combining cutting-edge UX design with powerful, flexible technology, we transformed AdMerch’s online store. The results speak for themselves, with dramatically improved performance metrics and an enhanced user experience that keeps customers engaged and coming back for more.
Remarkable Results
The transformation of AdMerch’s online store through Blaze Commerce yielded impressive results, drastically improving both performance and user experience. Here’s a detailed comparison of the key performance metrics before and after the implementation:
* all reports are generated with https://www.webpagetest.org/ using Virginia Cable option.
Performance Metrics Comparison
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to First Byte (TTFB) | 1.015s | 0.220s | 78% faster |
| First Contentful Paint (FCP) | 4.217s | 1.135s | 73% faster |
| Speed Index | 4.770s | 1.454s | 70% faster |
| Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) | 11.249s | 2.029s | 82% faster |
| Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) | 0.043 | 0 | 100% improvement |
| Total Blocking Time (TBT) | 0.614s | 0.418s | 32% reduction |
| Page Weight | 5,439KB | 2,384KB | 56% lighter |
Key Outcomes:
- Significantly Faster Load Times:
- Time to First Byte (TTFB): Improved from 1.015s to 0.220s, reflecting a 78% faster server response time.
- First Contentful Paint (FCP): Reduced from 4.217s to 1.135s, allowing users to see visual content much sooner.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Decreased from 11.249s to 2.029s, ensuring the largest visible content loads quickly.
- Enhanced Usability:
- Speed Index: Improved from 4.770s to 1.454s, indicating a much faster perceived load time, enhancing user satisfaction.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Improved from 0.043 to 0, eliminating unexpected layout shifts and providing a stable viewing experience.
- Reduced Page Weight and Blocking Time:
- Page Weight: Decreased from 5,439KB to 2,384KB, resulting in quicker downloads and less data usage.
- Total Blocking Time (TBT): Reduced from 0.614s to 0.418s, minimizing the time the main thread is blocked and improving interaction responsiveness.
Impact on User Experience and Business Performance:
- Bounce Rate Reduction: The significant improvements in page load times and overall site performance led to a noticeable reduction in bounce rates, as users were no longer frustrated by long wait times.
- Increased Conversion Rates: With faster load times and a more intuitive user experience, AdMerch saw increased conversion rates and average order values (AOV). Customers were able to find products more easily, navigate the site seamlessly, and complete purchases with less friction.
- Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: The optimized search functionality and robust filtering options made it easier for users to find exactly what they were looking for, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and repeat visits.
By implementing Blaze Commerce’s headless WooCommerce architecture and enhancing the platform to support advanced features like Max Mega Menu and Gravity Forms, AdMerch’s online store was transformed. The dramatic improvements in performance metrics and user experience underscore the power and flexibility of Blaze Commerce, showcasing its ability to deliver exceptional results for WooCommerce stores.
Conclusion
AdMerch’s transformation through Blaze Commerce demonstrates the profound impact of combining advanced technology with user-centric design. By addressing critical performance issues and enhancing the overall user experience, AdMerch was able to significantly reduce page load times, improve site usability, and boost customer satisfaction.
The results speak volumes: category pages that once took 15 seconds to load now load in just one second, bounce rates have dropped, and conversion rates have risen. These improvements have not only enhanced user experience but also positively impacted AdMerch’s bottom line. This case study illustrates the power of Blaze Commerce’s headless architecture and its ability to support robust WooCommerce and WordPress features, all while prioritizing Product-Led Growth.
For store owners looking to elevate their WooCommerce stores and developers/agencies seeking a powerful solution for their clients, Blaze Commerce offers a transformative approach to eCommerce. Our platform delivers blazing speed, exceptional performance, and an intuitive user experience that drives engagement and sales.
Transform Your Store Today
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- Contact Us: Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help you achieve similar results.
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