A modern migration from legacy tech
A redesigned, replatformed, and reimagined website sets the foundation to handle a near infinite number of SKUs and supports future expansion.
A custom SKU configurator
With no off-the-shelf solution to satisfy the criteria, our team built one.
A better database
Transitioned data into a system that's more structured and scalable.
An improved search solution
Enhanced the way a user searches the site and navigates products.
A website built for marketers
A suite of building blocks empowers marketers to create engaging content.
The Challenge
As a leading provider of instrumentation and precision solutions, distributing over 30 brands, Alpha Controls has been a key industry player for over 45 years. However, its ecommerce site, and the way it was managing vast amounts of data, were holding them back, impacting its team, site visitors, and existing customers.
Specifically, Alpha Controls:
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01
Was, because of old code and unreliable developer support, unable to self-manage key content elements on the website to support its marketing strategy.
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02
Didn’t have a solution that could store, track, and consistently handle a near infinite number of unique SKUs to display search results quickly and accurately.
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03
Had a website that felt more like a product catalog rather than an ecommerce destination showcasing Alpha Control’s robust services within key industries.
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04
Was held back by technical debt, which resulted in a slow site, clunky and sometimes faulty functionality, and a frustrating website experience both to administer and explore.
The Solution
Planning and clarity on what the site required was critical to paving the way to a re-imagined digital marketplace, and the site's visual overhaul leveraged elements created for Alpha Control's recent rebrand.
A custom SKU configurator
With no off-the-shelf solution to satisfy the criteria, our team built one.
The sheer volume of products — over 12,000 — meant it was critical to create a framework to efficiently organize and maintain a near infinite number of third-party SKUs, many of which contain complex combinations of product attributes.
There was no off-the-shelf solution to satisfy the criteria, so our team built it. By developing a custom SKU configurator that could dynamically generate product variations, Alpha Controls had an intuitive way to source specific solutions while ensuring data accuracy.
Behind the scenes, the Alpha Controls team has full access to best-in-class features spanning regional pricing, discounts, and sales. The sales team can now preconfigure and share custom URLs directly with customers for ease of view and speed of purchase. For website visitors, a seamless experience allows them to easily customize a product to their needs.
The feedback on the new website has been incredibly positive. With so many products and services, it was important for us to make everything easier for our customers to find and navigate, and now it is. We’re seeing an influx of quotes, and customers are able to get the information they need much faster without having to call or email for answers.
A better database
Transitioned data into a system that’s more structured and scalable.
With the sheer number of products and configuration options, the site’s legacy data structure was inconsistent and cumbersome to manage. Mapping and sanitizing old data and removing inaccurate records, as well as making it consistent with modern best practices, allowed our team to transition the data into a system that is more structured and scalable.
Inventory is wired directly to the database from an external inventory management software through a custom integration, which updates stock counts nightly. Setting that strong data foundation allows exporting and importing product data at scale, when bulk updates are necessary.
An improved search solution
Enhanced the way a user searches the site and navigates products.
A central search bar, integrated with Site Search 360 and customization within, allows users to drill down to the SKU level to find a specific product. Near infinite SKU combinations meant a programmatic SKU lookup mechanism was required to allow customers to find product SKUs instantly while keeping the database lean.
Search indicates the product, but is also programmed to serve up related services, resources, and content to provide additional insight and information targeted to the visitor's query.
A dedicated product finder, organized by categories, brands, industries, and price points, makes search intuitive for both those who know exactly what they want and those that don’t. Analytics of these filters empowers Alpha Controls to see what customers are searching and optimize those results.
A website built for marketers
A suite of building blocks empowers marketers to create engaging content.
Previously, the team was hindered by their inability to post anything more than a blog. Early alignment with the marketing team paved the way to tailor their ability to self-manage sections and content. We created a suite of robust building blocks which meant they had tools to create more engaging content on the page, and the flexibility to post as often as needed.
Customization options help the team create media-rich pages across the entire site, with options that include videos, buttons, text, callouts, iconography, testimonials, and more.
All of these are designed with guardrails, so the team is empowered without the worry of breaking the brand’s visual guidelines.
These features give Alpha Controls the ability to continue tailoring its site when and how they wish without the constant need for developer support. The site is now a true asset for the marketing, sales, and product teams, and, importantly, the end customer.
One of the biggest changes for us has honestly just been the freedom and flexibility. We required a third party to make a lot of changes, so even small website updates felt like a process. Now, if we want to launch a promotion, update content or create a new landing page, we can do that quickly without jumping through hoops.
A bright future
The new website is live, but this is just the beginning.
There are already plans to add additional elements to continue growing the site, and we look forward to our continued partnership with Alpha Controls to make that happen.
In the coming months, we’ll continue to support the Alpha Controls team with site maintenance and SEM, introducing multi-language capabilities, and more.
The difference between our old website and what we have now is night and day. The new site finally feels like us!
