A Flexible and Effective Approach to Ecommerce
Finding New Solutions to Drive Sales
White Bear Photonics understands their customers have complex needs. They needed an ecommerce site that could simplify the process to meet those needs. TEN7’s support of White Bear Photonics has evolved to support their dynamic business, starting with a Drupal site and then moving to a more focused ecommerce platform using Shopify.
The Challenge
For White Bear Photonics, there is no “off the shelf” solution to their customer needs. Their primary market is developing spectroscopy components and solutions to assist with experiments and analysis. This means they need to work closely with customers to design, deliver and support the solutions they sell.
TEN7 has worked with White Bear Photonics since the business was started, creating their first site in Drupal and then evolving to the Shopify platform to meet the company’s dynamic ecommerce needs.
Our Solution
When White Bear Photonics launched in 2007, they put together a one-page website to explain who they were and the mission of their company. As they started engaging with customers they realized they needed more online capabilities to properly engage and serve customers.
TEN7 worked quickly to understand their business and develop an online presence that has evolved over time as the company's needs have grown.
Develop an initial ecommerce capability in Drupal
White Bear Photonics caters to a niche audience that doesn’t require a lot of product marketing. Instead, the company’s clients need to be able to easily understand how different products can be pieced together for the best results.
To meet this initial need, TEN7 developed a Drupal ecommerce site that was flexible enough to evolve as the company gained more understanding of the best ways to interact with clients. Then, as the business grew, TEN7 helped maintain and add functionality to enhance the ease of use.
Migrate to Shopify to accommodate complex ecommerce needs
While the Drupal site was functioning well, it became apparent White Bear Photonics’ customers required features and flexibility that would be simpler to provide on a different platform. TEN7 recommended moving the site to Shopify.
While Shopify is usually used for general consumer sales, TEN7 developed ways to use the platform’s capabilities to sell complex scientific solutions. TEN7 translated the old Drupal site to the new platform while also making changes to maximize the benefits and ease of use of Shopify. The result was a professional, user-friendly website that helps customers easily configure the best solutions for their needs.
from the client
I think first of all, it's first rate to work with them. They have a good understanding of their client's business. That's really what it comes down to.
