Engels is a family business that has been around for 70 years. It has grown into an international company with an annual turnover of about €40M, putting sustainability at the heart of everything it does.

They possess advanced production facilities, machines, and resources that allow them to manufacture customized products from a few pieces to millions. Due to a variety of their production techniques such as plastic welding, injection molding, rotomolding, vacuum forming, corrugated plastic packaging, foam engineering, sheet metal work, printing and marking capabilities Engels produces transport and warehouse bins, storage systems, pallets and pallet boxes, retention bins, hazardous material transport boxes, and waste containers. They also provide electronics, software, and logistics services for waste collection.

Engels is committed to sustainability, striving to reduce waste, minimize their carbon footprint, and promote a circular economy.

Environment and logistics are inextricably linked. Smartly designed product carriers and multi-use packaging create sustainability. For instance, glass, paper or used batteries start as waste, but with proper transportation and processing, they can be recycled into usable materials.

Problem:

The company is a well-known business in the Netherlands, successfully operating in multiple EU markets, and is now extending to the UK. As a B2B company, the majority of its income is generated through large warehouse deals that are the result of negotiations, rather than just impressions from the website and classic eCommerce. Additionally, Engels has been working on SEO since the 90s, which has helped them maintain their position at the top of search results.

However, with web performance becoming increasingly crucial, the company has migrated from the slow Magento frontend to a new, faster Hyva theme. The problem is that the design system was not developed first, which resulted in a new UK website was inconsistent. Moreover, there were a lot of bugs, and the code from the previous provider was of low quality. There were also issues with time expectations, as the previous provider took almost a year to develop the website, which was still far from launch.

Challenge:

To identify and fix all the current issues with the store, develop a design system that will join together all elements with minimum changes. That means that there is no need to develop a new theme from scratch again. And finish it as soon as possible as it was a real obstacle to the expansion to the UK market.

At this stage, it’s crucial for the company to create a great first impression through its website as it is not well known in the UK market. The new web store design should be comprehensive and emphasize the company's trustworthiness, versatility in products and solutions, sustainability, and commitment to bringing positive change. The website should also have high performance and rich functionality to reflect the company's standing as a high-tech enterprise.

What we’ve done:

In cooperation with the designer, frontend developer, eCommerce manager, and marketers from our and client sides we developed a new design system based on the components of the Hyva theme. Then, developers customized the theme according to the provided designs.

A big picture of Earth with country locators where Engels is present is on the main screen as the remainder of Engels's mission of serving the environment and creating a better future for their customers, employees, and the planet. In addition, an interactive map empowers the trustworthiness of the company.

Custom video block

Interactive easy-to-navigate menu unequivocally contributes to a positive user experience and for such complex catalogs as Engels has it’s a must-have. A menu with 3 levels of categories and preview images helps customers to navigate such a diversity of products and find the required product faster.

Product tile displays all important information for clients so they can check it right on the category page without visiting every product page. SKU number, main product specifications, tier price, availability in stock, prices including and excluding VAT (for B2B and B2C clients), custom product labels, add to compare list, estimated delivery time, and request a quote functionality that for B2B is same valuable as add to cart button.

Product page is critical for any eCommerce business as it’s where potential customers make their final purchase decisions. It’s important to have high-quality product images, detailed product descriptions, delivery time, color and size options, and downloadable files with product specifications. Additionally, showing stock availability is crucial, and in the case of Engels, they have their own stock rules that affect delivery time. Custom stock status rules and delivery time slots were developed to meet this requirement. For B2B customers, it is important to know if the required product is available in the required quantity and when it can be delivered. As Engels is a producer, its stock has more options than just in-stock or out-of-stock like resellers have. Products can be in different stages of production, their parts or materials availability, and product stocks can be in different warehouses, all of which affect delivery time.

Tier pricing enables transparent pricing with discounts based on the amount ordered. It saves a lot of time for sales managers who don't have to respond to typical requests for discounts.

Engels offers a Request a Quote feature that allows customers to ask for a quote for a larger quantity or a customized product. Engels has an extensive range of production techniques such as plastic welding, injection molding, rotomolding, vacuum forming, corrugated plastic packaging, foam engineering, sheet metal work, and more, so custom orders are frequent. Thus customers should always be able to request a quote and receive a quick and proper response. The manager has all the necessary information in the form, making it easier for customers to receive accurate quotes.

Using custom product labels like foodproof provides better user experience; customers can immediately grasp important information without reading the entire content.

For Engels.uk and all other B2B web stores, search functionality is crucial. 71% of B2B clients start their product research with search engines. 12 searches are the average number of searches a B2B user makes before engaging with a brand’s site Therefore, providing fast and accurate search results is of utmost importance. To accomplish this, a modern Elasticsearch search engine has been implemented on Engels.uk. This search engine includes a full-screen pop-up that displays relevant search results for products, categories, CMS pages, and search suggestions. As well as a search results page with filters and sorting functionality.