Apexinds.com
Miva B2B/B2C eCommerce Development

The Client

Fred has been in the business of heavy-duty automotive repair for decades. He created Apex Tool Company with the objective of providing the right tool to get the job done safely and efficiently. Between the service tools and parts, and the diagnostic equipment, his business has grown and developed right alongside diesel engine technology. 

It was this same aspiration to keep up with the evolving industry that led Fred to updating his website. He recognized that in order to cater to the emerging technology in vehicle maintenance and repair, his website would need to be brought up to snuff. Glendale Designs was able to work with Fred around his busy schedule as an active owner/operator to get Apexinds.com where it needed to be.

The Site

Back End Restructuring

A new website isn’t just for the shoppers – oftentimes, it can make a huge difference with the way the owner and staff accomplish their day-to-day tasks. Apexinds.com has been on Miva for years, so Fred was familiar with the platform. This meant the Glendale team was able to easily communicate with him about what he and his staff needed in order to simplify their workflow behind the scenes. 

As a busy small business owner with a hands-on approach, there were going to be several third-party modules and applications that would need to be updated and reintegrated into the new site. Extensions like tax and shipping management, multiple payment processors, and reports were critical to the smooth operation of the website. Our developers made sure that all those tools were up and running for Fred and his staff. 

A new website isn’t just for the shoppers – oftentimes, it can make a huge difference with the way the owner and staff accomplish their day-to-day tasks.

Having additional applications and scripts running on your site – even if they aren’t visible or noticeable to the shopper – has the potential to affect your site speed. Our developers made sure to minimize any impact on speed that the modules and apps may have had.

Remodeling

On the shopper-side of the site, we were tasked with creating something that was modern and more aesthetically pleasing, while also keeping a focus on ease of use.

The modernization didn’t just apply to the visual design. It would also need to carry over into the site functionality. We began by updating the site framework. By building on a new site template, we were able to get rid of some of the obsolete third-party modules, in favor of the built-in features. With less third-party applications running, the site became faster and smoother to use, as well as easier to control behind the scenes.

Our facelift of Apexinds.com consisted of a new color scheme, some modern features like sliders, page effects, and a fixed header that keeps the search in place as you scroll. 

We were able to clean up the site in a way that made it easy to shop and easy on the eyes, without overloading the user with too many features. That usability was an important part of the redesign.

Usability

Many of Fred’s clients are busy, hard working diesel engine mechanics and garage owners who want to be able to find what they need in a hurry. Just as the Apex philosophy on tools is “the right tool for the job to increase productivity” so, too would that apply to the site. 

However, garage owners aren’t the only clients for Apexinds.com. They sell B2C as well as B2B, which meant the site needed to have enough curb-appeal to draw in the average consumer. A good portion of their B2C shoppers are diesel drivers, living mainly on the road and making repairs on the go. Ensuring an easy mobile experience was top of the list for those shoppers.

We needed to ensure that the final result of the website would be simple, direct, and helpful without losing out on some cool features. 

The restructuring of the extensive navigation and the addition of the faceted search were done specifically to make for an easier shopping experience. A large selection of tools for different jobs and engines meant that the ability to narrow down using facets would be key. 

The introduction of the Shop By Engine feature meant an even easier selection process for the user. By entering their make, model, and year, the catalog is automatically narrowed down to a more shoppable size.

The Result

The final product of the rebuild is a clean and well-structured B2B/B2C website. It not only functions well for the busy garage manager or fleet owner who needs to run a tight ship. It also offers enough features and capabilities to be a convenient and helpful experience for the every-day consumer. 

The addition of the built-in blog will make managing the site resources easier for Fred and his staff. It will also provide a valuable supply of information for users. 

Overall, Apexinds.com enjoyed a facelift for both the design and the framework, a handful of new shopping features, and a back-end that will ease some of the daily pressures of running a business. 

Contact us for more information on updating your B2B or B2C site.

30-Day Post Launch

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