In order to remain competitive, the company Lighthouse IVM GmbH, in collaboration with Michelle's Specialities, made the decision to switch the webshop www.greatbritishfood.de from a different shop system to the innovative Smartstore 5 shop system. Michelle's Specialities, one of the leading online retailers for British food in Germany, operates this popular webshop.
Goals and Challenges of the Migration
Specific goals were set for the migration to the Smartstore 5 shop system. Firstly, the new webshop should be faster than the previous system without increasing the costs for the rented hardware. Secondly, it was important to avoid negative impacts on the good Google ranking of the shop.
One of the challenges was to adopt the existing URL structures from the old shop to minimize losses in Google ranking. Michelle's Specialities also placed great importance on continuing to use the Mollie payment provider since it had proven to be extremely reliable, cost-effective, and efficient. In addition, various plugins had to be developed to maintain familiar functionalities from the old shop system.
The project was carried out in two phases. Initially, the shop was implemented with the Smartstore 4 version, as the Smartstore 5 version was still in development at the project's start. The structure of Smartstore allowed for a seamless upgrade process, and Lighthouse was able to switch the shop to the Smartstore 5 version with only a few adjustments. Smartstore support was always accessible and assisted with questions and issues, facilitating the transition of the shop system.
Advantages of the Smartstore 5 Shop System
The migration to the Smartstore 5 shop system brought several advantages. One of the most important benefits was the speed and performance of the new shop. Compared to the previous shop, the Smartstore shop ran significantly faster. Additionally, an improvement in the conversion rate and a decrease in the bounce rate were observed.
Another advantage of the Smartstore 5 shop system is its extensibility through custom plugin development. Lighthouse IVM GmbH developed various plugins to integrate specific functionalities. These plugins included support for DHL Packstations during the checkout process and the implementation of a global filter for vegan or vegetarian items. Additionally, numerous plugins from the Smartstore Marketplace could be utilized.
The Smartstore 5 shop system also offers extensive design possibilities. With the Page Builder Plugin from Smartstore, the pages of the shop could be designed according to the customer's individual preferences. The standard template of Smartstore already provided many configuration options for a personalized display. Furthermore, it was possible to create and customize custom templates.
The backend of the Smartstore 5 shop system stood out for its clear operability. It allowed easy access to important functions and facilitated shop management. The backend had a clear structure and was intuitive to use. Smartstore support was available at all times for questions or suggestions.
Challenge due to the End of Shopware 5 Support
For many customers using Shopware 5 as the basis for their webshop, Lighthouse IVM GmbH also faced the challenge that Shopware would end support for Shopware 5 versions in 2024 and introduce Shopware 6. Therefore, Lighthouse began evaluating which shop system they would offer in the future. In the search for a suitable shop system as a successor to the Shopware 5 shop, several core requirements had to be considered. The most important priorities for the customer, in addition to familiar features and a user-friendly interface, included:
-
Speed and performance of the new shop system
-
Extensibility through custom plugin development
-
Availability of existing plugins
-
Design possibilities
-
A clear and intuitively usable backend
-
Economical costs for the new shop system
After extensive analysis, testing, and comparisons with other shop systems, Smartstore was identified as the solution for the future that best met the requirements of Lighthouse IVM GmbH. A switch to Shopware 6 was also considered. In the end, concerns regarding speed/performance and the high monthly Shopware 6 license costs were decisive in favor of Smartstore. Mr. Heinrich from the company "Michelle's Specialities" supported this decision and was also convinced that Smartstore was the right choice.
Are you also considering a switch from Shopware to another webshop technology, or do you have questions about how Smartstore can advance your online business? Contact our technology partner Lighthouse or directly contact us if you want to schedule a live demo. We are available via the contact form, by email at info@smartstore.com, or by phone from Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4 pm at +4923153350.
Contact details of our technology partner
Lighthouse IVM GmbH
Fürstenbergstr. 19
49716 Meppen
Email: support@kadis.de
Tel.: 0 59 31-84 97 50
https://www.kadis.de/