Success Story: That Pet Place

That Pet Place, a renowned pet supply retailer, has recently upgraded to the latest version of SuiteCommerce Advanced, contributing to its remarkable success. With an extensive range of products and a commitment to providing top-notch customer service, That Pet Place has become a destination for pet owners seeking high-quality pet supplies. 

UnlockCommerce played an important role in assisting That Pet Place with its transition to the new SuiteCommerce Advanced platform. By leveraging the robust features and capabilities of this cutting-edge commerce platform, That Pet Place was able to enhance its online presence and streamline its operations.

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About the Company

That Pet Place is a family-owned business with over 50 years of experience providing the Ultimate Pet Experience. Located in Lancaster, PA, their 88,000 sq. ft. retail store is a haven for pet enthusiasts, offering a wide range of products for various kinds of pets. They aim to deliver products and valuable information to keep pets happiest and healthiest.

When upgrading their SuiteCommerce Advanced platform, they turned to UnlockCommerce for expertise. The collaboration aimed to enhance the online shopping experience, ensuring that pets and their owners thrive.

The Initial Context: SCA Elbrus to SCA 20.1 Migration

Situation Before Upgrade

Before 2020, That Pet Place was operating on SCA Elbrus. While functional, they wanted to upgrade it to get updated and new features. There were limitations both in user experience and SEO performance. The need for an upgrade was apparent.

Unlock's Approach

UnlockCommerce took the initiative to migrate That Pet Place from SCA Elbrus to SCA 20.1. UnlockCommerce ensured a smooth transition during this migration and kept the branding intact.

Customization and Theme

Following the successful migration, customization became a focus. UnlockCommerce developed a customized theme for That Pet Place. This theme enabled That Pet Place to maintain its brand identity while exploiting SCA 20.1’s robust features.

Key areas of customization included:

1.   Design modifications to match brand aesthetics

2.   Integration with third-party services for added functionality

3.   Unique customizations tailored specifically for That Pet Place

This integration and design customization played an important role in enhancing visibility and improving overall user experience.

Website Enhancements

With a successful migration and customization process, Unlock helped That Pet Place embark on several website enhancements, from product listing pages to Google Analytics implementation.

Detailed improvements were made on:

Product Listing Page: Enhanced search functionality was implemented along with improved filter options.

Product Details Page: Detailed descriptions, high-quality images, and customer reviews were made more accessible.

Cart and Checkout Process: Streamlined checkout process with clear pricing details.

Blog: A dedicated section for pet care tips, news updates, and featured products.

Google Analytics & Tag Manager Implementation: To monitor website performance and user behavior.

Through these enhancements, That Pet Place improved its website’s functionality and enriched its customers’ shopping experience.

 

The 2023 Upgrade: Shifting Gears to SCA 2022.2

Situation Before the Second Upgrade

While the initial migration brought substantial improvements, the e-commerce ecosystem still needs to stand. As of 2023, That Pet Place needed to further adapt to SCA’s evolving features and capabilities.

Self-Service is essential in modern B2B ecommerce

Unlock's Strategy

Staying ahead of the curve, Unlock helped That Pet Place with its second migration to SCA 2022.2. The goal was to migrate the theme to the last SCA version and add specific operational enhancements.

Moreover, UnlockCommerce brought several enhancements that transformed how That Pet Place operated:

  • SEO Engine Enhancements: The previous SEO engine had issues that slowed down digital marketing efforts. These issues were addressed by Unlock’s team, paving the way for better search engine visibility.
  • Implementation of ECMAScript Review and Fixes: This ensured smoother operations by fixing bugs and enhancing script performance.
  • Cart Enhancements: These included removing item groupings and multi ship-to options, introducing address restrictions, and implementing zip code restrictions.

Moreover, The transition from SearchSpring to SCA Native Search marked another significant improvement.

Web Accessibility Features via Accessibe

In line with global growth plans, That Pet Place recognized the importance of web accessibility. Through Accessibe, UnlockCommerce introduced features that made its platform more inclusive for different project plans and scenarios.

This upgrade represented a significant step forward in terms of accessibility, enabling customers worldwide to interact with its website more effectively.

Benefits of This Upgrade for That Pet Place

Improved User Experience

The SuiteCommerce Advanced upgrade has significantly enhanced the user experience on That Pet Place’s website. The new interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simpler for customers to find what they want. For instance:

  • Product categories are more organized and easier to browse.
  • The product search feature is more accurate and faster.
  • The checkout process is streamlined, reducing cart abandonment rates.

This improved user experience makes shopping more enjoyable for customers and increases the likelihood of repeat purchases.

Increased Operational Efficiency

That Pet Place has seen a notable increase in operational efficiency post-upgrade. The new system enables seamless integration with their existing inventory management software, which means:

  • Real-time updates on inventory levels
  • Accurate tracking of sales data
  • Automated reordering processes when stock levels are low

These features have reduced manual tasks, freeing up staff time to focus on other important aspects of the business, like customer service and marketing.

Enhanced Mobile Responsiveness

In today’s digital age, where most people shop from their mobile devices, having a mobile-responsive website is crucial. Post-upgrade, That Pet Place’s website now offers an optimized mobile shopping experience with features such as:

  • Easy-to-read text and clear images
  • Simple navigation menu
  • Fast loading times

This ensures that customers can shop conveniently from any device without technical issues or glitches.

Better SEO Performance

With the upgrade to SuiteCommerce Advanced, That Pet Place has experienced improved SEO performance. Fixing the SEO engine led to better visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). As a result:

  • Organic traffic has increased
  • The bounce rate has decreased
  • The average session duration has improved

This translates into higher brand visibility and more potential customers visiting the site.

GA4 migration & Enhancements

Latest version of SuiteCommerce Advanced comes with a basic GA4 integration, which was implemented for the customer. Additionally to that, we implemented our proprietary GA4 enhanced dataLayer to correct various bugs and enhance data attribution. 

Wrapping Up

That Pet Place’s journey to SuiteCommerce Advanced upgrades is a shining testament to strategic tech evolution. The company has successfully transitioned through migration, customization, and upgrades, reaping substantial benefits. With UnlockCommerce’s expertise, they’ve unlocked new possibilities for growth and customer satisfaction.

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