Debrand
- UX Design
- Web Development
- Ecommerce
SETTING THE STAGE FOR NEW GROWTH BY ENHANCING USER EXPERIENCE, ONLINE BRANDING, AND KEY ECOMMERCE FUNCTIONS
For over 35 years, DeBrand Fine Chocolates has been known for their world class, artisan chocolates. From their rich, hand-crafted flavors and upscale packaging to their first-class customer service, decadence and luxury have always been central to their brand identity.
Unfortunately, their existing website didn’t quite reflect that same aesthetic. The team had also identified opportunities to automate key processes and prepare the company for the next stage of eCommerce growth by switching to a more modern, flexible solution.
Alongside key leadership members at DeBrand, the team at Reusser developed a plan to not only update their site to match their overall brand experience, but improve key aspects of their user experience (UX), migrate existing integrations without losing critical data, and more.
BRAND ALIGNMENT AND UX DESIGN
When customers buy chocolate from DeBrand, they experience decadence and luxury at every step, from upscale packaging to luscious flavors and textures. With such a strong brand experience already in place, the task at hand was twofold: to upgrade the site for modern UX best practices, and more importantly, to make it feel consistent with the overall DeBrand experience.
When it comes to UX for eCommerce, customers are used to a frictionless, easy-to-understand ordering experience. After reviewing DeBrand’s ordering process, Team Reusser identified and built specific opportunities for improvement - not only for the end user, but for the DeBrand Order Fulfillment team itself. The end result was a site that combined the best elements of UX for eCommerce with that luxurious look and feel that DeBrand is so well known for.
Since gift-giving is a major part of DeBrand’s business model, both teams decided that this was a prime opportunity for UX improvement, in this case by adding live previews to customized gift messages. A similar upgrade we made was to the Pick Your Pieces feature, giving shoppers a more visual experience when creating custom boxes of chocolate.
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR SEAMLESS MIGRATION
Though both teams were looking forward to updated UX for the new site, we also recognized how critical it was to avoid interruptions to daily operations. To make the transition as seamless as possible, Reusser’s development team planned for all of the key software integrations, site functionality, and databases that needed to be fully ready when the new site went live.
One notable example is the custom Payment Gateway integration we wrote to interface with RedFire Technology, who manages the Point of Sale (POS) for DeBrand. The migration included management of existing physical and digital gift cards, the new payment gateway, improved inventory tracking, and convenient new features for DeBrand’s corporate ordering process.
Beyond migrating existing features, we also improved key processes around inventory management, payment tracking, and more. For example, we helped the DeBrand team simplify their existing weather-based algorithm for when to send ice blocks with mail orders (because no one wants to receive melted chocolate), helping them balance customer satisfaction and cost control.
SETTING THE STAGE FOR FUTURE ECOMMERCE GROWTH
At the beginning of our partnership, DeBrand already had built a remarkable company and an exceptional brand. They had their eyes set on the next level of growth, and we were happy to help set them up for success. Their site’s updated UX, brand-aligned look and feel, and improved ordering functionality will be key tools for their future growth in the eCommerce space.
If your brand is ready to migrate to a new site but you’re not sure where to start, feel free to reach out. Team Reusser is standing by to guide you through every step of the process, and help you identify the best next step for you, based on your current situation and your goals for the future. To get in touch with someone from our team, click here.
