WAGO’s website has been systematically upgraded as part of the implementation of the corporate strategy to better support customers and facilitate their projects. This includes taking the online shop to the next level. Marc Henschke, head of the team responsible for this effort, reveals the work that goes on behind the scenes.
Henschke has worked at WAGO since 2002, and his primary responsibility in the company is the development of online media, as well as the corresponding materials and tools required for this. He has shepherded the integration of the eShop into the new website from the beginning and has decisively supported the development of the new website. Digitalization is not merely a necessary evil in his opinion; instead, he views it as an opportunity to optimize processes in the direction of improved customer support. His goal is clear: solutions that provide the highest level of usability for all participants.
Mr. Henschke, when you compare the new WAGO website to the old one – what do you find most notable?
For one thing, I am overjoyed and satisfied that the months of work have paid off. We have managed to successfully unite our website and our eShop, which were previously completely divorced from one another. We have completed our first steps; however, we have not yet reached our goal.
That sounds like a threat …
(laughs) No, no, that is a promise. Unfortunately, at the launch of our new website, there were many ideas that we were not yet able to implement at all. There is still a lot to come, some of which which will make it much easier for visitors to navigate our web pages, and some of which is simply part of current good practice. We want to offer all visitors a good user experience, during informational searches as well as during actual purchasing – regardless of their device, and whether they are in the office or in transit.
Can you give us a small preview?
While I would love to say yes, it is, unfortunately, still too early for that. A relatively complex structure stands behind the website and eShop. Installing new functions and options there is really not nearly as easy as it appears on paper. I really don’t want to announce anything, as it not appear for six months or even longer; however, I promise that there will be a lot of changes.
We completely understand, and we look forward to the new website. So, let’s talk about what is already online: What feature absolutely could not be omitted from WAGO’s new website?
You can easily imagine that, with respect to such a large and important project, there are many important and even more significant functions that simply must be implemented. And yet, together with the planners, developers and project supervisors, we always reached consensus about foundational requirements. In relation to the eShop and searching, we quickly agreed upon what was an absolute necessity. This was, without any doubts, the facets.
Can you briefly explain what the facets are and why they are so important?
For that, I will have to backtrack a bit. Anyone who has is familiar with WAGO’s range of products and catalogs knows that, not only does WAGO offer more than 25,000 different products, but the products also differ according to numerous criteria, for example, conductor cross-sections measured in square millimeters, the type of connection, etc., etc. The criteria also vary depending on the types of products. If we don’t offer sufficient structure and orientation, then our customers quickly get lost – especially online.
So the facets are there to provide a path through the product jungle.
Exactly. Facetted searching is our new navigation process. If, for example, someone is looking for information about rail-mount terminal blocks, the display immediately shows how many different product types we offer – which is, by the way, nine plus accessories.
But there’s more. To the left of the results, we offer additional facets: In our example on rail-mount terminal blocks, these would include product functions, the conductor cross-section as already mentioned, the rated current or the approvals, to name just a few.
Using facets, we identify prospective customers’ needs so we can enable them to find the right product quickly and reliably – which is the only thing that counts.
Do the customers agree? Are facets being accepted?
Absolutely! We are very satisfied with how powerful the new search function is and how frequently it is being used. This is, of course, quite relative. After all, we also have many customers who know our item numbers by heart. This demonstrates the challenge in redeveloping the search engine: We had to find a solution that was successful for both long-term customers and those who have just discovered WAGO. We appear to have succeeded in reconciling the different interests.
But we’re not resting on our laurels.
That sounds like another promise …
WAGO views its customers as partners. A good partner both provides the right support, and is also a good listener. We actively dialog with our customers and regularly ask what we can optimize – in this case, the website and eShop.
However, we do this not because we don’t know the answers or don’t have ideas – we do this because we don’t want to develop in a direction that leaves our customers behind. This is going to sound trite, but it remains essential: Partners can only achieve the best results when they work together.
