Background: The Need
Midwest Container Systems is an industrial supply company offering products and equipment for over 45 years. Their mission is to improve the quality and service in the industry before, during, and after each sale. While their position in the marketplace is supported by their strong business goals and customer service, their digital presence did not represent the level of leadership their business held. The website did not align with their branding standards and did not have the functionality to support their business operations. Ultimately, it did not capture the attention of online visitors and inhibited visitors to effectively purchase products or contact Midwest Container.
Midwest Container Systems needed a robust website that adhered to the complex functionality their business required. To do so, they needed a partner that were experts in ecommerce and custom development as well as equipped with branding and merchant processing capabilities. At the subsect of those requirements was Evolve Systems.
Process: The Steps
Website Hosting
For such a sizable project that required numerous phases of development, Midwest Container Systems’ new website needed a high-powered website server to support user experience as well as provide opportunities for future growth. Since the website would serve as an online store, the user experience was a top priority to ensure online purchases. Yet with such a high number of products along with the complex backend systems, the website hosting needed to efficiently manage the website’s large capacity, specifically maintain quick site speed. The robust hosting was specifically selected to establish a reliable foundation for the project.
Branding
The website design strategically included Midwest Container Systems’ branding for a cohesive online platform. It allowed clear visual communication throughout the website that maximized the appeal of the business by aligning with industry and modern standards. The visual enhancements specific to Midwest Container Systems’ brand supported the initial entrance and continued experience with the website.
Custom Development + Ecommerce
To meet the detailed structures and complex systems Midwest Container Systems needed for their website, it required the technical work of custom development. Custom development allowed Evolve Systems to build the website to the specifications needed for Midwest Container Systems for a more flexible and tailored website.
Importantly this included the custom connection of the API between the ecommerce platform and the freight shipping calculator. Midwest Container Systems products can vary from small and light products to extremely large and heavy equipment, so their ordering system needed to automatically calculate the shipping cost in connection to the size and weight of the ordered products.
Furthermore, Evolve Systems custom integration modified the shipping calculator to account for the multiple manufacturers they represent and how it changes the checkout process.
Not only did the e-commerce store need to have a positive user experience during checkout, but it also needed to effectively display the vast line of industrial products. This included the product details and recommendations that are essential for their industry.
Merchant Processing
Last, in partnership with Evolve Payment, we helped facilitate the implementation of merchant processing. Evolve Payment ensured Midwest Container Systems was processing their payments in the most efficient method that would streamline their internal process and benefit their bottom line.
Throughout the entire project, Evolve Systems closely managed each step for continual quality and assurance to ensure optimal performance.
Outcomes: Where We are Today
Increased Website Activity
Within two weeks of the website launch, the average time on page (the average duration that users spend on a single page) was over 5 minutes with an average of 4 pages per session. Compared to the industry’s average of 2 to 3 minutes per session and 2.5 to 5 pages per session, Midwest Container Systems remains above its competitors.
The website’s content, as supported by the branding, functionality, and online store, effectively assists online visitors. It distinctively targets their audience shown by the increased site engagement. While Midwest Container Systems’ previous website lacked the capabilities to capture initial website visits, the new website strategically supports user experience across each touchpoint. Ultimately, their online presence transformed from an expendable site to a functional marketing and sales platform designed to bolster their business’ goals.
Improved Processing Solutions
Evolve Systems partnership with Evolve Payment guaranteed a trusted merchant processing partner. Evolve Payment was able to optimize their current merchant processing for increased cost savings each month by reducing their processing fees. The system streamlined their internal process, including personalized tracking, analyzing, and reporting, by using a centralized location. This allowed their online transactions through their new ecommerce and additional transactional locations to consolidate through a single processing system that improved operational efficiency.
Next Steps
With a successful launch of the website, Midwest Container Systems moves into the next phase of the Evolve Systems process, marketing. The website provides the fundamental digital foundation for effective marketing, and with the site complete, we begin our business-specific and data-informed marketing to bring more people to the site.
Learn more about Evolve Systems’ work with Midwest Container Systems.
