Everyone in the eCommerce circle has heard the slogan "content is king" at least once. Of course, even a king has his limitations without his army. In this case, the army is the commerce side of the online business. Most people prefer to prioritize either content or commerce for their online business.
Our client, a leading energy service provider, wanted content and commerce capabilities for the business. Virtina was an obvious choice for the client due to our platform-agnostic approach and proven expertise in the Magento development and WordPress services. The client ran a content-rich website on WordPress and wanted to add advanced eCommerce capabilities.
A different eCommerce development company would suggest migrating the client's website to a new eCommerce platform. But our expertise helped us create the most effective and cost-efficient solution for the client. Here is how the expert team at Virtina implemented advanced content + commerce capabilities for the client's online business.
The Challenges Faced by the Client
Our client is a leading energy service provider in the US that extends its services to customers in various states and regions. They possessed a content-rich WordPress website and had a significant online presence. Moreover, the client had several high-ranking content and pages that they optimized and maintained over a long period.
The client had numerous informative and engaging content, but the website needed eCommerce capabilities to convert the readers to customers. Hence, the client wanted to capitalize on their content and expertise without sacrificing their existing position. Moreover, the client sought an innovative solution to bypass platform migration and implement advanced eCommerce capabilities.
Combining the Power of Magento and WordPress
Instead of suggesting a platform migration that could significantly complicate the client's project, Virtina chose a new and innovative approach. Our experts analyzed the client's existing WordPress website and found they had an extensive range of content. Migrating the content-rich website for the client would take several hours of work, and the total project can go up significantly.
We embarked on a digital transformation journey to combine content and commerce capabilities for the client's energy service business. The team of professionals at Virtina determined that combining the capabilities of two platforms rather than platform migration is the best course of action. We figured out how to keep the client's WordPress content while adding Magento's eCommerce capabilities.
We determined the ideal eCommerce platform for the client's online requirements was Magento. At Virtina, we specialize in platform selection for businesses. We conducted a holistic assessment by cross-checking the client's content and commerce requirements. Our experts determined we could combine the two platforms instead of going through a lengthy migration.
Enabling new and Innovative Content Commerce Capabilities
Content commerce is a tried and tested strategy to boost inbound traffic, build customer loyalty, and boost overall revenue for online businesses. However, what we implemented for the client differs from your typical content commerce strategies. The innovative minds at Virtina found the client could maximize the potential of their content by developing a custom Content+Commerce architecture.
By combining the features and capabilities of WordPress and Magento, we ensured the client could seamlessly embed products in their content. The client can feature products in their content and make it clickable. Customers can navigate the product page and purchase from the client's Magento store.
At first glance, it might seem like any other content commerce strategy, but what goes behind the curtain is very different. Usually, people run their content and eCommerce activities on the same platform. Here, we display the content on WooCommerce with eCommerce elements lick the buy now button within the blog. It means the user sees the content on WordPress but views the product and purchases them on Magento.
Synchronizing Magento and WordPress
The heart of the custom solution we made for the client lies not in one but two places - Magento and WordPress. Our expert team created perfect harmony between the two platforms and created a cohesive experience for its users. We optimized both the admin and user side so there are no unexpected glitches or errors during normal business operations.
The two platforms had distinctive features and complementary strengths, making the final result a resilient success. Our expert team synchronized parts and functionalities users can access across both platforms. Any prominent feature you can implement on either platform can work seamlessly on the client's new online store.
As a result, the client could combine Magento's robust eCommerce prowess with WordPress's unbeatable content management capabilities. Moreover, we made sure that the energy service provider could handle both the content and commerce aspects of their business with a single user-friendly backend on Magento.
Creating a Neutralized Backend to Manage Content and Commerce
One of the challenging aspects of combining the capabilities of the Magento and WordPress platforms was unifying their backend. We knew having two backends to manage the content and commerce aspect of their business would significantly make everyday business operations more difficult. Hence, we had to develop a neutralized or unified backend for the client.
We created a unique control center for the client to access Magento and WordPress functionalities. Our experts worked their magic to unify the backend interface bridging the operational gaps between the two platforms. The innovative step allows the client to effortlessly manage all facets of their online business, from content updates to eCommerce transactions.
Seamless Plugin and Extension Compatibility
One of the primary concerns about combining Magento and WordPress is plugin and extension compatibility. Magento and WordPress have software solutions that can enhance features and functionalities for the websites it runs. Even though the client accesses the backend via Magento, the client can seamlessly integrate all necessary WordPress plugins.
Our professionals did an excellent job creating a Magento + WordPress ecosystem. It ensured the energy service company could leverage practically limitless WordPress plugins. As a result, the client now has access to superior plugins and extensions from both sides to streamline their various processes.
WordPress offers an extensive range of plugins to enhance customer experience, optimize SEO efforts, and much more. Moreover, the client can access numerous free WordPress plugins on their new online store. Magento also offers a variety of extensions to optimize the user experience and equip the store with advanced eCommerce functionalities.
Enhancing Marketing Capabilities to Boost Reach and Conversions
Enhancing marketing capabilities is one of the final results of the project we undertook for the energy service provider. Magento already offers some promising online marketing options to store owners. With Virtina's help, the client could go beyond the standard marketing capabilities available on Magento because they can now use WordPress plugins too.
Equipped with an array of advanced tools from Magento and WordPress, the client can now handle complex marketing strategies on their website. For instance, the client can now use WordPress's advanced content marketing capabilities. Although the client could do the same on a WordPress native webpage, they could not add eCommerce elements.
Virtina ensured the client could add eCommerce elements, including a Buy Now button within their content. The user could click on these eCommerce elements and navigate to a product page on Magento where they can purchase the product. Besides, the client could enhance their reach with helpful content, boosting their reach and conversions.
Creating New eCommerce Possibilities With Innovation
The key takeaway from the project for us is how innovation can create new eCommerce possibilities. At Virtina, we follow a holistic and platform-agnostic approach to eCommerce development. Our strong principles make us find a better, more cost-efficient solution for our valuable clients. This effort pushed us to find an ideal solution for the client by unifying Magento and WordPress.
We ensured that the content and commerce part of the client worked seamlessly with each other. More importantly, our innovative content+commerce architecture streamlined various operations for the client saving them time and money. The energy service provider continues to thrive in the eCommerce landscape thanks to creative thinking and professional development from Virtina.
