TradeTools Drives Down Costs and Powers Up Performance with BigCommerce

SOLUTION

Tightening the screws on their headless frontend.

When TradeTools initially launched their headless site as part of their Magento build over four years ago, the goal was to future-proof their online presence. By investing in a headless architecture, they ensured flexibility and longevity, avoiding the need for a complete overhaul every few years. This decision paid off when transitioning to BigCommerce, allowing TradeTools to keep their frontend intact while seamlessly switching to a new backend.

“The headless setup really proved its worth,” remarked Vourlides. “We were able to transition the backend to BigCommerce with minimal disruption and no customer confusion, keeping the frontend exactly as it was.”

One notable update during the transition was the adoption of BigCommerce’s native one-page checkout. 

“The BigCommerce checkout offers a better user experience than our old Magento setup,” said Vourlides. “We’ve seen fewer customer support tickets and calls about checkout issues, which is a big deal for our customer demographic. It’s easier to use, and that simplicity has been key.”

In addition to enhancing the user experience, TradeTools integrated ShipperHQ into their checkout process to manage their complex freight needs.

“ShipperHQ has been a game changer,” Vourlides shared. “It simplifies freight selection for customers while allowing us to accurately quote shipping costs. Plus, it handles the specifics of tricky freight items, like dangerous goods or oversized products, which saves us a lot of time and effort.”

With their headless architecture and improved checkout, TradeTools has not only future-proofed their online store but also delivered a more user-friendly experience, all while optimising their internal operations.

Harnessing flexible B2B features.

TradeTools uses BigCommerce’s flexible features to keep things simple and efficient for their unique mix of trade professionals and DIY customers. Specifically, they use BigCommerce’s price lists to manage consistent trade pricing across their site.

“Our focus is on tradespeople, most of whom are single operators,” said Vourlides. “We don’t bother with things like trade logins or multiple price levels. Instead, we keep it straightforward with trade pricing that works for both professionals and DIY customers.”

BigCommerce’s built-in tools have been key to TradeTools’ success. “Using BigCommerce’s price lists has made it easy to streamline our pricing and operations,” added Vourlides. “It gives us the flexibility to maintain a simple, B2C-like shopping experience while still meeting the needs of our trade customers.”

By blending B2B tools with a B2C-like approach, TradeTools keeps their operations running smoothly while upholding their commitment to superior customer service.

Integrating top-of-line technologies.

TradeTools takes full advantage of BigCommerce’s extensive third-party app ecosystem to streamline operations, enhance security, and deliver a better customer experience.

One critical integration is Printout Designer, which automates the delivery of customised PDF invoices to customers and generates packing slips for the dispatch team. “It’s fully customisable to suit our business perfectly and ensures consistency, especially on the dispatch side,” said Vourlides.

Fraud prevention is another top priority for TradeTools, given the high resale value of tools. Signifyd has been instrumental in reducing fraud while easing the internal burden. “Previously, fraud was a big issue that consumed a lot of resources. Now, Signifyd handles it all in the background, automatically approving or declining orders. It’s been a huge help,” Vourlides explained.

To simplify analytics and tracking, TradeTools implemented Tag Rocket, which manages pixels and tracking tags for platforms like Facebook and Google. “On Magento, we had a major issue getting tracking set up, to the point where we went live without data for 30 days. With Tag Rocket, it’s just a matter of flipping a switch and inserting your code. It’s been a game changer,” said Vourlides.

By integrating these apps with BigCommerce, TradeTools has significantly improved efficiency, security, and data accuracy, allowing them to focus on delivering exceptional customer service.