Case study

A digital transformation project powered by a customised WooCommerce store for specialist B2B retailer Heatchem Oy

Customer & collaboration

Heatchem Oy is a leading expert in electrical heating and heating components in Finland. The company has more than 35 years of retail experience in industrial electric heating, with a specialism for safe heating in potentially explosive environments.

How was Timehouse selected as a partner?

Heatchem wanted to work with an ecommerce specialist, and Timehouse had the right portfolio to achieve project goals. The partnership was formed over several interactions over the years.

Background

Heatchem wanted to give their clients and customers a better and easier way to place orders online, as well as improve their cybersecurity and get it up to the latest standards in digital commerce.

The Heatchem Oy website had stayed the same for a long time and the old website and online shop were no longer fit for purpose; the website had no certificates and relied on PDF catalogues of products: not great for SEO or accessibility.

Solution

The project specification included a brand new webshop that was safe and secure for customers to use. It was also important to make the entire process of purchasing a lot simpler: not only making it easier for clients to place and manage repeat orders etc., but also for internal processes to run smoother.

The previous website content management platform was not ecommerce ready as it was a collection of product photos, PDFs, and contact forms. To upgrade the business to modern commerce, a full migration to WooCommerce was necessary. A customised WooCommerce solution created by Timehouse meant that Heatchem could now have a purchase process that was in harmony with customers and their internal processes.

Part of the project was figuring out the new user journey once and for all, with plenty of adjustments and changes made along the way as part of our UX services. Working in close co-operation, the project was all about embracing an iterative approach to customer experience.

A modern, attractive storefront that people can quickly navigate was achieved: one that served both existing loyal customers by helping them make orders, as well as attracting new ones. The new webshop means that people can now make purchases in a much more precise and streamlined way.

As a seller of specialist products, Heatchem also needed better digital images to communicate the value of the products. So, we also redid a lot of the product photography including 3D models to make it easier for customers to see what they are buying, which also helped harmonise the online brand. Alongside product photography, we did a quick refresh of the online brand as well, upgrading it for 2024.

As part of the project, we also included an SEO-friendly migration from the old website to the new ecommerce site, and consulted Heatchem on key SEO pillars such as category content, navigation etc.

Through extensive training, we were able to remove a lot of the fear factor that comes with a change like this and empower Heatchem to manage its own website in future. Heatchem worked closely with the Timehouse WordPress team to create a robust project specification, maintaining ownership throughout the entire process, so Heatchem could keep on top of the company’s product catalogue independently.

All in all, this digital transformation project was not just about opening a new online store, but about changing customer processes and approaching online sales in a completely new way. The best kinds of digital transformation projects are the ones where the digital platform and processes work together to better serve users and customers.

In a nutshell

Creation of customised WooCommerce store to match internal processes

Comprehensive digital transformation, including digital brand facelift

SEO-friendly and accessible storefront launched in 2024

Publishing

Edtech

BIM

Digital

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