GE and How to Roadmap for Scale

Lots of brands around the world are rethinking how they carry out business online - and the COVID-19 crisis has only driven this trend forwards.

However, there is more to creating a new and improved online presence than simply commissioning a new website and unleashing it upon the internet. On the contrary, it should always be a well-planned and researched endeavor driven and directed by real and tangible evidence contributing towards a well-thought out and solid strategy.

With that in mind, it can be tricky to know where to start. Luckily, we're here to give you a few tips to get you moving in the right direction - and an example from an absolute industry behemoth to serve as inspiration.

Roadmapping for Scale

Most people think they instinctively know what a business needs. And, yes, much of ecommerce follows a pattern of common sense. However, just because there are patterns and universal strategies in creating an online platform for your business, doesn't mean you should just steam ahead without carrying out due diligence.

Your first step should always be to speak to the people who will actually use your website and use the results of this survey to craft your roadmap moving forwards. However, buyer beware! - there's an old saying in marketing that says, if you ask a person what coffee they like they'll describe a rich exotic roast, but if you go to their home (pro tip: don't go to their home) and look in their cupboard, you'll likely find a jar of basic instant. The moral of the story is that what people say they want and what they actually buy can be vastly different, so don't be afraid to temper survey results with your own doubtlessly extensive experience.

That said, survey data will give you a good idea of your target audience's main pain points and their priorities when shopping online and will allow you to create a roadmap which can make sure these needs are adequately represented in your new platform.

Customer feedback doesn't end once your new website is live, however. You should use customer behavior, analytics, and feedback to inform further improvements and new features. Never stop innovating and you'll stand a better chance of keeping customers engaged.

Example Pain Point: Navigation

We can almost guarantee one of the main sticking points you'll come across when researching your customers' pain points will relate to navigation.

Customers don't want barriers between them arriving at your site and finding the information or product they came for. Navigation is one of the most important - and most frequently overlooked - parts of your ecommerce website and can have a significant impact on the user experience and the probability of their visit converting into a sale.

"It's easy to understand why navigation matters so much to visitors," reports HubSpot. "It allows them to quickly and easily find the information they're looking for, like a blog post or product page. It can also help them find important information that they didn't know they needed, like a pricing plan, an email signup page, or contact information. A navigation system can not only improve the chances of visitors browsing your site longer - it can also improve the chances of them taking action on your site."

GE

One brand which knows a thing or two about business is General Electric. Its green energy division - GE Renewables - was searching for a way to improve the online shopping experience for its offshore wind parts division. The industry giant identified a decline in sales and deduced that its online portal desperately needed a revamp.

By following the steps above - seeking customer input and creating a solid roadmap - and choosing the right partners to work with (in this instance Deloitte and Salesforce), GE was able to get its new ecommerce platform up and running in just 12 weeks and saw immediate engagement from customers. Even customers who use internal ordering systems were visiting the new site to browse products and configure their ordering lists.

Among the improvements made were: improved search functionality with more filtering options and faster response times; better and more detailed product information such as the ability to check product availability, see specific pricing, identify obsolete parts and their replacements, browse for sub-components, check detailed specs; and a streamlined system to request quotes. Finally, customers could enjoy faster response times thanks to a new system for automated order processing and regular status updates.

"We really focused on the front end," said GE Senior Manager of Technical Product Management, Jeremy Altschuler. "We had that very specific goal from the beginning, which helped us focus and move fast."

Final Thoughts

Overhauling your online presence can be a daunting task. However, if you use intelligent customer survey data, your own experience, focus on what's most important to your audience, and create a solid and scalable roadmap, you will see the benefits.

You can hear Executive Director, Small Appliances, GE Appliances, Executive Director, FirstBuild, Andre Zdanow speak at eTail Palm Springs 2022, taking place February 28 to March 02 in Palm Springs, CA.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.