Fiber Optic Center

Adobe Commerce Site Build with Sales Layer PIM and Salesforce CRM Integrations

Who is Fiber Optic Center?

Fiber Optic Center (FOC) is a worldwide leader in distributing fiber optic components, equipment and supplies. They strive to be the most knowledgeable and responsive company in the high-tech fiber optic world, providing the most innovative optical products and high-quality solutions with the best technical and customer support. They have been helping customers make the best cable assemblies for over 20 years.

Their web presence included a WordPress website containing almost 1,000 articles and a Magento ecommerce site populated with over 10,000 products, with customers having the ability to request a quote.

Industry: Fiber optic and cable assembly production for B2B customers. 

Market: Professionals in telecommunications, data communications, medical, and other sectors that utilize fiber optic technology for communication and data transmission.

Differentiator: FOC is a top provider of innovative optical products and technologies, known for expertise as a thought leader. Renowned for high-quality products, technical knowledge, and responsive service, FOC also offers a rich library of product information and research.

Goals

  1. Merge WordPress and Magento websites for easier management and improved SEO.
  2. Integrate new Adobe Commerce website with Sales Layer PIM for product management efficiency.
  3. Integrate the website with SalesForce CRM, to eliminate manual processes.
  4. Improve quote request process/workflow.
  5. Adapt the Adobe Commerce CMS system to provide functionality comparable to the advanced blog customizations available in WordPress.
  6. Attract more customers and increase number of quote requests submitted.

Technology Stack

    • Sales Layer PIM
    • Adobe Commerce website: www.focenter.com
    • Salesforce CRM & Marketing system
    • HWW custom connector  
    • Sage ERP system
    • Amazon Web Services (AWS) On-Premise Managed Hosting

Challenges and Solutions

The partnership between HWW and FOC commenced with HWW assuming management of FOC’s WordPress and Magento websites. Following meticulous planning and mapping, the project to amalgamate the two sites into a unified, streamlined platform began. 

The new site had to incorporate various required features and integrate custom elements from the WordPress and Magento sites. In addition to designing and building over 60 unique templates (each one having a desktop and mobile version), the project required integration of numerous tables and highly customized landing pages, ensuring a visually appealing and user-friendly interface. The transition from WordPress to Magento involved converting the robust multi-language extension. Additionally, requirements included having a microsite to meet a specific business need. 

HWW works closely with FOC, providing day-to-day administrative and technical support, strategizing on ways to streamline processes, and using a detailed roadmap to plan and implement solutions. 

Results

The new focenter.com is a singular, enhanced website with increased content and functionality, achieved with fewer extensions and less-bloat. In the context of addressing SEO goals and redirects, the upgrade included implementing and optimizing header tags (htags) for improved user interface and to align with effective SEO principles. These practices not only contribute to a better UI/UX but also positively impact Google Search results, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to website optimization.

Key enhancements include:

  • Modernizing the outdated product data import process.
  • Improving page speed for an optimized user experience. This included removing many unused modules and extensive javascript cleanup. 
  • Developing a custom connector to replace the unreliable purchased connector.
  • Upgrading form fill functionality to a more stable platform.

A custom menu solution, featuring icons to cater to the client’s preference for showcasing multiple illustrations, was also implemented. To enhance website speed, HWW introduced a streamlined mega-menu. This customized mega-menu is an extension developed by HWW in recent years, allowing site administrators to effortlessly organize menus, assign custom category names, and establish direct links to filtered results.

Having dedicated efforts to streamline and enhance their web presence and product management system, FOC and HWW are now consistently utilizing the system to refine processes. As part of an ongoing commitment to improvement and with the efficiencies of the new website, FOC is positioned to explore options for replacing their outdated ERP system, with help from HWW.