FWD Performance eCommerce Solution

[JamesL]

Hi Folks,
Its been a long while since I deployed the first version of my eCommerce solution that the FWD Performance store runs on. It was a decent first release but with .Net, AJAX, C## and other techniques, I can do a lot more. I'm looking at a complete rewrite. While you guys see the front end, back end opportunities, where all the store management stuff is, will provide us the biggest opportunity for process improvement. I have my ideas about that ,but I didn't want to miss an opportunity to improve it from your end. I'm looking for suggestions on what we can do to improve it for you. I may not respond to suggestions but rest assured each of them will be evaluated. Thanks in advance for your input.

James Lindsay

[supercrackerbox]

One thing I'd just like to throw out there would be the ability to directly link to specific parts from the catalog.

[turbovanman²]

One thing I'd just like to throw out there would be the ability to directly link to specific parts from the catalog.

+2, you want to post up the item and you can't.

[Captain Chaos]

I'm wanting to order engine mounts for my car, I click on add to cart and it takes me to the cart. Now I want two more mounts, so I click continue shopping. Guess what, it takes me ALL the way back to the beginning. Now I have to click on Engine, then Hardware, then pick my next mount and start the whole process over. Am I missing something or is that the only way to do it?

Why not just add the part to the cart and allow me to continue until I'm done, then I'll click on my shopping cart to check out?

[JamesL]

One thing I'd just like to throw out there would be the ability to directly link to specific parts from the catalog.

I've heard that complaint and never tried it myself think maybe it was just a browser compatibity issue so I'll try it here.

http://www.fwdperformance.com/store/...&ProductID=585

[MiniMopar]

Cool. I have a few thoughts....

The session management is a bit lacking. It seems to kept server side because it times out and forces you to start over ignoring whatever you thought you were doing. Many other sites will continue to work even if left overnight. It is nice that my shopping cart is stored with my login, otherwise I wouldn't be able to use it at all.

The catalog outline on the left always self-collapses whenever it is clicked. Since some things are found in unintuitive places, I'm sometimes not sure what subsection I previously clicked on.

There is no comments section in the checkout for special instructions or requests.

This is less of a coding issue and more of a data entry issue:

Some items are lacking in details making it hard to figure out what they are. The engine mount list is an example. There are a few that are not from Johnny. Are they stock Mopar? MP? Aftermarket?

[MiniMopar]

I've heard that complaint and never tried it myself think maybe it was just a browser compatibity issue so I'll try it here.

http://www.fwdperformance.com/store/...&ProductID=585

The problem here is the session management again. Click it once and you go to the main page. Click it again and it works. If I click it again in an hour, it will take me to the main page again.

[JamesL]

I've heard that complaint and never tried it myself think maybe it was just a browser compatibity issue so I'll try it here.

http://www.fwdperformance.com/store/...&ProductID=585

Looks like your right.

[JamesL]

I'm wanting to order engine mounts for my car, I click on add to cart and it takes me to the cart. Now I want two more mounts, so I click continue shopping. Guess what, it takes me ALL the way back to the beginning. Now I have to click on Engine, then Hardware, then pick my next mount and start the whole process over. Am I missing something or is that the only way to do it?

Why not just add the part to the cart and allow me to continue until I'm done, then I'll click on my shopping cart to check out?

Right on, it sucks and I'll fix it.

[JamesL]

Cool. I have a few thoughts....

The session management is a bit lacking. It seems to kept server side because it times out and forces you to start over ignoring whatever you thought you were doing. Many other sites will continue to work even if left overnight. It is nice that my shopping cart is stored with my login, otherwise I wouldn't be able to use it at all.

The catalog outline on the left always self-collapses whenever it is clicked. Since some things are found in unintuitive places, I'm sometimes not sure what subsection I previously clicked on.

There is no comments section in the checkout for special instructions or requests.

This is less of a coding issue and more of a data entry issue:

Some items are lacking in details making it hard to figure out what they are. The engine mount list is an example. There are a few that are not from Johnny. Are they stock Mopar? MP? Aftermarket?

I hear you in the session management. Things will be different in the next version. As for your shopping cart that may change too. With what I'm planning for inventory and price control I may not be able to let things sit in a shopping cart for more then 24 hours.

I don't like the way the catalog collapses either. I'll fix it.

I like the comments section on the order. Easy to do.

Yea, more detail always helps

[MiniMopar]

That would be sweet.

[Captain Chaos]

With what I'm planning for inventory and price control I may not be able to let things sit in a shopping cart for more then 24 hours.

I too like the fact that things sit in my cart, if you won't be able to keep them in there, maybe have a wish list. I sometimes forget about the little things that maybe for instances I came in and made a list to get an idea about what something is going to cost me. For instance, you are planning an engine build you go in and make a shopping cart list to get an idea that in 90 days I'm going to need $..... to build my engine. With a wish list, even if the prices weren't available all the shopping would be done or at least a majority and then you could transmit it to your shopping cart.

I know about the price control issue as I had put my exhaust in my cart and sometime between that time and the time I was ready to pay it had changed.

Thanks for getting customer input.

[MopàrBCN]

Being in the IT Business myself I would improve on 2 key issues.

First of all communication.

I think it is no secret that if there is any critisism about the vendors it's the lack of communication - especially elektronic communication. I would force all communication about orders to be integrated in the aftersale module. I should be able to communicate questions, comments etc. to my orders within my order section and receive my answers within that. That way no email gets lost and also it appears to me much easier for the company side to fulfill communication requests from clients. it makes a difference to me if you receive an email from a client in outlook (with luck the order number is posted in the mail) and then go into your sales module to see what the story is and then return to outlook to reply to a message. Not to mention that I think it is a good idea to have the entire communication history associated to a specific order. I think that would improve confidence and consumer satisfaction especially among those who happen to order the first time and don't have the luck to know cindy from events or clubs. I know this from myself. I am 5000 miles away, telephone shy and must admit if I would not have received perfect service from fwdperformance all the time, the amount of unanswered emails would have really turned me down! Today I feel I know with whom I am dealing so this does not pose a problem for me, but I can imagine to others it might!

The second issue I would consider is this:

We all think in projects. But especially people like me for example, who are fascinated by the turbo-mopar thing but don't have that indeep experience on the subject - if it were for the vendors we would be left pretty in the dark on how to go on about our projects. Here comes IT in handy.

It would be pretty easy to predefine Car Projects and design a roadmap to get your project realized. That would give us clients a easy orientation on what products to buy at what stage of the project. In turn it would help the company to get to know the projects the clients are working on. I mean, lets face it, I am not going to fwdperformance if my goal is to obtain a set of sparc plugs. On the other hands, while shopping for my project I am happy if I find those sparc plugs in the catalogue as well. What I am trying to say is this, if you go shopping at fwdperformance you have a project in mind and it is very likely that you return shopping at fwdperformance. Now, having such a module would enable the guys at fwdperformance actively to support each project with advice. It's more, if a new product comes in, you guys would have a straight way aproaching people directly who fit the target of the product. More so, this done right would cause that one advice given could be reused easily with other clients facing a similar problem. So you still deal on a 1:1 basis with your clients, BUT you don't duplicate your advice efforts, hence support on the projects would not result in a unrealizable task.

Clearly speaking, if Cindy would have laid out my project in a fashion that she would have given me a roadmap on how I would get my goals realised, I would have bought every single peace of part from her - AND more important, I would have avoided a lot of trial and error which as well wasted part of my money.

The reason why I beleive this is doable is that there is not so much variation on what you can do to get your project done. Important is, if people get the chance to define their projects in a categorized fashion, it helps fwdperformance to pin point advice the right way, and it forces the client to get organized - resulting in higher quality on BOTH sides!

So far my thoughts on that.

[Speedeuphoria]

The second issue I would consider is this:

We all think in projects. But especially people like me for example, who are fascinated by the turbo-mopar thing but don't have that indeep experience on the subject - if it were for the vendors we would be left pretty in the dark on how to go on about our projects. Here comes IT in handy.

It would be pretty easy to predefine Car Projects and design a roadmap to get your project realized. That would give us clients a easy orientation on what products to buy at what stage of the project. In turn it would help the company to get to know the projects the clients are working on. I mean, lets face it, I am not going to fwdperformance if my goal is to obtain a set of sparc plugs. On the other hands, while shopping for my project I am happy if I find those sparc plugs in the catalogue as well. What I am trying to say is this, if you go shopping at fwdperformance you have a project in mind and it is very likely that you return shopping at fwdperformance. Now, having such a module would enable the guys at fwdperformance actively to support each project with advice. It's more, if a new product comes in, you guys would have a straight way aproaching people directly who fit the target of the product. More so, this done right would cause that one advice given could be reused easily with other clients facing a similar problem. So you still deal on a 1:1 basis with your clients, BUT you don't duplicate your advice efforts, hence support on the projects would not result in a unrealizable task.

Clearly speaking, if Cindy would have laid out my project in a fashion that she would have given me a roadmap on how I would get my goals realised, I would have bought every single peace of part from her - AND more important, I would have avoided a lot of trial and error which as well wasted part of my money.

The reason why I beleive this is doable is that there is not so much variation on what you can do to get your project done. Important is, if people get the chance to define their projects in a categorized fashion, it helps fwdperformance to pin point advice the right way, and it forces the client to get organized - resulting in higher quality on BOTH sides!

So far my thoughts on that.

I agree with the above, here is my perspective on how this would help FWD performance. I know everyone's setup is a little frankenstein but you guys know from experience which of your products work well together. Instead of having everything ala cart, maybe having some guidelines that say, Stock garret turbo and stg x cal and x injectors, 18psi on pump gas all day. Then Hybrid turbo +40's walbro, regulator, stage 5 cal, 25psi on pump +meth or on 100octane or something. You could make those items a package(not necessarily a discounted price).

I think you could do one package for each cal(I know you have details under the cals) with all the parts recommended that will work good together, you dont have to say real exact things about HP levels just more basic guidelines of which of your setups seem to work good for some. You could have add boxs that have add(with amount) and remove from the package, so if they already have something then they can remove.I'm not guaranteeing that lots of people would buy the kits, since they may already have some of the items, but they would then know what else they need that they dont have so the system works well.

Possibly like a fuel kit, that has fittings, adjustable regulator, injectors(of choice) and pump, then like a box that says add, which would have a fuel rail.


This also would cut down on some phone calls IMO, because people would know more what they need to get that works good together from your guys experience.

[MopàrBCN]

1++ this is put in 2 phrases what I was trying to get at. On the sale side I imagine a treeview in which I find on the rootlevel my rough project outline (Stock Turbo, Stock Engine etc.) and within that possible goals and its child items would the recomended product categories and suggestions which are linked to the catalogue. The grouping into ready to buy packages would be just the crown on top of all!

The package thing I can not stress enough! Example: I bought a fuelrail and a AFPR from another vendor. I am sure I got really decent quality, it is just, that I couldn´t use either because both came without the required peripherials. The key thing here was, that I did not know, that I should have made my self thoughts, on what kind of fittings etc. I need. I am to blame for this, but I blame this vendor for not stressing that those are needed and the lack of advice on that!

The pros will allways go directly to the itemlist, because they know from experience etc. what they need. In turn I would still be searching in the package list, to get going! And I am sure many others as well!

[BadAssPerformance]

Just my $0.022 but... eCommerce is nice for browsing catalogs, but I only order parts over the phone