The HB Group Grows E-commerce With WebJaguar
Providing for clients' every need, even online company stores, was the goal of The HB Group. Now they can with AdvancedEMedia's WebJaguar platform.
No order is too small nor any request too large for awards and recognition experts at The HB Group LLC. This full-service promotional distributor of 30 years has experience across a range of services: logo merchanding, logistics, importing and packaging as well as creating successful recruiting, recognition and retention programs. Now it adds an exceptional ability to produce online company store programs, helping clients reach their own e-commerce goals.
That ability is thanks to The HB Group's new website and e-commerce platform from AdvancedEMedia. The search for an e-commerce provider first began last year. “We looked for a solution that let us do whatever we wanted without spending a lot of money,” says Kyle Stucki, the Head of IT for The HB Group. The WebJaguar platform from AdvanceEMedia offered the perfect balance of providing an effective e-commerce frame that Stucki could then configure and shape to reflect The HB Group's specific needs. “AdvancedEMedia has a good frame in place that we can make look exactly how we want it to be,” Stucki says. “Our e-commerce ability is only limited by our imagination.”
AdvancedEMedia, the developer of the WebJaguar e-commerce platform, provides small- to mid-sized promotional products companies an ability to easily automate and manage business with a fully-featured website, e-catalog/content management, shopping cart, CRM and lead generation technologies. “We've provided a front-end and back-end solution to sell products online,” says Bachir Kassir, president and founder of AdvancedEMedia. “We worked closely with ASI to develop data feed based on the ASI database. This gives distributors access to hundreds of thousands of products as a complete turnkey e-commerce solution.”
It took a few short months to put The HB Group's e-commerce solution in place, which has been active for the last eight months. Since the implementation, Stucki has received nothing but positive feedback from customers. He says that the most important indicators of success are two new university clients that have turned to The HB Group to manage online company store programs for their spirit/alumnae merchandise. “Users can simply sign in through their own portal and then come over to our site for their customized store,” Stucki explains. The HB Group manages a collection of logoed merchandise particular to that school's needs and tastes. Every company store program can be customized to include as many or as few items as the client wants.
Stucki explains that the WebJaguar system provides complete freedom to configure and update its own web site, as well as its clients' online company stores, without any complications. “The product that AdvancedEMedia has provided is a configuration management tool. We have the ability to go in and select products or change pricing. You spend your time on content rather than site development,” he says. The system also simplifies marketing and customer relationship management. For example, Stucki explains, “You can set up coupons or it lets you target customers with emails to offer specials.”
With WebJaguar, The HB Group enjoys the same sensitivity to pricing and supplier information that distributors receive from any ASI-related vendor. The WebJaguar e-commerce solution allows distributors to retain control over margins (even on a customer-by-customer basis) and to protect wholesale pricing. Furthermore, WebJaguar makes it easier for search engines to index a site effectively, which improves online visibility and draws more buyers to the company. The powerful search functions of WebJaguar, which is integrated with ASI Smart Link Search, make it simple for buyers to find products that fit their search criteria. Beyond those benefits, distributors find functions to target prospects and reach out to clients.
Learning the system was simple for The HB Group. “It is pretty intuitive,” Stucki says. He praises the knowledgeable staff from AdvancedEMedia who have guided the transition and handled Stucki's every request to address any small wrinkles encountered along the way. “I would give them an 'A,'” Stucki says. I always feel comfortable when I call. They are kind and responsive.”
Looking ahead, Stucki sees nothing but growth thanks to the new website and company store functions. “Everyone we've shown it to likes it and uses it,” he says. “Our goal is to grow a lot thanks to this system.”
All that's needed for other distributors to get started on their own e-commerce solution is a web browser. No special hardware is required nor does any software have to be installed. WebJaguar is a cloud-based turnkey solution. For more information, visit www. webjaguar.com/asi or call (888) 718-5051 for a free consultation and demo.
