Online store support www.zoobedarf-hitzegrad.de with OXID eShop

Technical support, expansion, update and relaunch of an OXID store for pet food

In March 2021, "Hitzegrad® - Ihr BARF-Experte" (Krefeld) commissioned eWorks as a long-standing OXID partner with the long-term technical support of the online store www.zoobedarf-hitzegrad.de based on OXID eShop and three WordPress blogs. Since 2008, Zoobedarf-Hitzegrad has stood for high-quality BARF products, sustainable production, species-appropriate animal nutrition, short transport routes, top quality and close customer loyalty - an approach that was recognized with the "Entrepreneur of the Future" award. eWorks stood out among the various OXID agencies due to its many years of existence since 1998, its traditional technology neutrality and its strong programming affinity. The aim of the project was to continuously optimize the existing online store, program new functions and develop them further in the long term.

Before optimizations and further developments could begin, an inventory was necessary. The online store was still running on OXID eShop 4.x - a proven but now outdated system that thousands of new and regular customers had been using for years. A switch to Shopware or Shopify was not considered. Instead, the decision was made to redevelop with OXID eShop 6.x, including a graphic redesign. OXID eShop was and remained the preferred store system, as it had proven itself over the years, was a perfect fit for the existing infrastructure and stood for moderate online store costs. Companies that want to create an online store or integrate a merchandise management system for their online store should rely on a future-proof basis right from the start - which is precisely why Zoobedarf-Hitzegrad made a conscious decision to further develop with OXID eShop 6. The migration brought performance improvements, new features and a modernized architecture to future-proof the store for the coming years.

The first challenge in the course of the project was consequently the migration to OXID 6, accompanied by a comprehensive graphic redesign. The focus here was on a modern appearance that reflects the brand identity of "Hitzegrad® - Ihr BARF-Experte". The close coordination between the web designers and the customer made it possible to implement all requirements and to incorporate individual wishes precisely. The cooperation with the SEO agency "Online-Profession" as well as regular performance analyses and optimizations helped to increase the visibility of the online store in the search results and improve the Google PageSpeed score - with a special focus on the Core Web Vitals. After a few weeks, the time had come: Zoobedarf-Hitzegrad was able to open the revamped OXID Internet store - with a fresh look and revamped technology under the hood!

But after the going live was before the going live: Zoobedarf-Hitzegrad decided on long-term further development, which eWorks successfully implemented as an experienced OXID agency. In addition to web design adjustments, this primarily included the implementation of new functions as well as continuous performance and SEO optimization. For example, the existing BARF calculator was completely redeveloped, the store was expanded to include various online store interfaces and a fully individualized online store provider was set up. In addition, measures were implemented to improve accessibility in accordance with BFSG and WCAG 2.1 conformity level AA in order to make the store accessible to all users. The use of proven web technologies such as OXID eShop, PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS and JavaScript ensured a high-performance, expandable and future-proof eCommerce solution. Thanks to this continuous development, the optimized OXID eShop offers a unique online shopping experience - with ultra-fast loading times, maximum user-friendliness and tailor-made functions for animal lovers throughout Europe.

On top, various interfaces significantly expanded the store's range of functions. These include the integration of Amazon Pay to expand the payment options and the implementation of Matomo as a self-hosted alternative to Google Analytics for a particularly high level of data protection. A CleverReach synchronization for newsletter subscribers was also implemented to enable a targeted customer approach based on constantly updated store data.

The cooperation between Zoobedarf-Hitzegrad as a pet food expert and eWorks as an OXID service provider was supported by the use of the "go-digital" funding program of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection. As an authorized consulting company under this programme, eWorks, as a web store agency, was able to apply for funding for the implementation of digitization measures and thus drive forward the digitization of the company in a targeted manner. Thanks to this funding specifically for online store agencies, innovative technologies could be implemented more quickly, processes optimized and the OXID eShop specifically aligned to the future challenges of digital commerce - efficiently, sustainably and economically advantageous.

eWorks acts as an extended workbench - as an outsourced IT department for medium-sized companies that rely on professional support and continuous further development. A central element of this successful collaboration is the tried-and-tested eWorks Support Process (ESP), which has been developed and proven over 20 years and hundreds of projects. This includes reliable availability, direct developer contact, ticket system, demonstration system and much more - completely without "asterisk texts" such as basic fee, minimum purchase, minimum contract term or notice period. Companies that need to set up an online store or have a complete website and store created are often faced with the challenge of finding a powerful, scalable and economically viable solution - and it is precisely these requirements that can be met efficiently and sustainably with this approach.

Would you like to optimize your OXID eShop or set up a new professional online store? As an experienced store system agency, our OXID developers are on hand to provide you with individual advice. Request your non-binding offer and let us work together to create your professional online store with a well thought-out cost structure!