OXID store redesign for BdSt Steuerzahler Service GmbH

Online store optimization and OXID update in one go

In 2015, BdSt Steuerzahler Service GmbH from Wiesbaden in Hesse commissioned eWorks, a long-standing certified OXID partner from neighboring Frankfurt, to redesign and technically update the aging Bund-der-Steuerzahler store. The Bund-der-Steuerzahler store was last relaunched at the beginning of 2011. However, 4 years later, the ravages of time were once again gnawing away at its (once modern) web design, which is why the look and feel of this online store needed to be optimized once again.

The BdSt Steuerzahler Service uses OXID eShop from the southern German online store expert OXID eSales AG (Freiburg) in the Professional Edition (OXID PE) as its store solution. Until the store update, OXID 4.3.2 was used, which was to be updated to a modern and secure OXID eShop 4.9.2 on this occasion. Thanks to the software maintenance and support contract (SWV), the OXID update was possible without additional license costs, which enabled an inexpensive store update and facilitated the client's decision in favour of the OXID update.

In the first project phase, the existing OXID eShop Professional Edition 4.3.2 (OXID PE) was updated to the current (at that time) OXID version 4.9.2. The update packages required for this were provided by OXID eSales AG and individual PHP and SQL migration scripts were developed on this basis in order to transfer all database content to the new OXID version fully automatically - without any manual rework. Articles, categories, images, customers and order histories - everything was to be retained.

After the successful store update, the existing OXID modules were checked to ensure that they were running and updated if necessary. At the same time, the new mobile web design was created and agreed with the client. The focus was placed on a clean, modern store design with intuitive operation, high user-friendliness and a strong recognition effect of the "BdSt Steuerzahler Service" brand. The web design was then broken down into HTML, CSS and jQuery (JavaScript) and integrated into the OXID templates (Smarty). In addition, the "OXID mobile theme" included in the standard scope of the new OXID version was activated and adapted to the client's corporate design (CD) to enable convenient mobile shopping via cell phone / smartphone, tablet, etc. in the future. A web store optimization for all common web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Apple Safari completed the store redesign.

The web design was followed by on-site search engine optimization (on-site SEO) for Google, Bing and other search engines using search engine-friendly URLs (SEO URLs), alt texts, meta tags, sitemap and much more. And because the BdSt store was automatically "mobile-friendly" thanks to the OXID mobile theme, the Google optimization specifically for mobile-friendly online stores expected in April 2015 has already been taken into account.

After completing the web design, SEO and store optimization, small but significant online store improvements were developed in the form of OXID modules. Because seminars contain completely different information than typical OXID articles, both the article maintenance screen in the OXID admin area and the OXID store itself were expanded to include the seminar-specific fields: lecturer, venue, number of participants, etc. Conversely, all OXID fields that are useless in the seminar context have been hidden: Delivery date, availability, stock etc. Last but not least, a web-based seminar registration was programmed as an OXID module so that nothing stands in the way of modern online seminar registration directly in the store in the future.

PHP and MySQL were used for the OXID programming - typical for OXID eShop - and Smarty, jQuery and, of course, HTML and CSS were also used for the web design.

After the store update, web design, SEO and OXID optimization, the newly developed online store was carefully quality-assured, handed over ready to use and went live on 18.02.2015 in consultation with the client. Following the commissioning of the online store, eWorks, as an OXID agency, continues to support its client in an advisory capacity, rectifies any defects (warranty) and carries out web design adjustments or OXID store programming on request (support).

Used technologies

HTML / CSS
JavaScript / jQuery
PHP
XML

Related references

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