Inspiring online store at Flisekompaniet

"Having 25 stores across Norway, the launching of an online store was a natural step for Flisekompaniet," says John Moltubakk, e-commerce manager at Flisekompaniet.

"Before renovating a bathroom, many of our customers obtain information both online and in-store, and before making their final choices regarding items such as the tiles, furniture and bathtub. Many customers are only ready to make their purchases after several visits, both online and in-store, and many expect the physical stores to have their products available for purchase online. For example, the best time for parents to make their purchases for a new bathroom might be in the evening after the children have been tucked up in bed.

After 15 months of hard work, the online store has finally been launched.  What about the project are you most proud of, John?

"The fact that through the use of relatively little funding, and in just a year, we have achieved a solution that we can develop and grow over the coming years."

Everyone wants us to be successful

Flisekompaniet's e-commerce manager admits that the creation of the new online store has taken a lot of hard work, but he does not feel that the project has been particularly demanding – neither technically nor organisationally.

"Our strategy was clear, and the organisation is positive and understands why we're doing this. Everyone wants us to succeed and is helping us to move in the right direction. I think this kind of project would have been extremely challenging if management and the organisation had not understood the importance of offering e-commerce solutions, and had not whole-heartedly supported our efforts to succeed."

Geta has developed the Flisekompaniet online store, which is based on the Optimizely platform.

Combining inspiration and online shopping

Emphasis has been placed on ensuring user-friendliness for customers and functionality for editors. The solution required a clean and clear design, with inspiring elements such as images, blog entries and DIY articles.

"It became clear early on that Flisekompaniet needed a PIM system for greater flexibility and control over their product data," says Jon Inge Sten, partner and system developer at Geta.

inriver's PIM was chosen, and implemented as a part of the e-commerce project. All product data and categorisation is obtained from the PIM system and published directly on the website.

A significant amount of time was spent on creating product texts, images and other product properties.

"Many types of connections have also been established between the products, such as accessories, upsales, variants of the same product and spare parts," Sten explains.

Flisekompaniet is thereby ensured good product pages that are easy to find through searches, navigation and filtering. But customers do not always know exactly what they need. Flisekompaniet has therefore created large amounts of inspiring content to help customers choose the right products. This content is presented via Flisekompaniet's blog and in the interactive showroom, where customers can design their dream home.

A good e-commerce solution has a long life-cycle

Customers can log in via Facebook, Google or LinkedIn, or by registering on the website. Registration is simplified by the system automatically looking up names and addresses in 1881. The checkout consists of just a single page, so customers have full control over the items in their shopping basket and delivery and payment alternatives, as well as a good overview of delivery costs, VAT, discounts and the total price.

Geta and Flisekompaniet have already attracted significant attention around the new online store and the technical solutions that have been implemented, but Jon Inge Sten at Geta promises there is even more to come in the times ahead.

"Flisekompaniet understands that a good e-commerce solution has a long life-cycle, and that it must be continually worked with if it is to remain at the top of its class. At Geta, we're looking forward to working with Flisekompaniet for many years to come!"