E-commerce Platform Redesign

Project Overview

This project involved a complete redesign of an e-commerce platform for a client in the fashion industry. The primary goals were to improve user experience, increase conversion rates, and implement a modern tech stack that would be easier to maintain and scale.

Challenges

• The existing platform had poor performance metrics, with page load times exceeding 5 seconds
• The checkout process was complicated and led to high cart abandonment rates
• The product filtering system was inefficient, making it difficult for users to find what they were looking for
• Mobile experience was subpar, despite over 60% of traffic coming from mobile devices

Solution

I implemented a complete redesign using Next.js for the frontend, which significantly improved performance through server-side rendering and static site generation where appropriate. The backend was built with Strapi, providing a flexible content management system that the client could easily update.

Key Features Implemented

1. Performance Optimization

   • Implemented image optimization and lazy loading
   • Set up effective caching strategies
   • Used code splitting to reduce initial bundle size

2. Streamlined Checkout Process

   • Reduced checkout steps from 5 to 3
   • Added one-click checkout for returning customers
   • Implemented guest checkout option

3. Enhanced Product Discovery

   • Created an advanced filtering system with instant results
   • Implemented intelligent search with autocomplete
   • Added “you might also like” recommendations based on browsing history

4. Responsive Design

   • Built a mobile-first interface that works seamlessly across all devices
   • Optimized touch targets for mobile users
   • Created a custom mobile navigation system for easier browsing

Results

• 47% improvement in page load speed (from 5.2s to 2.7s)
• 23% reduction in cart abandonment rate
• 18% increase in conversion rate
• 35% increase in average session duration

Technologies Used

• Frontend: Next.js, Tailwind CSS, React Query
• Backend: Strapi CMS, GraphQL
• DevOps: Docker, GitHub Actions, AWS
• Analytics: Google Analytics, Hotjar

Lessons Learned

This project reinforced the importance of user testing throughout the development process. By conducting usability tests at key milestones, we were able to identify and address pain points early, resulting in a much more user-friendly final product.

Performance optimization was also a critical factor. By focusing on core web vitals and implementing best practices for performance, we were able to significantly improve the user experience, especially for mobile users with slower connections.