PlanetSXS
Conquering Trails & E-Commerce Sales
OVERVIEW
Founded in 2011 by passionate powersports enthusiasts, PlanetSXS is a premier provider of UTV and side-by-side parts and accessories. With over 8,000 products from trusted brands, the company ensures safety, performance, and customization for every adventure. As its inventory expanded, PlanetSXS positioned itself as a one-stop shop for all powersports needs.
19.8%
INCREASE IN REVENUE
BUSINESS CHALLENGE
As PlanetSXS scaled its inventory, maintaining an intuitive and frictionless user experience became a challenge.
A larger product catalog risked overwhelming customers, leading to decision paralysis and difficulty finding the right parts. The company needed a solution that balanced growth with streamlined navigation, ensuring customers could quickly and effortlessly locate what they needed.
Solution
To address these challenges, the team implemented a strategic, user experience-driven solution focused on enhanced navigation, dynamic product tagging, and seamless product discovery.
CUSTOMIZED USER EXPERIENCE
The redesigned interface ensures intuitive navigation, making it easier for customers to explore the expanding product catalog.
ENHANCED HOMEPAGE LAYOUT
The new homepage optimizes product discovery with:
- Vehicle-Based Filtering – A “Shop by Vehicle” bar for quick selection.
- Category-Based Navigation – A “Shop by Make” and “Shop by Brands” section for alternative browsing.
- Curated Collections – Highlighted featured products to guide customer interest.
DUAL CUSTOMER JOUNREYS
A flexible, dual-path approach ensures a seamless shopping experience:
- Vehicle-Based Filtering: Customers enter their vehicle details upfront, instantly narrowing results to compatible products.
- Category-Based Shopping: Customers who know the product they need can browse by category, refining results by selecting their vehicle.
This approach eliminates friction while allowing customers to shop in the way that best suits their needs.
Dynamic Product Tagging
By integrating Searchspring, the team implemented intelligent product tagging to enhance search, filtering, and marketing performance.
- SEO & Marketing Boost – Created pages for specific makes and models, improving organic visibility and supporting paid campaigns.
- Automated Product Tagging – A custom Python script categorizes and tags products with 85% less manual effort.
- Continuous Optimization – Regular updates ensure product listings stay accurate and relevant.
Deep Dive: The New Customer Journey
A closer look at how PlanetSXS’s new shopping experience enhances usability and efficiency.
Vehicle-Centric Entry Point
- Immediate Engagement – Customers are greeted with a “Select Your Vehicle” option upon landing on the homepage.
- Streamlined Selection – An intuitive dropdown menu or search bar enables quick vehicle input, minimizing friction in navigation.
Tailored Product Display
- Filtered Listings – Once a vehicle is selected, results narrow from 8,000 products to approximately 300 relevant items.
- Enhanced Product Information – Each product page prominently displays compatibility details, ensuring purchasing confidence.
Flexible Navigation Paths
- Alternative Entry Points – Customers can begin by selecting a product category and refine results by vehicle.
- Consistent End Result – Both paths lead to a curated product selection, ensuring a seamless and personalized experience.
Learn how refining taxonomy and navigation can further optimize user experience and drive incremental revenue: Driving Incremental Revenue Through Better Navigation.
PRIMARY PATH
STEP 1
Customer selects their make and model first.
STEP 2
The system filters and displays only products compatible with the selected vehicle.
OUTCOME
The system filters and displays only products compatible with the selected vehicle.
SECONDARY PATH
STEP 1
Customers who know what product they want can shop by category.
STEP 2
They can then narrow down the selection by specifying their vehicle.
OUTCOME
Provides flexibility for different shopping preferences while ensuring a streamlined experience
KEY OUTCOMES
INCREASED CONVERSION RATES
Simplified navigation boosted customer purchases by 8%.
REDUCED BOUNCE RATES
Enhanced product discovery encouraged 5% larger orders.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
30% fewer customer service interactions needed to clarify product specs.
OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY
Tagging process became 85% more efficient through automation.
ENCHANCED SEO PERFORMANCE
Optimized categories improved organic and paid opportunities.
Challenges and Insights
One of the most formidable challenges was accurately categorizing and tagging over 8,000 products to their respective vehicle models and categories. The manual review process was not only time-consuming but also prone to human error, jeopardizing the user experience.
Solution Implementation
To address this, the team developed custom Python scripts to assist with the product tagging process. These scripts analyzed product descriptions, specifications, and compatibility data to assign accurate tags. Although the scripts require manual execution, they reduce manual effort by approximately 85% and enhance tagging accuracy, ensuring customers receive reliable and relevant product recommendations.
Unexpected Insights
- Data Quality: The team discovered inconsistencies in product data, necessitating a data cleansing phase to ensure the scripts could accurately process and tag products.
- Scalability Needs: It became evident that a scalable solution was essential to accommodate future inventory growth, leading to the selection of flexible technologies like Shopify Plus and Python-based automation.
Tools and Technologies
To deliver a robust and scalable solution for PlanetSXS, the following tools and technologies were utilized:
Shopify Plus
A scalable and customizable e-commerce platform that seamlessly integrates filtering and tagging.
Searchspring
Enhances search relevance and product discovery with dynamic filtering, real-time updates, and SEO optimization.
Custom Python Development
Automates complex tagging and categorization to reduce manual workload while ensuring accuracy.
Integration
The integration of Searchspring and Shopify Plus created a cohesive system where customer inputs dynamically influenced product displays. As new products were added, they were accurately categorized and tagged, maintaining a frictionless user experience.
The improvements to our website have streamlined product discovery, making it easier for customers to find what they need. This has reduced operational strain and boosted overall customer satisfaction.
Founder, PlanetSXS
FINAL TAKEAWAY
By integrating vehicle-based filtering, dynamic tagging, and automation, PlanetSXS has created a seamless, scalable shopping experience that eliminates friction, enhances product discovery, and improves customer satisfaction. These strategic enhancements not only drive higher conversion rates and repeat purchases but also set them up to scale their inventory and reach wider market audiences—while maintaining a personalized customer journey based on vehicle type.
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