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While online marketplaces are certainly useful, sellers should never underestimate the power of their very own online store. One good example is Krause & Sohn, a company that used plentymarkets Ceres to create a unique online presence all on their own. Continue reading to learn more about their rewarding project!
Pioneers of online business
Krause & Sohn was one of the first German companies to begin selling products online. They decided to change their strategy at the end of the 1990s when it became clear that brick and mortar sales were beginning to decline. They didn't waste any time getting started in e-commerce. It turned out to be a good decision because their product portfolio - carnival supplies and fireworks – happened to be one of many e-commerce niches at the time. Krause & Sohn decided to keep up with the times and they were rewarded with a better position on the market and a much larger customer base almost over night.
Krause & Sohn began looking for software that would help them manage their inventory and warehouses, process orders and sell items on a wide range of sales channels. They found plentymarkets in 2012 and were happy that it met their needs.
The company also uses plentymarkets to manage their online store. Krause & Sohn designed their new Ceres store without the help of an external design agency.
Setting up Ceres on your own? No problem!
"Our online store is really important since we can use it to display our products however we want. We don't have to worry about staying within the guidelines of a marketplace." That's just one of the reasons why Jens Volke, the company's IT specialist, decided to use plentymarkets Ceres for his store.
The company knows how important it is to stay up to date with technology and benefit from the advantages of a modern store. That's why they decided to update their store from Callisto to Ceres as soon as the new technology became available. They never even considered hiring an agency to do it for them. "If we can solve the problem in-house, then that's exactly what we're going to do. We also need to consider the costs. I started learning about Ceres as early as possible and trying it out for myself. I quickly realised it's something I can do too," said Jens Volke.
Lots of help from the plentyCommunity
When the project first started, Ceres didn't have all the functions that the company wanted for their store. However, they were added bit by bit - some came as plugins, others as updates. Thanks to the ever-increasing number of functions and add-ons, Jens Volke was able to work on the company's Ceres store bit by bit until it reached a level the company was happy with.
Their plan to create the store without hiring an agency was successful. Jens Volke turned to the plentymarkets forum with his questions and received lots of help from plentymarkets employees and other forum users - even from employees at various design agencies. With all of this help, Krause & Sohn was able to open their new Ceres store to customers.
The result is dazzling!
Krause & Sohn is particularly proud of their store's newly designed checkout. "Callisto had an individual checkout process, which required customers to go through several steps and often led them to change their minds altogether. With Ceres, the checkout process is only one step, which makes it much more convenient for customers."
Jens Volke's personal highlight is how easy it is to customise the store. "That's my very favourite thing about Ceres. Sellers who don't want to invest a lot of money are still able to design a relatively individual store. Technically well-versed sellers will only need to spend a bit of time learning about Ceres."
We're proud to see the great shop created by Krause & Sohn and we wish them lots of success in the future!