About

EXM Manufacturing, a North American electrical enclosure company, needed to modernize its online store to support both distributors (B2B) and direct end-users (B2C). The previous version of the website relied on outdated navigation, lacked hierarchy in product display, and was not optimized for search visibility or conversion.I led the UX/UI redesign and information architecture overhaul, building a modern, scalable e-commerce experience that connects customers to over 4,000+ industrial products while aligning with EXM’s corporate brand.

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Problems

EXM Manufacturing, a 50-year industrial parts distributor, had zero online presence. B2B buyers were forced to call or email for quotes, creating delays and lost sales to competitors with modern e-commerce platforms.

No digital presence

EXM Manufacturing, a 50-year industrial parts distributor, had no functioning e-commerce system. B2B buyers were required to call or email for quotes, causing delays, manual errors, and lost sales to competitors who had already moved online.

Limited customer convenience

Clients who wanted to purchase products or track orders had to reach the sales or support team directly. This slowed down the buying process and created friction for repeat customers who expected instant access and self-service tools.

Outdated sales approach

The company relied solely on manual promotions and traditional distributor channels. This limited market reach and efficiency—especially as competitors like Hammond, nVent, and Rittal invested heavily in digital and SEO visibility.

Slow purchasing workflow

Interviews and client feedback revealed frustration with long quotation cycles. Many customers preferred to make purchases directly online and manage their orders independently, highlighting the need for a faster, more flexible checkout flow.

Low visibility & poor SEO structure

The previous website had no structured metadata, keyword targeting, or tracking analytics. As a result, it averaged only about 5K CAD in yearly online sales and ranked for fewer than 50 keywords. After the redesign, visibility rose to 169 keywords and 2.1K monthly organic visits, proving the power of a properly optimized design system.

Solutions

To address these challenges, I led the design and development of EXM’s new e-commerce platform, transforming the website from a static company profile into a fully functional online store. The redesign modernized EXM’s digital presence, simplified the purchasing experience, and introduced a scalable structure that supports thousands of industrial products. Within the first year, the site generated over CAD 131,000 in sales and 2.1 K monthly organic visits, entirely through SEO-driven traffic—establishing a strong foundation for future digital growth.

Modern e-commerce platform

Rebuilt EXM’s 10-year-old legacy site into a scalable e-commerce platform supporting over 4,000 SKUs. The new system allows customers to request quotes or complete purchases directly online without contacting sales staff.

Streamlined customer experience

Introduced a clear, mobile-responsive navigation system and redesigned product hierarchy. Buyers can now find, filter, and compare products within seconds, improving accessibility and reducing friction throughout the purchase journey.

Digital-first sales approach

Shifted the company from manual order handling to automated online transactions. The new platform now drives over CAD 131,000 in online sales annually, powered solely by organic traffic and SEO optimization.

Faster checkout workflow

Redesigned the cart and checkout pages to minimize steps and enhance form clarity. Added validation, saved-cart options, and secure payment messaging to increase customer trust and speed of completion.

SEO and performance optimization

Implemented a full SEO architecture with keyword mapping, meta structure, and analytics tracking. Within one year, the site achieved +37.8 % visibility growth, ranking for 169 keywords and generating 2.1 K monthly organic visits — all without paid marketing.

Results & Impact

Increase in conversion rates within first quarter

+2 500%

Growth in active users year-over-year (34K users)

347.8%

Reduction in support and quotation tickets

-70%

Revenue from 191 purchases in first year

$100K+

3D Product Visualizations

Replaced static photos with 3D animated explainers using 3Ds Max, Unreal Engine, and Premiere, helping customers easily understand how each product works.

Competitor Cross-Reference Tool

Built a cross-reference system mapping 10,000+ competitor part numbers to EXM equivalents via API integrations and Excel imports, allowing buyers to search a competitor’s number and instantly see compatible EXM products with side-by-side specs and pricing.

Real-Time Price & Stock Availability

Integrated live ERP data from Microsoft Dynamics 365 to show real-time stock, warehouse availability, and tier-based pricing on product pages. Added “Add to Cart” and “Request Quote” options for simple and complex orders. Result: 35% reduction in cart abandonment and faster purchase decisions.

Quotation System

Built a self-service quotation page where customers can directly select products and receive instant pricing from Dynamics 365—no emails or waiting. Quote delivery dropped from 2 days to seconds, increasing conversions and reducing sales workload.

Insights from Analysis

The platform achieved +330% user growth, reaching 33K active users within the first year. Engagement remained strong, with an average session time of 2 minutes 13 seconds and over 837K recorded events. Enabling online purchasing led to 189 completed orders, confirming high adoption of self-service features. SEO visibility increased to 24.6%, surpassing key competitors, while top product pages consistently attracted thousands of views—demonstrating clear demand for direct online access.

Design System

Built in Figma, the EXM Design System establishes a unified foundation for typography, layout, and interaction across web and internal platforms. Each element—from product cards to checkout forms—is token-based and responsive, making it easy to scale for different screen sizes and product categories. The shared library integrates directly with the front-end component structure, reducing design–dev alignment time by 40%.This system now acts as the single source of truth for future enhancements, including the 2026 UI refresh.

Next Phase: 2026 Design Update

Building on the platform’s first-year success, the 2026 redesign focuses on refining the user journey and enhancing scalability for international markets. Key updates include improved mobile navigation, simplified checkout flow, updated typography system, and expanded SEO-driven product content. This ongoing evolution ensures the EXM platform continues to grow with user needs and business goals.

EXM E-commerce