Web Site Redesign Helps Confections Company to "Raise the Candy Bar," Target New Markets
Chicago, IL - hurriKane Solutions, LLC, a Chicago-based website design firm, announces the redesign and unveiling of web site www.raisingthecandybar.com, to help a confections company target and grow a new segment of its business.
Illinois Nut and Candy is a Skokie, IL-based confections company, that specializes in providing niche styled candy, chocolates, and other confections. The company recently sought to increase sales by opening its customer base to a national market and to bulk candy buyers, and it turned to hurriKane Solutions for a web site redesign to accomplish those goals. hurriKane Solutions developed a new company name, the web site, logo, database, and created advanced search features for dietary needs, in addition to customer favorites with an easy check-out for repeat orders.
"We felt that competing against the bulk candy providers was not going to be an option," says Seth M. Kane, Managing Partner of hurriKane Solutions. "Rather, with a new name, design, and product selection, we are trying to emphasize that their products are above the rest because they provide special benefits with people with certain dietary restrictions." Those dietary restrictions include diabetes and following a diet affiliated with living a Kosher lifestyle, among others.
Kane adds that another challenge included the task of not only displaying Illinois Nut and Candy's various product "niches" in a way that would look good, but organizing the data so that all users with all different types of dietary restrictions and needs would be able to easily find the products specific to their dietary needs. "We also wanted a way for people without dietary restriction could find products by occasion, color, and flavor," Kane says.
"The site has been live for a few weeks," said David Levine Owner of Raising the Candy Bar. "Customers have already commented how the site is much easier to use."
The site is not only easy to navigate and full of information, it's disability friendly as well. Under the standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act, those individuals are entitled to web sites with content that is compliant with standards, and contains content that is accessible to all. Not complying with the standards to make a website accessible can lead to negative consequences. For example, Target Corporation is currently in a federal class-action lawsuit, under claims that its web site is not usable for the blind.
"hurriKane continues to set up every e-commerce project by focusing more and more on the importance of accessibility and how that directly relates to the Search Engine Optimization," Kane says. "We also use current clients experiences to help target customers, protect against fraudulent orders, and make business processes as streamlined as possible. Anyone can open up a store. The question is: do you have a platform to lead customers in the doors? A web site designed by hurriKane Solutions can help you bring customers to your web site and improve your bottom line."
ABOUT ILLINOIS NUT AND CANDY:
Raising the Candy Bar is the latest addition to Illinois Nut & Candy Home of Fantasia Confections. For over a quarter of a century Illinois Nut & Candy formerly Illinois Nut Outlet has been doing just that raising the bar. Since September 2004 they have been constantly raise the candy bar by not only being the largest Kosher candy store in the Midwest but by trying to be the largest niche candy store as well. Raising the Candy Bar offers Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Sugar Free, Organic, Vegan Friendly - all under Kosher supervision.
ABOUT HURRIKANE SOLUTIONS:
Chicago-based hurriKane Solutions is a private company which provides e-commerce website and online solutions that affect and improve the bottom line for their clients. hurriKane Solutions focuses on creating websites that make an impact, and specializes in making clients' websites compliant for disabled users as well. Information about the solutions provided by hurriKane Solutions can be found at www.hurrikane.com, or by calling (312) 285-0408.