Urmaker Bjerke takes 100 years of exclusivity into new online store
The traditional watchmaker Bjerke chose Increo as they prepared themselves for the future with a new online store.
There is something very special about owning a product that is made by hand with passion and precision. It's about small works of art that ooze exclusivity.
Rolex, Patek Philippe, Breitling and Cartier. Or how about watches from H. Moser & Cie, Hublot or Longines?
When one attaches such an exclusive watch around one's arm, one feels that one carries with it the history and craftsmanship of those who have made it. It provides an experience that lasts long after purchase. This is what Urmaker Bjerke is all about. In the physical store and online.
This is what we have done
Technology
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We felt the fear.
When Urmaker Bjerke turned 100, it was time to innovate online. Bjerke chose Increo as a partner to develop and design a new website with online store.
“The solution had to be in line with the quality of both the products they sell and the experience customers get when they enter the physical store,” says Camilla Tveit, project manager at Increo. She manages a team of 12 staff in design, development and engineering.
Urmaker Bjerke has over 100 years of history and some of the world's most exclusive watch brands in its selection. That they have survived changing trends is all about being relevant and attractive.
In the physical store, they create an experience you can't google your way to. Online, they can compete with the whole world.
“We felt both pride and awe when we entered this project, but it appealed to all of our different professional communities,” says Tveit.
Ease of use and data flow
The new online store had to reflect the brand and give users an experience of the unique range of watches. The main task of Increo was to optimize the product presentation and the flow of product data.
“Urmaker Bjerke actually has three separate websites. Apart from the regular website and online store, they have a separate page where people can sell and buy used watches,” says Dennis Janzso, lead developer at Increo.
“The old solutions did not work optimally, with different vendors and systems not talking well together. So cleaning up the flow of product data between systems became important in this project.
In addition, Urmaker Bjerke has a separate Rolex section of the online store where the watch manufacturer places strict requirements on design and SEO functionality.
“Here we had a series of meetings with Rolex to meet the requirements they made for the online store,” he says.
The term “online” supports the core values of Urmaker Bjerke. The online store reflects quality, tradition and passion for the watchmaking profession.
These values should be reflected in the user experience. Here, the focus has been to optimize the display of the watches in terms of selection, brand and modern design, says Tveit who adds:
“A lot of work has been put into improvements to the menu, navigation and other small details.
WooCommerce online store
The new online store is built to withstand growth. The solution combines existing systems in the backend with a new frontend, through so-called headless architecture. This means that the design, user interface, and functionality that the user sees and experiences are separate from the back-end software itself.
“Bjerke used to have an ERP system called LS Central as the product database backend. It is used internally in store, checkout systems and for all logistics. We kept this without making the big changes,” Janzso explains.
At the request of Urmaker Bjerke, an online store was built with WordPress and WooCommerce as a framework, systems Increo has extensive experience with. Built with headless architecture, this became a forward-thinking online store. A third-party integration ensures seamless transfer of product data from the ERP system to the online store. For the user interface, React and Next.js were selected.
“They have got a completely new and better way of working with their content after the upgrade.
Tight dialogue
For Bjerke, it was important to find a partner who understood who they were, and at the same time could help them with the digital promise they wanted. For the success of the project, a close dialogue was absolutely essential. Increo started with a thorough mapping of needs and challenges. A brand analysis was first carried out.
We only made suggestions for small improvements. Our advice was basically that they needed to be a bit stricter with the use of their own brand,” says Tveit.
Then the project group gained insight into the target groups and user journeys in the digital store. In parallel, the current site was analyzed.
“Based on all this, we created a prototype as visual sketches to show the direction further.
Agile development
Smooth working method with close customer involvement. In agile development, the project is divided into smaller parts, so-called sprints, of typically 2-4 weeks. At the start of each sprint, priority is given to the most important tasks for that period.
READ MORE: The secret to a successful digital project
“We have meetings internally and with the customer on a weekly basis. It provides good propulsion and the possibility of quick adjustments along the way,” says Tveit.
Continuous testing and user involvement key in all agile development. When the first version is ready, the collection of feedback from customers and users continues. Then the solution is adjusted based on the insights we gain.
In this way, there is continuous improvement. With agile methods, businesses can be transformed faster and cheaper, while delivering what customers really value.
