Swiss Diamond, a maker of high-end cookware and kitchen items, has seen conversion rates jump 25 percent since launching a mobile-optimized Web site that combines improved user navigation and functionality to enhance the browsing experience.

A new feature is a retailer portal which lets stores log in and view promotions, download sales materials and place orders directly on the Web site, providing a direct drop-shipping option. The positive results point to how mobile’s ability to improve the shopper journey makes it a necessity in commerce amid increased consumer expectations.

“While with all ecom sites, getting the purchase is the final goal, the best way to do so is to be sure that our merchandise is shown quickly, easily, and relevant to their interest,” said R.J. Manoni, director of ecommerce and All Things Web for Swiss Diamond, Sierre, Switzerland.

“Like all Web sites we have seen an increase in Web visitors from mobile devices.”

Product information
The site gives customers access to detailed product information, recipes and gift ideas with the option to share content across Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. It is supported by all major browsers, tablets and mobile devices, according to the company.

Meeting increased consumer expectations.

Swiss Diamond’s products can be found globally in luxury kitchenware stores, high-end department stores and select online retailers.

The responsive design’s adoption had its origins in the company’s observation that in-store shoppers who stood mere feet from a product were nevertheless buying the item through the company’s Web site. “This made the redesign a necessity,” Mr. Manoni said.

A visitor to SwissDiamond.com is struck by the speed with which he or she is whisked by a click to a chosen page, suggesting that the redesign’s focus on improving load speeds and ease of use has paid off.

The site predicts the user’s intent as he or she scrolls through items and pages, displaying the most relevant products based on received information.

“From reading about the brand or a particular product through check-out, we tried to make sure that the user has a fast and seamless experience, even though they are bouncing between a Magento backend (all ecommerce functions) and a custom PHP build (for all non ecom pages),” Mr. Manoni said.

Providing an option to share content across Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest was driven by the public’s enthusiasm for cooking and food.

“We have found that our product (cookware) photographs really well,” Mr. Manoni said. “That has translated to preforming well on the social networks.

“Let’s face it, everyone loves food, and sharing food on the Internet is a passion for a lot of people,” he said. “The social sharing aspect across our site was a no-brainer.”

In the upcoming months Swiss Diamond will roll out other new features on the site, including registries, user recipes and the ability to place backorders and create a cookware set.

Easier way
The search for an easier way for reps and stores to communicate with the company drove the setting up of the retail portal.

Leveraging simplicity to serve the public’s passion for food.

“While the phone and email will always have their place in business, we feel that moving people into their own password protected account will not only relieve some time on the phone for our sales, fulfillment, and accounting teams,” Mr. Manoni said. “It has also proven that the stores are more likely to order a bit more when shown options such as ‘top sellers’ and ‘related items.’

Retailers who have access to the retailer portal go to swissdiamond.com/wholesale, as they would on a desktop.

“All the functionality of the site preforms just as well on mobile as it does on the desktop,” he said. “We made sure of that.”

Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York