Magento 1 – The Partnership Begins

The Solar Biz has been selling renewable energy equipment since 1969. It’s a family-owned business known for providing expertise and solutions that help customers get the most efficient system for their needs. The owners wanted to expand from the U.S. to all of North and South America, and selected Magento as the platform needed to achieve their growth plans.

In 2016, Harris Web Works began a partnership with Solar Biz. The first step was building a new website in Magento 1.x, including integrating extensive product and customer data. Since then, the collaboration has progressed to encompass regional expansion, hosting, and marketing consulting.

Overview of work handled by Harris Web Works:

• Migrated previous website from NetSuite eCommerce to Magento Community and redesigned it with a new look & feel
• Integrated existing NetSuite ERP functions (order fulfillment, accounting and shipping) with eCommerce functionality; a seamless bi-directional system was achieved with SYNC Connection™ NetSuite-Magento connector
• Reconfigured site navigation and product groupings
• Updated product feed to work with Google Shopping
• Set up complex pricing structure for customer group, tiered and matrix pricing
• Built site for Latin America, with different pricing structures than U.S. site
• Handle ongoing site administration and content updates
• Set up and manage enterprise level cloud hosting on Amazon Web Services (AWS) datacenter network
  • Best-in-class hosting provides optimal redundancy, uptime and performance
  • Hosting continually monitored and backed up for maximum stability and continuity of service
  • Engineering, development and support by AWS certified technicians
• Implement targeted display advertising and remarketing campaigns that attract more leads and help boost sales

For more about integrating NetSuite ERP functions with a Magento eCommerce website, see overview and white paper about the Harris Web Works SYNC Connection™ tool.

Magento 2 Upgrade

In 2019, Harris Web Works updated the site to Magento 2 in conjunction with Magento ending support for M1 in 2020. The complete upgrade was implemented in a phased approach that included making some front-end improvements and updating extensions as needed. User experience (UX) enhancements include adding Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) for faster loading on mobile even if wifi is spotty and simplifying navigation so users can navigate the 3,700+ pages quicker and easier on desktop or mobile devices. Back-end improvements included updating the complex, custom-built NetSuite-Magento connector and adding specialized dashboard functionality.