Converting expertise to clicks: Schippers’ blueprint for digital success
- Headquarters: Netherlands
- Technology Stack: Intershop, React, Cloudfront CDN, Tailwind CSS (Flowbite), Storyblok, custom-built connector (developed by Two Point O)
- 60% ↓ Time to build page
- 2.5 sec Largest Contentful Paint
- 100% Responsive Components
Schippers, a leading supplier of hygiene and care products for livestock farming, partnered with digital agency Two Point O to revolutionize its digital presence. Starting from selling cigars to farmers in 1966, Schippers evolved into a leading supplier of hygiene products for livestock farms, focusing on improving hygiene to prevent disease spread and minimize antibiotic use. With operations in eight countries, their shift towards online sales necessitated a robust CMS to convey their extensive knowledge and advice to farmers digitally.
The collaboration with Two Point O focused on implementing Storyblok as the headless CMS for Schippers' webshop, particularly targeting their advice pages. The project aimed to enhance content delivery, improve page performance, and establish Schippers as an industry authority. In other words, Schippers aims to answer all challenges farmers face by creating high-quality, engaging content.
The digital transformation resulted in 60% reduced time to build a new page, a decrease in the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) from 4.5 seconds to 2.5 seconds, increase of responsive components from 30% to 100%, and 400+ landing pages built since launch.
Among other factors, we also evaluate software based on its future potential, and Storyblok clearly met that criterion. The continued investment and the innovative approach Storyblok has maintained from the start were particularly appealing to us.
Why the monolith approach was unsustainable
In Two Point O’s experience, clients often struggle with technology limitations versus digital ambitions. Many seek more freedom, flexibility, and efficiency in managing growing touchpoints and content value. Inconsistent customer experiences and an inability to keep up with content demands also drive the need for innovative solutions. In the case of Schippers they were facing:
- Time-consuming page creation: Building a page took 1.5 to 2 days.
- Inconsistent branding: Lack of a uniform design across pages.
- Slow page performance: Impacted SEO and organic traffic.
- Complex learning curve: The previous monolithic platform was difficult to master.
- Limited content flexibility: Existing CMS did not support high-quality content creation.
Unlocking the potential with Storyblok
Schippers chose Two Point O for their high commitment to the project. From the beginning, Two Point O focused on understanding Schippers' goals and delivering as planned. Here is the solution they provided:
- Faster page creation: Reduced time to build pages significantly.
- Consistent branding: Introduction of a design system for uniformity.
- Improved page performance: Enhanced SEO with faster load times.
- User-friendly interface: Easier to use, reducing the learning curve.
- Visual Editor: This feature empowered users with the ability to preview modifications in real-time, accelerating the time to market.
- Scalable content management: Flexible content creation and management.
Storyblok allowed our developers to work more efficiently by separating the content management from the front-end presentation, which streamlined our development processes significantly.
The flexibility and scalability of Storyblok were key factors in our decision. It allowed us to easily expand and adapt our content as our needs evolved.
The collaboration between Schippers and Two Point O began in October 2023, with Two Point O’s and Schippers' team working on the initial phase of implementing Storyblok. The project included the creation of a comprehensive design system in Figma and a 12-week development period. The first phase culminated in the successful deployment of over 300 advice pages across multiple webshops.
Two Point O's commitment to the project was evident from the outset. They invested heavily in understanding Schippers' needs and worked closely with their team to achieve the desired outcomes. This partnership was characterized by a deep commitment and a collaborative approach, with developers from Two Point O often going above and beyond to meet project deadlines. The close cooperation ensured that the solution fit seamlessly into Schippers' organizational structure.
The project aimed to transform Schippers' digital ecosystem by migrating to a headless CMS. The primary focus was on the advice pages of their webshop, providing high-quality content and improving page speed and performance. The ultimate goal was to position Schippers as a knowledge partner in the livestock farming industry, leveraging their extensive expertise in hygiene and care.
Key takeaways and future plans
The next phase of the collaboration involves extending the headless CMS transition to the entire webshop. Schippers and Two Point O are currently deliberating on whether to adopt a phased approach or a complete overhaul at once. Additionally, there are plans to further enhance content richness and expand to additional channels, ensuring that Schippers continues to lead in providing valuable advice and products to livestock farmers.
The collaboration between Schippers and Two Point O, facilitated by Storyblok, exemplifies how a well-executed digital transformation can elevate a business's online presence. By addressing key challenges and leveraging modern CMS technology, Schippers is poised to continue its growth and maintain its position as a leader in hygiene and care within the livestock farming industry.
