Nordent Product Comparison Tool

Project Description

There are no pre-built plugins for helping users compare products between companies! Nordent needed a custom-coded solution.

Project Goals

To create a tool that allows users to enter another manufacturer’s name and part number and find an equivalent Nordent product.

Challenges

The tool needed to be easy to use, not only for those visiting the site, but also for those maintaining it. It was a challenge figuring out how to make everything as editable as possible, as well as ensuring it was all integrated with the site’s design and functionality. The hosting environment caused some unique coding challenges which were resolved through careful testing and troubleshooting.

Creative Strategy

It’s always best to add functionality to a WordPress site through plugins, so the obvious solution was to custom-code a plugin. To save time and expense, an additional pre-existing plugin was used to create a database table for the product data which could be easily updated by uploading a CSV file. The custom-coded plugin was written to access that new data table, as well as pull product data from the site database so that the products could be linked—and even purchased—directly from the Product Comparison Tool results. In order to ensure the page content was easy for the client to edit, shortcodes were created for the tool’s form and output, which were then incorporated into the site using the existing page builder tool.

Results

Nordent was happy to have a functioning Product Comparison Tool tailored to fit their needs and wasted no time in featuring the new tool on their website.  The tool makes it much easier for users to compare Nordent’s products to those of other brands.

My Role

I was responsible for coding the tool and ensuring the new features matched the existing design of the site. I tested it thoroughly and worked with hosting support to resolve technical issues. I also provided a training on how to update the tool’s product data.

Try the Tool