WordPress Redesign & eCommerce Revamp for Pan Macmillan Australia
Pan Macmillan, a leading publisher, required a website overhaul to enhance user experience, streamline e-commerce operations, and improve bibliographic data synchronization.
Industry
Book and Periodical Publishing
Technology
Woocommerce, Algolia Search, Elementor, Paypal
Services
E-commerce Integration, Payment Gateway Integration, Search Functionality Enhancement, Glassboxx Integration.
Project Overview
Pan Macmillan Australia faced significant challenges in managing and updating their website, which impacted operational efficiency and user experience. Their legacy system made content publishing cumbersome, lacked real-time content control, and was not optimized for mobile—despite most users accessing it via smartphones. Additionally, the website’s design was outdated, slow, and used Foxy Cart, which introduced unnecessary complexity in the purchase process.
Ebizon proposed a complete revamp of the website by migrating to a mobile-responsive WordPress platform, improving administrative control, enhancing the checkout experience, and aligning the website with accessibility standards.
Project Objectives
- Replace Supafolio with a custom solution to ingest data from the ONIX feed, giving users greater control over the data and the flexibility to use it as they wish.
- Enhance user experience by modernizing the website design and making it fully responsive across devices.
- Simplify eCommerce processes by replacing Foxy Cart with WooCommerce for streamlined shopping and improved conversion rates.
- Empower content teams with improved administrative control and real-time content editing capabilities.
- Improve book discovery through advanced search, better filtering, and real-time bibliography updates.
- Ensure accessibility compliance by aligning the website with WCAG 2.0 standards to serve a broader audience.
Project Execution
1. Design and Discovery Process
We began with in-depth discovery sessions to understand key business challenges, including poor content manageability, mobile incompatibility, and complex purchasing flow.
- Audited the existing website structure and content.
- Outlined core requirements: mobile-first responsive design, integration of bibliography data, improved search, and WooCommerce setup.
- Delivered annotated Figma prototypes aligning with the brand’s vision and user journey optimization.
2. Development and Customization
Using a responsive WordPress theme, we implemented a clean, high-performance layout optimized for content-heavy pages.
- Customized the homepage, product sliders, and content grids for new releases and bestsellers.
- Developed reusable components using a WordPress Page Builder to empower non-technical staff.
- Implemented custom theme development tailored to the client’s branding and functionality requirements.
- Created the unique and responsive design of pages using the Elementor page builder.
- Created a custom solution to ingest the daily and weekly data from ONIX feed in backend, allowing users more control over their data.
- Algolia Search was implemented to enhance the search functionality across the site, providing lighting-fast and more relevant search results of books with dynamic filtering by categories, formats and imprints
- WooCommerce was integrated with Paypal as payment gateway to manage products and transactions, enabling a seamless e-commerce experience for users.
- Integrated Glassboxx to provide e-book functionality, allowing users to purchase and read their e-books.
3. Content Migration to WordPress
Performed a structured and accurate migration of all critical content from the legacy platform.
- Migrated static pages, blog posts, news/events, and media assets.
- Synchronized book data using an automated bibliography feed with 24-hour refresh cycles.
- Maintained existing category structures while improving navigation and readability.
4. URL Redirection and SEO Preservation
To maintain existing search engine rankings and ensure a smooth user transition:
- Implemented 301 redirects for all major URLs.
- Preserved metadata, canonical tags, and alt attributes.
- Optimized site performance and ensured mobile SEO compliance.
5. Thorough Testing and Quality Assurance
Conducted end-to-end QA to ensure site stability and performance across devices and browsers.
- Validated mobile responsiveness, search accuracy, checkout process, and bibliography sync.
- Addressed accessibility by aligning with WCAG 2.0 standards and Macmillan’s internal guidelines.
6. Launch and Ongoing Support
Successfully launched the website with a seamless transition and zero downtime.
- Delivered two CMS training sessions for internal users.
- Provided a comprehensive training manual and documentation.
- Offered post-launch support for troubleshooting, updates, and enhancements.
Results & Impact
- Improved Usability: Content teams gained full control over real-time edits and search indexing.
- Enhanced Mobile Experience: Fully responsive site with faster loading and improved UX across devices.
- Simplified Checkout Flow: WooCommerce integration reduced purchase friction and checkout abandonment.
- Search Optimization: Accurate, dynamic book listings enhanced user discovery and admin efficiency.
- Accessibility Ready: WCAG-compliant design ensured a wider reach and better user inclusivity.
Pan Macmillan expressed satisfaction with the project’s execution, highlighting the improved performance, seamless e-commerce experience, and enhanced accessibility as key successes. The migration positioned them for sustained growth and an improved digital presence.
Client’s Feedback
“I work for Macmillan Publishing. EbizON has built and maintained multiple sites for us.Their team is very thorough and detail-oriented.They were very good to work with, very helpful.”
Chris Melvin
Director Digital Design & Development, Macmillan Publishers
What Our Customers Says
reviewed by JOE WILLIAMS
Senior manager, Remedy Liqour
Head of Business Engagement, WRI
“Ebizon is one of the best in the business and they back this up with their quick and friendly support. The team is relentless to listen to our issues and come up with a solution. Have seen the team stretch beyond their knowledge to help us.”
reviewed by JOSEPH CURLEY
Vice President, Sokolin
Content Officer, Society for Science & Public
“My experience with this partnership has been positive. The support Ebizon extended towards us was commendable. It perfectly fulfils our requirements with their support we had no hassle.”
reviewed by Beat Walder
Manager, Forester Beauty
Chief of Staff, Strategic Dentistry
“I’m the owner of Forester Beauty in Switzerland. I’ve contacted Dee and he led me through the whole process of migrating our online shop to Shopify, including custom elements to enhance user experience. The whole Project Team at Ebizon has a very professional attitude and provide their support and insights promptly.”
reviewed by Wilma Pretorius
Managing Director, Cranimals
For fully managed WordPress installs, WPEngine is my Go-To
“The Team worked well with my company to migrate our Magento store to a new Shopify store. Ebizon was able to implement required applications to enable a near seamless transition. Thanks Team!
reviewed by Raul
Senior Manager, Emporium Embroidery
Head of Business Engagement, WRI
“Emporium Embroidery – customization module / Magento upgrade Thank you Ebizon and a great thank you to the team who was always very helpful on this journey.”
reviewed by Alexandre Salem
eCommerce Manager, Ada Cosmetic
Chief of Staff, Strategic Dentistry
“Thanks to EbizON solution, the platform enabled the company to sell products efficiently. The team worked in sprints and held weekly meetings, ensuring accurate outcomes.”
reviewed by Po Ming Lam
Manager, Avec Plaisirs Chefs Traiteurs
For fully managed WordPress installs, WPEngine is my Go-To
“Ebizon is helping our Magento development needs. Their customer oriented approach has made our experience very pleasant and efficient. We are definitely sending more work to them and recommend others to try them out!”
