Overview

Assault Industries is a brand dedicated to the UTV Off-Road enthusiast lifestyle. UTVs, for those who don’t know, are rear-engined buggy-like motor vehicles that come in various flavors from utilitarian to ultra-high performance. The southwest is a hotspot for outdoor enthusiasts, with off-roading being a hugely popular activity. Owners learn quickly how fragile UTVs can be, particularly when driven aggressively.

Assault Industries’ owners are off-road enthusiasts who also happened to own and operate a successful engineering and machining business. After hours, they would develop replacement parts for their vehicles and test them in the Glamis dunes or other recreational riding spots. These parts were meant to improve the performance and the durability of the vehicles, but because aesthetics matter, they were made to look great. It didn’t take long for others to take notice. In late 2013, Assault Industries launched its products for the enthusiast community. Interest was immediate and business grew significantly faster than they were equipped to build products for.

The team set aside some space in the warehouse for Assault product and offices. The products quickly began to dominate the market, but a lack of dedicated professionals to keep the company moving forward became a serious issue.

How I Got Involved

In early 2016, I was looking for a machine shop to manufacture some parts for me for Night Optics USA. An associate recommended that I meet with the guys at Innovative Metals (Assault Industries) to see if they could help. When I arrived at the meeting, I did not expect that it would become my next big adventure. Initially, the discussions were to oversee day-to-day operations and grow the business, but I was not prepared to leave Night Optics. Instead we worked out a deal where I could offer part-time marketing consulting services via Rosodigital. The company had a marketing guy that was not working out, I immediately let him go and began working on projects to address reputation issues and improve sales performance.

Observations

It was easy to see the business was in a state of disarray and not likely making much money if any at all. The current team was not well equipped to manage the inner workings of a well-organized retail products business, so I had my work cut out for me.

There were many customer service challenges to address, as well as a Shopify-powered E-commerce website using a very basic template that left a lot to be desired. Not all products were available, the product pages lacked valuable information, product descriptions were poorly written with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, and images were poor quality, often taken with a mobile phone and not edited.

Objectives

My initial goals were to understand the customer service challenges, and improve sales performance on the Shopify website. I took the following steps to address each issue.

Customer Service

• Build a survey with SurveyMonkey to send to all past customers in the company database.
• The survey included an incentive for customers to return answers.
• Create a detailed report based on the survey findings.
• Establish a meaningful course of action to address the concerns of angry customers.
• Designated staff members to assist with the process of reaching out to customers to rectify their concerns and reestablish confidence and brand loyalty.

Website

• Purchase studio equipment to take good product photos.
• Reorganize product display and categorization.
• Revised pricing model $X.99 rather than flat or $X.95
• Load all available products to the website.
• Create results-driven product pages that offered features, well-written product descriptions, spec tables, instructional downloads, related product upsells, and a highly visible add to cart button.
• The home page will be updated to reflect a sales-centric layout with new product highlights, high-value slider graphics, and focused attention to important company related information.
• A revised customer service policy, shipping policy, and returns policy designed to instill confidence in the online shopping experience.
• Update all other areas of the website to represent a more professional appearance.
• At a later time, introduce an updated, feature-rich layout (UI) to improve the user experience (UX).
• Set up incentives to draw cart abandoners back into the site to complete the purchase process.
• Establish a process to capture new email subscriber signups during the checkout process.
• Add sales channels like eBay, Amazon, and Walmart.
• Add payment options and features that created an easier path for impulse buys like Affirm, Apple Pay, and Shop Pay.

Challenges

• Improving consumer sentiment and trust in the brand would take time.
• Changing the mindset of the team to focus on customer service and future scalability.
• Budgetary push-back on some initiatives related to the website.
• The level of work required to bring the website up to a higher standard of performance on a part-time basis.

Results

A strong unified effort to appeal to our customer service challenges helped tremendously with retention. We found that our customers were very active on message boards and social media and were very vocal about their experiences following my arrival at the company. It was helpful to have happy customers advocating for the brand and doing the work for the company in their own circles.

On the website – as new products, updates, and features were introduced, sales increased dramatically.

Our average monthly sales before I arrived were $0-$15,000. My first full month yielded nearly $17k in sales, and by May the survey takers were taking advantage of their promotional incentive codes, which bumped sales to nearly $24k.

Annual sales in 2015 were in the low 6-figures. In 2016, I added $60K in sales. After I joined the team full-time in January of 2017, online sales accelerated, and by the time the company sold in January 2022, annual retail online sales performance was approaching $1.5MM.

Note: Retail sales were a small part of the overall business strategy. Our primary focus as a company was creating a robust B2B sales network and supporting an environment where resellers held inventory. My purpose was to establish a way for our inside sales team to maximize success while capturing sales opportunities from those customers that wanted a direct interaction.

Assaultind.com | Author: Rolando Petit

The post Case Study: Assault Industries | Website appeared first on Rosodigital.

Overview

R&R (Reyngold & Reyngold) Trading opened for business in 1993 by the Reynold brothers, Ilya and Israel. The Belarusian immigrants saw a huge untapped market for night vision products and set their sights on building a successful legacy in the industry. Night Vision was developed for military use, but as newer technologies emerged, older tech became available for civilians. The brothers began importing new and surplus products from overseas as well as securing the necessary relationships to procure US-made technologies that could be sold domestically to the military, law enforcement agencies, and civilians. US-made Night Vision technology is controlled by ITAR so an export license is required to sell domestically produced Night Vision products to foreign parties.

In 2003, with fast-growing competition in the electro-optics industry, R&R changed its name to Night Optics USA (henceforth Night Optics). Night Optics enjoyed years of success securing small to medium-sized contracts and recognition as an industry contender in the space. Their success, however, had not been organic. The team knocked on a lot of doors and made a lot of phone calls over the years. The brothers realized that they needed to invest in marketing to stay competitive. A family member was helping with some of the marketing, but they had no social media, an old website that barely worked, and a mom-and-pop image that was unshakable. In the spring of 2010, Night Optics placed an ad on Craigslist for a marketing professional. The response was overwhelming with more than 120 resumés flowing in via email.

After doing several interviews, a person was hired, but there was a problem. Shortly after starting, it became evident that there were many lies told in the interview, and the new hire was released. After another round of interviews, a slightly more qualified person was onboarded. The grift did not last long and they found themselves unemployed once again within a few months. By August, Night Optics had been awarded an $8.2MM US Army supply contract and large companies began to take notice. There was still a void in their newly created marketing department that needed to be filled.

How I Got Involved

The third time is indeed the charm. In September 2010, suffering from cabin fever working primarily for myself through the recession, I jumped on Craigslist to look for something new. I sent in my resumé to Night Optics, then proceeded to check out their website and read up on their recently awarded contract. From my perspective, they needed the full Rosodigital treatment, but after being burned twice, interviewing with the brothers was a challenge.

I was questioned extensively about my knowledge and skills. Having spent the better part of three years building a substantial portfolio, I was able to show off my capabilities with confidence, but that wasn’t enough, so I made them an offer. I asked that they allow me to go home and design some new website mockups. Later that evening, I sent in 2 layouts via email. Impressed with my speed, they asked that I come in for another interview. In our meeting, they provided feedback and asked how long it might take to execute. I answered their questions honestly and by the end of the meeting, I was offered the job.

Shortly after starting, I dug into their E-commerce website. After two failed attempts, the website was a complete wreck. I quickly learned the Miva Merchant workflow and began developing an all-new site from the ground up. Throughout the process, I provided regular progress reports on the website. By early 2011, the new Nightoptics.com website was ready to go live.

Observations

Initial observations of the website front-end are that it is simplistic, text-heavy, and dated. Some of the code in the backend was broken, creating front-end display issues in different areas of the site. I could see from the change log the site was restored several times when both of the people that came before me failed to properly understand Miva Merchant’s code structure.

Objectives

I planned to attack this project in the following steps:

1. Repair existing site code so it was functional for visitors and processing orders
2. Create a sub domain as a development environment and clone the live site
3. Redesign all page templates
4. Adjust the layouts of existing pages
5. Bring E-commerce pages up to current standards

Throughout the process, I provided progress reports to get feedback to ensure the brothers were happy with our direction. Once everyone was satisfied with the aesthetics and functionality, I set my sights on the next set of steps in the project – Refinements.

1. Rewrite all product descriptions, features, and spec-tables
2. Request product samples for photo sessions – edit and add to product pages
3. Ensure downloadables (Instructions and spec sheets) are available for each product listing
4. Rewrite page content as needed – Ensure spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct
5. Internal SEO, cross-linking, keywording, redirects for old pages

Challenges

Throughout the development process, the biggest problem was finding remnants of broken code from those that came before me. Another challenge came from the Miva Merchant software, which at the time was not great. It would take a few years for them to get it right but when they did, the platform was amazing. Because Miva was a relatively small company located in San Diego, I was able to connect with the CEO and his team, and get great help fixing issues quickly to things moving forward.

Results

When I arrived, the website did very little in terms of retail sales, and because it was not easy to navigate, there was not much traffic. The new website launched in March 2011, 5 months after I was hired, and its impact was immediately evident in traffic growth and the consistent online sales that grew by more than 800% in monthly retail sales. A great accomplishment for such a niche product set.

Nightoptics.com | Author: Rolando Petit

The post Case Study: Night Optics USA | Website appeared first on Rosodigital.

Overview

Clutch Masters Industries, Inc. (henceforth CMI) opened in 1976 as a clutch rebuilder but became an industry leader with a mission to manufacture high-performance automotive clutches and flywheels. In the mid to late 90s, import drag racing and import motorsports culture sprouted up in California and quickly spread throughout the country. Economy cars like Honda Civics and Acura Integras became the hot rods of the day, and the aftermarket products for these sport compact cars grew into a multi-billion dollar industry. Around the same time, to get kids off the streets and into safer environments to test their vehicle’s performance, local drag strips opened for test and tune nights.

These events quickly evolved into sanctioned drag races, and professional import drag racing became a global phenomenon with CMI-sponsored superstar Ed Bergenholtz leading the way with the fastest front-wheel-drive car in the world, a fully built Honda CRX hatchback running 9sec 1/4 mile times. The abusive nature of drag racing created a need for robust replacement parts that could cope with the constant torture of hard launches. Clutches, like those offered by CMI, become the go-to accessory for racers who want reliable power delivery without failure. CMI’s primary competitor in the space was a company called ACT. While CMI clutches were very reliable and featured an OEM pedal feel, ACT clutches developed a reputation for being significantly stronger due to the high level of pedal pressure required to engage the clutch.

How I Got Involved

I was in my first year of college and was a self-proclaimed car guy. I purchased a 1988 Honda Civic at an auction for $1400 and on the way home I found that the car needed quite a bit of work – specifically a new radiator and a clutch. I got the car fixed and started driving it but had a desire to fix it up and make it my own. One day at a traffic light, I realized that I needed to get over to the right lane to avoid missing an upcoming turn. When the light turned green, I dropped the clutch and was blown away by how quickly the little econobox accelerated. I instantly became obsessed with that feeling. I began working on the car and visiting the local drag strip on test and tune nights. Word went around that a company from California (CMI) was hosting a race event at the local track. I attended that event and had the opportunity to meet Ed, the fastest import racer on Earth. 

The event was rained out, but I expressed my interest in being involved in future local events. Chris, the Sales Director from CMI, was relocating from California to North Carolina and opening a shop to build cars and sell parts. The shop became a hangout spot, and one day Chris expressed frustration about competition from ACT and the public perception of CMI clutches lacking durability. Having personally witnessed these conversations in social circles and online message boards, I chimed in with a suggestion that launched my career in Business Marketing.

Observations

CMI experienced a growing public perception that their clutch kits lacked durability compared to ACT. Message board chatter about clutch failures by overly abusive users spread, exacerbating the problem. Despite having kits installed in the fastest vehicles in the industry, CMI began to lose market share to ACT and sales peaked for the year at around $3MM.

Objectives

I asked if CMI used bench testing equipment to prove that their clutches were equal to or stronger than the competition while retaining an OEM-like light pedal feel.

Chris replied “Yes,” so I suggested that it would be worth a try to run ads showing the clutches on their test equipment with real-world bench testing data clearly displayed.

Upon accepting a job, I was tasked with turning my idea into an ad campaign that would run in all major industry publications.

1. Create a storyboard for the ad
2. Purchase ad space in various publications (6)
3. Work with the team in Rialto, CA to obtain the necessary photos
4. Work with the agency “A Graphic Advantage” in California to create the artwork
5. Approve for print

Challenges

Regardless of the advertising, it would take time and good PR to chip away at public perception.

Results

The campaign started running in the US, Canada, and in some English-language markets overseas. In the months following the launch of our Ad campaigns, the marketing department doubled down on sponsorships of high-profile racers to hammer home that CMI was the definitive industry leader in performance, quality, and ease of use. At the same time, sales used bench-testing graphics in reseller data sheets to help secure large stocking orders. With the massive growth in import aftermarket products, a solid ad campaign, and a strong distribution strategy, CMI experienced a 23% surge in sales. Today CMI remains one of the top 5 performance clutch manufacturers in the US and offers a diverse product lineup for a multitude of applications.

Clutchmasters.com | Author: Rolando Petit

The post Case Study: Clutch Masters | Ad Campaign appeared first on Rosodigital.

The new layout for NightOptics.com went live in March of 2011 after 5 months in redevelopment. The project was a substantial undertaking, which began with repairing errors created by developers unfamiliar with the Miva platform. The fresh, professional looking layout brought loads of new traffic and over 800% online sales growth to the brand after launch. NightOptics.com was redesigned in 2014 following a major rebrand for Night Optics USA and the launch of Miva Merchants new backend. The updates to the Miva platform brought modernity to the platform, and with the availability of a professional-looking bootstrap web layouts, beautiful new E-Commerce sites could be built with almost no web design experience.

I was fortunate to work with Miva Merchant early in their platform’s development. I credit the hands-on attention that I received for the success in my work on this project. The open line of communication with Rick and his team was also what helped put the completed NightOptics.com site in the crosshairs for a feature on the Miva site. With hundreds of thousands of active accounts, it meant a lot to be recognized for a job well done.

Read the full write up here: https://blog.miva.com/store-spotlight-night-optics-usa
Sign up for Miva Merchant Services: https://www.miva.com/schedule-demo-admin
_{Note: This is not an advertisement or endorsement of Miva Merchant products and/or services.}
^{Originally Post: 6/3/2011 | Updated: 2/13/2025}

The post NightOptics.com Redesign Recognized by Miva Merchant appeared first on Rosodigital.