Quisto: How to scale a feature-rich multivendor system

The Problem

Quisto, a B2B food and beverage distributor, was struggling with a slow and outdated multi-vendor WooCommerce site. As a startup, the company had done a lot of experimenting, which had led to a build-up of legacy code that made the site extremely difficult to maintain. To compound the problem, Quisto changed its business strategy, phasing out most of the third-party sellers to sell directly to consumers, which necessitated significant changes to the online platform.

Our Approach

Recognising that a complete rewrite of the website was impractical, we embarked on a strategic overhaul. Our team devised a roadmap to enhance the existing site in three major phases, each prioritising tasks by their potential impact and the effort required. This approach allowed us to systematically address issues without disrupting Quisto’s ongoing need to introduce new features, such as advanced discount rules, a Progressive Web App (PWA), integration with Fatture in Cloud for electronic invoicing and with TrackPOD for managing deliveries.

The Solution

We began by untangling the business logic from the website’s theme, transitioning it to a custom plugin. This shift not only tidied up the code but also allowed us to implement Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and SOLID principles, significantly boosting code quality. Next, we optimized asset compilation and deployment to their serverless infrastructure, incorporating Twig to streamline template management.

Our efforts enabled us to eliminate redundant plugins, upgrade to the latest PHP and MySQL versions, and purge outdated vendor-related data from the database. We then conducted a thorough performance analysis, targeting and enhancing critical areas like the cart and checkout pages.

Simultaneously, we maintained existing functionalities and introduced new, complex features. We also conducted UX audits, particularly focusing on mobile experiences within vendor and category pages, and rolled out a new, more intuitive layout for these sections.

The Impact

Quisto’s website transformation resulted in a significant uptick in conversions. The site is now more user-friendly, particularly on mobile devices, leading to an improved customer experience.

Our commitment to continuous performance, UX, and UI enhancements is reflected in Quisto’s decision to engage in an extended maintenance plan with us. This ongoing partnership ensures that their platform remains efficient, effective, and aligned with their evolving business needs.