Approved Performance are an aftermarket, OEM replacement parts seller based out of Bloomingdale Illinois, run by Keith Boyer. Approved Performance sell superior vehicle parts for breaking systems, hubs and shafts.

The products are fantastic, priced at a level where they are competitive with OEM parts but far superior in quality they provide genuine value for customers.

The issues with fitment data…

The biggest problem for the customer is finding the part that fits their vehicle, sometimes opting for inferior products, at higher prices to guarantee fitment. The other option is taking the risk on a product, only to find it doesn’t fit, return the product and start the search all over again.

Keith started selling parts through Amazon in 2014 after being invited to sell on the platform. In order to sell motor parts on Amazon, sellers need to provide a catalog of fitment data to let customers choose fitment.

Initially Approved Performance had a catalog of parts and fitment which enabled them to have vehicle fitment in their Amazon products.

However, there were inaccuracies in the data and some of the information was not specific enough as parts differ between drivetrains, fuel types and engines. These inaccuracies led to high return rates and dissatisfied customers.

Frustrated with high return rates and spiralling return freight charges, Keith got in contact with the team at PartsConnect.

PartsConnect repaired the fitment data, bringing in additional options to increase the specificity of a vehicle. Once the data was re-worked Keith was able to update his entire Amazon inventory with 1 click.

He immediately saw huge changes in returns and freight costs.

“My Amazon returns rate went from 7-8% to 1% just from using the correct vehicle fitment data and PartsConnect.” Keith – Approved Performance

As well as selling via Amazon, Keith also sells on eBay. EBay’s system already allows for pretty detailed parts fitment using K-types so there was less of a problem. Keith wanted to become more professional on eBay so took on the services of Frooition to provide a more professional design for eBay.

Stepping into e-commerce…

Now that Approved Performance was Multi-channel, Keith wanted to build an e-commerce website but was eager to not repeat the issues he had faced on Amazon. Keith went to the PartsConnect team to ask if they could help.

PartsConnect were delighted to help Keith with his website data, however they are focused on fitment data and building software to help parts sellers, not providers of design and branding. PartsConnect reached out to the Bigcommerce partnership team to see if there were any partners that could help build Keith a brand.

By happy coincidence Frooition were introduced as the e-commerce design experts.

Building the ultimate buying experience

Over the course of 6 weeks, Frooition, PartsConnect and Approved Performance worked together to build a beautiful looking website that drives customers directly through to the right parts for their vehicle in the least number of clicks. Every click between a customer entering a site and finding a product reduces conversions. Together we strived to reduce that user journey to the bare minimum.

Approved Performance built a custom search widget for the store that asks for up to 8 pieces of information about the buyer’s vehicle. Almost immediately the parts are brought straight to the customer, filtering the results from several thousand to a handful of perfect fitting parts.

Frooition then built a custom ecommerce brand for Keith and worked seamlessly with PartsConnect to ensure the search functionality was truly incorporated into the design. As well as styling the site and building the brand, Frooition helped build a custom flow through the store as the standard category, brand and search functionality was no longer required.

The Results:

The results of this collaboration are a unique buying experience for buyers, they can feel assured that the parts they are buying are correct. There is very little room for error as buyers only see the products that fit their vehicle.

The technology and design flow together provide a great experience, minimal confusion and have built a fantastic store ready to slash returns and vastly improve conversion rates.

“It was a great partnership to work with both Frooition and PartsConnect. It was a great learning experience and a pleasure to work with two companies that had the same goals as I do. They were both very responsive to my needs.” – Keith

If you would like to discuss working with Frooition and PartsConnect get in touch with us today and we will arrange a joint conversation.