When we re-launched craftsman.com, we did so to improve our online business and further reinforce our iconic brand. And while these factors affected our strategy, the one thing that most informed all of our decisions and energized us was improving the user experience. To do so, we looked at the site through the eyes of our customers.

Craftsman loyalists are a passionate crew, and even new customers know our name and associate it with quality. Ask them why they believe in Craftsman and you may get dozens of different answers. But what it ultimately comes down to is that they trust us. Our mission was to carry that feeling of trust over to the site.

We talked to our customers to better understand what would make craftsman.com more intuitive and easy to use. Based on that feedback and our market insights, we made several improvements. Namely, we enabled eCommerce on the site. Customers can now purchase products directly from craftsman.com instead of being re-directed to sears.com.

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On top of that, we made the site more useful and fun. That started with welcoming customers into the “Garage of Knowledge” – a 360-degree visual and content experience. Now customers can find the right tool by name and category (lawn & garden and storage & garage) and by project – thanks to our collaboration with managemyhome.com.

Plus, we linked customers to the Craftsman Community – where they can find the comprehensive product information, tips, techniques and reviews that they crave. The Community also features our social media outreach – including our youtube and Facebook presence. Plus, it encourages people to join the Craftsman Club.

Club Members get exclusive product sneak peeks and insights. Members are also notified about special promotions. After all, we want customers to get the job done efficiently and with great confidence. Because we know that reinforces a sense of pride.

And while we are proud of the improved UX on craftsman.com, we know that we have to continue to evolve. The more that customers use the site, and the more feedback we get, the better. In fact, I invite you to visit craftsman.com, join the Craftsman Club and get back to us with your recommendations. We’re open to all suggestions and strive to be as responsive as possible. That’s another way we build trust.