The market for hoses and hose solutions is large and has not been digitized yet. Haberkorn has seized this opportunity with Fluidify's digital business model.
Based on the identified market gap, we developed the business model together with Haberkorn using the classic lean startup approach and proceeded step by step over a long period of time from testing initial value propositions to scaling.
30
months project time
15
team members
5
project phases
The challenge: Is it possible to establish a new business model in the niche segment of hoses & fittings as an online pure player?
Basically, a hose is a simple product. But putting together a complete hose line (including fittings and accessories) can quickly become complex and painful. But with a digital configurator for customized hose solutions, this pain can be taken away - this was the basic idea and starting point for Fluidify's company building, which was divided into several phases in the project.
Phase 1: Validate business strategy with MVP
To test 3 different hypotheses, we built an MVP landing page where users could complete a hose configuration but not order it. We then used online marketing campaigns to drive users to the landing page to measure the number of configurations and validate the hypotheses.
After successfully testing the customer need and drawing first conclusions about the business model (e.g. cost per lead), the next step was to develop the product vision.
Phase 2: Product vision design sprint
To develop the product vision, we put our heads together for a week in a design sprint and visualized the product vision in a prototype.
This prototype was then tested with real customers to gather feedback and make optimizations.
Phase 3: MVP for online store based on Spryker.
The next step was to make a fundamental decision about the e-commerce architecture, choosing between a best-of-breed and best-of-suite approach. Several e-commerce technologies were then evaluated and a vendor selection was made.
After choosing the Spryker e-commerce framework, we started the technological development of an MVP that saw the light of day in the form of an online store.
Phase 4: Online Marketing and Scaling
Before going live, we developed copy & content for the new store, which had to be brought to life from scratch with new content. We also implemented a tracking setup to keep track of all important KPIs.
After going live, we launched the first campaigns, which included SEA ads, display ads and Google Shopping ads. For further scaling, we implemented dynamic remarketing ads and worked on strategic backlink building as well as ongoing technical and content SEO optimization.
Phase 5: Handover for Inhousing
After supporting the project for over 30 months, it was time for a handover.
During this handover, all accounts were transferred to Fluidify and we were available to answer questions and provide support.
Florian Wassel
CEO & Managing Partner
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