Jelly Belly adds new technology to Web site

FAIRFIELD, Calif. Jelly Belly for the fourth time replaced its Web site’s platform recently and reported an 18% increase in conversion rates, as well as a 51% increase in retail sales, on the site for the 2008 holiday shopping season. The company researched various Web services for six months until it decided to stick with the build-your-own option because of its ability to support a high amount of “back-end integration among inventory records and trading partners,” according to Internet Retailer.

The site was custom-coded in Microsoft Corp.’s .Net development environment, and Jelly Belly looked to other innovative online retail developers for further technological Web add-ons. The candy company looked to SLI Systems Inc. for a search application that was created to improve search results, and Jelly Belly used a tool from Fluid Inc. that allows shoppers to view enlarged products details.

“These features are definitely making it easier for our shoppers to find what they want, while making our products look better online,” said e-commerce marketing manager Jason Marrone.