Countrywide Sports, a North Carolina wholesale ammunition business serving licensed dealers, ran a legacy BigCommerce wholesale store with open pricing, weak search and no customer reviews. Between March and December 2021, WebDesk Solution gated pricing with Customer Groups, added Klevu search and custom faceted filters, integrated Reviews.io and upgraded the theme to Cornerstone 5.1.0. Conversion rate rose from 2.51% to 3.07% and revenue from $2.13M to $3.24M.
Overview
Countrywide Sports, based in North Carolina, is a recognized name in the wholesale ammunition industry, proudly serving licensed dealers since 2013. Known for their dedication to quality and customer service, they’ve built a strong reputation among federal firearms licensees. However, their legacy website had not kept pace with the expectations of modern B2B buyers. With no restrictions to prevent B2C purchases, a lack of a powerful product search engine, and no real user reviews to build trust, their digital storefront was falling short. As a long-standing client of WebDesk Solution, they returned to us seeking a transformation that would both modernize their website and re-engineer their user journey to cater specifically to wholesale customers.
Between March and December 2021, WebDesk Solution’s scope included a BigCommerce B2B store redesign, Klevu search, a custom faceted filter solution, Reviews.io integration, dealer-only pricing through BigCommerce Customer Groups, and a Cornerstone 5.1.0 theme upgrade.
Approach: A Trust-Based Digital Transformation with Tactical Execution
Having successfully worked with Countrywide Sports on previous projects, our team already had a deep understanding of their operational model and pain points. This time, the stakes were higher. David, the client, needed a high-functioning BigCommerce B2B store with tailored access control, faceted product discovery, and a trust-building review ecosystem-all without disrupting current sales operations.
Daniel from WebDesk Solution personally walked David through our phased strategy: setting up Klevu search and a custom filter solution on a sandbox environment, implementing gated access for B2B customers through BigCommerce Customer Groups, and simultaneously modernizing the store’s visual design using BigCommerce’s Cornerstone 5.1.0 theme. We reassured David, who expressed concern about downtime and technical disruptions, that the production environment would remain untouched during development. Every module, from the “Login to See Price” system to the review integration, was staged and rigorously tested before rollout.
Our team approached this as more than just a redesign. It was a technical realignment of Countrywide Sports’ digital business logic to support scalable, secure, and user-friendly B2B eCommerce.
What challenges did Countrywide Sports face before moving from its legacy BigCommerce store to a dealer-only B2B store?
Countrywide Sports has served licensed dealers since 2013, but its legacy BigCommerce store had not kept pace with the expectations of modern B2B buyers. Four problems stood in the way: an outdated search with no filtering, no customer reviews in a trust-driven industry, pricing and checkout open to any visitor, and a dated theme that guided mobile buyers poorly.
Countrywide Sports’ outdated search made product discovery slow and frustrating
The original site’s search experience was rudimentary at best. It failed to understand search context, had no learning capability, and offered users irrelevant or incomplete results. For a catalog-heavy B2B site where products often have nuanced differences, this limitation was severely impacting user satisfaction and conversions. With the store’s original BigCommerce search, wholesale buyers, often short on time, had to sift through irrelevant listings to find the right product. Additionally, there was no filtering mechanism, making the navigation of large product groups a frustrating experience.
Countrywide Sports’ storefront showed buyers no customer reviews
Trust is currency in B2B sales-especially in the ammunition industry. Yet, Countrywide Sports’ digital storefront lacked any structured customer feedback system. Without verified reviews, potential buyers were hesitant. There was no way for visitors to gauge the quality of service or products, and the lack of visible testimonials was weakening the brand’s credibility. In a niche where every order involves high-value purchases and compliance, this absence created unnecessary friction in the buyer’s decision-making journey.
Countrywide Sports’ pricing and checkout were open to any visitor
A major concern was the open display of pricing and order options. The site allowed any visitor-B2B or B2C-to view product pricing and proceed to checkout. This not only risked non-compliant sales but also diluted the brand’s positioning as a wholesale-only provider. Product listings had to stay visible while purchase options and pricing were limited to pre-approved, licensed dealers.
Countrywide Sports’ dated theme left buyers with cluttered navigation and a weak mobile layout
The site was running an outdated version of the BigCommerce theme, and the design reflected it-cluttered navigation, a lack of promotional messaging, and a layout that didn’t meet modern UX standards. It lacked essential trust banners like “Free Shipping” notices and had an unresponsive header/footer layout on mobile devices. The overall visual hierarchy was weak, and users-especially on mobile-were not being guided effectively through their buying journey.
Key Metrics
Running a dealer-only wholesale store on BigCommerce?
How did WebDesk Solution solve Countrywide Sports’ legacy-store-to-dealer-only B2B challenges?
WebDesk Solution answered each challenge with one piece of work: Klevu search with custom faceted filters, a Reviews.io integration, gated pricing through BigCommerce Customer Groups with an admin approval workflow, and a Cornerstone 5.1.0 theme upgrade with a UX redesign.
WebDesk Solution implemented Klevu search and built custom faceted filters
We implemented the Klevu app for search and built a custom filtering solution for Countrywide Sports to revolutionize the product discovery journey. Klevu’s AI-powered search engine brought intelligent NLP-based query understanding, delivering results with real-time relevance. We implemented smart faceted filters across categories, allowing users to filter by price, availability, caliber, brand, and even review ratings. This wasn’t a plug-and-play install; our team custom-built the frontend sync and ensured the filters dynamically responded to inventory and search changes. The result? A seamless, intuitive, and faster product discovery flow.
Together, the Klevu app and our custom filters gave Countrywide Sports BigCommerce faceted search that narrows large product groups by price, availability, caliber, brand, and review ratings.
Key deliverables:
- Klevu app search with NLP-based query understanding, delivering results with real-time relevance.
- Custom faceted filters across categories for price, availability, caliber, brand, and review ratings.
- Custom front-end sync so the filters respond dynamically to inventory and search changes.
- Testing on a sandbox environment before rollout, with the production store left untouched.
- Result: search engagement jumped by over 38%, with customers spending less time searching.
WebDesk Solution integrated the Reviews.io app to put reviews on product pages
To solve the trust deficit, we integrated the Reviews.io app with BigCommerce. This allowed real-time customer feedback to appear directly on the product pages, including ratings and comments. On a strategic level, we configured Reviews.io to support the store’s credibility and search visibility. We also implemented logic to auto-request reviews post-purchase, creating a feedback loop that continually added fresh content and credibility to the site. Now, when potential buyers land on a page, they don’t just see specs-they see community validation.
Key deliverables:
- Reviews.io app integrated with the BigCommerce store, showing ratings and comments on product pages.
- Automatic review requests after each purchase, creating a feedback loop of fresh content.
- Reviews.io configured to support the store’s credibility, customer trust and search visibility.
- Result: buyers landing on a product page see community validation beside the specs.
WebDesk Solution gated pricing with Customer Groups and an admin approval workflow
WebDesk Solution configured BigCommerce Customer Groups to hide pricing and restrict checkout access, and routed new dealer registrations through an admin approval workflow. We created a gated pricing model using BigCommerce Customer Groups that hides prices and disables purchase actions for unregistered users. Visitors can browse all products but are prompted to log in to access prices. New user registrations are sent to the admin for approval, ensuring compliance with FFL restrictions and internal vetting processes. From a development standpoint, this required a custom BigCommerce-compatible app that could sync with customer groups and dynamically update the user interface based on login state. We also integrated backend notification workflows to streamline admin approvals.
Key deliverables:
- BigCommerce Customer Groups that hide prices and disable purchase actions for unregistered visitors.
- Open catalog browsing, with a prompt to log in before any price is shown.
- Admin approval of every new dealer registration before pricing access is granted.
- Backend notification workflows that alert the admin and streamline approvals.
- Result: unauthorized purchases reduced by 90%, with purchasing restricted to approved dealer accounts.
WebDesk Solution upgraded the theme to Cornerstone 5.1.0 and redesigned the UX
The visual overhaul included upgrading to BigCommerce’s Cornerstone theme version 5.1.0. We customized the header with a cleaner navigation bar and implemented a floating Free Shipping Banner that adapts across devices. The homepage was rebuilt with high-converting elements such as product callouts, trust icons, and B2B-specific messaging. The footer was reorganized to include key links like dealer login, FAQs, and compliance documentation. Every design change was tested for cross-device compatibility, accessibility, and speed, ensuring the site didn’t just look better-it worked better.
Key deliverables:
- Theme upgraded to BigCommerce’s Cornerstone theme version 5.1.0.
- Cleaner header navigation and a floating Free Shipping Banner that adapts across devices.
- Homepage rebuilt with product callouts, trust icons, and B2B-specific messaging; footer reorganized around dealer login, FAQs and compliance documentation.
- Every design change tested for cross-device compatibility, accessibility, and speed.
- Result: conversion rate grew from 2.51% to 3.07% after the redesign and feature roll-out.
Need dealer-only pricing and faster product search on your B2B store?
What results did Countrywide Sports report after the BigCommerce B2B redesign?
The transformation was not just aesthetic-it was operational. Within months of the launch:
Search engagement jumped by over 38%, with customers spending less time searching and more time converting.
Revenue increased from $2.13M to $3.24M post-redesign and feature roll-out.
Conversion Rate grew from 2.51% to 3.07%, a significant 22.31% increase.
Average Order Value rose to $1,383.02, signaling higher confidence among buyers.
The new B2B pricing restriction tool minimized compliance risks and reduced unauthorized purchases by 90%.
Reviews.io was configured on product pages to strengthen the store’s credibility and support its search visibility.
Conclusion: A Seamless B2B Ecosystem, Built for Trust and Performance
Countrywide Sports shows that a dealer-only wholesale store depends on two controls working together: who can see prices, and how quickly those buyers find the right product. BigCommerce Customer Groups kept pricing and checkout limited to approved, licensed dealers, while Klevu search and custom faceted filters let those dealers narrow a catalog-heavy range by caliber, brand and availability. Reviews.io added the trust signal that high-value purchases need. After the redesign, conversion rate grew from 2.51% to 3.07% and revenue rose from $2.13M to $3.24M. For a B2B store that still shows open pricing, the lesson is to gate access first, then invest in search and design.
Questions About Countrywide Sports’ Legacy-to-B2B BigCommerce Redesign
What does an unregistered visitor see on the Countrywide Sports store?
How are new dealer accounts approved on the Countrywide Sports store?
Why did Countrywide Sports move its search to the Klevu app?
Which filters can dealers use on the Countrywide Sports store?
How does Countrywide Sports collect customer reviews?
How did Countrywide Sports keep selling while the store was rebuilt?
What changed in the Countrywide Sports theme upgrade?
How did buying behavior change on the Countrywide Sports store after launch?
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