Japan Rail Club

Snack Box Subscription

Web Potato was engaged to lead a comprehensive redesign and redevelopment of the Japan Rail Club website. Our objectives were to create a seamless, engaging user experience, implement a robust SEO framework, and provide the Japan Rail Club team with tools for self-management and business insight. The project included the development of custom Attraction Ticketing tools, advanced analytics reporting, and a migration from Shopify to a more flexible CMS with full e-commerce capabilities, ensuring scalability and greater control over the platform.

Challenge

Japan Rail Club, a subsidiary of JR East Business Development SEA (SEABD), needed to transform their Snack Box Subscription platform to address several key challenges. Their existing website struggled with limited user experience, lacked advanced analytics, and was constrained by Shopify’s inflexible architecture, which hindered business growth and operational efficiency. Additionally, the site’s structure was not optimized for organic search, resulting in heavy reliance on paid advertising to drive traffic and sales.

Strategy

We began by reimagining the site’s UI/UX, focusing on intuitive navigation and a visually appealing design that highlights the unique value of the Omiyage Snack Box subscription. The site architecture was restructured with SEO best practices to maximize organic visibility and reduce dependency on paid channels. Custom tools were developed to empower staff with self-service capabilities for ticketing and content management, while advanced analytics features provided actionable business insights.

Recognizing the limitations of Shopify for Japan Rail Club’s growth ambitions, we facilitated a seamless migration to a more adaptable CMS. This transition enabled enhanced e-commerce functionality, improved scalability, and greater flexibility for future expansion.

Results

The revamped Japan Rail Club platform delivered outstanding results. Subscription sales tripled, with approximately 100 snack boxes shipped per month, and website traffic increased nearly tenfold through targeted organic acquisition strategies. The new CMS empowered the team with greater control and operational efficiency, while the enhanced analytics and SEO-driven structure significantly boosted the brand’s online presence and revenue potential.

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