A Faster WooCommerce Website and Resource Hub for AC Models Spares

AC Models Spares Ltd is a specialist supplier of spare parts for RC cars, model trains, Scalextric and other hobby equipment. The business serves a very specific and knowledgeable customer base, where people often know exactly what part, manual or replacement component they are looking for.

Before working with CoreTechnics, the company already had a WooCommerce website in place. Megan had spent around four years managing the site herself, trying to keep it running while also looking after the day-to-day demands of the business. Over time, that became harder to sustain. The website was slow, the design was showing its age, mobile usability needed attention, hosting problems were creating extra stress and there were security concerns that could no longer be ignored.

The project was not about replacing a website simply for the sake of it. AC Models Spares already had a loyal customer base and a valuable catalogue. The priority was to create a faster, safer and more reliable platform that made life easier for both customers and the business owner.

Where the client was before

Like many independent eCommerce businesses, AC Models Spares had built up its website over time. It had done the job for a while, but the longer it was left, the more difficult it became to manage. WooCommerce stores need regular care. Plugins need updating, hosting needs to be reliable, checkout needs to work smoothly and the site needs to feel easy to use on phones as well as desktops.

For Megan, the website had become a source of pressure. Slow performance made the shopping experience less enjoyable. Hosting issues made the site less dependable. Security concerns added risk. The design no longer reflected the quality of the business, and the mobile experience was not where it needed to be for modern customers.

The site was still important to the business, but it needed a stronger foundation and a clearer direction.

Stabilising the foundations first

The first step was to take control of the hosting. CoreTechnics moved the website and email onto managed hosting straight away, before the wider overhaul began. This gave the project a more stable base and meant the existing website could be supported while the improvements were planned and delivered.

That early stabilisation mattered. It meant performance, security and reliability could be handled properly rather than trying to improve the site while it was still sitting on an unreliable setup. Once the hosting was under control, we could focus on making the WooCommerce store faster, easier to use and easier to maintain.

A major WooCommerce overhaul and rebrand

The existing WooCommerce website was overhauled rather than treated as a simple content refresh. The aim was to keep what was valuable about the business while improving the experience around it.

We refreshed the visual identity, including the company logo, so the website felt more current and trustworthy. We improved the layout, navigation and mobile experience so customers could move through the site more easily. Product search and general usability were improved to help visitors find parts faster, and the checkout was refined to make ordering simpler.

Behind the scenes, we focused on the less visible work that often makes the biggest difference: speed, security, hosting stability, WooCommerce maintenance and ongoing support. The result was a website that felt calmer, cleaner and more dependable for both customers and the team managing it.

Turning a small manuals page into a proper resource hub

One of the most useful parts of the project was the new service manual repository. Before the overhaul, AC Models Spares had a simple page with around ten links to individual manuals. It was helpful, but limited.

We turned that idea into a much larger resource for the model train and Scalextric community. The new repository now holds more than 4,000 manuals, making it one of the largest collections of its kind. Instead of downloading files from a basic list of links, customers can browse manuals through the website, open them in an inline PDF viewer, switch to full-screen mode and use basic search to find what they need.

This gave the website a role beyond selling products. It became a useful reference point for hobbyists, helping customers identify parts, maintain older models and get more value from the equipment they already own.

What AC Models Spares has now

AC Models Spares now has a faster and more reliable WooCommerce website hosted and supported by CoreTechnics. The store is easier to use, easier to browse and more comfortable to shop from on mobile devices. Customers benefit from better search, improved checkout and access to a large manual repository that supports the wider hobby community.

For Megan, the biggest change is confidence. Instead of spending time worrying about website problems, technical issues and hosting concerns, she has a support team she can turn to when something needs attention. That gives her more space to focus on the business, the products and the customers.