While at Arbonne, I set out to modernize how we build and distribute product catalogs. For years, we relied on FlippingBook, which works well for most businesses. However, as an MLM company, it posed a critical problem: it couldn’t ensure that consultants always received credit for sales.
Phase 1 – Workaround with Redirects:
I built a server-side solution that used query strings and cookies to track which consultant should receive credit, then redirected users to the correct site. While functional, it required the user to first visit the consultant’s site before opening the catalog. If that step was skipped, the referral wasn’t tracked — an unnecessary friction point in the sales funnel.
Phase 2 – The Epub Solution:
To solve this, I developed a Node application that dynamically generates customized EPUB files. When a consultant requests a catalog, the system replaces all generic URLs in the base file with personalized, trackable links tied to that consultant. Unlike the cookie-based approach, this ensures that every link — no matter how or where it’s shared — always points back to the correct consultant. This made sharing catalogs on social networks seamless and reliable.
Enhanced Features:
- Added consultant names and photos to the catalog cover for clear personalization (not in current version).
- Integrated an EPUB viewer from NPM so catalogs could be viewed instantly online without downloads.
- Reduced environmental impact by replacing printed catalogs with always-up-to-date digital versions.
Project is currently live so it can be viewed here. Source code is unavailable to be shared at this time