FurnitureDealers.net to develop Web sites for HFIA members
Q&A sessions about program set for High Point Market
Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, April 23, 2009
DALLAS — The Home Furnishings Independents Assn. is working with FurnitureDealer.net to integrate the online and offline shopping experience for its approximately 1,500 retail members.
FurnitureDealer.net and its sister company Furnoodle - which is providing free Webs sites for any furniture store - will develop Web sites for HFIA members as well as an HFIA portal site, most likely to be called hfiadealer.net. On the portal, consumers will be able to look up their local HFIA stores, said Mary Frye HFIA president.
Interested retailers can attend question-and-answer forums in FurnitureDealer.net's space at the National Home Furnishings Assn.'s new Retail Resource Center in Plaza Suites during the High Point Market Sunday, April 26, and Monday, April 27, at 10:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. each day.
"There will be distinct advantages to doing business with FurnitureDealer.net as HFIA members," Frye said, though she wouldn't elaborate on the details. She did say, however, that there will be benefits for members whether they choose a free Furnoodle site or premium Web site development and marketing by the company.
"Nearly eight out of 10 shoppers go online to research products before going into a store," Frye said in a news release. "Until now, our members were limited in the amount of product they could show by their local tech people, ad agency or very limited manufacturer images."
Under the new agreement, HFIA members can have product-filled Web sites, supported by FurnitureDealer.net's product library of more than 35,000 items from more than 210 furniture and bedding suppliers. Consumers can see current print and electronic promotions on the sites, request credit and get directions to the store via Google Maps.
FurnitureDealer.net will help HFIA members attract consumer traffic to their site with search engine optimization, e-mail marketing and listings on industry search sites, according to the release.
"This advances our ability to serve consumers the way they want to be served,"
Frye said.
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