MicroD Launches ePiphany2 Sites

Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, October 11, 2011

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Retail technology provider MicroD will launch a new platform for websites at the High Point Market it says is designed to turn furniture lookers into buyers.
     The company said the new ePiphany2 features advanced search engine optimization techniques to bring potential customers to a website. It also will inspire and engage customers to interact with the website by helping them see various fabrics and finishes on product, and viewing coordinated accessories such as rugs and sofas, officials said.
     The platform will be compatible with Facebook, Twitter and QR codes. The product pages will display well on iPad and mobile devices including iPhone, Android and Windows phones, according to MicroD.
     In addition, retailers will be able to build and manage private catalogs and product groups and will be able to add, modify and delete products and groupings.
     Product groups can include multiple manufacturers so consumers can see furniture, rugs and accessories on the same page. When a consumer selects a sofa and fabrics for visualization, a selection of coordinated accessories may also be offered and can be inserted into the image. This would put dealers in a better position to upsell consumers when they come into the stores, the company said.
     The ePiphany2 platform also provides geo-targeted marketing. Buyers researching local furniture stores can contact the store about products that catch their eye. Most of these sales leads are local, but a few Internet shoppers sometimes find sites out of their trading area. A new feature will allow retailers to filter out ZIP codes not in their trading area, giving them more time to spend on local buyer leads.
     In addition, MicroD is offering its Master Product Catalog (MPCat) Online software, a catalog building and maintenance tool, to manufacturers. The Web-based platform allows manufacturers to create product catalogs using an online interface and to make them available to the appropriate retailers, correctly representing their products on retailers' websites hosted by MicroD.
     According to the company, this would enable manufacturers to monitor how their products are performing by having access to data such as number of views and time spent by consumers on the Web pages of specific product units.