Article Number : 1730 |
|
Article Detail |
|
 | |
| Date | 2/6/2007 8:41:02 PM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1730 |
| Abstract | Hicksville, N.Y.—A decade ago, Floor Covering News and FloorBiz teamed up to provide readers of the publication as well as other industry personnel resources to help improve themselves and their businesses... |
| Article | Hicksville, N.Y.—A decade ago, Floor Covering News and FloorBiz teamed up to provide readers of the publication as well as other industry personnel resources to help improve themselves and their businesses. For 2007, the two have expanded their partnership with Zip2Biz, a fully customizable free Web site and support service. David Kern, president of FloorBiz, said, “Our Zip2Biz program was designed to provide retailers with little or no Internet experience an opportunity to tap into the global reach of the World Wide Web, thus expanding their marketing abilities and customer base, and increasing revenue potential.” He noted that even savvy Internet users and dealers who are already established on the Web can take advantage of this free service. “Even though this system was designed for the average person, meaning users don’t have to have any computer experience at all, retailers who are already on the Web can not only still have a presence through Zip2Biz, they can link their sites to create an even greater marketing tool.” “FloorBiz has been a great partner,” said Matthew Spieler, FCNews’ senior executive editor, “and we are always seeking ways to utilize the vast resources of both companies to provide more value-added services to our readers and industry personnel.” So, what does a dealer get with Zip2Biz? First and foremost is an eight-page Web site including a unique domain name—such as www.yourdealername.com (as long as the domain name is available)—hosting, 15 individual e-mail addresses and unlimited 24/7 technical support. And it is all absolutely free. Each section of the Web site is set up as follows: • Splash Page: This provides your business with a unique introduction. Included on this page is your store logo, room scenes and a hit counter to keep track of your online traffic. • Home Page: This includes your store photo, hours of operation, credit cards you accept, years in business and any association memberships. • About Page: This area includes plenty of space for you to write about your company—its history, management and staff, business philosophy, etc.; list the products your business carries, and frequently asked questions. • Contact Page: Here is where your company address, contact names, telephone and fax numbers, cities or regions served and a map with directions to your store are listed. • Brands Page: This area allows you to list all the brands you carry along with the brand logos and links to each manufacturer’s Web site. • Specials Page: The great advantage of this section is that each retailer can list sale items, closeouts and specials whenever they occur. In addition, you can include coupons that your customers can print and redeem. • News Page: Industry news as published by FCNews and FloorBiz.com is automatically updated into this section, which allows you to provide a value-added service to users of your site. Plus, this feature gives you and your staff the ability to have the latest news and information right at your fingertips. • Help Page: This is where consumers go for helpful links, design tips, and cleaning and maintenance information. Kern noted, “If a manufacturer has relevant information on a page that isn’t blatant advertising, we can link to that page through our administrator. We are constantly adding new and useful content to our Help section.” Getting started is easy, Kern explained. Once signed up, FloorBiz collects basic information such as company name, address, phone numbers and contact info through an easy-to-understand sign-up sheet. Once the site is set up, the dealer can then access the administration area of his site and edit/add information as needed, including company banners and images, specials, products, etc. This is done via an Update/ Revise link on each page of the Web site. It requires a user name and password to access, meaning only those you assign the information to are allowed in. Once in the administration section, the user can edit/add or delete any of the information. Dealers can access this feature as needed 24/7. In addition to allowing you to have your own personalized domain name, the Zip2Biz system provides users with up to 15 individual e-mail addresses. For example, johndoe@johndoeflooring.com; janedoe@johndoeflooring.com and so on. “It’s an e-mail forwarding system using a personalized e-mail address,” Kern said. “This address would be used by anyone wanting to send e-mail to you with our mail system then forwarding the mail to an e-mail account you already have established.” For those who want an even more dynamic Web site than what is offered for free, Kern said dealers have the option to upgrade to a more dynamic one for $795. To learn about Zip2Biz and how it can help attract new customers and increase your sales, call FloorBiz toll-free at 866.378.0111. |