The non-profit National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) announced that it is offering retailers a unique approach to connect with today’s consumers through their new national marketing program, HomeFurnishings.com.
At one time the most effective method for retailers to connect with their consumers was through newspaper, the yellow pages, radio and TV ads. But times are changing. The number of regular newspaper readers and yellow page users continues to decline. Today, the majority of consumers are getting their information online.
“HomeFurnishings.com will be an industry game-changer," stated Steve DeHaan, NHFA executive vice president. “Research shows that 75 to 80 percent of consumers use the internet to find information and shop but currently 14 percent of retailers still do not have a website, 40 percent of retailers only have a minimal site that focuses more on price than information and most of the retailers who do have an internet presence only devote about six percent of their advertising budget to the internet where are majority of their customers spend about 14 hours a week. It won’t work just to take what we’ve done in the past and continue with it. We need to be where the consumer is, answering her questions and helping to cultivate a relationship with her. HomeFurnishings.com can help retailers do just that.”
So what makes HomeFurnishings.com different from the other internet websites? According to Doug Kays, NHFA chairman, “HomeFurnishings.com is more that just an internet website, it’s an easy-to-navigate multi-dimensional web portal. Think of it as the center of a spider web. When the consumer visits the HomeFurnishings.com home page she will discover dynamic and changing content-rich articles, images, design advice, buying guides and decorating tools. From there she can also create her own personal style file, search for a certified HomeFurnishings.com retailer, visit retailer and manufacturer micro-sites and then enter their websites for more information.”
Another unique feature of the HomeFurnishings.com program is the national advertising and promotion component that will reach major home and lifestyle advertising venues that no one retailer could ever afford independently. It will capture the consumers’ attention with memorable advertising in top national publications and online banner advertising. This will be combined with comprehensive online advertising and leading search-engine optimization techniques to guide the consumer to the HomeFurnishings.com web portal when she first starts to shop.
The third aspect that makes HomeFurnishings.com different is The Certified HomeFurnishings.com Retailers program. This is designed to help the consumer build confidence and inspire trust in a retailer with this superior rating. The program will also feature the store in its own branded micro site so the store can present a tailored selling message, promotions and a choice of continually updated furnishings articles. A direct link will refer her from the store’s micro site to the store’s current website to create the best online shopping experience and elevate the retailer’s brand image. The consumer will arrive at the store informed and ready to buy as a great new relationship begins.
The HomeFurnishings.com national promotional program, consumer web portal and Certified HomeFurnishings.com Retailer program will have a soft launch in the fall of 2009 and will launch nationally to consumers in the first quarter of 2010.
National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) is the nation’s largest non-profit organization devoted specifically to the needs and interests of home furnishings retailers. NHFA’s membership comprises 2500 business entities representing over 9,000 stores in all 50 states and several foreign countries. NHFA’s mission and vision encompass the association’s commitment to helping home furnishings retailers operate highly profitable businesses that provide an exceptional level of service to the consumers who buy their furniture. The mission of National Home Furnishings Association is to provide its members with the information, education, products and services they need to remain successful. NHFA’s vision is to excel as the definitive resource for information and leadership for home furnishings retailers.