HomePortfolio.com Launches Online Showroom; New Internet Business Solution Drives Buyers to Retailers and Dramatically Shortens Sales Cycle

Furniture World Magazine

HomePortfolio.com, the leading Internet destination for the best in home design, today introduced the Online Showroom, the latest offering in its growing complement of e-Business Solutions for the home design industry. The Online Showroom offers retailers a customized Web presence that delivers the benefits of the Internet at a fraction of the cost of traditional Web marketing strategies. "HomePortfolio's Online Showroom drives customers to brick-and-mortar retailers and dramatically shortens the sales cycle," said Dale Williams, CEO of HomePortfolio.com. "It does this by providing consumers with a wealth of detailed product information while they are in the early stages of a project. By the time they enter the actual store, they are educated and ready to buy." HomePortfolio.com is launching its new product at a time when the $250 billion home design industry is shifting to a multi-channel strategy that includes the Internet. Research has shown that more and more consumers want to gather information online before buying. In a 2000 study by NetSmart America, 69 percent of furniture consumers said the Internet is the first place they go when shopping. HomePortfolio's Online Showroom is specifically designed to help retailers address this consumer preference without having to build a Web site from scratch. Features and Options: HomePortfolio's Online Showroom delivers store images and information - including hours, contact information, locator maps and text. It also delivers a searchable database of the retailer's key products with images, text descriptions and inventory status. Consumers may communicate with the store through an email feature. Consumers may also save, organize and communicate about their product choices using HomePortfolio's exclusive Home Design Portfolio. Recently introduced features allow consumers and store representatives to work collaboratively over the Internet by viewing product images and making comments to each other about products they have saved in the Portfolios. All Online Showrooms are accessible through the HomePortfolio.com Web site. Retailers may also opt to have their showrooms reside at their own unique Internet address. Higher levels of customization and design are also available. In contrast to competitive products, HomePortfolio's Online Showroom allows retailers to: •Integrate their offline and online marketing by presenting their logo, selecting a color palette from a wide range of choices, showcasing images of their store and product collections, and writing about their store. •Merchandise online through collections, promotions and coupons. Present detailed information about products as well as brands. •Control their own online presentations, and change them anytime, through the Business Builder self-service tool Track consumer response through page-specific traffic reports. These features are all provided within the stylish and editorially rich HomePortfolio.com marketplace, which draws millions of time-starved, affluent consumers creating their dream homes. Online Showroom is the latest e-Business Solution from HomePortfolio.com. In addition to Online Showroom, HomePortfolio.com provides Email Marketing Campaigns, Enhanced Product Profiles, and Imaging Services. To see the Online Showroom, please click the link for a Flash demonstration: http://www.homeportfolio.com/b2b/InternetStarterKits/index.jhtml To see an Online Showroom, please visit http://www.homeportfolio.com/Retailer/166675/index.jhtml About HomePortfolio.com: HomePortfolio.com, the leading Internet destination for the best in home design, helps people envision and create their dream homes. HomePortfolio.com offers consumers the world's largest database of home design products, online portfolios for saving and organizing favorites, the ability to e-mail content to a friend and information about where to buy the products. HomePortfolio.com helps manufacturers, retailers and design professionals connect with those consumers with a suite of e-Business Solutions created especially for the home design industry.