Leveraging the Web to attract flooring customers

Shaw Floors, a manufacturer of carpeting, hardwood and other types of flooring, has launched Shaw Web Studio for its nationwide network of flooring retailers. Shaw Web Studio provides the retailers with access to tools, content and collateral, enabling them to build and manage their own professional Web sites. Many of them are independently operated stores with limited website marketing ability.

Shaw Web Studio is developed on iAPPS Content Manager, iAPPS Analytics and iAPPS Commerce from Bridgeline Digital. The solution provides administrative functionality and a feature set that includes search engine optimization capabilities with integrated web analytics reporting, offering insight into customer and site visitor activity, according to Bridgeline Digital. The product suite is a software-as-a-service solution that unifies content management, e-commerce, e-marketing and analytics, Bridgeline adds.

Misty Hodge, Web services manager at Shaw Flooring, says, "There are a lot of difficulties retailers have with being on the Web. They don’t have the time, the money or the experience that it takes to produce a truly valuable consumer Web experience. Shaw Web Studio was designed to give them those tools and be extremely easy to use."

For a monthly subscription cost, retailers can develop their own site and populate it with ready-to-use content that includes informational videos, product catalog items, promotional materials and editorial--all developed and controlled centrally on iAPPS by Shaw. The solution also enables retailers to manage their sites to reflect their understanding of local customers and markets.

"Because flooring retailers are experts in their areas, it is important for them to be able to localize the information on their websites," says Hodge.