NORWALK, Ohio–Norwalk Furniture has unveiled a new website, www.norwalkfurniture.com [1], designed to appeal to the shopping habits of 30- to 55-year-old shoppers. Special features were added as the result of research by marketing students at the University of Akron.
“The students opened our eyes to what younger shoppers really want in the shopping research phase, and we listened,” said Reyna Moore, Norwalk Furniture vice president of marketing and merchandising. “Of utmost importance is beautiful imagery and making detailed information about our products easily accessible. Our goal quickly became to create the ultimate pre-shopping experience that will draw consumers into the stores of our dealers.”
The navigation and speed of the site features multiple filter options that enable the consumer to narrow the product line and fabrics to their lifestyle, their color and pattern preferences, and the right scale for their room size.
The site also enables consumers to try out their own design combinations by quickly outfitting all upholstery in their choice of fabrics, nailhead treatments and wood finishes. Each product they create features product specifications for future reference, which can be saved to a personal portfolio on the site, shared with friends through a variety of social media platforms, and printed to take to the store when they are ready to place the order. Consumers may request up to five fabric swatches at no cost.
At the encouragement of the students, the site also tells the Norwalk story through a timeline. Visitors to the site can get to know the Norwalk family through numerous behind-the-scene photos of Norwalk dealers at events, the staff in action, and charitable causes that the company supports.
“Consumers today want to know everything about the products and the people who made them,” Moore said. “We are proud to say that our upholstery and tables are made in America. This site provides an inside view of our culture and the heart that goes into each piece that we produce.”