Winston-Salem, N.C.
– Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG) has upgraded its BrandsDirect.com consumer
site with improved graphics and a comprehensive product catalog.
According to NMG
member services director Frank Sandtner, BrandsDirect was initially designed as
a basic site for dealers on a budget who were either new to the Web or looking
to increase their online exposure.
The revamped site is
now highly customizable to showcase a dealer’s specific product categories,
brands, store offers and locations, while remaining affordable, he said.
In addition to
inviting, high-quality Web pages, the new BrandsDirect.com features a
comprehensive yet user-friendly product catalog that allows customers to narrow
their product search or compare up to four SKUs using multiple criteria. The
net effect is “a high-end shopping experience not easily found in even more
expensive Web solutions,” Sandtner said.
Nationwide cited market
research showing that the percentage of the U.S. population using the Web has increased
across every age group over the past five year. Usage peaks at 93 percent for
12- to 17-year-olds, although 62 percent of consumers between the ages of 60
and 64 also visit the Web.
Advances in broadband technologies and
improved content have increased the average time spent online to 14 hours per
week, which is displacing other activities like reading newspapers and
magazines, Nationwide said.
“The Internet is a highly competitive retail
space, and consumers have little tolerance for sites that are slow to load or do
not seem to meet the consumers’ needs,” Sandtner said. “Everyone wants to drive
consumers to their site and keep them engaged while they are there. This is
what the serious shopper is looking for when doing research and this is what we
provide on BrandsDirect.com.”
In preparation for
this week’s relaunch, NMG began hosting a 10-part Webinar series on how dealers
can leverage free local search opportunities to further enhance their Web sites.
“To be fully
optimized, you want your store to ‘show-up’ in as many search engines and
directories as possible. It is also
helpful to set-up service with Internet marketing companies in your local
areas,” Sandtner said.
NMG will run live
demonstrations of the upgrades and features of the new BrandsDirect.com Web site
at its upcoming PrimeTime! conference and buying show, running Aug. 16-19 at
the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla.
For more
information on BrandsDirect.com contact Sandtner at [email protected].
