Your Questions Answered: The Sympathy Store by funeralOne
April 12th, 2012
There’s been a ton of interest surrounding The Sympathy Store by funeralOne. And since The Sympathy Store—and eCommerce in general—is a fairly new concept to the funeral profession, I figured now was as good of time as any to address some of the questions we’ve been getting.
Here are your most commonly asked questions…answered!
Q: Why should I add The Sympathy Store to my website?
Answer: The Sympathy Store presents a new opportunity for funeral firm’s to tap into their community’s desire to support grieving families with sympathy gifts and flowers. It also generates additional revenue for your funeral firm, with no additional expenses for your firm or your families!
Q: How is The Sympathy Store different from other solutions?
Answer: The Sympathy Store is different from other solutions for a number of reasons. Here are just a few:
• The Sympathy Store is specifically designed so your website visitors can access it directly from the obituary and main navigation of your website.
• The Sympathy Store keeps website visitors on your funeral firm’s website during their entire shopping experience, instead of directing them to another website to make a purchase.
• We’ve put years of research into our Sympathy Store solution to produce the highest conversion rates in the industry, resulting in higher commissions for your firm.
• The Sympathy Store features the largest selection of sympathy gifts and flowers online from trusted brands families already know and love.
Q: How much does it cost to add The Sympathy Store on my website?
Answer: Nothing, it’s FREE! There is no cost to your funeral firm to sign up for The Sympathy Store, and no set-up or maintenance fees.
Q: What do I need to do to launch The Sympathy Store on our website?
Answer: Launching The Sympathy Store on your funeral firm website is simple. All you have to do is fill out The Sympathy Store Request Form. Click here to get started!
Q: How long will it take to get The Sympathy Store added to my website?
Answer: The typical turnaround time to add The Sympathy Store to your website is 30 days or less, depending on your website provider.
Q: Do I need a whole new website to have The Sympathy Store?
Answer: No, The Sympathy Store plug-in integrates directly into your existing funeral home website, regardless of provider!
Q: What are the benefits of having The Sympathy Store on an f1Connect website?
Answer: Funeral firms who have an f1Connect website have the added benefit of allowing website visitors to shop for sympathy gifts and flowers directly from their loved one’s social memorial website; meaning they can read the obituary, share photos and memories on the tribute wall, and send a gift all from the same location. We’ve also found conversion rates to be higher with the complete integration of The Sympathy Store on f1Connect websites.
Q: Do I get to select the gifts categories we will have on our Sympathy Store?
Answer: funeralOne offers the largest selection of sympathy gifts and flowers available online. Although we suggest including all gift categories, you have the option to decide which gift categories you would like your store to contain.
Q: Can I continue using my local preferred florist?
Answer: Yes! funeralOne has partnered with two leading national floral networks that allow you to continue sending business to your local florist of choice. We will work with you and your preferred florist to set this up.
Q: Do I need to hire additional staff to manage The Sympathy Store?
Answer: No! funeralOne handles everything from the integration on your website to merchandising, ordering, billing, shipping, and even customer service.
Q: How do I make money from The Sympathy Store?
Answer: You earn a commission on each sale made through The Sympathy Store. Commissions are based on the type of sympathy gift purchased and the amount of the purchase; this excludes any applicable sales tax, service fees and shipping & handling charges.
Q: When will I be paid my commissions?
Answer: funeralOne pays our Sympathy Store partners on a monthly basis. A check will be issued to your funeral firm no later than the 20th day of the following month. Checks will be issued for a minimum of $25. Commission totals below $25 will be carried over until you reach the $25 minimum at the relevant monthly payout date.
Q: How can I get started?
Answer: Visit funeral.com/store and sign up to get started today!
Did we answer your questions? If not, feel free to leave us a comment below and we’ll be happy to get back to you with an answer!
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