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The Internet isn't just for buying books and airline tickets. Today's consumers are increasingly likely to use it to check prices and buy products when arranging funerals, too. The ease and comfort of shopping by computer at home, instead of in a mortuary, is rapidly changing the marketing of funeral services. As the Web-savvy baby boom generation ages, this is an opportunity no ICFA member can afford to miss. FuneralAssistant.com, a new consumer Web site, can help you stay competitive.
FuneralAssistant.com, which goes online June 1, 2000, will offer consumers a wealth of information on funeral practices and services. From burial and cremation to monuments and flowers, visitors will learn everything they need to make informed choices about the ultimate celebration of life. Unlike other funeral Web sites, however, FuneralAssistant.com will not sell products and services, and will not compete with any mortuary or cemetery. Its sole purpose is to educate the consumer and then help him to locate a service provider that suits his needs.
The service is free to consumers; service providers must subscribe. For a flat monthly fee, the subscriber will get a customized multi-page home site designed and maintained by FuneralAssistant.com. Consumers will be guided to specific home sites by a search engine that uses city, state and zip code criteria to identify nearby providers. Subscribers may use their home sites to list services, prices, products, company history and photos. Consumers will also find contact names and phone numbers so that they may contact the subscriber to make funeral arrangements. If a subscriber already has a Web site, a hyperlink will provide easy access to it from FuneralAssistant.com.
The site will be promoted with a national advertising campaign directed at consumers over the age of 55. It will also be linked to selected Web sites that have strong appeal for this demographic group. Subscribers may also promote their homepages by listing FuneralAs- sistant.com in sales and marketing materials.
The regular monthly subscription fee is $21.99. By special arrangement with FuneralAssistant.com, ICFA members will enjoy a discounted fee of $12.99 per month. Current members, as well as new members who join the ICFA in 2000, will receive their first six months use for free, including construction of their own Web site. This is a very economical way for providers to take advantage of the marketing power of the Web. Subscribing companies need not have their own computer or Internet connection, an added attraction for the many providers who have yet to join the digital revolution.
Experienced and knowledgeable professionals run the site. Jeff Kidwiler CCE, a 14-year veteran of the death care industry, is president of FuneralAssistant.com. He has been actively involved with the ICFA for over nine years. Jerry Croce, the company's chief information officer, has over 14 years of experience in computer system administration.
For more information, please visit FuneralAssistant.com. You may also reach FuneralAssistant.com by phone at 877-700-FNRL or by email at info@FuneralAssistant.com.
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Copyright ICFA 2000.
Individual written contributions and advertisements appearing in International Cemetery & Funeral Management do not necessarily reflect either the opinion or the endorsement of the International Cemetery and Funeral Association.
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