Monday, March 19, 2012
New Consumer Site Showcases Members & Industry
 Michael Martin became CEO of NWFA in May 2011 after joining the association in February 2011. Over the last few months NWFA has been working hard to raise consumer awareness of the benefits of wood flooring products. Now, with a new consumer website, www.woodfloors.org, NWFA has a new hub and base point for those efforts moving forward.
We wanted to bring a new, modern look to the consumer that allows us to be viewed as a professional source of information. Branding the site with a new look, Twitter feeds, and resource tools will help us meet the expectations of today's website visitor, allowing us to showcase the wood flooring industry as progressive and modern.
The website features a species gallery, education on various styles and types of hardwood floors, and definitions of various finishes, solid and engineered products, and decorative elements. The site also provides the consumer with information on maintaining hardwood floors and offers troubleshooting advice. The information is presented in such a way that allows the consumer to easily navigate through all areas of the site with just a click of the mouse.
In an effort to drive local business to member dealer/contractors and certified professionals, the website also offers an enhanced Find-A-Professional search. Consumers can search for a professional that fits their needs by city, state, or zip code. In addition to finding a dealer/contractor or a certified inspector, consumers can also now find all certified professionals.
We've already received feedback from our members on this area of the site—and several ideas have been shared with us for expanding the geographic search capabilities. We'll work on this and other enhancements in the near future.
Additionally, we have built other lead-generation avenues into the site that will ultimately help drive more business your way.
An enhanced room design tool allows the consumer to view various modern room settings and change the species, color, and direction of the wood floor. Additionally, consumers may upload photos of their own rooms to get a better vision of what a hardwood floor would look like in their home. Starting at this year's Expo, you'll have the opportunity to customize your own websites with the latest room design tool through a partnership we have established with MK Hardwood Floors Ltd. in London, the developer of the new room design tool. You'll find information on them in our Technology Pavilion on the Expo show floor.
Next up this summer, your member website, www.nwfa.org, will be completely re-launched to improve our customer service abilities, online services, and your membership and overall user experience.
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