Well, it has been just a little over a month since we launched our “new” website. I have been hard at work updating and creating new content and that all seems to be paying off. The site now has much richer and more interactive, searchable descriptions for our merchandise with far more images available. Among the improvements to this aspect, my favorite is the Related Items feature. This allows Gary and I to directly communicate which other items on the site pertain to one another. We can include items that are from the same region, similar in form or any criteria we choose. Most importantly, it offers visitors a quick means to learn about related items and compare the various forms.
This level of information is what the current Web requires and we are glad to be able to meet this demand. The site has a number of other great features, which provide useful and interesting content. The News & Media section and Gary's antique furniture blog gives us an opportunity to convey the interesting things that go on here on a daily basis. The world of the antique dealer continues to be exciting in many ways and these stories are now being related.
Our Research feature provides the same great free information but with a more slick and functional interface. Be sure to check out the interactive map in the Clockmakers section.
And last and certainly not least, is Service. Within this feature we have begun to create some “how-to” videos. Gary has been giving lectures and lessons on clocks, including care and maintenance, for some time. Just recently I have begun capturing some of them on video. Our maiden video discusses how to properly dismantle a tall case clock. This was no small feat. This procedure is something we each perform a dozen times a week without a second thought, but breaking that down into a clear and easily understood video took some preparation. We are steering the website toward a more video rich format. We plan to create a number of videos on various topics, even including descriptions of new merchandise. Please let us know of any ideas or requests that you have for videos, and we will try to incorporate them.
So all-in-all, the upgrade has been worth the work. Our site is now more relevant and content rich with plenty of room for expansion as the demands of the Web grow and change. Gary and I can better convey who we are, what we are doing and what we have to sell. And the ultimate answer, yes, site traffic is up quite a bit, thank you.