We received an email from Batesville this afternoon announcing their roll-out of mobile-optimized websites.
It’s great that Batesville, the largest provider of funeral home websites, is embracing mobile optimization. And to be honest, the mobile sites we looked at were much better than the actual full websites Batesville offers.
Now with a user friendly mobile version, we just hope the actually websites themselves get a MAJOR overhaul. For starters, providing an RSS feed URL for Obituaries so funeral homes can send obits to social medias efficiently.
Below is the press release from Batesville announcing mobile enabled websites.
Batesville Helps Funeral Homes Connect with More Consumers with Mobile-Enabled Websites
Mobile functionality offered as a standard feature on WebLink websites
Batesville Interactive, the leading provider of funeral home technology and e-commerce solutions to licensed funeral homes in North America, now offers mobile website functionality as a standard feature on its WebLink® and WebLink Custom websites. Batesville is the only provider in the funeral services industry to offer this enhanced mobile capability at no additional charge, making it easier for funeral homes to create stronger connections with their communities, while providing greater value to the families they serve.
As the largest provider of funeral home websites with nearly 5,000 hosted sites, Batesville has seen a dramatic shift in the percentage of traffic originating from mobile devices. According to a recent report of its customers’ websites, at least 13% of visitors to funeral home websites are using mobile devices, an increase of 45% over the prior year, and rising steadily.
“The funeral home’s website is truly the front door to its business,” says Mike Bryan, general manager of Batesville Interactive. “With more consumers depending on mobile devices as their primary source for communications, a strong mobile presence helps increase website visits, creating more traffic that ultimately drives increased revenue and delivers greater value.”
Batesville’s simple, reliable mobile websites open the door to mobile users, greatly enhancing the accessibility and presentation of information, and allowing visitors to quickly find the information they need and take appropriate actions. Mobile websites are streamlined versions of the full website, specifically designed for viewing on mobile devices, including the most popular smartphones. Sites feature obituary and service information, funeral home directions, guestbooks, and professionally-managed content on funeral planning and the value of funerals, as well as Batesville’s Expressions of Sympathy floral, gift and card e-commerce solutions for consumers.
Recognized for innovation in its burial and cremation businesses, Batesville Interactive has made the same commitment to providing affordable, innovative web-based technologies that connect funeral homes with families and the communities they serve – before the need, during the time of loss and after the service. “From the physical presentation of the website to the organization of content and overall user experience, we’re focused on building simple solutions that deliver a big impact for funeral homes,” says Bryan.
Batesville’s investments in technology are making an impact at the funeral home level. Martin Yoskovich, owner of Yoskovich Funeral Home in Carmichaels, PA, who converted to a Batesville site this year, says, “My new Batesville website provides many opportunities and new features for my staff and families that I couldn’t have offered with my other site. The highly qualified Batesville staff helped every step of the way through the conversion.”
The added convenience of mobile optimization has impressed Yoskovich. “People can get information about the funeral home or our offerings, view obituaries and service details right from their mobile device,” he says. His firm also takes advantage of Batesville’s Expressions of Sympathy e-commerce offering, which allows consumers to express their support for a family by ordering sympathy flowers, cards and other mementos using a link on the website.
Designed to meet the business and financial needs of today’s funeral professionals, Batesville’s WebLink platform is a complete solution that helps funeral homes connect with online consumers, improve business efficiency, promote brand awareness, and drive incremental sources of revenue. For more information, contact Batesville Interactive at 877.287.8661.
ABOUT BATESVILLE INTERACTIVE
Batesville Interactive is the leading provider of website and e-commerce solutions to licensed funeral homes in North America. Backed by the world leader in funeral service, Batesville Interactive supports its customers with a full suite of technology services and the largest dedicated technology development and support teams in the funeral industry.
