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Is it Time to Redesign Your Website?

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:33 GMT

Is your website in need of an update? CFS is always happy to redesign your platform.

Although funeral directors are busy all year long, the summer season can allow for some much-needed time to tackle long-term projects. Maintenance and remodeling of a funeral home may come to mind first, but what about your website? More so than ever, the web presence of a funeral home is a critical resource for reaching new families. You may already have a website, but is it time for an update? Here are some examples of signs that you are in need of an upgrade.

Your website isn’t mobile responsive.

In today’s world, your website must be mobile responsive. More than 50% of web traffic to CFS websites is recorded as coming from smartphones and tablets, with that percentage growing every year. More and more people are looking for obituaries and pre-planning information on-the-go. Make sure that your website company is providing you with a responsive website. If your website isn’t, please give us a call and we’ll be happy to upgrade you to a custom-designed, modern, mobile-responsive CFS website. As always, our websites are provided at no cost to you.

Your website looks like your competitor’s.

With more families beginning the funeral planning process online, you cannot afford to blend in with other funeral homes in your local area. Your website has to be distinctive, eye-catching, and polished to attract new clients. Many website companies will have only one or two modern designs that are used for every site, making it difficult to tell the difference between two firms. With our fully customizable platform, we can make two websites using the same design unique to your business. If your website isn’t standing out, we would be happy to help customize your platform. Here are 8 ways you can make sure your website stands out .

Your website isn’t personalized.

Using photos of your funeral home and local community is a great way to personalize your website to the families you serve. Generic stock photos can be nice, but do not necessarily reflect your firm. From rural to urban, CFS makes the extra effort to make sure your website is personalized to your image. By offering an range of both traditional and modern designs, as well as limitless customizations, it’s easy to make your website unique.

You’re ready for a change.

Have one of our newest designs caught your eye? Are you looking to change your logo, colors, photos, or anything in between? CFS is happy to help you continue to design and change your website, never sending you a bill. Your website is a vital component of your business. We’re happy to continue to work with you on making sure you’re happy with your website.

Looking fo r design ideas?

Browse our design portfolio here: www.runcfs.com/designs . We’re always working on expanding our design offerings. If you’re looking for something unique, give us a call! With our unlimited platform, we can build you a personalized, feature-packed website without ever sending you a bill. We’re the #1 funeral home website provider because our sites are simply smarter.

15 of the Craziest Funeral Stories from Reddit

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:32 GMT

Have you ever had a funeral go this wrong? Fifteen users on Reddit share their wildest stories.

Funerals are a time to come together and celebrate a life well lived. Sometimes, things may not go to plan. With an entire extended family gathering together to remember their loved one, services can take a different turn. These unexpected moments can be stressful in the moment, but can also provide some levity in a difficult time. Funeral service providers work tirelessly to ensure that services proceed smoothly, but you can’t always plan for what may unfold! Here are some of the craziest stories shared by users on the forum AskReddit . Some answers have been edited for clarity and length.

1 . “When the funeral procession showed up at the cemetery, there was a cow in my uncle’s grave. We had to wait for them to remove it with a backhoe.” — Sandor17

2. “My great aunt died at my grandfather’s funeral. She had a heart attack in front of his casket.” — MoonHuntress

3. “I was working a funeral and burial service in Vermont and the next of kin decided to have doves released at the burial site. When they were released, a hawk flew out of nowhere and destroyed one of the doves.” — Cready802

4. “My uncle tried to fight the priest for giving him a hug.” — anonymous

5. ““I was at a funeral for a work colleague and her three brothers got into a fistfight during the eulogy.”

— ask_me_if_Im_lying

6. “The grandfather of my significant other died and all ten kids were at the service. He had gotten cremated but the kids decided they wanted to inter the urn someplace meaningful. They dug a hole and one brother decided to lower the urn as far down into the hole as he could, since dropping it seemed too undignified. However, he lowered it too far, because he fell headfirst in the hole.” — hillalilla

7. “At the funeral, my cousin accidentally knocked over and dropped the baby casket four feet above the ground. I can still remember the gasps.” — SecretChristian

8. “My uncle stopped me when I was walking down the aisle at my grandmother’s funeral so he could ask me to come by and fix his computer.” — singlewall

9. “My grandma tried to jump into the casket with my grandpa while screaming to take her with him.” — Tsukasasoul

10. “At my friend’s uncle’s funeral, the pastor asked if anyone would like to say a few words. Some woman no one knew got up. She starts talking about how nice of a man my friends uncle was, and how she enjoyed working for him (she was his cleaning lady). Then she starts breaking down and saying how they were planning on eloping and she loved him. His wife was stunned.” — thesublieutenant

11. “My little cousin spit her gum out on the corpse and her mom proceeded to laugh, then smacked her on the back of the head.” — Catspace32

12. “It was a Saturday morning in a large Catholic church with multiple weddings and funerals on the weekend. The funeral attendees turned around and looked up to the organ loft with confusion when the organist, by mistake, played “Here Comes the Bride” instead of the funeral procession.” — Back2Bach

13. “During my grandfather’s funeral, as we were all walking past the (open) casket the last time, my aunt took his watch off his wrist. Her logic was that she bought it for him and now wanted it back.” — Beleynn

14. “A guy and his brother got in a fistfight over their inheritance at their dad’s funeral.” — lynnfer

15. “A rich client of my lawyer friend wanted his ashes sprinkled over Sydney Harbour. He’d spent months trying to get official permission without success. He decided to catch the Manly ferry and tipped the contents of the urn into the harbour. The wind caught the ashes and blew them all over the passengers on the top deck.” — Damocles2010

Robot Funerals? Japan Leads the Way

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:30 GMT

Funerals for robots? By robots? It’s happening today in Japan.

Modern technology has made its mark on the funeral industry. Memorial videos and live streaming have become commonplace in funeral homes across the country, with more using media to enhance funeral services than ever. Websites also play a critical role in funeral home operations, with CFS websites integrating with answering services, management software, and more. Apps for smartphones have also had a major impact, connecting an on-the-go funeral director with their office at any time.

But what about funerals for technology? A Buddhist temple in suburban Tokyo has opened its doors to services… for robot dogs. The Sony AIBO robot dog was first released in 1999 and quickly became a beloved companion to families all over Japan. The robot is said to “build relationships” with their owner and uses touch sensors and a camera to respond to touch and faces. As Sony halted production in 2006 and stopped providing repair services in 2014, the last remaining AIBO dogs began to shut down.

Over 800 of these “deceased” robots have been brought to this Buddhist temple, where priests hold traditional funeral services for the dogs. Many are then sent to a repair company as “organ donors” for other damaged AIBO robots. One of the priests at the temple, Bungen Oi , told reporters that he felt “All things have a bit of a soul.” Whether or not this is the case, these services have had a tremendous impact on the owners of the AIBO dogs. Many wrote to the temple to thank them for honoring the life of their beloved companion. Even in the context of robots and technology, funerals are a critical step in helping people heal from loss.

This is not the only way robots have begun to integrate into funeral traditions in Japan. A robot named Pepper has been designed to fulfill the role of a Buddhist priest, programmed to perform rituals reserved for funeral services. This has drawn far more controversy than the AIBO funerals, leading many to question the morality of allowing a robot to deliver religious rites.

The company that designed Pepper does not foresee or intend the replacement of human officiants. Instead, they sought to test other uses for their creation, who was not designed specifically for the funeral industry. Even though Pepper can perform services at a much lower cost than an actual Buddhist monk, it has not had any notable impact on the Japanese funeral industry in the first year of its release.

Will this interest in robot funerals spread beyond Japan? It’s far too early to say for certain, but it looks unlikely. Although the case of the AIBO robot dogs was enough for Sony to re-release the AIBO in Japan, it’s certainly not enough to have made a significant effect on the funeral industry yet.

Reddit Surpasses Facebook – Here’s What That Means

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:29 GMT

Reddit just passed Facebook in website traffic. What does that mean for the funeral industry?

Facebook has become the center of funeral home marketing on social media. While other platforms such as Twitter and Pinterest have also been utilized by some funeral homes, Facebook has always been the leading choice to connect with families in the local area. The platform favors the industry due to its now central role in information sharing. When a significant event happens, families choose Facebook to begin spreading the news. This is especially important when sharing obituaries and information regarding a loss.

This past week, internet traffic data revealed that Reddit surpassed Facebook in activity, making it the third most-visited website following Google and YouTube. Facebook now slides into fourth place with Amazon in fifth. Given that this makes Reddit a more popular social media website, does this mean that your funeral home should attempt to market on the website? Not at all.

Reddit is an entirely different platform to Facebook. While Facebook is centered around the people you know, such as your family and local funeral home, Reddit is geared towards a wide variety of people discussing specific topics or current events. The platform is divided into smaller “subReddits,” or individual websites dedicated to a certain topic. For example, the subReddit “DIY” connects people working on “Do-It-Yourself” projects. Users will share progress on their projects and share advice with others.

Reddit is a great way from people around the world to come together to discuss and share their interests, but it isn’t a direct competitor with Facebook in terms of purpose. Facebook is centered around community, making it far more ideal for outreach efforts. While many online analysts feel that the changing demographics of Facebook may be a problem, the increasing average age of a user makes it far more valuable as a method to introduce your business to your community. While Reddit has passed Facebook, both websites continue to grow and succeed in their respective fields.

Funeral Services are a Natural Instinct

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:28 GMT

Humans aren’t the only species to hold services for their loved ones

Funeral rituals are classified as a cultural universal , a phenomenon in sociology that records particular practices developing in every human society independently. Other examples include religion, dancing, singing, and marriage. All cultures have ceremonies for the passing of a loved one. This was not created by one group, but rather has manifested naturally among all human groups.

The majority of people have experienced a death of a loved one. Funeral services are a milestone in the journey of grief, often providing closure for the family and friends of the deceased. It not only cements the reality of the death, but allows one to be surrounded by others experiencing the same emotions from the loss. People have a natural reverence for the deceased, performing cleansing rituals and ceremoniously burying or cremating the decedent.

Is holding funeral services a core trait of being human? Scientists have often defined human beings in opposition to animals, citing characteristics that are unique. The distinction of using tools was often cited as purely human, yet the discovery of chimpanzees using tools by Jane Goodall in 1960 dramatically changed that. Funeral services were also long thought to be an exclusive trait until 2003, when scientists discovered that elephants also perform rituals for their dead.

When an elephant dies, the herd will touch the body of the deceased with their trunks, as if to lift it, then will cover the body with leaves, dirt, and tree branches. They will often hold a vigil over 2-3 days before moving onward. What is most surprising is the behavior of herds who did not know the deceased. Should elephants encounter a deceased, they will stop to pay respects and perform the same behavior, even for a stranger.

Elephants are not the only animals to pay respects to the deceased. Many others including dolphins, chimpanzees, and even magpies are noted to have rituals around death. Magpies, like elephants, will touch the deceased with their beaks before covering the body in grass and branches.

Funeral services may not be unique to human beings, but it is a natural instinct to care for the deceased as a part of the grieving process. While the loss of a loved one can be emotionally devastating, holding services is a critical center of human culture that will remain an invaluable part of navigating grief.

This Company is Sending Cremains to Space

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:27 GMT

Would you ever want to explore the stars? Elysium Space can help.

On February 6, Elon Musk made international headlines by launching his Tesla car into space. Over 2.3 million people watched the event live, making it the second most watched live event on YouTube. It’s surpassed by the Red Bull Stratos jump, where a skydiver dove from space back into the atmosphere. From the moon landing onward, the world has been fascinated by exploration of space. For those that truly love the idea of discovering the cosmos, a company in San Francisco has a fascinating funeral service available.

Elysium Space launches portions of cremains into space and allows families to track their location through the stars. Services range from orbiting the Earth to traveling all the way to the moon. As personalization has become far more popular in recent years, this truly unique service reimagines the future of funeral service.

Will this be a more common service in the future? While it is certainly hard to predict what current trends will have a lasting impact, public fascination with space has not reduced in recent years. SpaceX and other private companies have begun to invest more resources in space exploration technology. With more frequent launches, Elysium Space continues to take reservations for the next launch in 2019, sending cremains on upcoming SpaceX launches.

While space burial is likely to become more popular in the future, it is likely a long way away from becoming a standard service.

CFS Supports Secure (HTTPS) Websites

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:25 GMT

When it comes to serving your families, confidentiality is key. CFS has you covered.

Your website is an extension of your business, providing important services to the families you serve. From viewing an obituary to filling out a pre-planning form online, your website serves your community 24×7 and is always working for you. Given the importance of this resource, it’s very important that your website is secure and uses the latest technology.

Google has long advocated that all websites install an SSL certificate, making every interaction between a user and a website completely private. When a user opens a website in their web browser, a “conversation” takes place between the user’s device (a smart phone, tablet, or computer) and the web server that hosts the website. This conversation is either public (HTTP) or private (HTTPS).

One would assume that opening a website creates a direct communication between their device and the server, but this is typically not the case. This “conversation,” if using HTTP, is like having a private discussion in a public room. Anyone on the same network (e.g. in the same coffee shop or airport) can overhear this communication using their own device. This can be a problem if personal or sensitive information is passed over HTTP; hackers can easily steal it. In contrast, HTTPS-based communication is like speaking in a language that no-one else understands. Even though the conversation is still in public, no-one is able to eavesdrop on what is being said.

Take a look at the video below for a great explanation of the differences between HTTP and HTTPS:

We feel that HTTPS is essential for a modern funeral home and have been including the capability with our websites for a number of years now. If a user attempts to connect via HTTP, CFS websites automatically move them to HTTPS. We do this for several reasons:

Consumers often share personal data with funeral home websites. This is especially true when completing pre-planning forms or perhaps sharing contact information with the funeral home. For this reason alone, it is prudent to run the website using HTTPS.
Data breaches are all too common and well-publicized. Given this, users feel more comfortable on secure/HTTPS websites. A secure funeral home website looks more professional (and trustworthy) and puts it on par with major institutions such as banks and large retailers.
Google is heavily pushing for a secure Internet with their “HTTPS everywhere” initiative. A website’s Google ranking is slightly ‘boosted’ if it supports HTTPS. Google indicates that they may increase the HTTPS ‘boost’ over time to help encourage web providers to adopt it.
Google’s popular Chrome browser has started to warn users with an ‘Insecure site’ message when users are asked to complete forms on a HTTP-only website. This warning currently occurs when users enter information at the website, including a guestbook post. However, the warning will extend to all website pages in July 2018.

Modern CFS websites automatically include SSL certificates (at no cost) and run exclusively over HTTPS. If you visit your website, you should find that it automatically displays https:// in the address bar. If your website does not, please give us a call and we’ll be happy to upgrade you to a custom-designed, modern, mobile-responsive CFS website. As always, our secure websites are provided at no cost to you.

10 Must-Have Apps for Funeral Directors

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:23 GMT

These applications make your everyday routines easier.

In 2009, Apple started marketing the iPhone 3G with the slogan, “There’s an app for that.” With the overwhelming variety of applications available to download, there really is an app for everything. We’ve compiled a list of ten apps that will make organizing your funeral directing duties a lot easier.

Facebook
Facebook is the #1 social media website and a critical resource for connecting with your local community. With more users over 65 than ever, Facebook is a great way to connect with families and foster future business. Having the app on your phone makes keeping track of page likes and local news much easier.
Facebook Page Manager
If you have a Facebook page for your funeral home, this app is perfect for tracking activity. Most importantly, it will allow you to reply to messages sent to your page. If a prospective family has reached out to you over Facebook, you will immediately receive a notification on your phone. Make sure you never miss a comment or a message with this app!
Google Assistant
Google Assistant is a virtual assistant who can set reminders, make appointments, return texts and calls, and many other tasks on your phone or tablet. While the Assistant is included on every Google phone, the app is available for iPhone and Android. Many users online prefer the Google Assistant to Siri, since it can connect to far more devices and give you better search results.
DocuSign
Sign documents right from your phone! The DocuSign app allows you to import documents from email, Google Drive, Evernote, and many other sources to allow you to sign documents and fill out forms. It can be emailed straight from the app, making it very easy to pass along documentation. Further, you can request signatures from other people through the app itself, allowing you to send documents right to families for easy signatures.
eFax
If you use eFax, this app allows you to receive, edit, and send faxes right from your phone or tablet. You can upload files from Google Drive or Dropbox on your device and fax them to any number, or take photos of documents with your device and fax them. You can also create custom cover pages to accompany your faxes.
ASD Mobile
If ASD is your answering service, make sure you have the ASD Mobile app on your device. This award-winning app makes receiving calls and messages extremely easy, allowing the user to keep track of all incoming and current cases. Be sure to take a look at the demo on ASD’s website and learn more about this program.
Evernote
Evernote syncs documents and files across all of your devices, allowing you to share anything with other users. Users can easily create lists and handwritten notes that can be easily sent and edited by others, making it far easier to distribute tasks and track their progress.
Google Drive
Like Evernote, Google Drive is a great way to share documents and files between users. The app allows you to access all files in your account from any device with real-time updates. If you make changes on one device, it will be updated in the Drive. Google Drive is a great way to send and receive documents and photos with families, easily communicating between Google accounts.
JotNot Scanner
JotNot is a handy scanner that can turn documents to PDF files right from your phone or tablet. It’s available on both iPhone and Android. This app is said to be the most reliable mobile scanner, creating high resolution images of every document.
MileIQ
MileIQ allows you to easily track your miles when working. It can separate personal and work drives, creating a record of distance travelled and the expense of every drive. The app is designed to be simple to use. Simply swipe to begin tracking.

Funeral Therapy Dogs: Here to Stay?

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:22 GMT

Will this growing trend have a long-lasting impact on the industry?

Dogs have always been celebrated as beloved companions. The growing popularity of pets, specifically cats and dogs, has had a growing impact on the funeral industry. Consumers are spending far more on their pets than ever before, from dog-walking services to merchandise. This has especially impacted the pet services industry, with far more families choosing to have their pets cremated or buried than ever.

More people view their pets as a family member , making funeral services more important for the grieving process. From 2007 to 2017, the number of households with dogs increased by 20 million. The funeral industry has responded to this rising trend in two ways: providing pet funeral services and using therapy dogs in their funeral homes.

Personalization is becoming a much more popular element in funeral arrangements. It can easily be brought into the arranging process with the addition of a therapy dog. Research has shown the positive health and emotional effects of animal companionship. These dogs can provide comfort and support for adults and children alike, helping them through planning and the services themselves. This article from Alliance of Therapy Dogs provides commentary on the wonderful benefits of therapy dogs in funeral homes. Therapy dogs are often credited with their ability to sense the emotions of humans, as discussed in the article. This makes a big difference during a funeral service, as a therapy dog can seek out whoever needs emotional support. Petting dogs is reported to release dopamine and serotonin, reward hormones associated with comfort and better moods. In a difficult time of loss, therapy dogs can make a positive impact on the grieving process. Providing this service from your families is sure to make a lasting impression on the families in your local community.

Armes-Hunt Funeral Home & Cremation Services have a therapy dog, Judd, who has his own Facebook page with a dedicated following. It’s an excellent idea for community outreach and building relationships.

The CFS Story

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:20 GMT

As we celebrate our 10th birthday, we look back on how CFS became the #1 provider of funeral home websites.

Consolidated Funeral Services was founded in 2008 by Felix Tsatskis and Peter Richardson, two software executives with years of experience providing IBM enterprise-class software to large companies across the globe.

The core of CFS was creating websites for funeral homes with one key idea: offering flowers through obituaries. No other provider had offered this feature before CFS introduced it with our first website. Instead of charging for websites, our co-founders knew that they could easily fund the maintenance of websites just through commission on flower sales. From its founding to today, CFS has never sent a bill to a funeral home.

In 2009, CFS became the official technology partner of The Dodge Company. This was the first of many partnerships with major funeral service providers and a key to our early success. CFS was now able to connect with funeral homes through their Dodge representative, introducing us to some of our first clients that still work with us today.

The very first CFS website went live in November of 2008. About a year later, we had created and launched our first 100. We saw continuous and steady growth for the first few years of our business, thanks to updates from design and development combined with our sales and operations team reaching out to funeral homes.

Our websites saw a major change in 2014 when we launched our responsive model. These new websites not only rescaled and adjusted for every device size, but also introduced the drag-and-drop editing system across our sites. This made website changes far easier and accessible. This model also became the foundation for integrations with Tukios videos and answering services ASD and FuneralCall straight through every site.

Our Original Company Websites

The next three years saw a major focus on our design offerings and website features. We designed integration between our websites and multiple management software providers. CFS has centered on partnerships, allowing us to focus exclusively on improving our websites while offering a better platform to our funeral homes.

Some of our newest features include crowdfunding directly run by your website, our brand new obituary platform, and the online payment center. From our humble beginnings, CFS has seen rapid growth in recent years. We now serve over 4,400 funeral homes across the United States and Canada. We are also partnered with over 3,300 active florists to provide families with easy online ordering.

We here at CFS would like to thank everyone who has worked with us. We are very proud of our websites and strive to keep offering our funeral homes the best platform we can. With some exciting new features currently being developed, CFS continues to be the #1 provider with the highest quality websites for no charge. We feel very fortunate to have partnered with so many excellent funeral service providers. We look forward to the next 10 years of serving our funeral homes.

Feature Spotlight: An Unlimited Platform

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:19 GMT

CFS websites are fully customizable and dynamic, from color scheme to site structure.

Most website companies work with templates, “plug-and-post” platforms that are static and inflexible. If you happen to use the same template as another funeral home, the only difference between your websites is your funeral home name. In an increasingly digital market, you can’t afford to blend in with your competitors.

The CFS platform is truly unlimited and fully customizable. Our platform was designed to be easily customizable and offer full editing capabilities to the funeral homes we serve. Designing a web page is very easy. We offer drag and drop components and widgets that can be adjusted at any time. We also make it easy to change backgrounds, color schemes, and photo collections. While we are more than happy to help you with website changes, we’ve made it easy to make adjustments yourself.

Our entire platform is designed with funeral care professionals in mind. Your website should be a foundation for client care and a source of revenue. Our websites work for you, not against you. Changes are easy, fast, and seamless. True to our core philosophy, you will never pay for your CFS website. Our staff is happy to help you make adjustments and show you how to take full advantage of our platform. You should never have to pay to update your own website.

For a glimpse at how much a CFS website can do for you, visit our tutorials page for videos showcasing some of our most frequently used features. We are currently working on expanding our video library to show everything our websites have to offer.

Don’t let other providers confine you to a static template and charge you for every adjustment. Contact us today to find out more about our unlimited platform.

Famous Funerals: Julius Caesar

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:17 GMT

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears…”

The death of legendary Julius Caesar is brought to mind every year on March 15th. “Beware the Ides of March” echoes the tension of Caesar’s last day in 44 BC. The end of his life is described in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Surprisingly, the play about the famed Roman dictator focuses far more on his death and funeral rather than his lifetime achievements. Often, Caesar is remembered simply as the ambitious dictator assassinated by the senators of Rome.

Caesar’s funeral was a massive event. The intense public reaction to his assassination can be traced to his funeral specifically, as Marc Antony gave a stirring funeral oration to rouse the crowd. While the speech he actually gave is unknown, Shakespeare’s version is often remembered and held as true. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears…” captures the same passion and emotion cultivated by Antony’s oration. He roused the passions and spoke to the grief of the Roman people, resulting in lamentation and chaos. This famous speech has been recited and captured dozens of times, most famously by Marlon Brando in the 1953 film Julius Caesar.

Julius Cae sar was cremated publically in the Roman Forum. According to legend, the riled crowd threw branches, robes, jewels, and other possessions into the burning funeral pyre in their grief. The flames are said to have flown out of control, nearly burning the Forum down as the crowds moved against the conspirators. This madness can be attributed to the work of Marc Antony and his political allies. The deification of Caesar at his funeral showed public adoration for the assassinated leader, while they paraded a wax figure of his corpse to create horror and outrage. Antony and his followers created the wax replica and inflicted the same 23 wounds onto its body to show the violence suffered by Rome’s beloved leader.

Julius Caesar’s funeral was a political turning point for Marc Antony and Gaius Octavius, Caesar’s grandnephew and adopted son. Antony was able to harness the public grief of the Roman people to his political advantage, igniting a civil war between Caesar’s assassinators and his avengers.

8 Ways to Make Your Website Stand Out

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:15 GMT

When trying to separate yourself from your competitors, it’s important to make your website unique and memorable.

With more people beginning the process of funeral planning online, it’s vital that your funeral home’s website stands out in your community. Your web presence is critical to standing out as prospective families choose their funeral home, especially in comparison to your competitors.

Statement Colors

Using a distinct and memorable accent color makes a larger impression on visitors to your website. Currently trending website designs use these statement colors as a way to make each site unique and distinct. Especially in the funeral industry, these bold colors are generally uncommon.

Affordable Cremations and Burial uses a bright shade of green as their accent color, making their website stand out among others. Visitors to the site will remember the unique color and thus make a greater impression on prospective clients. When choosing a color palette for your website, make sure to choose something different than your competitors to make your website pop.

Staff Photos

The foundation of funeral service is the personal touch funeral professionals bring to the arrangement process. Given the personal nature of the industry, it’s important to humanize your business on your website. Providing staff photos and bios helps visitors to your website get to know you and your business. Being able to associate names with faces during the initial contact with a funeral home is an excellent way for a new family to connect with your staff.

Chandler Funeral Home & Cremation Service provides photos not only of their staff, but of the Chandler family themselves. The contact information for each staff member is also clearly listed below their name and biography, making contact with each person simple for a visitor to the website.

Facility Photos & Virtual Tour

Allowing prospective families to tour your funeral home from the comfort and privacy of their own home is an excellent way to begin to welcome them into your service.

Kessler & Maguire Funeral Home has a large image collection of professional quality photos of their funeral home. Not only does this showcase their facilities, but it also leaves a positive impression with a prospective visitor to their website. Their funeral home is clean, bright, and spacious.

David-Donehower Funeral & Cremation Service takes advantage of new technology by providing a virtual tour of their funeral home, allowing website visitors to navigate through the funeral home with 360° photos. This gives an excellent way to become familiar with their facility. Families can walk through the funeral home online in the comfort of their own home, easing them into the funeral planning process.

Bold Photo Collections

The images on your homepage banner is often the first impression of your website and your funeral home. These photos can often set a tone for your website, focusing either on beautiful landscapes or families coming together. Think of these photos as a part of your brand. A rolling wheat field can be an excellent choice for a rural funeral home, while photos of your town or city reflect your place in the community.

Regardless of what you choose, it’s important that these photos are bold and memorable. Cremation Center of Chicago uses brilliantly vivid images of Chicago as their photo collection on their main page. This connects the images of Chicago with both the name of the firm as well as its integration in the city. It’s an great way to make a memorable impression.

Your Own Logo

Just like the photo collection, your logo provides an important impression to the community. Your logo should not only be unique but also relate to the image you want for your firm. It can be sleek and modern, or more classic and traditional. Incorporating a specific image will help your brand stick in the minds of prospective families.

The Wilson Funeral Homes have a distinctive and memorable logo, establishing an image across their four locations. It incorporates an image as well as a professional and polished tone.

Emphasis on Important Information

When a family visits your website, they are typically searching for specific information. Most people will be searching for obituaries, your phone number, or information on pre-planning. It is vital to make information easy to find on your website. Sites with cluttered menus and massive paragraphs of texts can make this information inaccessible.

Yates Memorial Services emphasizes these three main points: obituaries, pre-planning, and their contact information. The first banner image and information brings people to their pre-plan information page. The obituaries are clearly visible and stand out against the light background of their website. The bright orange “CONTACT” button brings visitors straight to a contact page where they can find emails and phone numbers.

An Online Showroom

Entering a selection room for the first time can be intimidating. Many people are unfamiliar with the funeral planning process, and a recent loss has made this introduction overwhelming. Having a preview of your offerings online allows families to begin to make these decisions whenever and wherever they are comfortable. From caskets to memorial jewelry, merchandise should be showcased on your website. Providing photos of your offerings makes the planning phase much easier for the families you serve.

McFarland Barbee Family Funeral Home lists caskets, urns, and keepsakes on their website. They also include information explaining the various products available and their use, making it easier to understand what a family should be looking for.

A Unique Motto

Creating a motto for your funeral home builds what your business offers to the families you serve that makes you unique. What is it that your funeral home provides that others do not? Try to capture what you want prospective clients to know about your services.

Bills-McGaugh Funeral Home & Crematory has a clear and simple motto that is the first thing people see when they visit their website: “Your loved one never leaves our care.”

Feature Spotlight: Funeral Fund

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:14 GMT

CFS provides easier, safer crowdfunding directly to your website.

Crowdfunding has become a very popular option for families seeking assistance with raising funds to cover funeral expenses. The most popular crowdfunding platform is GoFundMe, which sees the most fundraisers specifically for funerals. A search for the term “funeral” yields at least 500,000 individual private campaigns. As of October 2016, over $340 million was raised for funeral expenses through GoFundMe.

Where other crowdfunding websites fail is guaranteeing that the money raised goes directly to the cause. Although these websites can collect funds from donors, they cannot verify that the person who has created the campaign will give this money to the funeral home or the family. Further, there is an issue of cost. Other platforms take a percentage for each donation while charging processing fees and other hidden charges. These websites often charge between 8-10% of each donation, some adding a flat fee in addition to the percentage.

CFS offers a solution to the issue of funeral crowdfunding with Funeral Fund, a funding platform built right into each obituary hosted on one of our websites. Theses funds are sent directly to the bank account of your funeral home, meaning that all money raised is guaranteed to go directly to covering funeral expenses. You can then retain the funds for the services or give excess money raised directly to the family, ensuring that the donations are placed into the correct hands. Unlike other crowdfunding websites, we only take one flat percentage of 5% off of the total amount raised. From this percentage, CFS covers all credit card and wire transfer fees. We offer this service to all of our clients at zero cost to you.

Why You Should Post Facility Photos

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:12 GMT

Welcome visitors to your funeral home with a virtual tour of your facilities.

For many members of the public, the funeral industry is an enigma. They do not know what happens “behind closed doors” in their local funeral home and let wild speculation take flight. People tend to discover the reality of funeral professionals when they are impacted by a loss. It is during this time that they can learn to find comfort in the warmth of a funeral home and consolation from the professional and caring staff.

As more people begin the process of funeral planning online, it is more important than ever to provide photos of your facility on your website. When reaching out to prospective families who have never been cared for by your funeral home, allowing them to tour your funeral home from the comfort and privacy of their own home is an excellent way to begin to welcome them into your service.

Two great examples of effective facility photo galleries are McKinney-Brown Funeral Home and C & S Fredlock Funeral Home, P.A . McKinney-Brown Funeral Home provides 45 photos of their funeral home, guiding visitors through the different rooms and highlighting features and services they offer the families they serve. C & S Fredlock Funeral Home, P.A. uses professional quality photos to highlight the comfort and style of their funeral home. They also showcase a variety of options in their selection room after they have shown reception rooms and other spaces associated with a warm and welcoming home.

Both websites establish a place of familiarity with visitors by providing photos of their facility. When a family begins making arrangement in person, they will know what to expect when they enter the funeral home.

Famous Funerals: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:10 GMT

The sudden assassination of the civil rights leader broke the hearts of millions fighting for equal rights.

As Black History Month draws to a close, the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. echoes through the hearts and minds of the American people. Dr. King was a revolutionary civil rights leader whose strict adherence to nonviolent protest and powerful oration lead his campaigns for equality to victory across the segregated United States. His assassination on April 4, 1968, sent shockwaves through the nation.

Two Cities, Three Services

Dr. King was managing the protest of sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee when he was suddenly killed at the hotel he was staying in. An initial public viewing was held on April 5 at a funeral home in Memphis. Dr. King’s wife, Coretta Scott King, was flown to Memphis by Robert F. Kennedy to attend the service. Following a public visitation, his body was escorted by a procession of cars to the local airport where he was flown to Atlanta for funeral services and burial.

A small, private service in the Ebenezer Baptist Church was held on April 9. This service was attended by various political and religious leaders, foreign dignitaries, and other notable people including Vice President Hubert Humphrey. President Lyndon Johnson notably did not attend over concerns of potential protests in regard to the Vietnam War.

At this private service, Dr. King eulogized himself as a recording of his famous “Drum Major” sermon was played. This was requested by Coretta Scott King herself. At Dr. King’s previous request before his death, a close personal friend sang they hymn “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.” Dr. King’s bronze casket was then processed 3 ½ miles to Morehouse College. This procession was attended by over 100,000 mourners. A final public service was held at the college, Dr. King’s alma mater, where he was eulogized by the college president, Benjamin Mays.

The King Center

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was buried in South View Cemetery and was later exhumed in 1977 to be buried in the plaza standing between the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, known as The King Center, and the Ebenezer Baptist Church. The crypt of Dr. King, now shared with his wife Coretta Scott King, is now part of a National Historic Site. An eternal flame burns close to the enclosure.

The funeral services of Dr. King were observed by over 300,000 mourners. Three days after the assassination, President Johnson declared April 7 as a national day of mourning for the legendary civil rights leader, inviting the United States and the entire world to share in their grief. It is through these private and public services that the world began to process the shock and devastation of its loss.

Should Funeral Homes Use Twitter?

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:09 GMT

The microblogging website may have more marketing potential than you think.

On the surface, Twitter appears to not align with funeral home networking. Most people do not use Twitter to make personal announcements among their friends and family. Instead, Twitter is generalized as a flurry of abrupt posts created and shared by young people. But with over 328 million active users, Twitter has more potential for the funeral industry than you would expect.

Companies use Twitter to engage in personal dialogue with current and prospective customers. As a business grows a larger presence, people may begin to tweet questions or comments. It’s a space of creating discussions, making the business more personable to them. A client knows that if they have a question, they can reach out directly to a company and have it answered.

So how does this then connect to the funeral industry? While some funeral homes do choose to share obituary postings on Twitter, the platform is best suited to general information sharing. If you run a blog, Twitter can be a great way to draw more traffic to your blog by tweeting a link. You can also use Twitter to share articles among your network and adding your own opinion on the piece.

The most important thing you can do on Twitter is engage with others. Encourage people to ask questions to you directly and publicly tweet your answers. This shows visitors to your profile that your business is personable and approachable. Twitter can go above and beyond a customer service platform as you share interesting information with your followers, such as articles or websites you find interesting, but as a place where people can be comfortable approaching you and your funeral home through the comfort and privacy of social media.

55% of Twitter users are over the age of 35. As the next generation will need to choose their family funeral home, using social media will be a key requirement for attracting new business.

5 Key Reasons to Always Post Obituaries on Facebook

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:07 GMT

Facebook is one of the fastest growing ways people reach your funeral home website.

Sharing Obituaries Boosts Your SEO

Sharing obituaries through Facebook connects Facebook directly to your website, a key technique in improving your search engine rankings. When conducting a search, Google and other search engines not only look for keywords, such as “Boston funeral home,” but also look for “backlinks” or other websites with links pointing to your website. By sharing obituaries to a high traffic website such as Facebook, you create a strong backlink to your website. As families continue to share and click on the obituaries on Facebook, your ranking will improve.

Families Connect Through Facebook

Facebook networks among families are becoming the center of life event announcements. More frequently than ever, news is shared between families on Facebook first. News of engagements, graduations, marriages, births, and now deaths are brought to Facebook. The obituary can be shared digitally before waiting for newspaper announcements to be circulated through the community.

When a death is announced by sharing an obituary on Facebook, that announcement becomes synonymous with your funeral home. People will come to your website first, giving them access to your name and information provided by your firm. This can be an excellent way to gain new connections with people in the same community.

The Demographics of Facebook are Changing

The United States provides the highest number of Facebook users when compared to other countries. The majority of Facebook users are adults over the age of 35 with a nearly 50/50 split between male and female profiles. The most interesting statistic is the rapidly rising number of users over the age of 55. It is approximated that 65% of people between the ages of 50 and 64 use social media, with 49% of people over the age of 65 using social media as well.

We found that obituary browsers are generally above the age of 55 in our own private study. Sharing listings on your funeral home’s page regularly draws consistent traffic from these browsers and can introduce them to your pre-need offerings.

Facebook is the Biggest Social Networking Site

In a survey conducted by CFS in May and June of 2017, we found that the majority of indirect traffic to funeral home websites came from Facebook, exceeding Google and other search engines.

The number of active users on Facebook far exceeds any other social networking site. Facebook was the first social media site to ever hit over 1 billion active users in 2012, and that number has continued to grow. As of September 2017, Facebook was seeing an average of 2.061 billion active users with a continuing trend of growth.

Facebook Can Build Engagement with Your Community

Traditional marketing tactics do not always apply to the funeral industry. Many funeral homes are not currently using Facebook, yet it can be an excellent way to build connections with your community. By sharing information and opening discussions with potential clients online, you become more visible among families.

Announcing support for online payments at your website

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:05 GMT

Our new online payment center allows you the option of offering families a way to pay their bills at your website.

Why offer online payments?

Consumers are increasingly conducting business online. The wide product selection and fast fulfillment offered by online retailers are capturing a growing percentage of retail sales each year.

This online convenience is fast becoming an expectation in the mind of consumers. How often have you received a bill in the mail that requires a paper check to be mailed back? As you dig for a stamp and return address label, followed by a trip to the mailbox, I suspect many of you wonder why you just cannot go online and pay immediately with your credit or debit card.

While traditional mail-based payments should remain for those who prefer them, there are good reasons to offer your families the option of paying online. It provides convenience in a busy world and also allows families to spread the cost over an extended period using their credit card, should they need to.

How the Payment Center Works

The following list provides a summary of this new capability:

The payment center is only available at your website if you decide to enable it. If you do not want this capability, simply do nothing and it will never appear.
It is important that the payments are made directly to you. We do not want to get between you and your customers. To facilitate this, the sign-up process creates an independent account that will receive your payments. This account is in your name and automatically deposits payments into your existing bank account.
Your customers see your name on their credit card statement (e.g. XYZ Funeral Home).
The credit card processor will deduct applicable credit/debit card processing fees from your account. These are currently 2.9% plus 30 cents per online payment. Your customer is not charged a fee to make an online payment.
CFS provides this service 100% free of charge and does not receive a referral or affiliate fee from the credit card processor that handles the transactions.
Payments can be made at your website using all major credit and debit cards. Consumers can also use mobile payments, such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, as well as stored payment methods in modern desktop and mobile web browsers.

Enabling the Payment Center

If you would like to take advantage of this capability, log on to your website and click on the blue ‘Management’ button at the top of your website. You will find a new ‘Online Payments’ page in this section. Simply follow the instructions on the page. People can access your payment center via http://www.yourwebsite.com/ payments – we’ll also add a link from your home page once we see that your payment center is live.

You are welcome to contact us if you have any questions.

View an Example

You are welcome to test drive the customer experience using the link to our demonstration site below. Use 4242 4242 4242 4242 for the credit card number and any random information for the rest of the payment/address details. This is a test credit card that will not create a real payment. Enter your actual email address if you want to receive a sample of the customer receipt.

https://secure.fhwebhosting.org/dv1/payments

Famous Funerals: Abraham Lincoln

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:04 GMT

The funeral of 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln changed the standard funerary practices of the entire nation.

The funeral of President Abraham Lincoln was a three-week event that invited the entirety of the United States to mourn and grieve together. This public funeral spanned seven states, as the body of Abraham Lincoln was placed in an elaborate wooden coffin and brought across the Midwest on Lincoln’s “funeral train,” making twelve stops before reaching its destination in Springfield, Illinois.

The Seven State Funeral

The voyage of Abraham Lincoln’s body began in Washington, DC, where he was assassinated on April 15, 1865. Three days later, Lincoln’s funeral train reached Baltimore, Maryland. His journey continued through Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. It is estimated that over 1 million people attended the public services for President Lincoln, making it the largest funeral in the world until the 1960s with the death and services of President John F. Kennedy. Lincoln was interred in Oak Ridge Cemetery in June of 1865 at the request of his wife, Mary Lincoln.

A Presidential Coffin

Lincoln’s coffin is certainly fit for a man of his legacy. The oak lead-lined coffin was covered in a dark fabric and adorned with intricate silver work and handles. The coffin had to be especially ornate as it led funeral processions and parades in thirteen cities across seven states. It was surrounded with various cut flowers and evergreen trimmings. Lincoln himself was dressed in the suit he wore to his second inauguration. During public viewings, his coffin was only opened to reveal his head and torso.

Lincoln Brings Embalming to the American People

This three-week funeral procession was made possible with embalming. Dr. Charles B. Brown was his embalmer and traveled with the body of Lincoln, taking pains to preserve the body during the journey. Abraham Lincoln was the first notable American to be embalmed, making the practice more accepted and widely used in the United States.

Before Lincoln, many soldiers killed during the American Civil War were some of the first people in the United States to be embalmed. The transportation of the bodies was often delayed during the war, requiring doctors to preserve them in order to reduce the decomposition process before the deceased could be sent to their families. This was not a common practice until after Lincoln’s public funeral.

The science of embalming made his public funeral possible, removing any hesitation of the American people to allow their own loved ones to be embalmed in order to preserve them for funeral services.

Ok, Google: How Does SEO Work?

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:02 GMT

How do search engines like Google determine the top ranked websites?

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of improving search engine rankings without paying for ads. Simply put, the goal of SEO is to be one of the top results when potential clients are researching funeral homes in your local area.

So how does Google pick which website is listed first? While Google does look for keywords that you have searched, it does a citation-based search rather than how many times the keywords are used.

For example, someone may do a Google search for “Macbeth” looking for information on the book by William Shakespeare. We know that the most relevant result would be the book itself. But if a search engine were to only look for a site where “Macbeth” is written the most, it could give less reliable results.

But Google and other search engines do not look for where a term is written the most. Instead, Google searches for the places that are cited the most. If a research paper on Macbeth has the actual book cited, Google would then find that the book itself is more relevant. Since most pages discussing Macbeth would cite the actual book, Google then knows that the book itself is the most relevant to that search.

The video below was created by Google to explain how a Google search works.

Having other places on the Internet pointing back to your website is very important. For funeral homes, regularly posting obituaries is the best way to create these backlinks. Many families will share obituaries through Facebook.

In a survey conducted by CFS in May and June of 2017, we collected web traffic from 500 of our websites. We found that the majority of indirect traffic to funeral home websites, visitors that did not directly type in the address of the website, came from Facebook. While Google ranked as a close second, Facebook was a key source of web traffic and generated higher Google rankings for the websites which shared obituaries.

CFS has built-in SEO in all of our websites. Our sites are smart enough to manage their own SEO by sending data to Google and other search engines every time a change is made to a website. This includes obituaries, blog postings, staff listings, and any other adjustment made. We also integrate Google Analytics into our websites, allowing you to easily track web traffic.

Announcing our new obituary system

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:37:01 GMT

Starting with our very first client back in 2008, we have always structured our business model as a partnership with each funeral home client. We only generate revenue when people find and use your CFS website This motivates us to do all that we can to help you stand out in a competitive online world.

A CFS funeral home website generates lots of traffic. We see an average of 271 visitors per website per day across our network. More than four out of five of these visitors are viewing obituary pages. If you’re an average-sized funeral home that posts obituaries, you can expect them to draw in over 200 people to your CFS website each and every day.

Seizing the opportunity

Every visitor to your website can be a direct or indirect link to future business. It’s very much in our interest, as your website provider and partner, to do all that we can to help you capture these opportunities. This is why we’ve spent the last few months performing research and engineering an improved obituary system. Our new design focuses on better serving families, capturing new leads, and creating an even more favorable impression of your funeral home.

What’s new

Key features of the new system include:

A larger obituary theme header across the top, with the decedent’s photo(s) inset. This approach is similar to the familiar Facebook cover photo format.

Hundreds of new obituary theme graphics, with more on the way. This allows you to tailor the obituary page to more closely represent the individual, undoubtedly creating additional goodwill with your families.

A ‘tribute wall’ that includes condolences, gestures, images, and our new video posts, all in one place. The guest book is now structured much like social media sites, and has proven to generate more posted content in support of the family. It also aims to encourage families to use the wall as a permanent and ongoing online memorial.

Multiple features that make it much easier for people to view and interact with the obituary on a mobile device, now that roughly half of visitors are viewing your website on a smartphone or tablet.

Continuous background music across all content tabs (as opposed to the old system that started the music over as people clicked on each tab).

A better store layout that allows people to filter products by type and price range.

On-demand display of condolences (loading as needed) as people scroll down the tribute wall. This significantly reduces the load time of obituary pages when there are many guestbook entries. Reduced load time also helps your website’s search ranking.

Ability to have the services tab appear first when the services have not yet concluded (that setting is in the obituary preferences section of your website). The obituary tab is returned to the first slot after the services are over.

Grief support signup option in the sidebar. This has already generated an increase in subscribers across the first phase of websites using the new obituary system. Each grief subscription puts your funeral home name and brand in front of a consumer every day for 365 days! As well as helping the subscriber through grief, these emails also allow you to gently offer pre-need/pre-planning, if you wish to take advantage of this.

Summary

Your website traffic is vitally important to securing long-term business and it’s mostly driven by obituaries. Our new system provides better features for families and better opportunities for you to promote your funeral home.

We are very proud of the new obituary system and hope that you will like it too. We’ve started rolling it out across our responsive website platform and everyone should have it in place over the next few days.

If you are still on our non-responsive platform (those who logon with a username), we would love to transfer you onto our newer platform so that you can take advantage of our latest features.

Please let us know if you have comments or questions. We stand ready to assist you.

Funeral Planning Begins Online: 4 Ways to Prepare

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:36:59 GMT

More families are beginning the process of funeral planning online. Is your website ready?

The Internet has brought radical change to every industry. It is easier than ever for consumers to compare competing firms, make decisions, and begin communication. While online interaction will never replace the personal touches of the death care industry, it has already changed how funeral planning begins.

It is estimated that more than 75% of funeral planning now begins online, with that percentage expected to grow in the next few years. It is more important than ever to use your website as a marketing and customer service platform to prospective families.

Have Your Price List Available Online

Comparing prices online is a key factor in a family choosing a funeral home they have not worked with before. Making your prices available through your website helps families in this decision. If you do not want your price list available to anyone on your website, having a contact form allowing visitors to request a copy to be emailed to them is also a good alternative. CFS also allows you to password protect certain pages on your website, allowing you to release your prices only to prospective families.

Publish Testimonials

In addition to comparing prices, reviews from the families you served are very influential in attracting new business. Positive feedback reassures families when deciding between funeral homes. Asking families you have already served to submit a testimonial through your website or complete a survey helps to gather statements to publish online. In addition to offering a testimonial widget on all websites, CFS is also partnered with Aftercare.com , a service that sends a survey in addition to personalized greeting cards to the families you have already served.

Outline Your Services Clearly

In this overwhelming time, most families are not prepared for the arrangement process. By explaining the various service packages you offer online, you can help a family begin to imagine what kind of service they would like to hold for their loved one. By focusing on the ceremony first, families can decide what personal details they would like to include. This can help a family select a package that is closest to what they envision for the service. A funeral home with clear, accessible language describing the different funeral services that can be held is more likely to be chosen by a family.

Provide Pre-Planning and At-Need Forms Online

In the changing landscape of the Internet, a growing percentage of visitors to your website would prefer to begin the funeral planning process online and not over the phone. Providing online fillable forms to begin the process of pre-need or at-need services is an excellent way to claim business with new families. CFS has fully customizable online forms that can be easily adjusted and placed on your website. All responses are recorded on the website and can be sent directly to your email.

5 Website Design Trends to Expect in 2018

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:36:58 GMT

As we head into 2018, here is the website design forecast expected in the new year.

2017 has been a year of design innovation and evolution. Here at CFS, we developed brand new design bases with these trends in mind. This past year saw the increased popularity of responsive designs. CFS websites have been responsive for the past several years, making your website as beautiful on a computer as it is on a phone or a tablet.

But what can we expect to see in 2018? Below are the top 5 design predictions for the new year.

The Importance of Mobile Design

Every year, the percentage of web traffic generated with mobile phones is growing. At this current rate, more people will be reaching your website through their cell phone than their computer. This means that it is more important than ever to have a responsive website. Your website needs to be as attractive and easy-to-use on a phone as it is on a computer. Our websites seamlessly transition from desktop to phone, allowing visitors to your website to order flowers and enter pre-arrangement information right from their mobile devices. This accessibility will be key to connecting with families in your area.

Video Banners

The end of 2017 has seen the rise in popularity of video banners in replacement of photo galleries. While photo selections are still popular, videos and animations are predicted to become far more popular among corporate websites. While the funeral industry is not likely to adopt the rising trend of animation popular among design and technology companies, videos are likely to achieve the same effect. These videos make your website, and your name, more memorable to families.

Brighter Colors

Muted color palettes gained popularity beginning in 2015, but bright contrasting colors are likely to make a comeback in 2018. More vivid colors can be eye catching for visitors to your website, drawing attention directly to specific bodies of text on your website. Blue was a trending color last year in website design, but this year could see the rise of reds and pinks as accent colors. Using bright, contrasting colors as accents has been a consistently popular trend in the past few years. We can expect it to continue into 2018.

Clean and Bold

Minimalism has been the core of website design trends for the past few years. Many popular companies redesigned their logos to be flatter, rounded, and brighter than before. Drop shadows remain popular, but websites across the Internet are becoming more bright and less defined. Keeping your website clean and simple is also important to appealing to your clients. Instead, large banners and buttons guiding visitors to what they’re looking for is key. Large horizontal obituary strips and grids make it easier for families to find their loved one. Buttons in the header of your home page are also a great way to highlight your services and offerings. This is a great way to promote pre-planning to visitors on your website.

Larger Fonts

As more people visit your website on their mobile devices, it is more important than ever to choose easy-to-read fonts. Larger text makes it much easier for visitors to browse your website. Smaller fonts are quickly becoming unpopular as mobile browsing becomes more dominant. Dark text on a light background makes it far easier to read text on a webpage, especially on mobile. Expect to see a decrease in dark gradients and textures that became more popular this year.

Feature Spotlight: Aftercare With Your CFS Site

jgreen@frontrunner360.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:36:56 GMT

CFS websites offer features to help your funeral home stay connected with the families you have served.

Providing aftercare to the families you serve is a critical aspect of engaging with the local community and building your future base of business. During difficult periods of grief for families, offering support beyond the funeral services can provide great comfort and foster a bond between a family and your funeral home.

CFS understands the importance of aftercare and offers features through your website to effortlessly provide additional support to families.

A Year of Daily Grief Support

Visitors to your website can sign up for daily grief support emails, each of which are provided at no cost. These emails include an inspirational quote and a message each day, helping to guide readers through the journey of their grief. These emails are sent through your website and include your firm’s name. Anyone visiting your website can subscribe to this service, creating engagement with more people in your community who may have been affected by the families you have already served.

Aftercare.com

CFS has partnered with Aftercare.com , a program that automatically sends four cards and a survey to families throughout the first year following the service. A sympathy card is sent two weeks after the services are held, followed by a survey six weeks later. Three cards are then sent on the birthday of the deceased, during the holiday season, and on the first anniversary of the passing. All cards are personalized with your logo and signature, and all cards can be customized with your own custom messages.

Aftercare.com offers this service at only $20 per family. When you sign up for Aftercare.com through a CFS website, the first three families you enroll are free. This program is an excellent way to continue contact and only requires a one-time signup per family.