Erb Company expands digital footprint powered by MyPlumbingShowroom.com
With a history dating back to the early 1900s, Erb Company has been dedicated to building Buffalo, N.Y., for over a century. They’ve supplied the plumbing and heating systems for many homes and structures throughout Western New York.
The region’s economy has been one of the hardest-hit in recent decades, with losses in manufacturing, population, jobs and income. But through four generations of family ownership supported by a dedicated team that surrounds them, Erb Company has steadily continued to grow its business. They’ve accomplished this by supplying excellent products and knowledgeable service and placing great value on their customer relationships.
And now, with the Buffalo and Niagara Falls area among the hottest housing markets in the country, Erb Company is committed to continuing that growth by reaching new audiences and expanding their customer base. One of the newest ways they are engaging with customers is by implementing an interactive, consumer-centric website, www.buffaloplumbingshowroom.com. The site includes a graphic-rich online catalog, a blog that shares trends and ideas, and even a “style quiz” to help consumers discover the look they want to create.
It’s a far different look than what they had been used to. Buffalo Plumbing Marketing Director Melissa Dell said that “there was no real reason for consumers to visit the previous version of our website. Google was already providing our address, phone numbers and hours of operation, and we weren’t offering much value for consumers who were looking for detailed product information and design ideas. We wanted a site that would drive more foot traffic into the showroom and engage with potential customers online.”
In today’s market, research shows that more than 80% of smartphone users consult their phones on purchases they are about to make in a store and 45% read reviews before making a purchase.
“If you’re a business today and you don’t have an online presence that gives potential buyers the answers they’re seeking during their research phase, you simply do not exist to those consumers,” Dell noted. “Bravo has given us a relevant web presence — complete with a digital catalog of the products we carry and prices we offer direct to consumers — that we will use to further our brand awareness in the greater Buffalo and Northeastern Pennsylvania areas. We need homeowners, contractors and designers to know who we are, where we are, and that our knowledgeable showroom consultants are here to offer a fluid, enjoyable buying experience. That process starts with a search engine and thanks to Bravo, we are making page 1 of Google in many relevant product searches.”
MyPlumbingShowroom.com is a service of Bravo Business Media, providing full digital and mobile access to the highest-quality content and best user experience available for independent plumbing showroom customers, like Buffalo Plumbing Showroom of Erb Company. In addition to an enhanced rendering of product information across all platforms and devices, Bravo has optimized search and selection functions for superb user experiences. The customized websites and easy-to-use online catalogs feature a full range of products and services offered by each showroom.
Dell said that the Bravo support team has been “exceptionally responsive and kind. I appreciate receiving that type of service from the company managing our website because it is an expansive undertaking and is integral to moving our business forward.”
In particular, she said that Bravo sales professional Adam Nattrass was knowledgeable, helpful and patient, and described Customer Success Manager Lindsay Cameron as “a phenomenal resource. She responds promptly, answers my questions, and ensures I understand the whys and how things work, because I’m that same kind of person. She always makes me feel like my showroom’s success is Bravo’s number one priority.”
Nattrass noted that “Bravo is unique in that we’ve built direct relationships with industry manufacturers in the decorative categories, and so we are able to provide a tremendous amount of detailed product information for the customized BPS site. That will help them engage consumers, reach new audiences and increase awareness of their showroom in their marketplace. It also helps ensure that when customers are doing Google searches for a particular type of product— for example brushed nickel faucets — and they click on a product on the BPS site, they’ll be prompted to continue their search on the showroom’s site rather than go back through the search engine or multiple manufacturers’ sites.”
Dell provided Bravo with the initial information they needed prior to getting the project started, and the Bravo team took it from there. They handled the set up — buffaloplumbingshowroom.com was up and running in about a month — and continue to manage the site and updates.
“Whenever we need anything, I simply reach out to Support and they take it from there,” she said. “We don’t have to worry about dealing with our website — Bravo’s got our back. Their dedication to detail and service enables us to focus our energy on helping our customers create the bath and kitchen spaces they’re dreaming of.
“Our showroom traffic this year has remained steady through the fall and winter, where in years past there was more of a seasonal slump. We are even receiving calls and emails from customers all across the country. Since we are a small family business, we can’t ship everything to everyone, yet — but we hope to expand our presence to provide a positive buying experience to customers in Buffalo and beyond.”
About MyPlumbingShowroom.com:
Headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., MyPlumbingShowroom.com is a service of Bravo Business Media, a fast-paced, growing company offering independent businesses an easy to use, affordable, turnkey website service that establishes their businesses as multi-channel merchants — quickly. The company’s Internet solutions are the cutting edge of today’s web marketing and online sales technologies and are bursting with opportunities for growth. For more information, call 800.425.5139 or visit www.MyPlumbingShowroom.com.
