Paperchase revamps website with 'personalised email calendar' 

Wednesday, September 29 2010 by John Burns

Stationery store Paperchase has undertaken a web design revamp that will improve the company's ecommerce presence.
 
To help with organic website promotion, the retailer will feature an online store for the first time on the site, having previously sold products through other ecommerce retailers, such as Amazon.co.uk.

Marketing consultants working for the retailers have ensured that there is consistency across the brand's website, based on its store colour theme.
 
New site features have improved its usability, optimising it around customer's personalised needs. There is a gift finder search tool and a personal calendar to enable visitors to bookmark important dates on the site, for which they will receive email reminders.
 
This email feature in particular is interesting, with its potential for bulking up and specialising email marketing mailing lists.
 
Other site functions include a store locator - absent from the former Paperchase incarnation. There is also a heavy emphasis on the multiple delivery options available to customers, including international delivery.
 
The aesthetic form of the site resembles a notebook, with various areas of the site accessible through a series of 'post-it' style tabs, which each reveal a drop down list when the mouse is hovered over them.
 
EConsultancy's review of the website design praises its search query results, pointing out that the most relevant products tend to appear first, proving the filter is effective.
 
Product pages are also praised by the online marketing website, which highlights the useful zoom function, additional pictures where necessary and the very clear delivery charge and returns policy links and information.
 
The main advantage, points out eConsultancy's Graham Charlton, is that they are a multi-outlet retailer, capable of delivering goods out of a number of its national outlets.
 
However, he also points out that the lack of an in-store returns policy, which is available from rival retailer Ryman, is a severe disadvantage.
 
Source: http://www.paperchase.co.uk/launch-of-new-online-store/stry/news1/