What's New with Bridge's Software?
New features, updates, tips, fixes and more:
November 2020
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November 24, 2020
We're updated two features on your gift registry lists:- On a gift registry, customers buy gifts and a threshold may be met for gifts desired. When this occurs, no more gifts for the item are needed. When this occurs, the software needs to visually alert other customers to choose other gifts. With our update, purchased items now show a gray, translucent screen over them with a blue ribbon "Gifting Completed." Previously, we simp...
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- On a gift registry, customers buy gifts and a threshold may be met for gifts desired. When this occurs, no more gifts for the item are needed. When this occurs, the software needs to visually alert other customers to choose other gifts. With our update, purchased items now show a gray, translucent screen over them with a blue ribbon "Gifting Completed." Previously, we simp...
October 2020
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October 29, 2020
We have exciting news: Retailers can now place wholesale orders via Bridge. If you are an authorized dealer, you can purchase from these participating brands:- Anna Weatherley
- Beatriz Ball
- Calaisio
- Casafina
- Costa Nova
- Couzon
- Herdmar
- Kim Seybert
- Mario Luca Giusti
- Medard de Noblat
- Meissen
- Pickard China
- Pickard Crystal
- Pinto Paris
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October 8, 2020
FOR RETAILERS
You can now easily place a wholesale order on your Bridge from participating Smart Brands.
Bridge's wholesale service reduces the number of typical steps a retailer must take from seven to just three steps. As such, Bridge's system is 2x as fast as traditional wholesale ordering systems.
In the screenshot, we see a retailer logged in on its Bridge Store. The retailer can click the link "Place Wholesale Order for this Product&q...
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September 2020
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September 29, 2020
FOR RETAILERS
Your Bridge now makes it easier to speed customers to popular areas of your site. Your header now displays links to your gift card page, popular products page, and sale products page.
These three links appear if you have fewer than six custom links. If you have more than six custom header links, these default custom links will not appear. If this is the case for your store, you are welcome to add these links manually.
If your...
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September 21, 2020
Your customers can now more easily access your custom monogram services. Customers can access the advanced monogram services page from a specific product details page. (Previously, they could only access this service from the brand's home page.)
In the example shown, we are viewing a Pickard Signature product on Texas-based retailer The Ivy House. The customer sees the link "Custom Monogram Order Form For Pickard Signature". Clicking this takes th...
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September 15, 2020
You can now more easily view the credit status for a registry item. When viewing an order, just look below the product's name, and your Bridge will show you the registry accounting status. In the example shown, there is credit due to the registrant for the value of the item shown.
Accurately managing registry credit is an important part of keeping your registry accounting books accurate and making registrants and gift-givers happy. Let's imagine an order has three products i...
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September 3, 2020
You can now display nicer lifestyle pictures. In the example, we see 'before' and 'after' examples showing the difference.
What do you need to do? Reload your lifestyle pictures to take advantage of this upgrade. Please load the highest resolution image you that you have in order display the best picture quality.
To see the real-world example, please visit this Arte Italica pattern:
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July 2020
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July 28, 2020
We have improved your ordering system. Your orders page now has a standalone payment status drop down. This new feature helps you more easily update the order's payment status and keep it separate from the order's status (aka: if the order has been shipped, etc.). Previously, the payment and order status were combined in one drop down.
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July 12, 2020
Your shoppers can now more easily know how the size of a product. On your Results pages, your software now outputs the length, width, diameter, height, and capacity.
In the example shown, we see that these Juliska are products are 11" and 9" wide. This makes comparing products easier, more accurate, and faster.
With this updated feature, your business no longer has to put dimensions in product names.
This new feature works in 'Shopping...
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July 12, 2020
You can now add more links in your header area. In the example shown, DeVine Corporation has added links to all of its brands as well links to other key pages.
To see this in action, please visit DeVine's Bridge account:
https://devinetableware.bridgecatalog.com/
June 2020
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June 4, 2020
You can now share wedding shower dates on registry pages. In the example, we see the shower date is May 16, 2020.
Retailers have requested this feature in order to help them manage gifts. This also helps a registrant's friends and family.
In order to add a shower date, please edit a registry. You'll see a new area "Wedding / Bridal Shower Date." The registrant can list if they are having a shower, and if so, if they wish to share this date with the p...
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May 2020
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May 28, 2020
As you may know, your business can load lifestyle pictures to each collection. Yet, an issue may arise: the picture may not be showing the ideal 'framing' of the photo. You may wish the frame showed more of the top or bottom of the picture. You can now adjust what Bridge shows from the picture.
In the example shown, we see a Casafina pattern. By default, the software shows the middle of the picture. Unfortunately, the bottom part of the picture is what we'd like to show the shoppe...
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May 16, 2020
When a business offers a website, it's a costly venture. A business, such as an indie store, brand, or sales rep group, will build the site and then have to maintain it. On a day-to-day basis, it has to ensure the pages load quickly. This often requires the business use image-optimization software to reduce the page size and a CDN (content delivery network) to get the content closer to the visitor's geographic location. These costs add up.
Bridge and Shopify both bundle many servi...
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May 7, 2020
Your software now outputs your lifestyle pictures at the top of your Collections page. This makes the page and the products look more engaging.
By default, the 'window' will center on the middle of the lifestyle image. If you wish, you can update the focus by using 'up' and 'down' arrows on the left-side of the window.
In this example, the brand member Vista Alegre is editing its pattern Alma de Lisboa. The member can load two lifestyle images for ...
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April 2020
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April 20, 2020
New Feature: More Easily See Product Dimensions
Your store and your shoppers can now more easily know how big something is. Below a product's name, your software now outputs the length, width, and height.
In the example shown, we see that this Juliska glass is W 3" x L 3" x H 6.5". An alternate way to enter this would be D 3" x H 6.5". -
April 20, 2020
New features for retailers:
1. You can now customize your horizontal navigation's font and link colors.
Previously, your horizontal navigation ("Home," "Gift Registry," "Designers," etc.) was dark gray with white links. Now, you can make it any combination you'd like. In the example shown, it's a white background with gold links.
To customize your link colors, please do this:
A. Visit your Bridge account.
B. Log in.
March 2020
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March 6, 2020
You can now search for a registrant in the primary search field at the top of your account. In the example, we're searching for the registrant "Moore." We see this generates five results.
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March 5, 2020
You can customize your Bridge gift registry home page. Below are some tips to accomplish this. Please note: you have to be logged in to your account to customize your design and view edit features.- Add your logo. You can do this by visiting 'Your Account Profile' and clicking on the 'Design' tab.
- Customize your horizontal navigation bar color and font. You can do this by visiting 'Your Account Profile' and clicking on the 'Design'&...
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March 5, 2020
Customers can now more easily find stores. Customers can now search by city or store name. Previously, they could only search by zip code.
Please give it a try:
1. Please go here:
https://beatrizball.bridgecatalog.com/stores.cfm
2. Please search for the store "Paddiwack" or its city "Gainesville".
Why is the find a store feature important? The find a...
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March 3, 2020
When buying a gift online, customers will now be more likely to enter a gift message. Bridge added to the checkout page an image of a gift envelope and text asking "Include a Message With Your Gift?"
This gift envelope image and text will only appear if the purchase is for a gift registry purchase. If the purchase is not gift registry related, a customer can still enter a gift message.
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March 2, 2020
Why keep past registries? Because friends and family forget to buy gifts from your store :)
In the example shown, we see an anniversary reminder prompted a registrant’s friend to purchase another gift from the store. By keeping past registries, your Bridge software can send emails to friends and family members encouraging them to purchase gifts.
We recommend you maintain past registries for 3 years or more after the wedding date.
February 2020
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February 5, 2020
Your business likely has to pay taxes on your 2019 Bridge sales. While paying taxes may not be fun, Bridge has made it easier.
Your Bridge allows you to easily see how much you collected in sales taxes. You can use this information to prepare your 2019 taxes.
How to visit your Tax page:
1. Visit your Bridge.
2. Login to your Bridge.
3. At the very top, click on “Management.”
4. On Management home page, on the left...
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February 5, 2020
Your Bridge gift registry software looks better in Google than your competitors' software. In this example, we can see how Breed, a retailer in Texas, appears in Google. Breed's listing shows the number of registries and reviews. Competitors listings do not show quantitative information--and look drab by comparison.
Google 'likes' this these statistics because it shows that your registry software is unique and you're servicing customers. Customers like these statistics...
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January 2020
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January 14, 2020
During the trade shows, retailers ask brands for price lists, Excel files, and PDFs. Did you know Bridge can help retailers and brands store and share these files?
You can load and share these types of files:- Price lists
- Excel files
- Catalogs
- PDFs
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January 3, 2020
Bridge has made it easier for you to share your news and events.
You can now more easily add pictures to news posts, and then edit and rearrange the pictures.
In the example shown, I'm sharing news about our Vietri seminar in Atlanta. I added a picture to the post, as well as marked it as an event, set a location, and added an RSVP button.
Here is how to share news or an event:
- Visit your Bridge home page. Look for the 'What's on your min...
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- Visit your Bridge home page. Look for the 'What's on your min...
November 2019
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November 28, 2019
Make your website shine for the holidays: share holiday slides
For example, Beatriz Ball's shared slides with a platter and a cake stand. These slides show how products can used during the holidays and make Beatriz Ball products more appealing to customers. Elizabeth Clair's, a gift shop in Mississippi, shared slides showing its store and Arte Italica Christmas plates.
See examples:
https://beatrizball.bridgeca...
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November 8, 2019
Your Bridge now helps you share files more easily. You can easily load PDFs, Excel files, price lists, and more via your Bridge Library. Your business friends will see your files on their Dashboard, as well as in their respective Library.
In the example shown, Babcock Gifts, the premier gift shop of Tennessee, can view files from Mary Jurek, DeVine Corporation, Badash, Casafina, and BIA Cordon Bleu.
When viewing a file on the Dashboard, you can like it, save it, or ...
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October 2019
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October 31, 2019
Finding Products Just Got Easier
You can now search within just one brand. In the example shown, a customer on Babcock's Bridge Store can search just Juliska items. This feature helps when searching for an item from a brand and not wishing to see results from all brands. If a Bridge Store has 10,000 products, and a customer wishes to search for "plate," it may be easier to search within a brand via this feature. -
October 16, 2019
Your home page now shows more pictures of registrants.
Benefits:
+ This will increase you sales.
+ This will increase your Google ranking.
Details:
Your Newsfeed now shows:
+ A congratulations for those celebrating a wedding.
+ A reminder for those registrants celebrating anniversaries.
+ When a registrant opens a registry
When potential a registrant see these posts, she or he will be be more likely to registe...
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October 10, 2019
You can now quickly designate an item as being safe for the microwave, oven, freezer, and/or dishwasher. Just log in and visit the product. You'll see check boxes for each respective care term.
In the first example, we see an item with all the care features selected. In the second example, the Juliska item is only dishwasher safe. We see how Juliska can choose to just check the "Dishwasher Safe" box.
What if the item should NOT go in the microwave? Then yo...
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September 2019
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September 11, 2019
You can customize your home page slides. You can add pictures of your store, products, events, and more.
In the examples shown, we see how the Seattle-based store Timothy de Clue loaded a picture of a wine glass with the Pike Place Market in the background. Persnickety, a shop based in Madison, MS, added a picture of its store's exterior.
By default, your Newsfeed slideshow includes slides promoting gift cards, your gift registry, and reviews. You can hide these if ...
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September 9, 2019
For Retailers & Reps:
Need stock information? Bridge has it. Bridge can help you see stock from 30+ Smart Brand partners. Participating brands include:
Anna Weatherley
Arzberg
Badash
Calaisio
Capdeco
Casafina
Chef & Sommelier
Costa Nova
Couzon
Deshoulieres
Erbario Toscano
Ercuis
J.L. Coquet
Jaune de chrome
Kim Seybert
Mario Luca Giusti
Mariposa
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August 2019
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August 14, 2019
Your 'New Products' page now shows you the date the item was added. This makes it easier for you and customers to keep track of your business adding new items.
In the example shown, we see that the retailer added the three items today.
July 2019
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July 21, 2019
Your product pages now look better. Previously, when a customer viewed items that lacked product pictures, your software would show a 'coming soon' image placeholder. Now, your software shows the item's brand logo.
In the example shown, the software is outputting the Tizo, Match, Chilewich, and Grainware logos.
If a brand does not have a logo in our system, then a coming soon picture will still appear for an item lacking a picture. Since Babcock Exclusives brand does not ha...
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June 2019
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June 18, 2019
You and your customers can now 'like' news posts by clicking a heart icon in the post. The heart icon appears on a white circle in the lower right of images associated with the post. Once you like a post, the post's like count will automatically increase.
This feature is active on your home page, Dashboard, news home page, and dedicated news pages. -
June 15, 2019
Your software now better promotes free shipping and free gift wrapping. Next to each item, if applicable, it says "Free Delivery" and "Free Gift Wrapping."
This change keeps your store competitive with Zola and other retailers which are promoting free delivery. -
June 6, 2019
You can now add special, unique pricing to items on a gift registry. For example, you can use this feature when an item can be monogrammed and you need to charge more for it. You can use this feature if a registry gift comes as a set but the item on your site only shows pricing for a single item. You can double the price using this feature and add a comment to the item saying it the gift includes two of the items.
Add special pricing to an item:
1. Login to your Bridge.
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May 2019
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May 20, 2019
You can now control the registry change emails that you receive.
On the Your Account page, you can turn on or off receiving emails about registry changes, additions, and deletions. For example, if you do not want to receive an email that a bride added an item to registry or changed the quantity of items desired, you can turn that email alert off.
To adjust these email alerts, please:
1. Login to your Bridge.
2. Roll over "Management" and from...
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May 19, 2019
Bridge now displays brand logos more prominently and in more locations.
A. Registry Pages
In the old Bridge 1.0,a customer would browse to a bride's registry, see a champagne flute, and there would not be a Waterford logo by the product. This shopper would likely not know the item was a Waterford item, and therefore not know the history and quality of the item. In 2.0, Bridge displays the Waterford logo below each item so the customer now immediately sees the Waterford logo...
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May 16, 2019
We gave your "Add" drop down a design update. The drop down now shows icons for each of the items you can add. -
May 13, 2019
Your Bridge Store now makes it easier to start a registry. In the upper right of your Store, we've added a button "Start a Free Gift Registry."
Benefits of new feature:
1. Prominently promotes that your store offers a gift registry service
2. Makes it quicker to start a registry.
April 2019
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April 23, 2019
Your Bridge 2.0 update is complete. Your site now offers a smoother, cleaner experience for customers--and you.
Your upgrade to 2.0 software is free and automatic--you do not need to take any steps. This free upgrade is especially valuable because a new retail website costs $11,000 - $29,000 on average to setup. (Source: Atlantic Business Technologies.)
1. You will wish to learn what is new in 2.0.
I will be sharing a video about what is new in Bridge 2.0.
October 2018
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October 31, 2018
Do you wish you could more easily connect with other stores that sell a brand? For example, do you wish that you could ask another store what is selling from Juliska--and share strategies about selling more? Now you can...
Your store can now more easily connect with other sellers of a brand. Here's how:
1. Log in to your Bridge.
2. Browse to a brand.
3. In the horizontal bar above the slideshow, there is a new link that says "Retailers." Click this.<...
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October 19, 2018
You can now easily see how much tax you've collected on orders.
On the new Tax Collection page, you can set a date range and view taxes collected. This makes it easier to report these taxes.
How to visit your Tax page:
1. Visit your Bridge.
2. At the very top, click on “Management.”
3. On Management home page, under “Reporting,” click on “Tax Collection.”
In the example shown, we've replaced act...
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October 18, 2018
Do you offer 'special order' items? These may be custom built items or items imported from overseas upon request. If so, it's important to let customers know this because these items often take longer to arrive to customers. There may also be special terms and restocking fees that apply to them.
You can now designate items as Special Import. This information will appear on the item's Details page.
Designate items as Special Import:
1. Login to Bridge.
...
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September 2018
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September 16, 2018
You can now more easily see how an item was paid for online.
When you look at your orders page, your software now shows you the credit card logo used. If the credit card logo is not displayed, this means the customer did not pay online. You will have to call the customer to take its credit card information over the telephone and key it in your terminal.
In the example shown, the September 11th Michael Aram purchase does not show a credit card logo. This means that t...
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September 6, 2018
We've loaded UPCs to products for 20+ brands, including:
+ Badash
+ Casafina and Costa Nova
+ DeVine's brands (Anna Weatherly, Varga, JL Coquet, Jaune de Chrome, etc.)
+ Nambe
+ Q Squared
+ Rosenthal's brands (Rosenthal, Versace, Thomas, Ercuis, Raynaud, Arzberg, etc.)
+ WWRD's brands (Waterford, Wedgwood, etc.)
+ Vietri
We've also loaded EAN's for Joseph Joseph products.
When your products have UPCs an...
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August 2018
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August 27, 2018
FOR RETAILERS:
You can now easily see what percent of your online orders are registry related.
To view this new feature, you'll:
1. Login to your Bridge.
2. Roll over "Management" at the top and from the drop down click on "Reporting Overview."
3. On the Reporting Overview page, look for this area: "Online: Registry vs Non-Registry (Online and mobile orders only)."
Most indies stores will get the majo...
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August 3, 2018
FOR BRANDS:
Bridge Can Help You Share Stock with Retailers
..................................
Stores are hungry to know stock levels from their manufacturers. The brands that make knowing this information easy are the brands to which stores drive business.
Ask yourself: how can a store sell something it doesn't have in stock or for which it doesn't know the stock level?
Good news: Bridge now allows you to easily upload st...
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July 2018
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July 9, 2018
Wish to find your items more easily? More easily build gift registries? We have a new feature that helps: add your UPCs to items.
Here is how to find which of your items are missing a UPC.
How to access it:
1. Login to Bridge.
2. Roll over "Management."
3. From the drop down under Products, click on "Missing UPC."
4. You'll be taken to a page showing all missing UPCs. You can download all of them to an Excel file using...
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March 2018
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March 15, 2018
Here's an easy way to share good news to your Facebook page:
When you receive a review that you like, you can share it to Facebook with 3 clicks.
1. Go to your Reviews page and find the positive review. Next to the review, click on "Facebook." (You'll have to be logged in to see this Facebook link."
2. A pop-up window will appear. Click on "Share."
3. A floating window generated by Facebook will appear. Click on "Post to Facebook....
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March 1, 2018
FOR RETAILERS:
Did you know that Facebook has recently changed its algorithm to show more news from friends and family and less news from your business?
Due to this change, most of your customers don't see the news that you post on Facebook.
What can you do about this?
Bridge has a solution: You can have your Facebook posts copied to your Bridge. Your news will be seen by 1,000s more customers.
What retailers currently use our Facebook copying service?...
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February 2018
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February 18, 2018
NEW SERVICE FOR BRANDS
Did you know that Facebook has recently changed its formula to show more news from friends and family and less news from your business?
Due to this change, most of your retailers don't see the news that you post on Facebook.
What can you do about this?
Bridge has a free solution: You can have your Facebooks posts copied to your Bridge's news page. This news will be seen by your Bridge retailers and reps. This news may also appear along...
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February 6, 2018
Your Bridge has a new feature to help you compete. Your Bridge site now offers a $10 in-store gift card for registering at your store. Why are we offering this? Zola is offering brides up to $50 to start a registry. Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel are offering 10% off everything for 6 months. In order to help you stay competitive, we're offering a sign up bonus, too.
Program details:
1. On your gift registry home page and start a new registry page, there is a now a b...
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September 2017
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September 29, 2017
Bridge has updated the Orders home page. Your store can now more easily see if there is a ‘partial’ registry order.
When there is an order that is part registry/part not, the registry column will now output “Partial for [insert registry couple last name]”. -
September 28, 2017
Did you know that customers can purchase a registry gift and a non-registry item (for the purchaser) at the same time?
For example, let's imagine that Sarah is getting married. Her mom goes on to Sarah's registry. Sarah's mom buys one Rogaska item for her daughter and one Reed & Barton pitcher for herself. Sarah's mom will check out with both items.
When you view the receipt in your Orders area, you'll see two items have been purchased by Sarah's mom.
You should look ...
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September 13, 2017
Wish to make it easier for your stores to re-order?
Bridge can help: we output a store's sales rep at the top its respective brand's page.
This helps the store more easily contact its sales rep to place an order or ask a question. Assigning a rep will also allow the rep to learn about orders in real time as they are placed on the retailer's site.
The store can also easily contact the brand's corporate office, see re-ordering terms, and visit the brand...
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August 2017
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August 10, 2017
Your Bridge has a new feature to boost your registries: your online store will give brides $10 if they start a new registry with your store. Bridge will active this new feature for your store on Monday, August 21.
Why did Bridge create this incentive?
Competitors are like Zola.com are offering brides incentives like this. This new incentive helps your software stay competitive. This program also drives shoppers into your physical store.
If you'd like, you can increase ...
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June 2017
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June 30, 2017
Each small business is unique...but most have the same problem: 75% don’t sell online
75% of the world’s small businesses have yet to sell online. Meanwhile, 80% of consumers shop online. We are facing a drastic gap between what small businesses offer and what their customers expect.
This is resulting in 1,000’s of small businesses closing and Amazon.com growing in strength.
What if there was a way to help these indie stores open their doors to online business? -
June 12, 2017
Reviews are the quickest, most cost-effective way to help your site. They boost traffic and your Google ranking.
Bridge has added a new feature to get you more reviews. On your reviews page, when you are logged in, there is a new link:
» Email a request to be reviewed
Click this and you can easily ask a customer for a review. Bridge auto-populates an email for you.
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June 8, 2017
Do you want to copy your Yelp or Facebook reviews to your Bridge? Sure, you can do that.
Just do this:
1. Copy the review.
2. Visit your Bridge reviews page.
3. Paste the review. Add the first name (only), the state, then this byline:
*Originally posted on our [insert name of service from where it was copied] page
e.g.:
*Originally posted on our Facebook page
May 2017
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May 22, 2017Did you miss the Bridge Brand Conference last week? Here is the deck from segment 1 of the conference.
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May 9, 2017
Curious how you can customize your Bridge Newsfeed? Please see the accompanying graphic. The yellow highlighted areas are the customizable areas.
What can be customized:
- Top header.
- Horizontal navigation bar's font and bar's background color.
- Slides.
- Whether you offer gift cards. (On the gift card page, you can add a custom picture of what your gift card looks like.)
- You can output your social media accounts. For each account you add to Bridge, we ou...
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April 2017
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April 26, 2017
Do you need content to post to Bridge and social media? We have lots of sources for you. Check out the graphic here that shares the Sources to Create Social Media Content using Bridge.
Sources include:
- Products. Your Bridge store has 1,000's of products in it that you can share to social media. Each item in your account has a share link.
- Chalks. Your Bridge gives you fresh news each day from your brands and sales reps. Share these Chalks.
- Reviews. Your Bridge software c...
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April 20, 2017
Curious how to make your Bridge more reflective of your store? Try domain masking. Domain masking is a process whereby we remove the "Bridge Catalog" text from your website address.
Domain masking has a few benefits:
- Raises the profile of your business' name (and downplays Bridge's name).
- Boosts your Google ranking.
In the example shown, Vieuxtemps uses domain masking. It's website pages appear in this format:
h...
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March 2017
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March 15, 2017
How prepared are you for your Bridal Registry Season?
You and your employees can watch a replay of last week's live training.
Watch the training here:
https://vimeo.com/207385366
You'll learn how to:
• Save time with auto-populated emails.
•More easily view orders for a specific registry.
• Add in-store purchases to your online registries.
• Boost sales le...
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March 15, 2017
Nambe sends an email to its retailers each month. It helps motivate customers and share the Nambe story.
In this months' newsletter, Nambe invites retailers to join it on Bridge. :) -
March 12, 2017We've updated the Bridge flyer.
The new flyer has:
- Logos from publications that have written about Bridge.
- The five steps to sign up.
- Updated wording to explain service.
- New Beatriz Ball logo.
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March 7, 2017
Your reviews page is a great spot to let customers share their opinions. Sadly, spammers may also target it. Please look at the reviews in yellow These are from spammers. Tell-tale signs are that the 'reviewer' added website links.
As a side note: have you ever wondered how SEO companies can offer to boost your Google ranking? Often they hire spammers to post 'back links' on websites such as review boards like ours. Bridge's goal is to balance the convenience of offering review tool...
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March 3, 2017
Curious what decisions go into processing an order? Here is a handy chart that shows how orders are processed by Bridge Stores.
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March 3, 2017
Looking for any easy way to boost sales? Share one of our new bridal letter with your stores. The Bridge bridal letter is a two-sided tri-fold. The inside is a letter inviting retailers to try Bridge's registry software for free. The outside of the letter has three areas: a mailing area (with pink roses; shown here), a section with logos of Smart Brand members, and a list of featured participating retailers.
February 2017
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February 23, 2017
Curious if your website is on the right track? Check out these trends that we put together to help you see where websites are going.
These are the trends for medium to small sized retail websites.
Retail Web Design Trends:
- Time to launch a site: From months to almost instant.
- Web design cost: From thousands of dollars to almost free.
- Aesthetic: From decorative to super functional.
- Connectedness: From isolated to part of a web of services.
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February 21, 2017
Want to charge your bridal customers for gift wrapping? No problem. To charge customers to gift wrap registry purchase, you'll follow the steps here:
http://support.bridgecatalog.com/KB/a136/charge-gift-wrapping-on-general-public-andor-registry.aspx
Most retailers will offer gift wrapping for free. If you'd like, you can charge for ...
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February 19, 2017
How is your site ranking in Google? Bridge has a new feature to help you find out.
Bridge's new SEO tracker helps you enter 10 terms that you wish to be found for in Google. The goal is itemize what you want to be found for, then see how you're ranking. Here is how to use it:
1. Login to your Bridge.
2. At the top of your account, roll over "Management" and from the drop down click on "Your Account Profile"
3. On the Your Account Profile page, there are four link...
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February 13, 2017
Here is a quick image to share with retailers. This images is the front and back of the Bridge flyer. The benefit of this file over the PDF version is that the recipient can quickly view this .jpg file on any device. :) -
February 9, 2017Wish that your store's registry service would show up higher in Google? Here's a way to track how good your software is: Google your state name and the words "gift registry." This will show you which service providers offer the most Google-friendly registries.
In many state searches, Bridge retailers come up on page 1. In Tennessee, Bridge retailers make up 50% of page 1 results. :)
Congrats to all our first-page finishers! -
February 7, 2017
We have added a new feature to your registry.
You can now choose to not send a welcome email to a bride when you set the registry up.
The benefit of this is that you can enter the real email of a bride without having her be alerted that you're building a new registry for her.
This will allow you to enter the real email to each registry from the initial start up for it.
After you are happy with the status of the registry, you can e-mail the bride a link...
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January 2017
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January 25, 2017Wish to help your retailers sell more product? Invite them to join you on Bridge. Our most recent flyer shows many of our 100 brands that share products via Bridge. With Bridge, running your online store has never been easier.
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January 11, 2017
Skyros Designs shared these pics of its lovely showroom. Want to quickly sell its products? Join it on Bridge and start selling its products even before you leave the building. -
January 6, 2017
The Atlanta and Dallas trade shows are almost here. Is your showroom ready to sell? You'll want to have your Bridge materials on hand.
Shown:
- Bridge flyer (front and back)
- Bridge buttons
- Bridge table tent
- Bridge window decal
The above materials raise awareness about how easy your business is to work with.
When a retailer connects with you on Bridge, the retailer will sell more of your product :) -
January 5, 2017Bridal season is here! Bridge is ready with a new letter designed for stores with bridal registries. The letter explains the challenges that registry administrators face and shows how Bridge can help solve those problems. Please feel free to download this PDF or ask us for print copies.
December 2016
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December 5, 2016
New feature: your website now highlights that you're a local business.
At the bottom of your details pages, we show your state's flag and thank your customers for a supporting a local shop.
Shown here:
Burton's in Washington state and Shulan's in Ohio state. Ohio, nice flag! -
December 3, 2016
How can you get more retailers to sell more of your product? Place these table tents in your showroom to invite them to join you.
Please request your table tents and we'll mail them to you for free.
November 2016
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November 30, 2016
Review us sticker protoype
We'll be mailing these to your store soon. These 3" diameter stickers are for placing on purchases, bags, etc.
The goal: boost traffic to your site, your reviews, and your Google ranking.
Thoughts? Feel free to share. -
November 30, 2016
For which item would you pay more?
A retailer emailed its customers the picture on the left. The picture on the left is not color corrected.
The store lost a potential order and undervalued its items by not color correcting its images.
An example of a color corrected image is shown on the right.
Be sure to color correct all images that you show to your customers.
We recommend subscribing to Photoshop for approximately $20/month. -
November 28, 2016
Today is Cyber Monday: that means that customers are expecting deals from you :)
There is a new Cyber Monday department in the departments area.
Below are the steps to place an item in your Cyber Monday gift department:
1. Add the item to your online store. Note: an item must exist in your online store to add it to the Cyber department.
2. Edit the item.
3. You will be updating the departments that the item is in. When you place an item in the Cyber Monday d...
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November 23, 2016
New registry feature: your registry management page now shows you more insights. Your registry page now shows you:
- On average how close your brides are getting to completing their incentive program.
- On average how many of your registries have an official wedding website added.
As a general rule, your want your brides to get as close as possible to 100% for the registry incentive. Reason: this program cost effectively boosts your registry referrals.
As a gener...
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November 23, 2016
New feature: you can now more easily download just the Smart Product data that you need. Your product export tool now offers you these choices:
- All active items (including new items)
- Just new items ~ View new items here
- Just archived items
- Just active items whose price has changed since your last download
You can use this data to power your POS and/or third party website.
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November 14, 2016
New feature: you can now easily archive all items from a brand.
Imagine you have 60 items on your website from a brand that you no longer sell. You want to keep listing the brand on your website but you want to quickly remove all the items from your site. Just click on the new link "Archive all items..." at the bottom of the brand's page.
In this example, the retailer can archive all Addison Ross items. -
November 10, 2016
How do you get the most out of your website? Watch our 101 training video here and you'll learn 10 tips to help your business.
https://vimeo.com/191050716
Please contact us for the password to watch the video.
Training video topics:
+ Quickly add products to your store.
+ Quickly add brands to your store.
+ Quickly fill out your store's profile, including adding social media links, your st...
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October 2016
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October 17, 2016
When spending money to take product pictures, you may wonder: how important are pictures to your business?
Check out these two pictures of the same glass.
Which would you pay more for? Which would you give as a gift?
In the 'before' picture, the glass has just regular ice in it. In the 'after', the glass has plastic that resembles ice and it has been photographed professionally.
As you can see in this example, taking good photos is crucial to selling...
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September 2016
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September 16, 2016
A retailer asked us today if Bridge is SEO friendly.
Answer: yes, your Bridge store and registry are very SEO friendly. Your site's meta tags, links, page layout, picture naming, and other features have been designed by Bridge to be easy for Google and search bots to crawl.
The retailer asked how to drive more traffic to her site.
Answer: the foundation of e-commerce is a well-designed website like what Bridge offers you. Yet, that is just the beginning. Succee...
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September 13, 2016
Have you requested your free registry table tent? We just picked these up from the printer. Retailers will be placing these near their cash registers and amongst tableware displays. Ask for yours today. -
September 11, 2016Questions about how to how to add Bridge to your online business? Here is a quick PDF sharing 3 potential solutions.
August 2016
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August 17, 2016
Help your customers sell what they buy:
Attach a Bridge flyer to the purchase order receipt that you give to customers.
Ask Bridge for free flyers to use at the show.
ps - A special thanks to Kelly Wenzel at Beatriz Ball for recommending this idea! ;) -
August 17, 2016
New feature: you can now customize the About Our Registry text.
Brides and customers see this text when they visit your gift registry home page.
You can write what makes your store unique for gift and bridal registries. Be sure to enter lots of keywords in this text, such as the cities and towns that you service.
To see a live example, see the custom text that William-Wayne & Co. entered here:
htt...
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August 15, 2016
Have you ever suggested that someone in your store go to your website? Chances are it would be better if encouraged them to simply come back to your physical store. A recent study has shown that websites help stores best when the website drive traffic to the physical location - and not vice versa.
Excerpt:
"Customers who shop in stores tend to buy more, partly because they make more impulse purchases. And they're less likely to compare prices, because that's harder to do...
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August 9, 2016
Did you miss the mobile gift registry training today? Check out the replay below on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/178253211
Vimeo will ask for a password. Please contact us for the password. ;)
We also have another mobile registry training scheduled for Thursday, August 11th at 10 am EST. Join us ;)
July 2016
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July 29, 2016
Did you miss today's training for brands? Check out the replay of it below.
https://vimeo.com/176753369
You'll need a password to watch this on Vimeo.
Please contact us via email or telephone for the password. :)
We review:
+ How to see your sales made over Bridge
+ How to boost your sales using Bridge
+ Shortcuts to save you time
+ How to run promotions
...
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July 19, 2016
Wonder how the social media networks compare?
Social Media Explained for Manufacturers
Facebook: Like my product
Twitter: Read snippets about my product
LinkedIn: Making products is one of my skills
Pinterest: Pictures of my products
Instagram: Vintage pics of my products
Bridge: Sell my products
YouTube: Watch this video about my products
Yelp: Review my products
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July 19, 2016
Did you miss today's retailer training? Catch the replay by watching the video below.
This training covers the steps to get your Bridge account up and producing for you. I take you from the initial login thru the first ten account tips.
You can watch the training on Vimeo here:
https://vimeo.com/175452407
On Vimeo, you'll need a password. Please ask us for this password by emailing us.
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July 13, 2016
Why comment on Chalks and products? Answer: it boosts sales. When you have a conversation about products, it educates the consumer AND adds personality to the product. In the example shown, you can see a conversation that elicited the fact that Ruffoni items have a lifetime warranty.
In addition, comments increase an item's Google ranking.
Your goal: encourage your staff (and customers) to comment on your Chalks.
Also, if you have not already, add your picture t...
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July 12, 2016
Curious where other stores are placing their decals? Check out Serendip. They placed theirs by the front door and the other on the back of their checkout computer. -
July 12, 2016
Check out this cool and easy way to spruce up ur door: just write on the glass door (or window) using erasable "chalk paint." The paint is really just water soluble stuff that easily comes off surfaces. This product is great for writing on doors and windows to add call outs your gift registry decals.
After you write your message using the Chalk paint pen, email us a picture. We'll post the best door decorations.
Note: this is not a stick of chalk. This is white 'ink' tha...
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June 2016
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June 25, 2016
Many store owners ask me "Should my store sync its POS system with its website?"
Some stores have already synced the two and are proud that their website has the same content as in their store.
My answer: syncing a store's POS and its website is not currently a good idea.
Reason: POS systems are not meant to power websites.
When retailers enter data into their POS, they often just enter this data for products:
1. UPC
2. SKU
3. Retail price -
June 23, 2016
Did you miss today's gift registry training? Check out this recording of it. The recording reviews:
- The most important things to do to boost your registry sales.
- Tips to save time in emailing your brides.
- The registry incentive program.
We also have this video on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/172177356
Please contact us for the password. -
June 3, 2016
Keep an eye on the mail: you've got a gift coming
We have mailed you two free decals to promote your bridal registry. The decals go in your store window and by your cash register.
Please find the introductory letter that accompanies the decals below:
.......................................
Easily Increase Sales
June 2, 2016
Dear Bridge Retailer,
Enclosed please find decals to promote your bridal registry service.
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May 2016
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May 24, 2016
Jewelry store training
Watch a replay of today's training. We shared with jewelry store owners tips and secrets to boost jewelry sales.
Here's the training on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/167959879
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May 19, 2016
New feature for brands:
You can now edit your 'about brand' text.
Have you wanted to update the text that explains your brand? Maybe your brand bio lists the history of your brand and why it's unique. Now you can easily add and edit your brand bio. What you enter will appear on all your friended retailers' and sales reps' websites.
In the example shown, Waterford is editing its brand bio by visiting its brand bio page and clicking on "Edit this page." After it does its edit...
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May 17, 2016
Bridge 101 training
Watch our training from today. We had a full house of retailers eager to learn Bridge and compete against Amazon.
Just click the "View" link below to play the video.
Topics:
+ Quickly add brands to your online store.
+ Quickly add products to your online store.
+ Quickly add wedding registries to your ...
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May 11, 2016
Can you relate to this: On Monday a jewelry store was scrambling to send an advertisement to a printer. They needed a logo from a brand quickly. Using Bridge's Library, retailers have immediate access to brands' hi-resolution logos.
Above is an example. This is a retailer's Newsfeed. The Newsfeed is showing that Fiskars loaded logos for Waterford, Wedgwood, and other notable brands. Fiskars' Bridge retailers have quick, one click access when they need it.
Bridge's Library...
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May 5, 2016
You work hard to get a bride to register at your store. But then the wedding date approaches and nothing has been sold. Why is this?
The single biggest reason is that the bride has not linked her wedding website (e.g. theknot.com) to her registry on your website. If the bride doesn't link the two, you'll sell very little. Your mission: link the two. You can read how to do it by clicking the link below or I can call you and walk you through it. My email is: [email protected]
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March 2016
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March 17, 2016
New feature: retailers and vendors can now collaborate to run sales on the retailer's website
In the example shown, Waterford is running a sale on all of its Bridge retailers' sites. The screen shots here show you how the Bridge retailer Shulans sees the promotional information.
Shulans can see the Waterford promotion in a few spots:
1. When Shulans visits its public Waterford page, Shulans can see a red horizontal promotional bar. This bar appears to it as well...
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March 2, 2016
How does your physical store compare your online store? I created this comparison below for my marketing friend Diane.
Your Physical Store vs. Your Online Store:- Sidewalk = small websites and blogs that lead to your website, such as local newspaper sites, local community groups, a bride’s gift registry that links to your store. These sites provide: foot traffic.
- Road = major websites that lead to your website, such as Facebook, the New York Times site,...
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March 1, 2016
How can you update a registry to show that you gave a bride her gift card? Easy, just check "Yes" for "Your business has validated that bride completed 5 steps" in her profile.
This will change the green "Win..." box to say "Nice Work". This gray box tells the bride that she has completed the steps.
Every time that you give a bride her gift card for completing the five steps, be sure to check this box in her registry. This will help you and the bride keep accurate records....
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February 2016
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February 29, 2016
Reminder: starting tomorrow your site, as a default will be set up to give brides $20 for completing a five-step incentive program.
Do you know what the five steps are?
Do you know how to update the amount given to a bride?
Do you know how you'll manage recording when a bride meets the milestone--and how you'll add notes recording this?
How is Bridge Catalog going to help you promote this new program?
Please find answers below:
A. How ...
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February 23, 2016
This graphic is for you to use in your promotions on Bridge, Facebook, and round the web.
Steps:
1. First, put this on your Bridge website. You'll need to do this before you can share it to Facebook, etc. You'll want to choose the graphic whose dollar amount matches what you're offering brides. e.g. $20.
a. Click on the "Share" button below the graphic, and from the pop-up menu, click on "Re-Chalk."
b. From the floating white window, click on 'Edit this Cha...
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February 23, 2016
How do you get your brides to promote their registries with you? Print out the 5 Step checklist. This PDF will walk brides thru the steps.
You can choose from two designs: plain and floral.
Click here to download the floral design
Click here to download the plain d...
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February 17, 2016
New feature: you can now enter your Instagram and Pinterest accounts into Bridge.
The links to your Pinterest and Instagram will appear on your home page and on your customer service page.
You can enter your social media URLs on the Your Account Profile page.
Also, Bridge lets you enter your Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp accounts. -
February 17, 2016
Dear Retailers,
My name is Diane Seidle I have been hired by Jason Solarek of Bridge Catalog to help you make the most of Bridge's services. I am former product distributor, sales rep, retail sales person and former Madison Avenue marketing guru. I write the column in Tableware Today called Selling the Table, about digital marketing. But enough about me. What is it that you need?
It is my mission to see your sales improve in 2016 by utilizing the Bridge services available t...
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February 15, 2016
How many customers visit your website from their phones? Our statistics show that 30% do. Only 11% visit using a tablet (ipad, etc.). We feel this 30% is notable because almost one out of three customers are using their iPhone or Android to interact with you. Ask yourself: have you visited your website on your mobile phone? What services exist on your regular site that are missing on your mobile site? Asking these questions will help you see your store thru your customers' eyes.
Let us kno...
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December 2015
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December 14, 2015
New feature:
You can now easily take payments online.
Have you ever wanted to take payment online for a product or service that is not listed on your website? For example, let's say you want to take payment for international shipping or for a custom ring design. Now you can ask the customer to simply visit your home page and click on "Send payment."
On the next page, the customer can enter any amount.
Potential uses include:
+ Charging for events, su...
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November 2015
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November 23, 2015
Wish to add a video to your home page or news page? It's easy.
First, you'll want to load your video to YouTube.com. Then, follow these steps:
1. Go to your video on your YouTube page.
2. Below the video, click on "Share."
3. From the Share choices, click on "Embed."
4. Copy that code and paste it into your Chalkboard’s news entry field. Enter some keywords.
5. Click the blue "Chalk" button to publish your video.
September 2015
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September 19, 2015
New feature: you can now view and edit your credit card processing settings.
If you accept credit cards online, you can now view if you authorize & capture card data or just authorize it.
You can view and edit your merchant processing ID number. We suggest that you place this on file so you can easily reference you account when calling the payment processor.
You can view and edit your PCI compliance renewal dates. When your account is not PCI compliant, you are...
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Page tags: automated product updates, self-updating products, image library