In 2024, online sales hit $6 trillion. 

 

And that number is only going to grow. By 2028, online sales are expected to reach $8 trillion.

It’s obvious that more and more people are choosing to shop online, but why? 

There are several factors, but these are the biggest:

  • Users are spending on average more than 6.5 hours per day online

  • Purchasing goods and services online has become second nature for most people

  • 98% of American consumers research online before making a purchase online or in person

These trends have paved the way for almost every industry to provide an eCommerce experience. Many families have been conditioned to expect companies to have online purchasing options, even in industries they’ve never worked with before, like the funeral profession.

 

So, how does all this impact your funeral home?

 

For starters, even if you’ve updated your website to boost your online presence, that may not be enough for today’s families. You need a way to show families options when it comes to preplanning and paying for a funeral. All online through your website.

 

To remain competitive in today’s market, your funeral home needs an online arrangement tool.

But not all online arrangement tools are created equally. Some focus on disposition preferences without educating families on the value of a funeral. Others provide a way to preplan but don't offer a way for families to fund their plans, even if they wanted to.

 

To make sure your online arrangement tool serves both your families and business, look for a tool that does these 3 things.

 

 

1. Lets families plan and pay online

 

Imagine you're looking to buy a new TV.

 

You spend days researching the best models that fit your needs and budget. Now, you’re ready to buy! So, you add the TV to your online shopping cart.

 

You fill out all the necessary personal information and navigate to the final screen to pay. But instead, you receive a message saying you have to come into the store to finalize your purchase.

 

Wouldn't you be confused and disappointed?

 

It may seem obvious that your funeral home’s online arrangement tool should accept payments. But the truth is, the digital preplanning experience for families is a lot like the story above. Many online arrangement tools let families explore their options and make decisions but don’t give families the option to pay. 

 

And guess what? Families want to pay for your services online! According to a consumer study, 45% of people said they would preplan and pre-pay for their funeral online if given the option. 

 

To best serve families, your online planning and funding tool should give families the options they want and the convenience they need to make it easier to work with your funeral home.

 

 

2. Educates families on the value of a funeral

 

Unsurprisingly, many online arrangement tools are often associated with direct cremations. And most of these tools ask families this one question when starting the planning process:

 

“Do you want to be buried or cremated?”

 

The problem is, most families don’t understand the value of a funeral, so they start with the cheapest option in mind. When an online arrangement tool leads with disposition, it makes families believe that disposition should be their primary consideration and leads them down the cheapest path.

 

That's why it's essential to choose an online arrangement tool that can bridge this gap.

 

Your online arrangement tool should educate your families as they walk through the planning process, informing them of every option available to them. Doing so will help families make the best decision for their situation and set your funeral home up as a trusted guide that families can rely on.

 

Help your families build a healing and meaningful funeral, whether they want to get started online or in your funeral home.

 

 

3. Meets families where they are

 

Think back to the TV analogy mentioned earlier.

 

After doing your research online, you decide on a TV to purchase. But before you pull the trigger, you want to see the TV for yourself. 

 

So, you go into the store, look over the TV, and talk to a sales representative. Finally, you’re ready to purchase the TV. As you check out, the sales representative asks, “Would you like to carry it out or have it shipped?” You tell the sales rep that you’d like to have it shipped. He takes your email address, and you receive an email with a tracking notification you can access anywhere you have internet access.

 

What you’ve just read is called a blended customer experience. The purchase process started online with research, led into the physical store for review and payment, and ended with a digital tracking notification accessible online.

 

This scenario is pretty typical for most consumers. And when it comes time to work with your funeral home, families will expect the same thing.

 

Your online arrangement tool needs to function in a way that allows your staff to pick up with the prearrangement plan right where the family left off. So even if a family starts planning online and doesn’t finish, your preneed sales professional can easily follow up and help them finalize their plans. 

 

 

Bonus: Generates leads for your preneed program

 

One of the most effective ways to boost your funeral home’s profitability and market share is through a strong preneed program. But getting preneed leads can be difficult and time-consuming. 

 

An online planning and funding tool can help by doing the heavy lifting for you.

 

An online arrangement tool can support your preneed program by providing a steady source of qualified leads. Your marketing efforts can direct families to your online arrangement tool where families can get started by exploring their options.

 

And if a family starts making their arrangements online and doesn’t finish, you can follow up with them through the information your online planning tool has collected. That way, your funeral home will never miss out on an interested family or lose track of a lead.

 

 

A better way to serve today’s families 

 

Meeting the needs of today’s families means adapting to how they want to plan, connect, and make decisions.

And if you don’t have the options families are looking for, they’ll choose to work with your competitor down the road.

 

The right online arrangement tool can help you give families exactly what they want:

  • The flexibility to plan and pay on their own time

  • The freedom to explore from the comfort of their own home

  • The information to make the right choice for their family and loved one

  • The option to finalize their plans online or in-person

Plus, an online arrangement tool can even help grow your preneed program by generating high-quality leads and a simple way to folow-up with those leads.

 

But it all starts with choosing the right online arrangement tool for your funeral home.

 

 

The online arrangement tool for you

 

Our online arrangement tool is designed to help you do all that and more. From generating leads to educating families on the value of a meaningful funeral, we’ll help you support families every step of the way.

 

Plus, as part of our exclusive digital marketing packages, you’ll also get new tools to help your funeral home stay top of mind and on budget.

 

Want to learn more about our online arrangement tool and digital marketing packages? Fill out the form below!