I.O. Metro Launches E-commmerce Site

October 25, 2011  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on October 26, 2011 Home furnishings retailer I.O. Metro has unveiled its e-commerce Web site and will begin more aggressive promotion in the coming months.  

"Our customers have been asking for this for several years now," said Jay Howard, CEO of I.O. Metro. "We had to oblige! It was a natural and logical step for our brand. Now, we're ready to officially welcome the online shopper to experience I.O. Metro, and we're expecting a big response."

The site boasts more than 2,500 furniture items, art and accessories. The 1492 collection, an ever-changing collection of one-of-a-kind pieces pulled from around the globe, and select Metro Custom products, from the company's custom upholstery line, are available on the Web site. Customers can also browse and buy items based on whether they are part of the Eco-Metro collection, made in the U.S.A., made from 100 percent real wood and more. The site also features a section for items that are brand new or on sale. 

The new site is a "responsive" Web site. This special programming technique enables the site to be used on all smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices. Customers will be able to shop on mobile devices without having to use a separate mobile version of the Web site.

"Having a mobile-friendly Web site was very important to us," Howard said. "Our customers are on the go, and we always want to adapt and meet their needs. Plus, a mobile-friendly site is a wonderful tool for our brick-and-mortar locations. Our sales associates don't have to be tied to a sales counter to access our Web site and can easily pull more detailed information for a customer."

Social media has been integrated into the new Web site. The home page provides a link to and prominently features Hello Metro, I.O. Metro's house blog that will feature regular guest blogs by company spokesperson and TV's design star, Vern Yip. Product pages now feature a "Share" button that allows sharing of specific products via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, blog platforms and much more. Flickr, YouTube and Issuu are used throughout the Web site as well. Live chat is also a new service the retailer is offering to assist visitors with questions or general information.

"I am excited that people all over the country now have access to the stylish and affordable products I.O. Metro offers," Yip said. "I really feel that someone in California can buy a sofa on iometro.com, have it shipped to them and still come out ahead as opposed to buying a similar sofa at their local big-box retailer. Plus, they will have that unmistakable, unique vibe that only I.O. Metro can offer."

In less than one month, and with very little promotion, iometro.com has already seen a 147 percent increase in unique visits compared to six months ago. I.O. Metro is currently offering a free shipping promotion on online orders and plans to roll out some exciting new promotions in the coming months.    

"We have had numerous online orders already and expect those numbers to increase dramatically as we start executing our marketing strategy," said Amber Langston, marketing director. "Soon we will be rolling out the all-new I.O. Metro Holiday Collection, and a holiday gift guide. For the first time, we will be doing a major promotion starting on Black Friday where we will give away an item a day for 28 days! In addition, we have several PR opportunities we're exploring."

Howard expects the new Web site to have a positive effect on brick-and-mortar locations as well.

"We don't think we'll ever be able to replicate the store experience on our Web site, although we've tried," Howard said. "We do believe our new site will support our stores, with more robust information, and it will also help with general brand awareness. Being able to sell online really allows us to promote I.O.Metro with no boundaries. From California to New York City, we're truly excited about the next chapter in our company history." 

Headquartered in Lowell, Ark., I.O. Metro is a specialty lifestyle furniture retailer that sells modern, one-of-a-kind and eclectic furniture, art and accessories in 19 locations across the South and Midwest.