“We’re
trying to help turn browsing into buying, but at the customers’ own pace,” says
Guy White, CEO of WhiteStripe Inc.
“There are all sorts of people who’ll benefit from our services: from
the net savvy to net phobic of all ages.
Some will appreciate the versatility, functionality and freedom; others
the security and control. Most
importantly we’re addressing the needs of other languages. First off: Spanish and Portuguese as
The just
launched consumer sites allow customers to set up a single place to manage all
their “wants” in one place. If they see
anything they want, anywhere on the Internet, at any store in any currency,
they can add that item to their list of things they want. All customers need do is register and set up
a browser button or favorite – which is very simple, but varies by browser. Then they use this button to put things into
their Lists. Lists can be private, or
password restricted or public – the customer controls everything. Customers can set up as many lists as they
want, call them what they want and do with them what they want. They can keep them for themselves as a
Shopping List or share them with friends as a Gift List.
“We
started with the customer” adds Guy White “and looked at all the different ways
they might want to use this kind of service.
Obviously there’s Christmas, Birthdays, Weddings, Baby Showers - in the
US – and other life occasions, but what about just Shopping. People need to have one place to put all
their things. Then there’s the issue of
Privacy. Most people don’t realize it,
but many online stores that have “wishlists” are very public. We address this issue so even kids can use
the product so long as a parent or guardian sets up the registration and, we
suggest, they password restrict the lists.“
The system
is build to be easily incorporated into retail sites and Portals too. Retailers will soon have the option to plug
& play the solution directly into their site for free or pay for a
customized version. They immediately
benefit from higher levels of return visits and purchases as well as the viral
nature of people sharing items from their store with their friends. Portals benefit from offering the service to
their customers as it both generates income by way of commissions and acts as a
loyalty builder in the same way offering email and calendars do.
“We’re
building a portfolio of solutions that suit everyone, but most importantly in
many languages” said Guy White. “The main thing is it allows customers to have
one place to build, manage, share and protect lists of things they want from
any store. We don’t mind if that place
is at our site or our solution at a portal.
As for e-tailors it’s the most versatile and functional solution out
there. We’ve built something that’s in
the best interest of the consumer and puts them in control.”