Earlier this year,
ELLE.com -- owned by
Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. -- redesigned its Web site around a new, customized, online search functionality.
To learn more about this capability, we spoke with Keith Pollock, executive editor of ELLE.com. Here are highlights from the discussion:
eM+C: Why did you decide to launch the new site?
Keith Pollock: We wanted to enable our readers to easily locate and purchase the smart, stylish fashion items we feature throughout ELLE. [To do this] we [teamed] up with TheFind.com, a shopping search engine that powers our online shopping experience. [This partnership] enables us to deliver instant retail gratification -- the ability to instantly find items and click through to the shopping cart.
eM+C: How do ELLE.com's new search features match the needs of its visitors?
KP: TheFind.com's powerful search tools enable our users to quickly and efficiently find products across the clothing, accessories and beauty categories. TheFind.com [enabled us] to select our favorites no matter how big or small their Web presence may be, as long as they matched the ELLE sensibility. And we will work with them on an ongoing basis to include the latest designers as they emerge -- allowing our readers to truly shop the magazine.
eM+C: What are some features of the new site?
KP: As part of a customized, branded shopping experience, ELLE.com editors serve as curators of the site and showcase products from innovative designers from the fields of clothing, accessories and beauty items. Features previously offered only to TheFind.com users are also available on ELLE.com, including a style book called MyFinds, which saves recent searches and enables shoppers to create a personal shopping "look book."
eM+C: Do you have any tips or best practices you can offer our readers about redesigning a site/launching a new site?
KP: We began with a very clear idea of what we wanted to accomplish. We knew that we wanted a shopping portal that reflected our brand -- from its design to its search capabilities across our chosen roster of stores, brands and boutiques.
We also knew that we wanted a flexible site -- one that is able to constantly evolve and align itself with our current editorial voice. Having a clear plan wouldn't mean much without having a partner that could enable our vision of what Elle.com should be. When we selected TheFind.com, we found a shopping partner that gave us a unique ability to choose from across the entire landscape of fashion, accessories and beauty. In essence, it's key to have a vision and partners that have the expertise and tools to make that vision a reality.
eM+C: Do you have any best practices around searchandising for our readers?
KP: Have a unique voice and perspective where you bring context to the shopping experience for your audience. We know what the ELLE woman wants, and we help her discover new designers and fashions throughout our pages and within our online shopping site.
