The Meaningful Funeral - Issue 7 | Fall 2018 by Frazer Consultants

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ISSUE 7

Table of Contents

On December 15th, heroes at Arlington National Cemetery and across America will be honored with remembrance wreaths as part of the Wreaths Across America project.

Community Involvement Ideas for the Holiday Season The holiday season presents a lot of community involvement opportunities for you and your funeral home.

Exploring Wreaths Across America Day This Holiday Season

A Guide to Getting the Most out of Facebook Events Facebook Events are a great way to organize events that will engage and connect you with families.

F E AT U R E A R T I C L E

Creating a Successful Holiday Remembrance Program A holiday remembrance program is an excellent way of honoring the loved ones you have lost in your community while connecting with families and helping them cope with those losses.

Why We Should Practice Thankfulness Year-Round Thanksgiving is the time of year when we slow down, enjoy a meal with friends and family, and express thanks for all that we have. But why stop there?

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Meet two members of our Frazer family — Nastassja and Andrian — and see what insight they have about life insurance assignments.

How to Go Above and Beyond for Families from out of Town You do everything in your power to provide the best funeral experience possible. But how can you best do that for families from out-of-town?

The Most Important Type of Marketing for Your Funeral Home There are many ways to market your funeral home, but what type of marketing is the most important?

Employee Features

Talking with Gail Rubin on Memorial Holiday Ideas We recently chatted with the funeral planning expert and death positive advocate, Gail Rubin.

Eight Mementos for Your Funeral Home’s Holiday Remembrance Event During the holiday season, it’s tough for families not to have their loved ones by their side.

F E AT U R E A R T I C L E

Spreading Hope and Remembrance This Holiday Season An inside look at HaaseLockwood & Associates Funeral Homes’ annual holiday remembrance program for families.

The Ultimate List of Songs for Your Next Holiday Remembrance Program The holiday season is coming fast. And that means it’s time to start planning a holiday remembrance program.

Julio and Grayson Join Our Latest Lineup of Funeral Home Website Designs At Frazer Consultants, we’re constantly updating the services we offer and creating new features.

Letter from the Editor Dear readers, Welcome to The Meaningful Funeral magazine, an exclusive publication by Frazer Consultants. Our goal with this magazine is to serve as a resource for your funeral home and help you learn new skills, keep up with funeral trends, and serve your current client families in more meaningful ways. This issue is special to us, as it means we’ve been putting out this publication for a full year now. We are really proud of the content that we’ve been publishing, and cannot express our gratitude enough for the positive feedback we’ve received from our readers. We hope to continue putting out great content for free for all of the funeral homes in the U.S. and Canada and continuing to build our relationship with our readers! This feature is all about the upcoming holidays, and how your funeral home can go above and beyond for families during the holiday season. As you know, grief can surge during the holidays when families have to face annual family traditions without their loved one, but there are many ways that you can make a difference for them. Read on to learn more. Want to read this issue or others on the go? We’ve got you covered. We’ve made every issue of The Meaningful Funeral available for free on our website, all you have to do is visit frazerconsultants.com/meaningful and click “Resources” at the top of the page. I hope that you enjoy reading this issue of The Meaningful Funeral, and I look forward to hearing your feedback as we continue to improve our magazine. If you have any suggestions for future magazine content, we would love to hear them — just email us at marketing@frazerconsultants.com. And if you really love our content, visit frazerconsultants.com/meaningful and sign up for our newsletter to have fresh content and funeral news delivered to your inbox every week!

M AT T F R A Z E R P R E S I D E N T, F R A Z E R C O N S U LTA N T S

G I V E AWAY A L E R T !

Send us a selfie to win a case of ornaments! Take a selfie with this issue of The Meaningful Funeral and you could win a case of our hand-blown glass angel ornaments! Entering the contest is as easy as 1-2-3. 1. Take a selfie with this issue of the magazine. 2. Email your picture to marketing@frazerconsultants.com or add it to your Facebook or Instagram and tag us. 3. Vote for your favorite picture on our Facebook page starting October 22! OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES: F R A Z E R C O N S U LTA N T S . C O M / T M F 7 S E L F I E

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Exploring Wreaths Across America Day This Holiday Season On December 15th, heroes at Arlington National Cemetery and across America will be honored with remembrance wreaths as part of the Wreaths Across America project. Wreaths have long been used as a memorial symbol at funerals. Ancient Greeks used wreaths to represent the idea of eternal life, and early Christians started using evergreen memorial wreaths because of the evergreen’s longevity and as a symbol of life after death. It wasn’t long until wreaths became commonly used at memorial and remembrance ceremonies for soldiers. The story of Wreaths Across America began back in 1992. A small Northeastern company — Worcester Wreath Company — found itself with a surplus of wreaths at the end of the holiday season. The owner, Morrill Worcester, decided that instead of getting rid of the wreaths, they should be put to good use. He recalled a trip he had taken when he was 12 to visit Washington D.C. where a stop at the Arlington National Cemetery had left a powerful impression on him. Worcester realized that he was lucky to live in the United States and that the sacrifice of veterans and soldiers should never be taken for granted.

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Pairing up with Maine Senator Olympia Snow, the Worcester Wreath Company decided to donate their extra wreaths to the cemetery. Worcester found an immediate outpouring of support from all over. Several local companies helped transport the donated wreaths down to the cemetery in Virginia. Veteran organizations and local volunteers helped to decorate the wreaths with ribbons and bows and assisted with placing the wreaths at tombs of soldiers across the cemetery. MAKING IT OFFICIAL

According to the Wreaths Across America website, the wreath ceremony went virtually unnoticed until in 2005 when a picture of hundreds of the snow-covered wreaths went viral. The project then started to get national attention and Wreaths Across America (WAA) registered as an official nonprofit organization. As more attention grew, thousands began volunteering, not only at Arlington National Cemetery but at national, state, and military cemeteries across America. T H E C E R E M O N Y T O D AY

By 2008, wreath-laying ceremonies took place in more than 300 locations in all 50 states and even some overseas cemeteries. The Wreaths Across America website states that more than 60,000 people participate in the ceremonies and more than 100,000 wreaths are placed on the tombs of soldiers. On December 13th, 2008, Congress made Wreaths Across America Day official. By 2014, Wreaths Across America had grown to include more than 700,000 volunteers who worked to lay wreaths across 1,000 locations — including historical sites such as Pearl Harbor and the sites of 9/11. The organization also started the “Thanks a Million” campaign which sends thank-you cards to veterans and families for their service.

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The mission of Wreaths Across America is simple — it’s to remember the fallen soldiers, honor those who serve, and teach children the value and price of freedom. During the wreathlaying ceremony, volunteers are encouraged to speak the names of each veteran when a wreath is placed. The reason, according to the website, is that “A person dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken.” By speaking a veteran’s name aloud, the WAA helps keep their memory alive. H O W T O G E T I N V O LV E D

With the holiday season just around the corner, here are ways that your funeral home can start planning on getting involved in the ceremony this year. A simple way would be to sponsor a wreath. For just $15, a wreath can be placed at a local veteran’s grave. If you want to give back in a more hands-on way, volunteering is a great way to assist the program — and there are several ways to go about doing so. You can join a local volunteer group to help organize the wreathlaying or even create your own group. You also could find a group or organization accepting donations for Wreaths Across America in your area and make a donation. If you can’t find any local organizations, your funeral home also can start its own. Registering with WAA is easy and membership comes with a reference guide for several fundraising ideas.  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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FRAZER WEBSITES

Websites that are beautiful on every screen. Frazer offers responsive website design, which means your funeral home’s website responds to every screen it’s viewed on. Whether it’s a mobile phone, tablet, or desktop, you can be sure your site will be both functional and beautiful. C A L L T O R E Q U E S T A F R E E D E M O N S T R AT I O N T O D AY !

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Community Involvement Ideas for the Holiday Season The holiday season presents a lot of community involvement opportunities for your funeral home. From holiday remembrance events to celebrating Thanksgiving, there are several ways to connect with your community and make your funeral home stand out this holiday season.

There are many great ways to get involved for the month of November. The best place to start is around Thanksgiving.

your local senior center or nursing home. The holidays can be a lonely time for the elderly, and your funeral home can brighten their day by bringing everyone together.

Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and giving back. What better way to do so than by offering families a free Thanksgiving lunch or dinner? Your funeral home can host it at your own facility and invite area families that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve served in the past. You also could partner with

Some other Thanksgiving ideas for your funeral home include volunteering at a food pantry, creating Thanksgiving-themed gift baskets to pass along to families youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve served, or hosting a food drive to help feed those in need. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter what you do, just that you do something.

N O V E M B E R C O M M U N I T Y I N V O LV E M E N T I D E A S

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November isn’t simply about Thanksgiving. There’s also Veterans Day — a great time for your funeral home to celebrate those who have served to defend our nation. Your funeral home can get involved in a variety of ways. For example, your funeral home could host a remembrance event to honor the memory and service of the veterans no longer with us. Your funeral home also can collect and donate wreaths to families or organize a group of volunteers to help clean gravestones at a veterans cemetery. The month of November also observes two important events. The first is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. It’s a great time for your funeral home to reach out to local hospice centers and caregivers. Your funeral home can send a small gift or host a dinner to show your appreciation and thank these professionals in your community. November also is Have the Talk of a Lifetime Month. The goal is to raise awareness about the Funeral and Memorial Information Council’s (FAMIC) Have the Talk of a Lifetime program and to encourage families to start thinking about their own end-of-life arrangements and how they would like to be memorialized. All month, FAMIC encourages funeral homes to participate by hosting their own events to educate families. They also provide tools and resources on their website to help inspire your funeral home on ways to get involved. D E C E M B E R C O M M U N I T Y I N V O LV E M E N T I D E A S

December is another traditionally popular time for your funeral home to get involved with your community. From holiday parties to special remembrance programs, there are plenty of ideas to highlight the important role your funeral home plays in bringing families together. While a holiday remembrance program is an ideal place to start for community involvement, here are a few more ideas for reaching out to the community during the month of December.

Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, there is a nationwide effort to lay thousands of wreaths at more than 1,400 different veteran cemeteries across the U.S. This year’s event will take place on December 15th, 2018. Your funeral home can get involved by organizing a group to help place wreaths on the gravesites, or by sponsoring one of the many wreath-laying ceremonies. To learn more, visit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org. Every year during the Winter Solstice — or the longest night of the year — National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day takes place. It’s a day organized by the National Consumer Advisory Board, the National Coalition for the Homeless, and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Communities across the country will host a variety of events, including a reading of names, candlelight and prayer vigils, personal remembrances, marches, as well as moments of silence to remember those who died homeless. The ceremonies are typically held outdoors — during the first day of winter — to highlight the difficulties faced by the homeless. Your funeral home can get involved with a candlelight vigil or by raising money for local shelters. T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F C O M M U N I T Y I N V O LV E M E N T D U R I N G T H E H O L I D AY S

The funeral profession is very much unlike any other type of profession. Its uniqueness lies in the serious and sensitive nature of the work. Funeral professionals are entrusted to care for a family in their darkest hours. And for these families, that means they want to work with someone who they not only know but someone they can really connect to on a deep level. One way for your funeral home to do that is to be there for your community, to connect and build relationships with them — not just in their time of need, but all year long.  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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A Beginner’s Guide to Planning Your Funeral Home’s Events By hosting community events, your funeral home can exceed your client families’ expectations and build connections with potential client families. Whether you’ve hosted a few events before or you’re new to event planning, these planning tips will help you put on the perfect event. TYPES OF EVENTS

When it comes to hosting events, there are several types to consider. Depending on your event planning experience, event goals, and target audience, some types may be better suited than others. For example, some event ideas can include a remembrance dinner, such as a seasonal remembrance dinner; an educational seminar, such as how to preplan a funeral; a fundraising event, such as a community walk/run to raise funds for an important cause; or a volunteer event, such as volunteering at your local animal shelter or humane society. S E L E C T I N G T H E D AT E

Select the date for your event well ahead of time so you have time to plan it. And this way, guests are more likely to be free if they have some notice. When selecting a date for your event, consider the following. What date and time will most people be available to attend? Are there any

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other events or holidays that could overlap with your event? Make sure to check your community’s event calendars, including local schools’ event calendars. Also, you want to check and make sure that the venue and any caterers or guest speakers are available for the date you have in mind. Don’t overwhelm your staff or yourself with too many events at once. For example, you can start by planning one educational seminar. Then, once you get more event planning experience, you can host seminars more frequently. D E L E G AT I N G TA S K S

You should delegate positions to your funeral home’s staff, such as an event project manager, marketer, treasurer, photographer, venue/ speaker coordinator, and schedule planner. Or, consider hiring an event planning intern. Then, you have some extra help and your staff can focus on helping your families. Your intern also can promote your event and create a Facebook Event so your funeral home reaches an even larger audience.  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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P I C K I N G T H E D AT E

F I N D I N G A FA C I L I T Y

Picking the date for your holiday remembrance program is your highest priority. Once that’s chosen, then you can start planning the rest. So how can you settle on the perfect date for your holiday remembrance program?

You might already have the perfect place for your holiday remembrance program at your funeral home. However, there are some reasons you might want to host your program outside the funeral home, such as if you anticipate a much larger crowd than your funeral home can accommodate or you want to leave your funeral home’s meeting areas open for potential funeral service needs.

You’ll want a date near the holidays, but not so close that you run the risk of overlapping with families’ travel plans. You also don’t want to pick a date that might land on another holiday event or celebration in the community. To narrow down your perfect date, start looking now. By beginning months ahead of time, you’ll leave more time for planning everything — from picking out a venue to ordering your event’s giveaway gift. And if you’re considering renting a venue, make sure to ask them if the location is available on the date you want. Don’t forget to check your local community calendar. It can give you a good idea of what dates are taken by other community events. Evenings or weekends probably work the best and will prevent families from having to take off work to attend. If you have time, try conducting a survey in the community to find out what date works best. You can even do this survey on social media to save time. When picking a time, choose what’s best for your guests. You want to avoid keeping them them out too late — especially if there is a risk of inclement weather. If you’re planning on serving food, you can schedule your event around late lunch time or an early dinner. If you are partnering with other organizations in the community, such as a hospice, hospital, or church, talk with them to see which dates work best for them as well.

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If you suspect you would get a larger turnout hosting your event at a neutral location rather than at your funeral home, consider hosting the event at a local church or community center. Just make sure that the venue allows for easy access to catering, A/V equipment, or other entertainment needs, such as a stage. If you are looking for a different venue, make sure the location is an easy drive for families and has adequate parking for the expected amount of attendees. Also make sure that the venue can accommodate the expected amount of people and is handicap accessible. Some other factors to consider when choosing a venue are the number of restrooms, snow removal services if needed, and any amenities such as a cleaning crew. Remember to reserve your venue and things like chairs, catering equipment, or other event items as early as possible to guarantee their availability during the busy holiday season. Also think about anything else you might need like speakers, projectors, candles, or other decorations. Avoid the last-minute stress by starting early. B O O K I N G T H E E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Now it’s time to start thinking about the event’s entertainment. Having a guest speaker is great

for a lot of reasons. A prominent and popular speaker can help draw a bigger crowd, and they also take the burden off you and your staff from having to put on the whole program yourselves. You’ll want to start thinking about the tone of your ceremony. Will it be more traditional or something more modern? That way you can find an appropriate speaker or entertainer that will fit the tone of the ceremony. Some potential speaker candidates could be local ministers or other clergy members, grief counselors, funeral celebrants, community leaders or politicians, support group leaders, professional storytellers, or families you have served in the past. Before going out and getting a speaker, it’s best to have an idea of what you have in mind for them, such as how much material they should prepare and how long they should speak. Also, make sure you’re able to pay the speaker if he or she charges a fee and provide any special accommodations for their presentation like a microphone, computer, or projector. Understanding your wants and needs as well as the speaker’s wants and needs in advance will prevent awkward conversations later on. Once the speaker is booked, it’ll be one less thing to worry about and you can start focusing on the rest of the program. H O L I D AY G I V E AWAY G I F T S

‘Tis the season of giving. Offering a holiday gift can help increase interest in your holiday remembrance program and boost attendance. It also gives families something to remember your firm for years to come. A little gift can go a long way, so stick with something simple. Some simple ideas include a memorial candle or a personalized holiday remembrance ornament. If you do offer a giveaway keepsake, make sure that you have enough. It’s common for funeral

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homes to give each family that attends one complimentary gift, but you also should make additional copies available for reorder by other family members, relatives, or friends. A giveaway gift also can help offset the costs of hosting your holiday remembrance program. Most families end up purchasing at least one additional gift, helping you to recoup the costs of the initial giveaway item and other expenses. No matter what type of giveaway item you choose to provide, order them early and order plenty of extras. Early and extra orders benefit you because you might have unexpected guests arriving. Also, sometimes accidents happen, and you want to account for any unintended breaking or damage that could occur before the service. Plus, word of your gift might spread and families who were unable to attend may still want to order one. 

WA N T T O R E A D M O R E ?

Download the rest of our free guide on planning a holiday remembrance program (as well as a free holiday event planning checklist!).

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A Guide to Getting the Most out of Facebook Events Facebook Events are a great way to organize events that will engage and connect you with families. A recent article in Forbes titled Customer Engagement is Everything in Business stated that “customer engagement is the direct route to every important business objective… When you engage your customers, you draw them closer to your brand, your business, your organization.” They’re right. Engaging your families is simply smart business. And it pays off in the long run. It helps improve client family loyalty, increases word-of-mouth marketing, and also increases families’ overall satisfaction with your firm. Engaged families also are inclined to purchase more. A Gallup research poll discovered that engaged consumers are 23% more profitable than an average consumer.

For funeral homes, customer engagement isn’t a new trend. It’s basically just providing personal connections and experiences between you and your families. A few years ago, a funeral home might have engaged families through a local church event or a community club. But customer engagement has changed with social media. Your families now expect engagement both online and off. Thankfully, social media also makes it easier than ever to engage with and reach families. Facebook’s Events feature is one of the ways it’s become so easy to engage with families. If your funeral home hasn’t used this feature before — or if you’re looking for tips on how to successfully promote your event — we’ve put

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together this brief guide for you. Consider using it for your next holiday remembrance program. FA C E B O O K E V E N T S

An event is created through your funeral home’s Facebook Page. It’s an easy way to connect with many families in your community and raise your funeral home’s brand awareness. A reason it works so well is that Facebook has become nearly ubiquitous. Almost everyone is active on Facebook. HOW CAN I USE IT?

The great part about a Facebook Event is that it’s used to engage families in the real world. You can use the feature to help host several kinds of events, including volunteer events, charity or fundraising events, holiday remembrance programs, community dinners, and education seminars or workshops. SETTING ONE UP

Creating an event is simple. On the left side of your News Feed in desktop, you’ll see the Events icon. This icon is also found in the menu of the Facebook app. Click on it. To the left on desktop, you’ll see the +Create Event icon. In the mobile app, the Create button is in the top right corner. After clicking that, you’ll have the opportunity to name your event, set the date and time, upload photos, and invite your guests. TIPS TO PROMOTE

Creating an event seems simple enough, but to maximize the exposure and attendance of your event there’s a little more work to be done. Here are some things to keep in mind.

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An event photo is a must. A great photo is eyecatching, inviting, and generates interest in your event. Just make sure you use the proper dimensions. For a Facebook Event, the photo should be 1920 by 1080 pixels (16:9 ratio). Create the event page way before the event is scheduled. This leaves you with more time to promote and more time for your families to plan to attend. When creating the event, add a few relevant keywords in the keyword section so families can find the event easier. For example, if you’re hosting a holiday remembrance program, add words like holiday, memorial, season, families, and/or tribute. Allow your guests to invite their own Facebook friends, enable them to post on the event wall, and don’t hide your guest list. All of this will help spread the word about your event to your followers’ News Feeds and increase the visibility of your event. Include a detailed description of the event, including directions to the event’s location to make it easy for guests to find. Pin the event to your funeral home’s wall. This will make it the first thing families see when visiting your Facebook Page. To do this, click on the arrow at the top of a post and select “Pin Post.” And don’t forget to update the event with new details if anything changes!  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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A TRIBUTE INSURANCE ASSIGNMENTS TESTIMONIAL

Tribute Insurance Assignments is undoubtedly the most efficient and enjoyable insurance funding company out there. Our consumer families are provided with immediate confidence that their services will be paid for, allowing their needs and requests to carry on as scheduled. Additionally, the consumer families aren’t hassled with abundant claim forms that show up months later, allowing them to grieve appropriately. With less than 0.1% outstanding, the funeral home’s receivables have never looked better. And if all of that isn’t amazing enough the Tribute Insurance Assignments staff is friendly and knowledgeable!

E M I LY M U R P H Y L A S T I N G T R I B U T E S C R E M AT I O N & F U N E R A L C A R E ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

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Why We Should Practice Thankfulness Year-Round Thanksgiving is the time of year when we slow down, enjoy a meal with friends and family, and express thanks for all that we have. But we shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t delegate our gratitude to just one day. Practicing gratitude year-round can help us grow, both inside and out.

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T H E S C I E N C E B E H I N D S AY I N G T H A N K S

Studies have found that learning to count your blessings leads to a better life. It can improve your mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as improve your creativity, productivity, and even grow your business. And those benefits grow the more we practice gratitude. A recent research study conducted by the University of Indiana found that expressing gratitude can have many long-term benefits on neural activity; leading to a healthier, more optimistic outlook on life and a decrease in depression as well. Dr. Christian Jarrett, an editor of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest blog, explains to New York Magazine in the article How Expressing Gratitude Might Change Your Brain, “The more practice you give your brain at feeling and expressing gratitude, the more it adapts to this mindset — you could even think of your brain as having a sort of gratitude ‘muscle’ that can be exercised and strengthened.” That’s not all, either. According to Amy Morin, the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, thankfulness also can help create an opportunity for new relationships and improve current relationships, get you a better night of sleep, improve your self-esteem, decrease aggression, and build empathy. C R E AT I N G A N AT T I T U D E O F G R AT I T U D E

Extending the “thanks” beyond Thanksgiving has great benefits. Here are some scientificallybacked ways to help create a lasting mindset of gratitude and thankfulness. Write thank-you notes. This not only helps a person express their gratitude but it also builds better relationships. A simple thankyou note can go a long way in recognizing your appreciation for someone.

Keep a journal. A daily or weekly journal is a way to keep you thinking about the things you’re thankful for. And it’s something you can always go back and read to remind yourself of the things in life to be happy about. According to one study for Emmons Lab, a daily gratitude journal can lead to “higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, and energy.” Count your blessings. Literally. Set aside a weekly time to mentally make note of what you’re thankful for that week. Even better — you can write little notes for yourself and keep them in a jar or box to reread at Thanksgiving next year. Pray or meditate. Prayer and meditation are effective ways to take a moment to slow down and appreciate the little things in our life. Volunteer or pay it forward. Volunteering is a win-win for everyone. It helps those in need in our communities and helps us to appreciate things we normally might take for granted. Find an opportunity to volunteer at a food service, clothing drive, or other charity event. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday, and it’s a great time to get into the charitable season. Giving back also could include smaller acts of paying it forward, such as paying for someone behind you in line at a drive-through. Learning to be thankful every day can be lifechanging. Perhaps the mentality of thankfulness is best described by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s lesson: “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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Getting to Know Frazer Consultants Meet two members of our Frazer family — Andrian and Nastassja — and see what insight they have about life insurance assignments.

if it would cover the funeral home assignment. What I do is make sure that the policy is verified accurately and in a timely manner for our funeral directors. W H AT F R A Z E R D O E S D I F F E R E N T LY

NAME

Andrian

Verification Manager

ROLE

YEARS

One

Every insurance company is different on their verification process and payment requirements. But with Frazer’s platform, we keep our clients well-informed on the status of their claim from beginning to end. No longer do directors have to make outbound calls on their own to inquire about the status of the life insurance. They can simply log in to their website’s admin panel to see the progression of the claim as well as what documents are needed for the insurance company in order for us to close the claim. M O R E O P T I O N S F O R FA M I L I E S

W H AT I D O AT F R A Z E R

I work for Frazer as a member of the Tribute Insurance Assignments team. Prior to joining the team at Frazer, I had been involved with life insurance assignments for seven years. I became part of the Frazer team because of the technology and platform — I truly believe we are developing a tool that will be a must for funeral homes in the future. O N E T H I N G T H AT N E V E R C H A N G E S

Throughout all my years in life insurance assignments, one thing has remained the same. Funeral directors want to know that the life insurance claim they presented was active, and

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Frazer also has allowed me to help families and funeral directors when life insurance is not an option to pay for the funeral. Over the years, I have had to make many calls to funeral directors to explain why the insurance policy was not active. Those phone calls were never easy, because there was nothing further I could do to help. But with Frazer, we can give our funeral homes and their families many more payment options than life insurance. We also have financing, crowdfunding, credit card processing, and eChecks as additional options. Being able to offer these options and remove some of the funeral planning stress from these grieving families means a lot to me. 

right into your admin panel, the submittal process matches the look and feel you’re already familiar with from using your Frazerpowered website. You’ll feel right at home from the first time you enter the Tribute Insurance Assignments section of your admin panel. SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS

NAME ROLE

Nastassja

UI Designer

YEARS

Three

W H AT I D O AT F R A Z E R

As a member of the design team, my main focus is on helping to create our digital projects. One of the largest projects I have been in charge of is the design and structure of Frazer Consultants’ Tribute Insurance Assignments portal. From the admin panel that funeral directors use to submit a claim, to the in-house system that our Tribute Insurance Assignments representatives use to verify and fund these assignments — every aspect of these products was designed with ease of use, efficiency, and simplicity in mind. K E E P I N G I T FA M I L I A R

We wanted to make sure that whether you’ve been processing insurance claims for years or it was your first time submitting one, the process was straightforward and self-explanatory. Built

Our submittal process walks you step-by-step through each section, always ensuring that the necessary information has been entered before moving on to the next one. From gathering information about the deceased, the beneficiaries, and the policies to submitting documents — every aspect of the process can be done right from your computer. Every task that used to be complicated and timeconsuming is now taken care of for you so that you don’t even have to pick up the phone. K E E P I N G Y O U U P -T O - D AT E

Our dashboard will provide you with an upto-date and at-a-glance view of the current status of every single claim for your funeral home. We wanted to make sure you could find the information you needed exactly when you needed it. No rummaging through folders or shuffling through papers, so you can focus on what you do best — serving your client families. Whether a claim is being verified by one of our experienced and knowledgeable Tribute Insurance Assignments agents or a document is needed to move a claim forward, you’ll know where in the process each claim is — which means you can keep your families updated as well. 

With Frazer’s platform, we keep our clients well-informed on the status of their claim from beginning to end.

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How to Go Above and Beyond for Families from out of Town Your funeral home is the backbone of your community. You do everything in your power to provide the best funeral experience possible. But it’s also important to remember that you’re not just serving local families; you’re serving families from all over. A family whose loved one has passed away may live in your community, or they may not. Often, those who are arranging the funeral are from out of town and are not always familiar with your community. You can help your families from out of town by partnering with local businesses and providing resources on your website. It’s an easy way to build trusting relationships with families, and they’ll appreciate the additional help during this difficult time. PA R T N E R W I T H L O C A L B U S I N E S S E S

Families who are coming from out of town for the funeral may need accommodations. Even if they have family in town, they may not have the space for them to stay at their home. Most people will likely need to look at hotel stays — but the cost can add up quickly. Your funeral home can help make things a little less stressful for those grieving by partnering with hotels to provide accommodations. For example, you could offer a discounted rate for mourners staying for the funeral or offer a free

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night’s stay. This is a small gesture that will help bring them some comfort, and they’ll keep your funeral home in mind for the future. Airport shuttle services, car rental places, and similar services are other businesses that you can partner with. People who are flying in from out of town will need a ride from the airport. But this can be difficult to arrange if their family members are busy with funeral planning. By partnering with these services, your funeral home can help make things easier for everyone while they’re funeral planning and grieving. Or, you could even offer to pick them up if you have the time and resources. P R O V I D E O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S F O R FA M I L I E S FROM OUT OF TOWN

In addition to partnering up with businesses, you can create a “Local Information” page on your funeral home’s website. It can be a goto resource for those who are unfamiliar with the area. You can suggest hotels and car rental places you partner with as well as restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, and other places in your community.

With Google My Maps, you can create a custom map to show local hotels, restaurants, and other significant places to out-of-towners. To create a custom map, go to Google My Maps and click “Get Started.” You’ll be asked log into your Gmail account. In the upper left corner, click the Menu button and select “Create a new map.” You can give your map a title, such as “Get to Know (insert city name).” You also can add a description with more details about the locations you’re adding

to the map. If you’re partnered with any of the businesses, you can mention that too. In the top search bar, you can type the names of the places you want to add to your map. When the business pops up on the map, make sure it’s the correct location and click “Add to map.” When you’re done, you can share the link with others or embed it on your website.  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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The Most Important Type of Marketing for Your Funeral Home The funeral profession is like no other field of work. Funerals are among the most serious and sensitive services that people require. It’s extremely important to consider how you market your funeral home in your community. So how should you go about doing it?

providing them with information directly suited to their needs and interests and by promoting open communication.”

Focus on relationship marketing. It’s the single most important type of marketing for your funeral home.

Now, there’s a lot of technical jargon in that definition. But all that it essentially means for your funeral home is that your marketing strategy should revolve around connecting and building relationships with families — not just in a time of need — but all year long.

W H AT I S R E L AT I O N S H I P M A R K E T I N G ?

There are a lot of definitions for relationship marketing, but an article in Forbes sums it up nicely: “Relationship marketing is a strategy designed to foster customer loyalty, interaction and long-term engagement. It is designed to develop strong connections with customers by

In fact, this is something many of the funeral homes we work with already do well. But if your firm isn’t making relationship marketing its number one priority, you should reconsider your strategy. Here’s why.

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B E N E F I T S F O R YO U R F U N E R A L H O M E

By prioritizing your connections with client families over the other aspects of a sale or service, you help develop trust with them. And in turn, that leads to added value when they decide to choose your funeral home. It’s not the only benefit, however. When you invest in relationships, families are far less likely to shop around. If they’ve enjoyed a personal relationship with you in the past, families are highly likely to choose your firm in their time of need. Relationship marketing also creates brand ambassadors. Stronger relationships are the groundwork for word-of-mouth marketing. By investing in lasting relationships, you increase the chance that client families will recommend your funeral home to others. It also helps reduce the cost of other marketing efforts. Gaining new client families can be very expensive. In order to educate and inform new families about your funeral home, it requires paid advertisements and expensive marketing campaigns. Instead, relationship marketing means former client families — the ones you’ve built strong relationships with — will introduce you to new client families as they spread the word about your funeral home. Relationship marketing also makes it harder for competitors to compete with you. A study titled Value Managed Relationships: The Key to Customer Retention and Profitability, found that businesses with stronger relationships and higher client loyalty don’t have to worry about competitor offerings. They also are more able to shut out new competitors from opening up in the area.

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It’s easy to see why relationship marketing is so important. Now let’s talk about strategy. S T R AT E G I E S F O R Y O U R F U N E R A L H O M E

Like we said before, relationship marketing is something we see a lot of our funeral home clients already doing. Here are the different strategies that they use to create meaningful relationships in their communities. Focus more on customer service. To create memorable experiences for families, you need everyone on board. Train your staff in the art of human-to-human interaction and quality customer service. Get involved in your community. Go out into the community and engage with families directly. Businesses that are involved in community events not only increase brand visibility, they also receive higher approval and customer satisfaction. That’s because people want businesses to be more than just about selling services — they want businesses to be engaged in the welfare of their own community. Engage with families online. Nothing will be able to replace the incredible value of faceto-face human interaction. But that doesn’t mean your funeral home should avoid building relationships online. In this day and age, it’s an increasingly important way to engage with families and build trust. In fact, your online presence is often the first impression many families will have of your funeral home.  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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T R I B U T E LOA N S

Offer the flexibility your families need with Tribute Loans. With financing, families can afford to give their loved ones the send-off they deserve. Offering financing directly on your website means one more service you offer families, and it also means your funeral home gets paid up front. C A L L T O R E Q U E S T A F R E E D E M O N S T R AT I O N O F T R I B U T E L O A N S T O D AY !

W W W. F R A Z E R C O N S U LTA N T S . C O M

866-372-9372

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Talking with Gail Rubin on Memorial Holiday Ideas We recently chatted with the funeral planning expert, Gail Rubin. With the holiday season approaching, we thought it would be a good time to talk about ways to keep the memory of a loved one alive, as well as other ways to encourage a more open discussion about death and dying.

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Gail’s background started in public relations before moving to end-of-life care. She went from being a PR professional and an event planner to a Certified Thanatologist (a death educator), a Certified Funeral Celebrant, award-winning author and speaker, a funeral profession trade journalist, a blogger, and an advocate for planning ahead. She also is one pioneer of the Death Café movement in the United States and event coordinator of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival. We talked with her about what inspired her to pursue a background in the funeral profession and how the holidays are an important way to remember our loved ones. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? What initially made you interested in the funeral profession? I first got into the death field because of my second wedding in 2000. My husband and I had a very creative and fun Jewish-Western wedding. Our guests were encouraged to wear cowboy boots and Western clothing. And the reception, hosted in a converted barn with sawdust on the floor, featured a nice barbeque buffet. We danced to live Western swing music and recorded klezmer tunes. Everyone had such a good time, I decided to write a book about creative life cycle events and call it “Matchings, Hatchings, and Dispatchings.” I wrote a monthly feature by that name for the now-defunct Albuquerque Tribune. The stories focused on local weddings, births, and deaths. Remarkably, it was the articles about death and funerals that generated the greatest number of responses from readers. This showed a great need to be able to have this conversation. Some people are dying to talk about death, and humor is a great way to break the ice. There are plenty of books on creative wedding planning. We didn’t need another contribution

there. But at the time, there weren’t very many books about creative funeral planning. So, I focused on funerals, to show the many ways a final goodbye can be done well. The first edition of my book A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die became an award-winning book and it changed the course of my career. With Día de los Muertos approaching, can you talk a little bit about the background, origin, and history of the holiday? Day of the Dead celebrations that are held on November 1 and 2 acknowledge the culmination of the life cycle, and that death will come to us all. The Day of the Dead allows the living to honor those who have died — family, friends, ancestors, and pets. Its origins are from ancient Mesoamerican cultures, originating primarily in Mexico and Central America. Anyone can adopt this annual observance and tailor this colorful celebration to remember their own deceased loved ones. Indigenous peoples such as the Aztec, Maya, Olmec, Toltec, and other tribes in Mexico held rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors during the month of August. It corresponded with a festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl, The Lady of the Dead. The early Mesoamerican attitude was that life is a dream, and death is the awakening to real life. The dead are considered to have semidivine status, given permission to return once a year. They are to be welcomed, not feared. When Catholic Spanish Conquistadors came to the New World more than 500 years ago, they tried to eradicate these native rituals that seemed to mock death and symbolized death and rebirth. The ancient rituals refused to die in the face of forced conversion. But to make the ritual a bit more Christian, the Spaniards moved it to coincide with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, on November 1 and 2.

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In Mexico, Día de los Muertos, as it is known in Spanish, honors deceased children and infants on the first day, and deceased adults on the second day. With the holiday season coming up in a few months, what are some lessons from Día de los Muertos that we can incorporate into our own holiday celebrations? You don’t have to be a Mexican or a Catholic to honor your loved ones with a Day of the Dead altar in your home and welcome their spirits for a visit. Start by setting up a table with photos of the deceased, and their ashes if you have them. Don’t forget to include departed pets! Decorate around the photos with flowers and candles. Set out foods and beverages that they used to enjoy. Play the music that they loved. Put art objects that they collected or artwork they created on or near the altar, or ofrenda. Write messages to them and place the notes next to their photos. Include items from pets’ lives, such as toys, leashes, treats, and tags. Traditional ofrendas have items that represent the four elements — earth, air, fire, and water. A glass of water is included to give the spirits a drink after their long journey. Tissue paper sheets with elaborate cutout designs, called papel picado, represent air, as they move with the gentlest breeze. Flowers and a bowl of salt often represent the earth, and candles provide fire. Marigolds are the flower of choice for Day of the Dead decorations. Their pungent scent is said to guide souls to earth, and marigolds are often still blooming in late October. Flowers can be arranged in an arch, along with sheets of papel picado, representing the connection from earth to heaven. Create the altar prior to Halloween and keep it up for as long as it feels right. Photograph the altar for posterity. Each year presents a new opportunity to remember and honor the loved ones who meant so much to us while they lived.

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Inevitably, there will be new faces to add as the years go by. The holiday season tends to bring about reminders of our loved ones and cause our grief to surge. What suggestions for healthy holiday grieving can you share with us? The traditions that accompany family-centric holidays can make the loss of a family member much more painful. In our family, we have a tradition of prominently placing large pictures in the dining room of those who have died, so that they are, in a sense, present as the whole family enjoys the holiday meal. This is an option that acknowledges the person’s passing while continuing to observe family annual events. One Christmas season, a woman at a holiday party told me all about her 56-year-old son who died of a heart attack on Christmas Day the year before. She and her daughter-in-law planned to go out of town for the holiday and do something completely different. This is a healthy response — to strike out in a new direction on a tradition-laden day when a loved one is no longer present. It recognizes the “new normal” all families face as they go through mourning, processing grief as time passes. And on birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and any day special to the family, acknowledging the deceased is not morbid or unnatural. It’s okay to share memories. Besides, that loved one is already on everyone’s mind. Are there any unique holiday rituals that you recommend for families to honor their loved ones by? I’m a big fan of candle lighting rituals. Lighting a candle on the anniversary of a loved one’s death has power. It’s a tradition in Jewish households, as well as in Catholic churches. Those without a faith tradition, or whose religion does not call for annual recognition, can benefit from this simple candle lighting tradition.

Set up a photo of the loved one and light a 24hour memorial candle the evening before the day they died. I like to put the person’s photo and memorial candle on the kitchen table, to keep us company during meals. For that time the candle burns, it’s as if that person’s spirit is visiting on the anniversary of their death. Remembrance candles also can be lit for the departed on their birthdays, on anniversaries, holidays — any time you want to make a special effort to call forth their spirits. The burning flame, representing the eternal, enduring spirit, can provide a sense of comfort at the times we most miss our dearly departed. What can funeral directors do to help assist families spending their first year without a loved one during the holidays?

support. You might include a tips brochure for addressing grief at the holidays. If your funeral home has a grief support program, a call or note to let the family know about available services might be appreciated. Funeral homes can hold a special holiday event to remember all who died over the course of the year and the families they served. Such an event could be designed with a certified funeral celebrant who can make it a creative life celebration that also showcases your services. To see a list of topics that Gail Rubin can present to your community or your state’s funeral directors association, visit agoodgoodbye.com.  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

frazerconsultants.com/meaningful

Sending a “thinking of you” card prior to the anniversary of the death is a nice gesture of

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Spreading Hope and Remembrance This Holiday Season An inside look at Haase-Lockwood & Associates Funeral Homesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; annual holiday remembrance program. The holiday season can be a difficult time for those who are mourning the loss of their loved one. But your funeral home can help these families honor the memory of their loved ones by hosting a holiday remembrance program. Haase-Lockwood & Associates do just that, every year. They go above and beyond for their community with their meticulously-planned annual holiday remembrance program. 21 YEARS AND COUNTING

What began as simple holiday cards for families became something more when the funeral directors at Haase-Lockwood were inspired by the idea of a holiday remembrance program they saw at a funeral convention. It was 21 years ago when they decided to host their own holiday remembrance program. Over the years, the owners and staff of Haase-Lockwood & Associates have perfected their holiday remembrance program into what it is today.

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The annual event is for all five of their funeral home locations. The event has grown in size over the years, and is now hosted in a banquet hall next to their Elkhorn, Wisconsin location. Just last year, they had more than 400 people attend their holiday remembrance event. Tim Lockwood, one of the owners of HaaseLockwood & Associates, said that every year they continue to perfect and improve upon their holiday remembrance event. “The big improvement came about 10 years ago when we ran across the ornament that Frazer has on the market and we found that that was the ticket that we were looking for,” he said. “The ornament just puts class to what we do.”

played the piano at the event for about seven years and has volunteered as a member of the choir as well. “The glow,” said Mary Ellen Kanthack. “The warmth. The emotion. The sweet sound of our voice blending to sing beautiful words. The tree is always just beautiful. Each ornament is hung with such care… in the same manner as HaaseLockwood serves their clients.” This past remembrance event meant even more to her since her mother was honored. She said being surrounded by supporting and loving people helped her cope, especially during the holiday season. T H E B I G D AY

P R E C I S E P R E PA R AT I O N P R O C E S S

The preparation for this event starts months in advance with preparation of the invitations and ornaments. They use the Frazer Holiday Remembrance Ornaments to add even more meaning to their holiday remembrance event and provide personalized tributes to families. For the past two years, they’ve had around 300 ornaments on their tree. They’ve even created a special system for hanging them to make things easier for the families to find their loved one’s ornament. The ornaments are at eye level for families who are attending the event, and the ornaments for those who aren’t attending go higher or lower on the tree. They also alphabetize the tree by six sections divided by ribbon based on last names: ABC, DEFGH, IJKL, MNOP, QRS, and TUVWXYZ. This makes it even easier for families to find their loved one’s ornament. They can take the ornament home with them right away after the event, or they can receive it in the mail.

The holiday remembrance event is held the first Sunday in December. During the event, they keep the lights off on the tree until the choir begins to sing Silent Night. Then, their warm glow lights up the room as families see their loved one’s ornaments shine in their honor. Daniel Lockwood, second-generation funeral director at Haase-Lockwood & Associates, said that when the tree lights up, you can almost hear a brief gasp where everyone is taken aback by the tree’s beauty. “I think just the Frazer ornaments having the glass and the different shapes with the angel’s wings and all that, just takes that light that’s on the tree and helps it bounce across the whole room, which makes it look that much more brilliant,” he said. Following the service, families can grab their ornament from the tree, order extras if they wish, and have refreshments while visiting with other guests and the funeral home’s staff.

I N V O LV I N G T H E C O M M U N I T Y

W H AT I T M E A N S T O FA M I L I E S

For their remembrance service, they find a local minister and musicians who volunteer to perform at the event. Mary Ellen Kanthack has

For some families, the remembrance program acts as their funeral service. Whether their loved one had opted for direct cremation or

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they weren’t able to attend the funeral, the remembrance program provides them with an opportunity to grieve and honor their loved one’s life. Having this meaningful program and the ornament keepsake means so much to families who are grieving during the holiday season. It helps them honor their loved one, cope with their grief, and find hope.

“I enjoyed the service along with the care shown from the staff from Haase-Lockwood Funeral Home. When I entered I was taken to the tree to show me where my parents’ ornaments were hung and this provided a personalized approach even though there were many people in attendance.”  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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One attendee said that the event helped her and her brother cope and honor their parents.

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Eight Mementos for Your Funeral Home’s Holiday Remembrance Event During the holiday season, it’s tough for families not to have their loved ones by their side. By hosting a holiday remembrance event, your funeral home can bring families together to honor their loved ones. But you can take it a step further by giving families a memento to remember their loved one by. These eight memorial ideas are all thoughtful gifts you can give families at your next holiday remembrance event.

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ORNAMENT

Ornaments are simple, yet meaningful gifts for families. At your event, fill a remembrance tree with ornaments personalized with the name, birth date, and death date of families’ loved ones. Then, following the event, you can present each family their loved one’s ornament as a memorial gift. You also can give them an

informational brochure if they’re interested in purchasing additional ornaments for other loved ones. PERSONALIZED MEMENTO

Small mementos are another touching tribute gift, such as memorial stones engraved with their loved one’s name, birth date, and death date. Or, if you want to take it a step further, you can make hand-made mementos. It can be as easy as saving a single flower petal from funeral floral arrangements. For example, you can dry flower petals by placing them in between book pages with absorbent paper. Just make sure you keep track of which family’s flower petal is on what page. Then once they’re dry, you can create frame-pressed flower petal mementos to give to families. Or, another idea is as easy as quickly snapping a few pictures while setting up the funeral services. You can take photos of the funeral floral arrangements, photo displays, or other unique decorations. Then, you can put them in a frame or photo album to give to families.

T R E AT B A G

One of the best parts about the holiday season is all the delicious treats. Your funeral home can give families bags filled with holiday treats such as cookies, chocolates, candy canes, and other goodies. It’s a small gesture that will brighten their holiday season. H O L I D AY R E C I P E B O O K

Ask all the families who are attending your holiday remembrance event to submit their loved one’s favorite holiday recipe. Then, you can use these recipes to make holiday recipe books and give families copies at your event. You also can serve some of the dishes at your event and label each of them with their loved one’s name. D O N AT I O N T O A C H A R I T Y

Another easy memorial gift idea is to make a donation to a charity in the name of families’ loved ones. It’s a meaningful way to honor them and make a difference. You can announce the donation at your event and give families certificates stating that the donation is in honor of their loved one.

H O L I D AY R E M E M B R A N C E C A R D

A classic holiday tradition is giving your family and friends cards. And your funeral home can follow this tradition by giving families holiday remembrance cards. Inside it, write a personal message expressing your sympathy for their loss. You also can mention that your funeral home’s staff is there for support, and include information about your grief resources. H O L I D AY-T H E M E D Q U O T E O R P O E M

Printing a few holiday-themed remembrance poems or quotes is another special memento idea. Plus, it’s perfect for busy funeral directors that don’t have a lot of free time. Selecting a poem or quote and printing copies takes only a matter of minutes. And one of your funeral home’s staff members can read it out loud at your holiday remembrance event.

MEMORIAL POSTER

Your funeral home also can create a memorial poster by having families write their loved one’s name on it. At the top of the poster, write “In memory of” and put the year. Then, you can frame or hang up the poster to display in your funeral home. Also, you can share a photo of the poster on your funeral home’s social media pages. This way, families have a copy of it and you also gain more social media followers.  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

frazerconsultants.com/meaningful

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The Ultimate List of Songs for Your Next Holiday Remembrance Program The holiday season is coming fast. And that means itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to start planning a holiday remembrance program.

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To help you get started and inspired, we’ve compiled a list of touching holiday songs. Feel free to incorporate them into your own holiday program to create a special remembrance service for families this year.

I Will Remember You

You Should Be Here

SARAH MCLACHLAN

COLE SWINDELL

“I will remember you, will you remember me? Don’t let your life pass you by. Weep not for the memories…”

“And you know that if I had just one wish. It’d be that you didn’t have to miss this. Aw you should be here…”

In the Bleak Midwinter

Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas

A TRADITIONAL CAROL BASED ON THE POEM BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

T H E O ’ J AY S

“Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow. In the bleak mid-winter, long ago…”

Hallelujah C O V E R B Y R U F U S WA I N W R I G H T

“And remember when I moved in you? The holy dark was moving too. And every breath we drew was Hallelujah…”

O Holy Night A TRADITIONAL CAROL

“Fall on your knees. O hear the angels’ voices…”

Where You Are C R A I G AV E N

“Although this year, I have a broken heart. It brings me hope and joy, as I remember where you are…”

Candlelight Carol JOHN RUTTER

“Candlelight, angel light, firelight and star-glow. Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn. Silent night, holy night, all is calm and all is bright…”

“Christmas just ain’t Christmas without the one you love. And New Year’s just ain’t New Year’s without the one you love.”

Silent Night K E L LY C L A R K S O N

“Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.”

I’ll Be Home for Christmas BING CROSBY

“I’ll be home for Christmas. If only in my dreams…”

The Christmas Shoes NEWSONG

“I want her to look beautiful if mama meets Jesus tonight…” We hope these songs serve as a great starting point for a meaningful holiday remembrance program for your families!  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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Grayson desktop design

Julio and Grayson Join Our Latest Lineup of Funeral Home Website Designs At Frazer Consultants, we’re constantly updating the services we offer and creating new features. Having an effective website is one of the most important, yet most often neglected aspects of owning a small business like a funeral home. Your website should have a user-friendly design that’s both visually appealing and informative. That’s why we strive to provide funeral homes with websites that meet and exceed all of the expectations of them and their families. Our two latest website designs — Julio and Grayson — are both responsive and include innovative features. But let’s discuss what responsive means, and how the other innovative features work.

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RESPONSIVE DESIGNS

A responsive design simply means that your website displays properly no matter which device someone is accessing it on. Whether it’s a computer, a tablet, or a smartphone, the responsive design adjusts to the screen. This way, your current and potential client families have a good user experience while viewing your funeral home’s website. It looks beautiful and is easy to navigate for information. Plus, if you don’t have a responsive website design, it could hurt your website’s search engine optimization.

Julio mobile design

N E W N AV I G AT I O N M E N U F E AT U R E S

E A S Y-T O - U S E O B I T U A R Y S E A R C H F U N C T I O N

These website designs both have some new navigation menu features to make things more functional and easy-to-locate. For example, if your funeral home has multiple locations, you can take advantage of the phone number dropdown feature. Under the Call Now menu item, families can find the phone number for the specific funeral home location that they want to call.

Another new feature is the obituary search bar located in the top left corner of the website. With this function, it’s easy for families to find their loved one’s obituary. Once selected, the search function opens up to the entire page to allow for a more clear and focused searching experience. Rather than typing in a small search box and having a small search results section, this search feature makes it quick and easy to locate the right obituary.

There also is a More menu item located on the navigation menu. This displays your funeral home’s other menu items that don’t all fit on the menu. If you have too many items along your menu bar, it will look cluttered and feel overwhelming to families. But with the dropdown More menu item, you can better organize your navigation menu and families can easily locate the information that they’re seeking. You can choose the most important items to display on the menu bar. Then, the rest of the information is still easily accessible in the More menu item with just one click. If they’re already on your website searching for information, they will click More to find all the information that they want.

J U L I O D E S I G N : B A N N E R F E AT U R E

For the Julio design specifically, the banner feature on your homepage stays stationary on the left side of the screen. So while someone is scrolling, this banner will stay on the left side of the screen. If your funeral home has an important photo or information that you want to display to families, this website design is a good choice for you.  T O R E A D M O R E , V I S I T:

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CROWD ADVERT

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FRAZER WEBSITES

DFUNDING TISEMENT

Our websites work hard so you don’t have to. Frazer-powered websites are more than just beautifully designed — we put thought into every aspect of your site so that your families get the features they need, and we’re constantly adding features at no additional cost to your funeral home. C A L L T O R E Q U E S T A F R E E D E M O N S T R AT I O N T O D AY !

W W W. F R A Z E R C O N S U LTA N T S . C O M

866-372-9372

I N F O @ F R A Z E R C O N S U LTA TS.COM TheNMeaningful Funeral

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W W W. F R A Z E R C O N S U LTA N T S . C O M

866-372-9372

I N F O @ F R A Z E R C O N S U LTA N T S . C O M

ORNAMENTS

A timeless gift to remember their loved one. Our easy-to-personalize glass and crystal ornaments are perfect for families during the holiday season. Available in angel, snowflake, dove, and butterfly shapes, and completely customizable by your funeral home in-house. C O N TA C T U S F O R A F R E E S A M P L E !