It HTML Time!
I know, I know. I haven’t blogged in months about the status of our site. I haven’t done a lot of things, but I just got really, reallly happy when I realized that we where finally started our HTML markup. For those that don’t know, html is HyperText Markup Language.
What?
It’s the language that describes how to render a web page in a browser.
And it’s time that we started the work. This project has been a real long process, but now that we have all of our Sunbrella and Outdurda fabric, as well as some polyester prints, and some olefins, we’ve got what is going to be the Largest Patio Umbrella program in history put together, and it’s going to be alot of fun putting together.
Now, we’re not ready to rollout the site, we’re just putting the HTML together, the building blocks of how the website will actually layout on your computer screen, and we are trying to make it as cross-browser compatible as possible. We are using alot of CSS, but, and we don’t wan’t to dissappoint a lot of xhtml/css junkies out there, we’re using a base table design as the most basic, basic, basic outline. We’re forced to because of our e-commerce engine, so please don’t picket us. It’s one of the tenets of do it wrong quickly. It’s high time we get out there, and as soon as possible.
But ooohh, it’s getting fun now.
Product Choices – The right patio umbrellas
One of the more exciting things about developing a website like ours is considering all the patio umbrella choices that are available. We recently went to a patio product conference where the greatest and newest products where being shown off, and we really found it hard to resist ordering everything in sight. From the very economical to the very deluxe, we found wonderful patio umbrellas of every size and and every material that would be awesome additions to our program, but more importantly, awesome CHOICES for our customers.
We found fantastic selections of different sizes of outdoor umbrella, from bistro size 6 and 7 foot umbrellas, to fantastic large patio umbrellas like 11′, 12′, and big ol 13′ foot umbrellas that would be awesome for large shade areas or commercial needs like restaurants and clubs.
We found materials galore like fantastic aluminum, wood, and fiberglass that combined with the right outdoor fabrics can literally make any look a patio shopper can desire. We particularly like the fiberglass as they are wind and break resistant, eliminating a lot of home owner worries.
And OFFSETS! Offset umbrellas, also called cantilevered umbrellas have become incredibly diverse! Not only are sizes much more varied, but functions and styles as well!
As we prepare for our opening, we are incredibly excited at the possibilities ahead of us, and the patio umbrella products we’ll be offering to our customers.
Much Bigger Than We Thought
When we started this project, we had a plan to create the largest patio umbrella store online, with the most products, the most choices, and the largest selection of Sunbrella fabrics available on the net. Well, I’m happy to say we’re doing just that, and then some.
100% solution dyed acrylic is hands down the best fabric for outdoor umbrellas of all kinds. The have a great feel, what in the industry is called “hand”, have exceptional UV protection properties (Sunbrella Acrylics are recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation) and are exceptionally mildew and stain resistant. However, we realized that we really need to expand on our fabric selection even more to enhance our offerings.
There is a fantastic, top tier line of acrylic fabrics that performs on the same level as Sunbrella. We are really glad to be able to bring in the Outdura line of acrylic fabrics on some of our patio umbrellas. Outdura has been in the fabric industry for a decade, and have produced a beautiful line of acrylic fabrics that provided a lot of value and a lot of quality.
There are other GREAT fabrics out there, such as outdoor olefins and polyester and polyprints, but we’ve decided to only bring the best fabrics to match with the best frames in the industry.
So as of right now, we will have a fantastic line of both Sunbrella and Outdoor outdoor fabrics.
