Phase 2 is toast and you are now looking at our 95% finished website! In case you may not have noticed, things have changed a bit around here. Over the past few months, all the staff here at Mission: Fun & Games have been working hard on the next big step for our store. A plethora of long-houred days, tired nights, and barely restrained oaths towards computer homicide (some computers may have given their silicon lives for the cause) have resulted in the shiny new website in which you are now reading this blog post.
The changeover is long overdue. To put it into perspective, Ugg, the web designer who made our last website, passed away sometime in the late Pleistocene period (turns out, a degree in computer science doesn’t adequately prepare one for the mammoth hunt).
Besides a layout that finally fits widescreen monitors (which would doubtlessly be worth the blood, sweat, and tears on its own), you can expect all kinds of cool things from the new boardgames.ca.
For starters, with the help of a spiffy new layout, all of our stock is now easier to browse than ever before. On our homepage, you will find a selection of the newest and coolest board games on display for you to click and grab. We’ve also revamped our category pages, allowing you to search through specific themes, genres, and product types. So whether you’re looking for a game to play with the kids over the weekend, a cooperative game to pit your wits against, or even a fast and fun party game that’ll have everyone laughing on a Friday night, all you have to do is click on the appropriate category and we’ll have a curated list of games ready to scratch your itch.
Another change that has us all atwitter, is the new Wishlist system. With this system, you’ll be able to compile a list of your desired games, either to save for later or as an easily perusable cheat sheet for anyone snooping around for Christmas and birthday present ideas. The wishlist system will also include the option for automatic updates that will notify you whenever a title that is out of stock comes back in.
Videos will be added to key titles. Some of these will be learn to play while others will be reviews from known you tube channels. In some cases both. We are looking at a loyalty program for 2019 and the YOPTO review integration. Handling fees and minimum orders are also a thing of the past. Once we finish tweeking the in-store pick option it will be better than ever. Our new mobile design is tailor made for the handheld shopping convenience. If things really get rocking in store we can fire up a bunch of iPADS to act as point of sales systems right on the retail floor. Mobile with a smile!
In addition to all that great stuff, the new site will collate many of the functions of our sister websites: store.missionfunandgames.com and missionfunandgames.com. Going forward, all of our board game pre-orders will be available through boardgames.ca, allowing you to stake your claim on everything new and exciting in the world of tabletop gaming. The Calendar for Mission: Fun & Game will also be imbedded on boardgames.ca shortly. Geek it Out! will feature great ways to to enhance the gaming experience. Our new integration withInstagram will keep you in the loop.
And finally, we are excited to bring you a plethora of new and exciting content to supplement your board gaming hobby. Our staff will be making regular blog posts covering all sorts of board game topics, including exciting new industry news, store events, upcoming and new board games, the odd review, or even just blogs about the things that we like about board games. In doing so, we hope to share a bit of our love of board games with everyone who passes by the site.
Because when it comes down to it, board games are more than the cardboard and plastic that makes them. Board games are something special.
Board games test our knowledge, our strategy, and the quickness of our wits (or sometimes the quickness of our fingers). Through them, we step into a million pairs of shoes: the fearless entrepreneur, the brilliant general, the master builder, or the greatest Pokemon master. Board games challenge us to answer the hero’s call, or give us the power to carve out our own villainous destinies. They give us something to do on cold winter nights, or help us fill our kids’ summers with fun. Board games can make us laugh, make us scream, or even make us cry. From Scrabble with grandma to Dungeons and Dragons with our college friends, they help us keep in touch with one another when we risk drifting apart. In a world of infinite distractions, all competing for our time and attention, the simple act of gathering around the table for a shared experience with those that we love can be a singularly powerful act.
In some small way, this is what we hope to achieve with our new website. Call it a mission statement, a philosophy, or a raison d'etre. This is why we do what we do, why we strive to create the best possible experience for our customers.
Because in the end, it’s about bringing a bit of that connection back into the world.
-Alex (M: F&G Indentured Copywriter)
