Genealogy.com Redesigns Site and Unveils New Family Finder Search to Make it Easier for New Users to Locate Ancestor Information

Updated Site Targets the Estimated 58 Million People Using the Internet to Research Family History Information

December 5, 2000 (FREMONT, CALIFORNIA) — Genealogy.com, LLC today announced a major redesign of its flagship website, http://www.genealogy.com. Using the visual metaphor of an attic full of valued treasures in its opening screen, the redesigned site makes it easier and faster for visitors to find what they are looking for. In addition to the visual redesign, the site has greatly expanded its "Family Finder"(r) search capability, which makes it easier for visitors to immediately begin to locate, and save ancestor information provided in detailed results page.

"We did extensive research, in-depth focus groups and customer usability testing to guide us during the redesign process," said Chris Andersen, Genealogy.com's V.P. of marketing. "From this research, we learned that the new site needed to be more inviting and easier to use, while also discovering that our users are interested in genealogy because they want to tell their own family story. Melding all this input together, the redesigned web site is designed to impart wisdom, while still being inviting, lighthearted and engaging."

Andersen also pointed to a poll released earlier this year from Maritz Marketing Research Inc., which showed that an Americans' interest in genealogy is growing at an impressive rate. "With more new people investigating genealogy every day, simplifying our site and making it more inviting was crucial," he said. According to the Maritz poll, approximately 60 percent of the U.S. population is interested in family history, up from 45 percent just five years ago. Beyond that, the poll also showed that about 58 million people have used the Internet for family history research.

Rummage Through the Attic

The site's new attic theme is warm and inviting, encouraging users to "rummage" around in the attic to locate an ancestor, family story, genealogical research information, searchable online databases, or software products to purchase. Visual metaphors include:

• The bookcase leads visitors to Genealogy.com's extensive library of free articles and genealogy lessons, as well as tools to aid research, such as a list of additional helpful web sites.
• The group painting leads visitors to the community area of the site, where people can find information contributed by other users or contribute their own. They can create their own home pages, build a family tree, add a tombstone to the Virtual Cemetery, participate in surname-based messages boards, or browse the family trees of famous people.
• The antique baby stroller takes visitors to the "First Steps" area of the site, which includes a site tour and articles and activities to introduce new visitors to genealogy as a hobby.
• Framed family photos introduce visitors to the site's new Family Finder tool and the extensive site search engine.
• The mirror links users to the MyGenealogy area of the site, where visitors can set up and store personalized content, such as home pages and tombstones. It also contains a list of all saved searches and a personalized list of titles in the Online Data Library.
• The clothes rack takes visitors to the marketplace, a concentrated area where users can purchase access to the company's online databases and software products.

For a closer look at the new Web site, go to visit http://www.genealogy.com. To compare with the previous site, go to: http://www.genealogy.com/oldsite/.

New Family Finder Search

Genealogy.com's new Family Finder search capability allows users to enter information about their ancestors, and get a detailed results page, categorized by source and relevance, steering searchers to the most likely resources of more information. Unique Family Finder features include:

• Search narrowing capability – In the past, a user could only enter a first, middle, and last name for an ancestor. The new Family Finder allows a user to fill in first, middle and last name, birth date and location, and death date and location, to verify that located individuals are true ancestors.
• Family tree search – Family Finder gives users the ability to create a family tree and search on the entire tree at once.
• Search result prioritization – Family Finder search results are prioritized. The best possible matches are given a five-star ranking, while less likely matches receive a one- or two-star ranking. This enables users to streamline their search by checking the most likely matches first.
• Search result categorization – Family Finder search results now include all categories available on Genealogy.com and the Internet, categorized within relevance levels. These include: genealogy web pages on the Internet; books and databases at GenealogyLibrary.com(r) ; GenForum Message Boards; Virtual Cemetery; Family Home Pages and Civil War Databases; Family Archive CDs and Internet Family Archives databases; and the Social Security Death Index.
• Saved searches – Family Finder enables users to save both individual searches and whole family searches. They can also select and/or delete specific results from each search, and return to saved searches again and again.

About Genealogy.com, LLC

Based in Fremont, California, Genealogy.com, LLC was launched in November 1999 with funding from major media corporations. Genealogy.com, which previously operated under the corporate umbrella of Broderbund Software, is acknowledged as a decade-long leader in the genealogy technology space. Information on Genealogy.com and its services and resources can be found at www.genealogy.com. All of its award-winning products and services are offered online and through direct sales; its software programs are also distributed at retail by the Broderbund Software unit of Mattel Interactive.

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