Sept. 21, 2011 – Next week you will notice a significant change to WisBar®. The top navigation to “Seminars, Books & Products” will be replaced with a link to WisBar’s new “Marketplace.” This change is the first of two phases that will improve how WisBar looks and functions. Phase one, which launches Monday, Sept. 26, upgrades the current Marketplace. Phase two, the balance of the reengineered website, is targeted for launch in early 2012.
WisBar’s Marketplace is a “one-stop shop” for purchasing State Bar products or registering for events, including PINNACLE™ education programs, books, Books Unbound™, and forms. The new Marketplace replaces outdated technology, moving WisBar to current Internet industry standards. This means your experience using the site will be similar to using other professional retail websites.
To acquaint you with this change, here are answers to questions you may have about the new Marketplace.
1. How will I enter WisBar’s new Marketplace?
It’s easy. When you visit WisBar.org, look for the Marketplace tab on the site’s top navigation, which replaces the former tab titled “Seminars, Books & Products” (see the graphic accompanying this article). Of course, if you’d like to go directly to the Marketplace, go to www.wisbar.org/marketplace.
2. What’s different about the new Marketplace?
Top-level, intuitive tab navigation and improved search functionality will result in fewer clicks to find information about State Bar products and events, saving you valuable time.
A more comprehensive search also will make it easier to search across all products and events. Users will be able to control how broadly or narrowly they cast their search net to find solutions to their practice needs. In addition, users will be able to limit their Marketplace search to a particular product category, topic, format, price range, or any combination of search criteria.
3. Will Marketplace look different than the rest of the site?
Until the launch of phase two in early 2012, WisBar users will experience two different looks when using the site. The new Marketplace will have the updated look, while the balance of the site undergoes construction. During this transition, users will be able to easily move between the two parts of the site.
4. Will logging into WisBar change?
No; you can continue to use your current username and password to log in to WisBar and its new Marketplace. When visiting the Marketplace, you can freely browse through products and events without logging in, and when you add a product to your shopping cart or register for an event, you will be prompted to log in. However, we suggest logging in when you initially go to Marketplace so that prices for products and events reflect lower prices for State Bar members. In addition, logging in gives members access to products not available to others.
Don’t have a password or want to change your password? Visit WisBar FAQs or contact Customer Service at (800) 728-7788 for help.
5. Can I still access my downloaded materials from myStateBar?
Currently, members access their PINNACLE Books UnBound subscriptions, forms, seminar materials, and other downloaded electronic products from the myMedia section of WisBar’s myStateBar. The new Marketplace will not change how you access past or future materials.
6. Will the new Marketplace store my credit card information used during a transaction?
For your protection, Marketplace will not store credit card information used to purchase products or register for events. In addition, if you’re wondering about privacy and security issues, the new Marketplace meets industry e-commerce security standards, and it meets or exceeds all payment card industry compliance standards.
What’s next?
Phase two, targeted for early 2012, delivers the balance of WisBar. The reengineered site will allow members to personalize their homepage, giving them greater control over what news and other information they receive and how they customize the site for faster access to the content they find of most value. In addition, the site will feature more efficient navigation and content organization, improved search capabilities, enhanced member-to-member profiles, and technologies that will facilitate greater lawyer-to-lawyer networking and collaboration.