{"id":4595,"date":"2013-08-27T20:32:12","date_gmt":"2013-08-28T00:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/?p=4595"},"modified":"2023-02-10T14:09:16","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T19:09:16","slug":"elfster-past-present-and-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/27\/elfster-past-present-and-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Elfster: Past, Present, and Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Elfster has been around for ten holiday seasons and we wanted to take a quick look back and towards the future to see where we\u2019ve been, and where we\u2019re going.\u00a0 It\u2019s also a great way for us to show new users \u201cthe way things were\u201d and to assure all users that we\u2019re listening to your feedback and continuing to grow and refine our service.<\/p>\n

ELFSTER MOBILE<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we first started Elfster, smart phones were really in their infancy.\u00a0 Blackberry was as good as it got until the second generation of iPhones exploded and Androids entered the market.\u00a0 Since our inception, we\u2019ve added not only a full mobile Elfster site, but an app as well.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been working hard on both of those projects this year — recapturing that feeling of excitement we had when we first introduced wishlists to mobile browsing.\u00a0 Overall, we\u2019re finalizing some little touches that will give elves new ways to organize exchanges on mobile site.\u00a0 We\u2019re also building a new iPhone app from the ground up, with Android to follow — both of those are big projects we\u2019re hoping to launch next year.<\/p>\n

NEW EXCHANGE POSSIBILITIES
\n<\/strong>Elfster grew beyond just a Secret Santa exchange after its first year, and we\u2019re seeing groups use our site in incredibly creative ways year round.\u00a0 To help support these groups, we\u2019ve added several new ways to organize exchanges, including co-organizers.\u00a0 We\u2019ve also added new ways to categorize exchanges, such as Back to School.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re changing the way you use your wishlists by allowing you to include quantities.\u00a0 This means users can create lists like a Wedding Registry or Baby Registry by pulling in their desired items from multiple sites and stores, meaning you no longer need to send your guests to three or four separate lists from multiple retailers!\u00a0 We\u2019ll announce when this feature is live on our Facebook and Twitter.<\/p>\n

MORE OOMPH DURING THE HOLIDAYS
\n<\/strong>We pride ourselves on having Elfster always available and lightning quick.\u00a0 Your time is precious and we respect that. This year, we are starting even earlier than usual to make sure we are ready for the millions of Elfster users that will visit during the holiday season.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WE\u2019RE LISTENING
\n<\/strong>Many of the site\u2019s best improvements have come from user suggestions.\u00a0 By the end of the year we\u2019re looking at more control over who sees your birthday notifications, updating a huge number of gift categories on the site including books and music, and charitable efforts to pass forward the fantastic goodwill we\u2019ve received from all of you over the years.\u00a0 If you have a suggestion, don\u2019t hesitate to email us, drop by the Facebook page, or Tweet us.<\/p>\n

Want to stay up to date on the latest with Elfster?<\/p>\n

Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/elfster<\/a>
\nTwitter: @Elfster<\/p>\n

Pinterest: http:\/\/pinterest.com\/elfster1\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Email us: help@elfster.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Elfster has been around for ten holiday seasons and we wanted to take a quick look back and towards the future to see where we\u2019ve been, and where we\u2019re going.\u00a0 It\u2019s also a great [read more]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2742,"featured_media":6006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[532],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4595","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gift-giving"},"yoast_head":"\nElfster: Past, Present, and Future - Good Cheer | Elfster Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Elfster: Past, Present, and Future - 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