Oh, Baby (Einstein)

As a new mom, my internet habits have changed a bit. I am part of a whole new world now, full of mommy blogs, parenting communities and endless companies pushing products you just MUST buy for your baby. (Bumbos, Boppies and Bjorns! Oh my!) One company that has impressed me from the very beginning is Baby Einstein. I received a Baby Einstein Activity Mat at my shower in June, and pulled it out when my baby was around two months old. She was sleeping less during the day and I needed something I could do with her that would entertain her and free up my hands for a while.

I was completely blown away by the product. My baby loved it and I could tell that she was being entertained in an educational way, allowing me a few moments to get stuff done. Immediately I went online to find the web site for the company.

Like most of my peers, I spend a lot of time on the internet. A company’s web site tends to have a lot of influence over how I view that brand. A decent site impresses me, and will get a lot more of my time (and money, if applicable), while those that don’t get put on my blacklist. I tend to judge based on the following criteria:

1. Is it visually appealing?

2. Is it easy to navigate? (Could my mother figure it out?)

3. Is it interesting/engaging? (Can I waste away an hour and not even realize it?)

4. Does it improve my life?

The Baby Einstein site got high marks in all four categories.

Is this site visually appealing? Absolutely. It’s a very attractive site. I love the soft colors. I love the way the site moves and being able to click and drag and search to my heart’s content. There is a really nice interactive feeling to the site, which I enjoy.

Is this site easy to navigate? Not only is it easy, it’s a downright breeze. I am confident that any of my baby’s grandparents could feel right at home on this site. I was drawn in right away. On my initial visit, I clicked on “Our Products” and was given the choice to view by Category, Age or Theme. Nice! I clicked on ”Age” and was brought to a bar I could click and slide, making all the products beneath it scroll by. I liked being able to see everything so clearly. I hovered in between zero and three months and immediately found several products I wanted to learn more about. Clicking on any of these led me to a page where I could read a description, preview the product, purchase the product or read customer stories about the product.

Once I decided that I especially liked the DVDs, I wanted to preview them so I could figure out which to buy. This was as simple as clicking on “Explore by Category”, at which point it was easy to drag the bar to “DVDs.” Baby Mozart, Baby Beethoven, Baby’s First Sounds…they were all there, and I could even watch them with my baby to see how she liked them. (She chose Baby Mozart.)

Is this site engaging? You bet. There are so many cool features on this web site. Use the handy Gift Finder to figure out what Baby Einstein product to get for that baby in your life (it recommended the Musical Motion Activity Jumper for my baby, in case anyone out there was wondering). Read about the history of the company, view their latest awards, learn the best age-appropriate ways to expose your baby to art, music, nature and more, or read the blog of the company founder. Read questions from real parents and answers from a child development expert on the advice page, or check out the featured family and learn about how they use Baby Einstein products.

Did this site make my life easier? Definitely. I loved my first Baby Einstein product and how helpful it was to me as a new mom. This site made it easy for me to figure out what else I wanted to buy for my baby, as well as helped me figure out what I will need in the future. I found an easy way to both entertain and educate my baby, and that is really valuable.

Baby Einstein is a site I visit often, and I recommend it to any other new moms I know. New mothers often feel isolated, clueless, overwhelmed and freaked out. Baby Einstein offers community, advice, shopping and fun all in one place. Their site gives me nothing but a very positive impression of their brand, and they have secured me as a customer for life.