Tribute Technology and Treasured Memories® Partnering to Elevate Funeral Service WAUNAKEE, WI — Tribute Technology, a leading provider of technology solutions for funeral directors, is proud to announce its partnership with Treasured Memories®, a premier consultancy and benefits provider for independent funeral homes. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in making advanced technology more accessible and meaningful for funeral directors and the communities they serve across North America. Treasured Memories has been a beacon of support for funeral homes across the U.S. since its inception in 1988. Led and championed by Jimmy Altmeyer Jr., a fourth-generation funeral director, Treasured Memories has grown to epitomize excellence and dedication within the funeral service profession. Jimmy's commitment to exceptional service is mirrored in the legacy of Altmeyer Funeral Homes & Crematory, which has expanded to serve numerous communities across Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida since its founding in 1917. The partnership heralds a new era of enhanced support for funeral directors, with Treasured Memories clients gaining access to Tribute Technology’s cutting-edge software and resources. The initiative will begin with introducing Tribute Technology’s Premier Partner, Legacy Touch, to Treasured Memories clients, allowing them to offer beautifully crafted Fingerprint Keepsakes to families seeking to memorialize their loved ones in a uniquely personal way. "Deciding to partner with Tribute Technology was the best choice for us. Tribute Technology stands out as the premier provider of technology solutions in our profession. Their commitment to innovation, combined with a deep understanding of the needs of both funeral directors and the families they serve, aligns perfectly with our values at Treasured Memories,” Altmeyer said. “This partnership is not just about enhancing our service offerings; it's about setting a new standard in the profession.” This partnership ensures that all members of the Treasured Memories network benefit, reinforcing both organizations' commitment to supporting funeral directors in offering compassionate, personalized services to families during their time of need. "Jimmy is an incredible leader within the profession, and we are honored to partner with Treasured Memories. This partnership is poised to deliver the finest technology solutions for funeral directors, and we are excited for what the future holds,” said Tribute Technology Chief Customer Officer Courtney Gould Miller. Members of the media with questions about Tribute Technology or any of the company’s products and services are asked to contact press@tributetech.com . About Tribute Technology: Tribute Technology’s mission is to bring the best technology to all funeral homes, to help communities around the world celebrate life, and to pay tribute to loved ones. Over 9,000 end-of-life providers already use Tribute Technology’s software and product offerings, including websites, marketing services, management software, online planning, personalized memorial keepsakes, payment processing, and other solutions. Tribute Technology is focused on innovating to help funeral directors save time on tasks, so they can focus more on connecting with the families who have lost a loved one. The company’s goal is to give funeral directors everything they need to run their business in one place, making their lives easier. ### Contact For Further Information: Tribute Technology 315 Raemisch Rd., Ste G Waunakee, WI, 53597 press@tributetech.com

Tribute Technology and Treasured Memories® are teaming up to make technology more accessible, visible, and meaningful to funeral directors and the communities they serve. Treasured Memories is a trusted resource for independent funeral homes, providing supplier benefits and consulting services to its extensive membership of over 200 funeral homes across the U.S. since 1988. Jimmy Altmeyer Jr., a fourth-generation funeral director, founded Treasured Memories and serves as the president of Altmeyer Funeral Homes & Crematory, which now operates more than 50 firms. He draws upon a rich legacy of family service. The family business was started back in 1917 in Wheeling, WV, and has since expanded to Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. Jimmy has become well-known in the profession for his dedication to offering outstanding service to families and for supporting funeral directors across the country. “Jimmy Altmeyer is an incredible leader within the profession, and it’s been impressive watching him build up Treasured Memories over the years. It’s an honor that he chose to work with us,” said Tribute Technology Chief Customer Officer Courtney Gould Miller. “This partnership will offer the very best technology solutions for funeral directors, and we can’t wait to share what’s happening next.” As part of this collaboration, Treasured Memories clients will receive personalized solutions for their firm through Tribute Technology’s software and resources. The first stage of the partnership will involve Tribute Technology’s Premier Partner, Legacy Touch. Treasured Memories clients now have access to sharing Legacy Touch’s incredible Fingerprint Keepsakes with families. Stay tuned for updates on what’s coming next! Click here to learn more about Treasured Memories.

It was a true honor for Tribute Technology’s Obituary Writer to be named a winner in the 2024 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards program, hosted by the Business Intelligence Group. Tribute Obituary Writer was honored in the Artificial Creativity category for a Product or Software. As families navigate the complexities of loss, Tribute Obituary Writer stands as a testament to the transformative power of technology in honoring loved ones. Tribute Obituary Writer’s intuitive design empowers users to navigate the writing process with ease. The software streamlines the editing process, allowing for adjustments to content and length as needed, ensuring that every tribute is a heartfelt representation of a loved one’s legacy. We deeply appreciate this recognition of our AI-powered technology, which underscores our commitment to innovation and excellence. Click here to read more about the award. Click here to learn more about Tribute Obituary Writer. Click here to learn more on why online obituaries matter

A first-of-its-kind bill that would have impacted the legality of fingerprint recording by deathcare professionals was not advanced by a committee within the Florida Senate. Many within the funeral profession were closely watching the development of this bill. Florida Privacy Bill SB 504 sought to regulate funeral homes' collection, notices, and practices related to the biometric data of decedents. If passed, the bill would have required funeral homes to provide written disclosure of their policies related to the use of biometric data collected from the deceased. The funeral home would have also been required to give the option to opt out of such a sale. Though the proposed Florida bill did not pass, the proposal highlights the importance of funeral homes’ print collection practices and underscores the concerns that families may place on these matters. Tribute Technology’s Premier Partner, Legacy Touch, which is a leading provider of Fingerprint Keepsakes, strongly encourages funeral homes to (1) inform families they’re taking prints and (2) obtain a signed Release or Acknowledgment confirming that the family either consents to the collection or understands that a print cannot be obtained later or replaced once deleted if the family declines print collection. You can learn more about this important topic by watching Legacy Touch’s webinar hosted by Tribute Technology on the legality of Fingerprint Keepsakes.  At a minimum, Legacy Touch recommends that firms should have a sample disclosure, which could be included in your Statement of Funeral Goods and Services. You can view an example of a disclosure in our resource guide, which can be downloaded here .

We are excited to unveil an innovative change for clients with Tribute Technology websites – and the outcomes are remarkable. Tribute Wall will now show up first, becoming the default view on obituaries rather than the obituary or event itself. This update redefines the user experience and engagement, while also delivering tangible benefits across various fronts: Increased Condolences: Presenting the Tribute Wall first has led to a remarkable 56% surge in posted condolences, fostering a deeper sense of community support for your families. Enhanced Engagement: With Tribute Wall as the default view, we've observed a 23% increase in user retention, with visitors returning for additional page views. Boost in Purchases: Clients have experienced an impressive 8.5% rise in purchases per session when utilizing Tribute Wall as the initial view. Extended Session Duration: Visitors are spending 16% more time on the platform, engrossed by the immersive experience offered by Tribute Wall. Tribute Wall isn't just a feature; it's a catalyst for elevating your website, driving revenue growth, and nurturing a compassionate community for those navigating loss. It's worth noting that should funeral homes prefer, Tribute Wall can be reverted upon request. This transformative update is poised to elevate your online presence, boost revenue streams, and foster community engagement, enriching both your business and the families you serve. We're excited to introduce this update and look forward to the positive impact it will have on your online memorial experience! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out: CSS-Team@Tributetech.com

Google Ads' Customer Match feature empowers advertisers to target ads based on customer data. A recent glitch has raised concerns among funeral professionals. At Tribute Technology, it's important to clarify that we do not employ Customer Match lists for our clients. This decision aligns with Google's policy, which prohibits the use of sensitive interest categories for ad targeting or product/service promotion. Despite our position, some clients have received emails from Google Ads indicating that their accounts may be eligible to use Customer Match lists. Follow-up emails have cautioned about potential account suspensions due to policy violations. Our team at Tribute Technology has informed Google about this glitch. We want to assure our clients that their ads remain eligible and are running without interruption.  For further assistance or inquiries, please reach out to our Support Team at 1-844-200-6020 or complete this form .

Are those with no connection to the funeral profession outranking your funeral home in Google searches? What can you do to stop this while attracting more families to your website? Start by winning the SEO race . When it comes to combatting obituary spam, Tribute Technology CEO Charlie Cole said, “The best thing funeral homes can do is dominate their own SEO.” If you aren’t among the top search results in your area, you are missing calls. Consider Cole’s top three tips to improve your SEO, as shared in a recent webinar on protecting your business and families from spammers : Be the first to post your obituaries. Share obituaries on every social account you manage. Have a fast website. Learn more about how to outrank the competition and increase your website’s searchability and relevance by talking to one of our marketing specialists .

Generative AI has revolutionized many aspects of our lives, but unfortunately, it has also made spamming obituaries easier than ever. For funeral homes across the country, combating obituary spam has become a daily challenge that demands proactive action. What can funeral professionals do in the face of this persistent threat? Tribute Technology CEO Charlie Cole offered a straightforward solution in a recent webinar about obituary spam : "Start reporting as much as humanly possible. If enough people report a website for scamming, it’ll cause Google to pay attention." Here are some actionable steps you can take to combat obituary spam: Report Spam to Google: Use Google's dedicated tool for reporting spam at this link: Report Spam . By flagging suspicious websites, you contribute to the effort to clean up search results and protect users from scams. Report Obituary Scams to the FTC: If you encounter obituary scams or instances of identity theft involving deceased individuals, report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or call 877-382-4357. Notify the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): In cases where obituary spam involves online fraud or criminal activity, such as identity theft, it's crucial to alert the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. You can file a complaint through their website: IC3 Complaint . If obituary spam escalates to involve malicious intent, collaboration with law enforcement agencies may be necessary to thoroughly investigate and prosecute offenders. It's essential to recognize that combating obituary spam requires a collective effort from online platforms, obituary hosts, and community members. Together, let's work toward preserving the sanctity of online obituary pages as sacred spaces for remembrance, reflection, and respect.

The recent webinar we hosted with Connecting Directors , " Obituary Spam: What It Is and How to Protect Your Business and Your Families ," has gotten a lot of feedback. So, how can funeral homes protect against obituary spam? You have questions, and we have answers. What is obituary spam? Those from outside the funeral profession are taking advantage of the immense amount of website traffic that obituaries generate. They will create “spam” content to manipulate Google’s algorithms to outrank local funeral homes in searches. They also create obituaries that aren't real because every click has the potential to generate ad revenue. Why does somebody want to spam a funeral home? In short, eyeballs on a website are worth money. Every time a display ad pops up on a website, money can be made. What methods are spammers using? Generative AI makes it very easy to create and manipulate an obituary to take advantage of Google's algorithm. When the content contains localized information, even if it’s not real, it makes the website much more likely to rank (and beat a funeral home) in searches. How is obituary scraping legal? Aggregators and scammers are good at skirting copyright laws by changing the content just enough to call it original. Tribute Technology’s Chief Customer Officer Courtney Gould Miller was recently quoted in The Verge talking about obituary spam. Why is this topic gaining so much traction right now? The Verge is holding power brokers accountable. Funeral searches and obituary searches across the entire Internet get a massive amount of traffic. Industry watchdogs are worried that generative AI is going to make spreading spam like this across the Internet even easier and faster. You can read the entire article here. Can funeral homes build generative AI into their site to produce a website to outrank bad actors? Yes – and it starts with the AI obituary writer. There are methods to write an obituary that help firms understand the Google algorithm. Funeral homes need to be aware of this when posting and writing obituaries, along with being aware of SEO best practices. What’s your best advice on how to push down spammers and aggregators? Number one: Be the first to post original content. Number two: To the extent you're comfortable, share obituaries on every single social account you have. Number three: Have a fast website. What can you say to families who are upset about their obituary getting scraped? Be transparent about the fact that you don’t sponsor or do business with the scrapers. You might also consider sharing resources, such as The Verge article mentioned above. How important is local traffic on an obituary posted on a funeral home website? As a funeral home, your obituary traffic is your most valuable asset. Every single person you lose to a spammer is going to see something else, which might be a preneed ad at another local funeral home. Does reporting scraped obituaries to Google make a difference? Yes – especially when they’re reported repeatedly. This helps notify Google and its algorithm that the content being produced by this specific domain is less valuable to those searching for information. Eventually, this will make an impact. Have more questions? Feel free to reach out to us here or reach out to any Tribute Technology team member.