LAST UPDATED: MAY 2026 
By Natalie Chapman, Content Marketer for Passare

When a family experiences a loss, they have to find a funeral home in a short amount of time, at one of the most emotional times in their life.

And a quick online search can present families with a long list of options to choose from.

How can you make sure your funeral home stands out and reaches families when they need you most?

With the right technology, you can reach families before competitors to give them the service only you can provide.

In this article, learn about 4 technologies that can help you:

• Increase leads with online preplanning technology
• Improve your online presence with digital marketing solutions
• Elevate at-need service with an online at-need planning tool
• Simplify everyday tasks with case management software

And ultimately, keep your funeral home competitive in all areas of business.

Let’s get started!

Technology to get more leads

#1: An online preplanning solution

Our New Funeral Consumer study found that 92% of consumers have purchased merchandise, such as groceries, clothing, or shoes, all online.

And 38% of consumers said they were comfortable ordering funeral merchandise, like a casket, online. All these points show that more families are looking to work with funeral homes online.

So, how do you bridge the gap? Online preplanning!

With online preplanning tools, families can begin planning in a way that feels comfortable and convenient, while still working with a trusted funeral home like yours. And with the right tool, you won’t lose any of the personal, compassionate guidance that makes your services unique.

Plus, when families can start planning online, your funeral home will not only reach more families, but also get a steady source of qualified leads in your funeral home.

Learn more about using online arrangements at your funeral home in these resources:

• 4 Ways to Increase Your Preneed Sales Online >>>
• Your funeral home’s guide to online arrangements >>>

#2: Digital marketing solutions

Websites and social media are some of the main ways consumers research businesses today. This means your funeral home’s online presence will likely be a family’s first impression of your business.

This raises the question: When families are researching your funeral home online, what will they find?

To create a strong, positive online presence for your funeral home, you’re going to need a good digital marketing plan.

Here are a few digital marketing tools that can help your funeral home reach more families online:

• A high-quality website
• Custom videos that speak to your services
• Engaging social media pages
• A digital lead-generation strategy

Take the first step with this eBook, full of best practices and tips to help you reach more families in your market!

Download Digital Marketing 101 eBook >>>

Technology to improve at-need services to families

#3: An online at-need planning tool

As a funeral director, you know how important it is to provide the most stress-free at-need planning experience possible.

But this can become difficult when families:

• Live out of state
• Don’t want to come into the funeral home right away
• Can’t coordinate a time for everyone to attend the arrangement conference

All this leaves you scrambling to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

There’s a better way. An at-need planning tool!

An at-need planning tool helps you stay connected to families throughout the entire planning process. And by collaborating online every step of the way, you can plan the most meaningful service no matter where a family lives.

If you’re wondering how this can set you apart, hear what this funeral home owner had to say after using Passare’s online at-need tool, Planning Center:

I started working with a daughter who was planning her father’s funeral. After we set an appointment, I immediately sent her an invitation to the Planning Center…

Before our meeting, a family member who was paying for the service stepped in and told the daughter they had wanted to use a different funeral home. But the daughter told them she was already invested in our process, had uploaded a lot of information about her dad, and didn’t understand why they should start over with a new funeral home.

If all I had done was set an appointment with her, we would have lost that family’s business. But because she was already invested in the Planning Center, she and her family decided to stay with us.

Rodney J. Pendell, Funeral Director and Embalmer

Keep reading >>>

Learn more about our Planning Center tool and how it can help you improve the at-need experience for families in this guide: Planning Center 101: Everything funeral professionals should know

Technology to manage your funeral home

#4: Case management software

What sets your funeral home apart is often the care and experience you provide for families.

But there’s one thing you need to make that happen: smooth and efficient daily operations.

From logging case details and tracking items to processing death certificates or website updates, you juggle a lot. What if you could do everything in one software and even automate some of your tasks?

Passare has automations so you can enter information one time, in one place, and see it show up everywhere, making workflows faster, better, and cheaper!

You can even integrate with other services you use, like your website or print provider, so you don’t have to re-enter information into multiple platforms. See our 30+ software integrations here.

The result? You spend less time on paperwork and administrative tasks, and get more time to do what you love: serving families.

See more ways to improve efficiency with software in this guide: The Ultimate Guide to Funeral Home Software

Find new ways to use technology in your funeral home

You’ve seen how technology can improve your service to families, promote your brand, and help you stay ahead of competitors. Now it’s time to take action!

Whether you try one of these solutions or all 5, taking one step towards change pays off.

And hey, it could even make your funeral home the go-to one in your area.

Ready to see how Passare can help your funeral home save time and serve families better? Request a demo today!