Website aims to make your moves seamless

Moving from one home to another can be a very stressful process. A suburban woman is working to change all that.

A website launched in May 2012 was founded by CEO Jennifer Morehead of Winnetka with two partners and they aim to help people with all aspects of an upcoming move.

More than 2,500 people have used Evanston-based Moveboxer and its online personal relocation technology to help organize their move.

"We knew that we needed to be online so that we could reach people easily to give them our best recommendations for a mover," Morehead said.

The idea for Moveboxer came from Morehead's first business, called Lockboxer that helped people put together their own home inventory, Morehead said.

"Through launching Lockboxer and really listening to what people needed and their true source of pain during a process like moving, we came to understand that we really needed to be focused on the services people need when they move. So Moveboxer was born," Morehead said.

Users can log on and use the tools to help them organize their move. Moveboxer provides moving specialists, who are available to chat by phone. And for using the service and connecting with Moveboxer's recommended providers, the user could get discounts from the providers. Moveboxer also features resources that can help people change their address, schedule a cleaning for their home, prepare their kids for the move, and stay organized, Morehead said.

Morehead said they evaluate moving companies and determine if they are reputable, contact them and ask if they would like Moveboxer to put them in touch with potential customers in their area. If they are interested, Moveboxer negotiates a contract where the movers agree to pay for these leads.

Morehead said they "do a lot of due diligence around the movers to make sure they are the highest quality for our customers."

They check on the movers through the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, she said.

"We verify the company's status with the Better Business Bureau and check for any complaints," she added. "We look at the company's website, Yelp reviews, check for any negative online reviews, and talk with either the owner or another representative at each company."

Moveboxer also does the same checking with other services related to moving, she said.

"This is who pays for the technology. But Moveboxer's services and recommendations are free to the customer/user," she said.

Moveboxer does not track consumer habits online, she said.

"We will get more sophisticated over time with what we offer at Moveboxer and will do more and more with technology.

However, we would never want to be intrusive or disrespectful to our customers so anything that we provide would be made known to the customer and would be there to benefit them and their move," she said.

•Follow Anna Marie Kukec on LinkedIn and Facebook and as AMKukec on Twitter. Write to her at akukec@dailyherald.com.