A successful website should make it easy for customers to find what they (the customers) want while at the same time communicating the brand’s brand without that (the communicating of the brand) getting in the way of making it easy for the customers to find what they (the customers) want. Sounds easy, right?

It’s not. But Schwinn.com does a great job early on of sorting its visitors by macro interest in the brand’s three very-different product categories: Bicycles; Fitness; and Motor Scooters. Assuming that there will be little crossover interest between these categories, this allows each sub-site to cater better to visitors interested in only a third of its offerings.

Schwinn is more than 100 years old. Founded in Chicago in 1895 by German-born Ignaz Schwinn, Schwinn rode the turn-of-the-century bicycle craze to become one of the most prominent American bike makers of all time. Schwinn made its name on technological advancement, superior design and advanced distribution and marketing strategies. Schwinn market domination, based on a quality-is-everything brand promise (the words are even in the logo), lasted into the 1980s, when the brand was finally sunk by underestimating development in both BMX and mountain biking. It declared bankruptcy in 1992.

It did it again in 2001.

Additionally, stationary bikes, elliptical machines and such are marketed under the Schwinn Fitness label. A great brand extension that leverages the brand recognition while remaining in a related product field.

And Schwinn.com? The website does a spectacular job servicing all of the above without over-branding. Its easy-to-navigate product sections present pictures, specs and locations without heavy animation or pointless distractions. The site lets the products speak for themselves, all with just the right amount of Schwinn branding.

Curiously, Schwinn currently exists as one of those odd limbo brands. Thanks to its 100-plus-year history and a couple of still-living generations that associate the brand with its former high-quality reputation, the brand enjoys very strong overall (positive) brand recognition. Yet, thanks to a couple decades of stagnant development, a good chunk of its potential consumer market doesn’t really know its identity. This is to say, many, many people know “Schwinn,” but not that many know what Schwinn stands for anymore. Go ahead and try yourself: Quickly name three attributes that match “Schwinn.” (My first one was “grandpa.” Second one was “heavy.”) In this respect, Schwinn is a little like Playboy; it enjoys maximum recognition in its field but is not sure what to do with it.

Just as Ignaz was ahead of the curve in the late 1800s, Schwinn Motor Scooters may be ahead of the US$ 4-per-gallon gasoline curve in the US. Launched just three years ago, Schwinn’s scooter line is poised to make use of Schwinn’s good name to surf the next two-wheeled wave: “Sales of name-brand scooters such as Honda, Yamaha, Vespa and Suzuki rose 24 percent in the first quarter of [2008].” (Intl. Herald Tribune; May 14, 2008)

With the help of its website, Schwinn just may be able to balance its respected brand with its online potential, and stay in the race for customers seeking a deal on two wheels.

* Total side note: While this word is much thrown around the branding and marketing worlds, MS Word spell check still doesn’t recognize it; just sayin’.