Should Your Website Focus on Traffic or Conversions?

Jeremy Brett

A recent survey from a UK comparison site provider has found that more than half of the 2,500 homeowners it questioned would rather make home improvements than move up the property ladder.

Steep moving costs, stamp duty tax and high house prices are the main contributing factors to the ‘improve not move’ trend.

As of August 2016, the average house price in the UK is £218,964, rising by 8.4% compared to the previous year.

The report also found that homeowners who were looking to take the next step on the property ladder are taking on an ‘improve before you move’ strategy, with four in 10 respondents saying they would undertake home improvements specifically to increase the value of their home. Popular home improvements include flat-roof extensions at the rear of properties to create open plan kitchen living space and ‘premium’ products such as bi-fold doors.

Jeremy Brett, managing director of the Consumer Protection Association, which conducted the survey, commented on the trend: “With rising property prices and the steep fees associated with moving, many homeowners are staying put and instead choosing to invest in their homes.

“Creating more space tops the list of modifications but homeowners looking to move are also investing, choosing premium products such as bi-fold doors to add value to their home before selling.”

Jeremy says feedback from CPA members shows an increase in business as a result of the ‘improve not move’ trend.

www.thecpa.co.uk

The post Half of homeowners ‘would rather improve than move’ appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

James Lee

The Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) recently commissioned an independent consumer survey and the final results have revealed some useful insights for the federation and its members.

The survey conducted by One Poll was sent to 2,000 homeowners across the UK, who were asked 18 questions covering a range of topics including energy efficiency, competent person schemes and consumer codes.

On the release of the survey results, James Lee, GGF director of marketing and communications, said: “With all the work the GGF is doing to help consumer facing members, it seemed logical for the GGF to survey consumers to understand and evaluate their views and opinions. The results have proved both insightful and encouraging.”

The GGF will use the results to support the GGF/MyGlazing.com consumer PR campaign, underpin its ‘political messages and ongoing activity’ and promote its approved consumer code to both existing members and wider industry.

The survey results included the following findings:

• 62% of consumers are unaware that more than 20% of heat energy in the home is lost through inefficient windows and doors
• 51% of those surveyed say that knowing 23% of heat energy in the home is lost through inefficient windows and doors, makes them consider installing new windows and doors
• 54% of homeowners have energy efficient windows and doors installed
• Almost 75% would consider energy efficient windows and doors important when buying a new home
• 58% said that knowing a company’s ‘consumer code of conduct’ had been approved by a government backed body, such as the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, would influence their purchasing decision
• 17% said they have never heard of a consumer code
• 57% would install new windows and doors to increase the value of their home
• 67% of homeowners spent some money on home improvements in 2016
• 62% have heard of a competent persons scheme
• Energy saving tops the list of reasons why homeowners would install new windows, at 35%; 25% said money saving is their first priority and 14% want to keep out noise
• 29% of homeowners will consider making home improvements in the next 18 months
• Of those considering making home improvements in the next 18 months, top of the list of considerations is new windows at 33%
• 58% of homeowners distrust glazing/home improvement companies who contact them unsolicited

The GGF says it intends to conduct more consumer surveys in the future.

www.ggf.org.uk

The post GGF consumer survey reveals energy saving is biggest incentive for new windows purchase appeared first on Glass & Glazing Products Magazine (GGP).

Specialists in glazing and construction PR and marketing, Balls2 Marketing is up for the top national award in construction in the 2017 Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards.

“It’s superb that we’ve been chosen as a finalist,” says Sarah Ball, Client Stretegy Director at Balls2 Marketing. “Especially as Construction, Property or Infrastructure is a new category in the CIPR awards. We’re amongst some brilliant competition including Balfour Beatty. Most of our work is within the construction and property sector so it’s great to be recognised for the work we do every day.”

The shortlisted campaign was to build a national network of trade installers for Composite Wood Company’s timber-alternative decking, fencing and garden rooms.  The network now has more than 100 customers, and Composite Wood Company enjoyed its best-ever month in March.

“It was a highly successful strategy and demonstrated how PR can link businesses to customers across lots of different channels.  We created a new website for Composite Wood Company, put regular news and articles into the press and across social media. Follower numbers on Facebook grew from 1,784 in January 2016 to 12,657 in February 2017.  The Facebook page received 3,500,000 page impressions and created thousands of sales enquiries.

“Membership of the CIPR is important to all the PR team. We are active members and complete our CPD every year to keep up to date with the latest changes and best practice,” adds Sarah who is also secretary of CAPSIG, the construction and property special interest group at CIPR. “We are looking forward to an excellent evening.”

Billed as the most prestigious night in the public relations calendar, the award ceremony takes place on 6 June at the Artillery Garden at the HAC in London.

www.balls2marketing.com

RegaLead recently pushed the concept of truly bespoke front doors to the max, delivering a unique project on a Cambridge housing development. Comprising 180 new homes for KeepMoat in association with Cambridge City Council and manufactured by Britdoors, lucky residents in a selection of properties have had their own local area maps designed into their doors’ decorative glass units.

Paul Edwards, RegaLead’s Door Industry Market Manager commented: “This is a perfect example of how our sandblasting solutions can offer true differentiation and appeal hugely to the whole spectrum of individual tastes. As this project shows, whatever the design, whether for one door or 1000 doors, using our Cadblast technology, customers can take a vision and make it into reality.

“For this project, the 93 high performance decorative units were sandblasted on toughened laminated glass with a map of the local areas including Latimer, Water Lane, Aylesbrough, Colville, Campkin and Atkins. The very talented designers and two of the UK’s leading glass artists Louise Watson and Zoe Chamberlain , drew a different detailed map for each of the areas which was then accurately replicated through the sandblasting process. The result is stunning.

Louise Watson comments: “The balcony and door glass feature hand traced maps of each neighbourhood. The balcony panels are made from 11.5mm toughened laminated glass with a sandblasted and hydrofluoric acid tone finish design. The double glazed units in the front doors feature a segment of the neighbourhood map sandblasted onto the internal 6.4mm toughened panel with the 4mm toughened external panel sandblasted all over with the exception of a motif, unique to each site, giving a layered effect at night time when the lights are on in the property.

“As a key part of the project, we worked with groups of young people from the neighbourhoods around the new developments to generate starting points for the designs. Exploring symbols and abstract motifs to represent the meaning of Home, students looked at signs and symbols from different cultures for inspiration. Using an etching press, the students experimented with creating their own abstract motifs, layering and overlapping to create resources for us to turn into the final designs for the door glass and balcony panels”.

Paul concludes: “From simple house names and numbers, to detailed 3D graphics like these maps, sandblasting with RegaLead offers genuine differentiation to suit every taste. We love getting involved in projects like these which span creative and commercial. It’s the very reason we acquired Decorative Door Products in 2011 to allow us to do short to medium sized product runs of truly innovative bespoke door glass.”

For more information on decorative products for glass, windows and doors from RegaLead visit www.regalead.co.uk  or call 0161 946 1164.

Network VEKA installer, Rugby Double Glazing recently opened their new retail showroom at the company’s headquarters in Warwickshire.   The new showroom was officially opened by Network VEKA’s brand ambassador Steve Davis and the event was supported by their fabricating partner Modplan Ltd.

Ian Lewis, Modplan’s Sales Manager said, “The showroom opening was superb with a high footfall of potential new business attending the one day event. The showroom itself is stunning with attention to detail evident in every corner.  As Rugby’s key fabricating partner, we were delighted to support their official opening.”

As Ian says, the attention to detail is impressive and the new showroom gives Rugby Double Glazing an opportunity to show off their impressive range of windows, doors and conservatories direct to the consumer.

During the event £235 was raised for Hope 4 Homeless UK, a charity organisation that helps homeless people and those in need.  For further support to this worthwhile charity, Modplan donated three windows to the charity’s shelter to replace some ageing windows which will be fitted by Rugby Double Glazing.

Rugby Double Glazing is the only Registered Installer authorised by Network VEKA in Warwickshire and the surrounding area. The company has built its reputation on providing good quality products with superb customer service.  This new showroom will give the company any opportunity to enhance that reputation as it continues to grow.

www.modplan.co.uk

An extended collection of Virtuoso composite doors – including traditional and contemporary style doors and a completely unique new composite door – will be unveiled on stand H30 at the FIT Show.

Visitors to the Virtuoso stand will not be disappointed with the enviable choice of doors on offer, which now includes a unique ‘aluminium-look’ composite door. The product is still under wraps but Virtuoso can reveal that this ultra-modern new door style is the only one of its kind in the industry. It incorporates realistic detailing to replicate the appearance of an aluminium door and is sure to attract installers who want to widen their offering beyond standard composite doors.

Tony Craggs, managing director of Virtuoso, says: “The Virtuoso brand has been growing rapidly and we are really excited to showcase this terrific new door at FIT. I can’t share too much but I can say that it is totally unlike anything else out there. We’ve made a significant investment into new technology to create this new door style and bolster our bespoke offering. We now have a very desirable range of doors in every colour imaginable and I’m sure installers will be enthusiastic about the potential that brings.

But that’s not all. This advance is part of a much bigger investment of £500,000 into machinery and IT upgrades at our 70,000 square foot factory in the North East. The investment has enabled us to ramp up production of our composite doors as demand continues to grow and it will help us to put Virtuoso on the map nationally too. We now have the capability to extend the brand from our heartland in the North of England and Scotland and to serve the huge nationwide customer network of our new parent the Customade Group. We’ll tell everyone about it at FIT!”

The FIT stand will also display a traditional style composite door and a contemporary style composite door. The contemporary door is packed with stylish features and includes a slam-shut auto lock, architectural hardware and modern glazing. Every Virtuoso door is available on a five-day lead time and features a 3.8mm thick GRP skin which is twice as thick as most composite doors available on the market. This thicker skin comfortably meets the security requirements of Document Q.

The Virtuoso team will also launch a new generation of door designer software – Gateway 2 -at the show. Gateway 2 is a bespoke door designer package which has been enhanced to bring even greater functionality to customers and help them to design, order and price standard and bespoke composite doors. And now, through the bolt-on Gateway 2 package for trade customers, homeowners can even design their own Virtuoso door on-line. The package has been developed to create a professional image for the installer and generate high quality leads for them.

Since its acquisition by Polyframe in February, the enlarged, full-service Customade Group is now the biggest fabricator in the UK with revenues of more than £100 million. The group brings together some industry-leading brands and an enviable range of products, which spans PVC-u and aluminium windows and doors, composite doors, aluminium glazed roof products, sealed glass units and specialist glazing.

The Customade group now operates nationwide and employs 900 people in multiple manufacturing sites across the UK. The Group includes Polyframe (PVC-u), REAL Aluminium (aluminium), Atlas Glazed Roof Solutions (glazed roofs), Virtuoso (composite and paneled doors), Hourglass Seal (sealed glass units), and Fineline Aluminium (specialist glazing).

www.customade.co.uk

This year’s FIT Show sees Eurocell focus on four of its most popular ranges – including some great new range additions – namely Skypod, Modus, Dales Collection composite doors and its conservatory collection.

Fresh to the market is the Skypod Acute roof lantern. As the name suggests, the new addition features a steeper pitch at 35⁰– 15⁰ more than the current design. The new 35⁰ pitch is strikingly different to the standard, making it more suitable for commercial applications such as schools, hospitals and offices, where this pitch is better suited to larger, multi-storey buildings. This market tends to be dominated by aluminum, and the new Skypod provides an aesthetic and cost-effective sales alternative.

Skypod is available in the full colour range of Anthracite Grey, Moondust Grey, Golden Oak, Rosewood and White – with a white interior finish as standard to maximise the light and airy feel. A further 25 colour options can be made to order in three weeks.

The company has also recently extended its popular Dales Collection range of composite doors to increase and improve aesthetic choice, security and resilience. The three new panel designs – the Elton, Hartington and Newhaven – deliver ‘on trend’ farmhouse and contemporary styles and are complemented by six further glass patterns to further increase choice for the specifier, developer and end-user.

The additional door and glass introductions bring the total of front and back composite door combinations to 15 styles in 15 colours and 18 glazing options, from modern ‘chic’ to traditional Edwardian or cottage style. The collection also comes in a wide array of colourways from Contemporary – such as Anthracite Grey – through to Heritage, such as Chartwell Green.

Furthermore, high security is assured as Eurocell has improved both the structural stability of the panels and its locking hardware.An accredited five-point multi-locking system with adjustable keeps has been introduced, providing an improved weather rating that can now achieve up to 1200 Pascals – a 50% improvement on previous tests. The new design also includes an increase of the outer GRP skin thickness from 2mm to 4mm; and the Tri-Sis glazing cassette. This can be deglazed internally without damaging the door panel or affecting the security performance of the door overall.

The locking system, plus the thickness and glazing modifications, means that the new doors are all now compliant with the requirements of AD Q; achieving PAS 23/24:2016 accreditation, which includes the challenging PAS 24:2016 ‘Cut Through’ test.

Stand D20 is also host to Modus: the company’s high-performance, high aesthetic window system. Featuring a 75mm six-chamber profile system, the Modus range delivers optimum energy efficiency performance and can achieve a U-value as low as 0.7 W/m²K. The first PVC-U window and door system in the UK to offer a 12-year guarantee, Modus casement windows were among the first to be awarded the new A++ WER, claim the company.

The range also includes Modus S, a mechanically jointed flush sash casement window, which combines modern materials with a truly traditional appearance. The joint detail adds considerable authenticity to the window and enables delivery of a product with the true look of timber, while retaining all the performance benefits of PVC-U.

Modus and Modus S are available in 10 solid and woodgrain effect colours, all of which are available with white internal finishes, while more than 25 solid and woodgrain effect finishes can also be ordered. With sustainability in mind, the Modus range consists of 50% post-consumer recycled PVC-U as standard, and so has a smaller carbon footprint than products made or recycled outside of the UK.

Finally, the stand will also show for the first time the company’s brand new additional conservatory range – namely the Lusso internal pelmet and Highline Gutter System. With a striking depth of up to 413mm, the Lusso pelmet combines with the added height and depth of the Highline Gutter to create an on-trend orangery effect from standard components.

Eurocell has also confirmed that other yet-to-be-announced developments will debut on its FIT Show stand, taking the total number of new products and initiatives being showcased at the event to at least six.

www.eurocell.co.uk