It’s great to see Everest on TV with a new campaign pushing A-Rated Energy Efficient windows.  The advert shows new Energy Rated windows fitted at the highest pub in Britain - Tan Hill Inn.

I must admit, it’s a very well produced advert which gets across the message, and I’m sure it will kick start a few competitors into developing energy rated windows.  I’m also aware that this campaign along with the Safestyle-UK TV campaign is now starting to build public awareness of Energy Rated Windows.

Customers are now starting to ask ‘What rating is your window?’  And, this has to be a good thing.

The problem is, as I understand it, Everest are advertising an A-Rated window, and then selling a C-Rated Window.  I’m happy for the guys from Everest to correct me on this, but the word on the street is that consumers are being told that an A-Rated window can be supplied, but that they’re a bit expensive!

Don’t get me wrong - a C-Rated window is still better than selling a window that merely complies with Part L.  But why not just advertise a C-Rated window which is still classed as Energy Efficient, and can carry the Energy Saving Recommended logo?  Why not just tell the truth?

Andy is the MD of Edgetech and has been at the forefront of the move towards Energy Rated windows in the market, with the phenominal growth of Super Spacer in the marketplace.

Edgetech have clearly had a strong marketing and PR campaign over the last few years, and strong growth.  What percentage of the spacer bar market do you feel Edgetech will achieve?

I truly believe that we can achieve 25% of the entire UK market place by 2010. At present the Warm Edge market has approximately 10% of the market of which Edgetech has the lion’s share. With planned changes in legislation and commercial pressures mounting on companies to achieve higher energy ratings I believe that 80% of the entire market will be using a Warm Edge spacer system of some description by 2012.

Do you really feel that by using Super Spacer, the double glazing industry could single-handedly save humankind?  No, but seriously, how much benefit does warm edge really have?

I have never claimed that Super Spacer can single handily save human kind but I do believe passionately that we all have a part to play in minimising the effects of global warming going forward. The reality of the situation is that a good warm edge spacer such as Super Spacer can affect the energy efficiency of a window by up to 11 points on the BFRC Energy rating scheme which is considerably more than any other component part of the window. Other metalised warm edge technologies have less of an effect but generally even the warm edges containing metal can increase the energy efficiency rating by a minimum of 3 points. Generally most of us only replace our windows once in our occupation of a dwelling so if we miss the opportunity to install energy efficient windows now the chance is potentially missed for the next 30 years. 

Is it true that for warm edge technology to really work then a separate weather seal needs to be fitted between the sealed unit and the frame to stop the free air transfer?

It’s true to say that for any window to be truly energy efficient it has to be air tight, which is not unique to warm edge technology. The BFRC scheme takes into account many things including the air tightness of the window.

Why did Andy Ball leave Edgetech, and how are you going to fill the gap?

Andy left Edgetech to join Synseal as Sales Director. Andy did a fantastic job for Edgetech over the past 18 months putting together two successful Glassex campaigns, the 360 Customer service initiative and the Dealer Network scheme., But I am sure that Andy will agree that he was part of a fantastic team that helped bring all of these things together and enhance Edgetech’s position of market leader for warm edge solutions. Unfortunately for Edgetech when any individual is given a platform to perform from and that individual does well, that individual then attracts the attention of outside companies wanting to emulate the success story. Andy has earned the right to the opportunity of arguably one of the largest sales jobs in the industry and I certainly believe that he will do a great job for Synseal. As for how will Edgetech fill the gap, the rest of the team is still in place. We have also recently added both Alan Fielder (National Sales Manager) ad Mel Jones (Southern Business Development Advisor) to that team who both bring a wealth of industry experience which puts Edgetech in an excellent position to achieve our considerable goals in the future.     

Other than Edgetech, which companies do you see growing strongly and profitably in the industry as a whole?

I think that forward thinking companies who view the challenges within our market as an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competition will continue to do well. Many companies talk about battening down the hatches when times get difficult which may be one way of taking out some cost within the business. But if the market was bad yesterday and you’re not prepared to change today, why do you believe that it will be any better tomorrow? Opportunities such as energy ratings only tend to come around once in a life time and I think that companies who are early adopters of initiatives like this will be the ones that continue to thrive. I think it’s interesting that major companies such as Everest are now putting their considerable marketing power behind national TV advertising campaigns talking about A rated windows. I believe it is just a matter of time before one of the major refurbishment companies start to offer A rated windows as their standard offering, at which time the industry will be forced to react to compete. 

You have been at the forefront of the campaign to get 5% VAT on ER windows.  What do you feel are the underlying reasons why the government is reluctant to change its stance?

It’s quite simple, money! If the Government were to mandate that all windows that achieved C rated or above are eligible for 5% VAT rating and the market migrated to 100% C rated windows, it would cost the Government approximately £597 million in lost revenue. That’s why Edgetech have now taken their campaign to the next level which is the Europe commission. I still strongly urge everyone reading this to write to their MP by using our standard template letter which can be found on the Edgetech web site. Together as an industry we can make a difference!!

I notice you have booked Glassex again for next year.  Do you feel that Glassex should go biannual, as suggested by David White?

I personally think that if Glassex goes biannual that it would be to the detriment of the industry. Glassex is still the only UK based show to showcase the industry’s innovations. The last Glassex was my 22nd consecutive outing and I still strongly believe that there is an absolute requirement for a UK based show; after all if you are a visitor and come away from the show with one good idea of how to enhance your business then I think that is a day well spent.

Which football team do you support, and are they as good as Huddersfield Town?

I support the Baggies (West Bromwich Albion) who were recently promoted to the Premier Division which I think answers your question of “are they better than Huddersfield Town” :0)

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For more information about Edgetech please visit http://www.superspacer.co.uk/.

Nigel contacted me on this website and we spoke on the phone, and he told me about all the publicity he had received, including being headline news in New Zealand!  I’m sure Nigel was not expecting the level of national and international recognition he has received when he picked up his lump hammer!

He also told me that he had been contacted by a chap called Kevin who was also experiencing a similar problem with an awkward customer, and they had set up a new website called roguetrader.com.

The website is designed to continue the campaign to change the law, and put in safeguards for companies who are unlucky enough to do business with rogue customers.  There’s a petition to sign and a blog, and all the latest news about how the campaign is doing.

For more information visit http://roguecustomer.com/  - Sign the Petition!!!

And the question that is occupying my mind at the moment is…. would a ‘How to run a Double Glazing Company’ website be useful?

I’m quite sure that I’m the only person in the world currently thinking of this, which could mean that there is no need for such a website.  If this is the case please try talk me out of it!

My thought process is thus:

It can be very lonely running a conservatory or double glazing business, especially for sole traders.  In my capacity as the MD of a national conservatory manufacturer, I regularly spend my time talking to and advising customers on how to run their businesses.  But I share bits of information with one business owner, and then not necessarily the same with the next business owner.

So, what I’m thinking is that I create a membership website for owners of double glazing companies (and their staff) and share all the knowledge I have gained over the years about how to build a succesful installation or manufacturing business.  The knowledge I could share would be:

• How to purchase products at the right prices (eg sealed units, silicone, conservatory roofs, advertising etc).
• How to price up conservatories and double glazing correctly to ensure profitability.
• How to advertise effectively using mediums such as TV, radio, internet, newspapers and so on.
• Reviews and podcasts about software products such as Window Designer, Vector or Adminbase.
• How to motivate sales teams, and how to improve conversion rates.
• How to manage installations effectively.
• The list goes on and on….

Crucially, I would make the site a ‘community resource’ so that there would be a discussion forum for members to talk to each other and share ideas.  And, the software would allow members to communicate with each other privately - imagine a Facebook for double glaziers!!

I would use Membergate to build the site as it is designed for exactly this type of website, and I am already familiar with the basics of how to use it, as we have built our ConservatoryTV.com website using Membergate.

We’re in a period of turbulence for business owners and their staff in the double glazing industry, and my thoughts are that if people work together to encourage best practices then individual businesses will prosper, and the industry as a whole.

However, my concern is that it may never take off for two main reasons:

• Most people in this industry are too apathetic and suspicious to get involved.
• Most business owners in this sector never go online anyway.

If you have a view on this, please let me know by posting a comment.

I’m feeling quite chuffed with things today, as a lot of the hard work we have put into SEO for our Conservatory Outlet website is gradually taking effect.  We’re gradually getting more visitors each month to the site, and crucially the number of conservatory leads we are getting has been steadily rising.

Traditionally, we have always been strong with terms such as ‘conservatories yorkshire’, ‘conservatory company leeds’ or ‘upvc conservatories huddersfield’.  This is our core trading area, so it is important that we appear high on search engines for such terms.

I’ve always felt that a potential customer in huddersfield is likely to begin searching for:

• ‘Conservatories‘
• Then ‘conservatories yorkshire’
• Then ‘conservatories huddersfield yorkshire’
• Or even maybe ‘uPVC conservatories huddersfield yorkshire’

You get the picture, and there’s millions of these ‘long tail’ search terms we need to concentrate upon in our industry.

But more recently we have turned our attention on the main Conservatory Outlet site (and some of our other sites) to more competitive terms such as ‘conservatories’, ‘upvc windows’ and ‘double glazing’.

And it’s gradually improving if you see the position we are now getting for ‘conservatories‘:

A couple of months ago we’ve improved our position from page 5 on Google to page 1 - and now position 5 on the first page.  When you consider that the companies down the right hand side are paying around £3 per click then this is clearly a good place to be.  We’re also doing reasonably well for other terms such as ‘conservatory company’, ‘conservatory suppliers’ and so on.

I wrote a post about the best conservatory website in the world a few weeks ago, referring to the position of the ConservatoryLand website on Google, and you will see that they are still in P1.  Our challenge is to make sure our website dislodges ConservatoryLand as clearly that position makes a big difference.

So, how are we going to be top of Google?

Well, there’s no quick fix, but here’s just a few of the ways we’re going to push for higher rankings for ‘conservatories‘ and other key search terms, such as ‘double glazing’.

New website

The existing website is not as good as it could be.  It’s not very good to navigate, and I don’t feel that the user experience is good enough.  There’s probably too much technical information, and possibly not enough consumer friendly content.  Don’t get me wrong, we’re getting plenty of enquiries, but we could convert a better proportion of visitors to good enquiries.

So, we’ll have a newly rebuilt site within the next few weeks.  The site will have plenty of content that contains the important key search terms we are aiming for, especially within the titles of the web pages.

SEO

We have a search engine optimisation company advising on the rebuild of the site to ensure all the H1 tags, source code, and general terminology that I don’t fully understand, is correct and Google friendly.

The company, Blue Claw, are also building links to the main URL (and deep links to other pages) by submitting our site on relevant directories, and by submitting articles we have written on article websites, creating plenty of good links to our site from pages with specific related content.  Google looks at links as being votes for a website, the more good links you have to your site, the more Google likes your site and ranks it higher.

Blogs

We already post comments on existing relevant blogs, but as there are not many double glazing blogs out there we are creating our own blogs, which effectively act as micro sites.

They’re not great sites and the content is crap, but the key thing is that we are building links to our main site, and dealer sites.  Some examples are:

• uPVC double glazing blog
• uPVC windows blog
• Conservatory blog

Let’s face it, one of the main reasons for having the RCG website is to push links to our sites (you may have noticed!!)

Conservatory TV website

We have a website called ConservatoryTV which includes more general advice and information about conservatories.  We generate quite a few leads from this site, but crucially, there are plenty of links to the Conservatory Outlet site, and other dealers.  There’s a lot of video on this site which is all hosted on YouTube (with more links from there!)

Forums

We occasionally post on home improvement forums but this can be hard work.

PR

We have a PR guy, Iain McInnes, and he ensures that any news items and general press releases are submitted to the two main double glazing news resources - the Glazine and Fenestration News.  The press releases always carry a link to our website.

Buzz Marketing

This is the next stage of developing links and visitors to our double glazing websites.  I’ll tell you more about this as and when I know where we are going with this.

Conclusion

I’m just scratching at the surface of what is required for effective online marketing.  I probably shouldn’t be sharing this with other people from the double glazing industry, but I enjoy writing about this - so why not!  I’ll no doubt be keen to tell the world if, and when, we ever get to Number 1.

In the meantime, if you need any further advice on SEO and link building, please get in touch.

I’ve decided it’s time I invested in my Renegade Conservatory Guy website and get a new logo sorted out.

And I need your help!

I submitted a contest on the 99designs.com website - a great resource where designers from around the world compete to design logos, websites, in fact any type of design work.  The problem is that I’m struggling to make my mind up as there’s 3 or 4 designs that I really like.

So please click on this link and view the options.

Then, I’d really appreciate your vote by posting a comment below.  As I’m undecided then I’ll go for the design that gets the most votes.

Also, I could do with a catchphrase.  One of the designers came up with ‘Breaking Down Doors in the Double Glazing Industry’ which is quite good, but could it be improved upon?

The following image shows the number of visitors I’ve been getting since I started the blog in September last year:

So basically I’ve doubled the amount of visitors in April compared to March.   My hope is to double the visitors in May to more than 5,000.

The moving average stats have done OK too if you look at the next graph:

OK, I’m still not competing with Facebook, Google or Youtube, but things are on the up.

More importantly, I’m getting some top people commenting on my posts including:

• Nigel Gray - the builder that pulled down a conservatory and ended up appearing on the TV and radio.
• Andy Jones - Edgetech
• Barry Dunlop - internet genius who set up the www.conservatoriesonline.com website.
• Dave Broxton - the guy behind Glassex
• Nick Dutton - Synseal
• David White - Fux UK
• Alan Burgess - Masterframe
• And many more….

I’ve had a couple of big hits in april, especially my post about Anglian appearing on Watchdog.  If you type in ‘Anglian Watchdog’ into Google then this site is position 1 (above the BBC’s own website).  At the time of writing there’s been 29 comments and the debate has been quite lively to say the least.

The following page shows the stats for the main page views:

So, apart from the home page, the main page that has been visited is the Anglian story, followed by news about the Abbott Group Employee Helpline.

So what’s the future for the Renegade Conservatory Guy?

Well, I don’t really have a master plan.  I quite enjoy blogging, and I only really know about this industry, so I don’t really have anything else to talk about.

I intend to smarten up the look of the site during May and have instructed numerous designers from across the world to compete to create a new design at http://99designs.com/contests/7040.

I’m also intending adding a subscription bit, so if you add your email address, then every time I add a post you’ll get an email update.

I’m also interested in hearing your opinion as to how I should develop this site in the long run.  If you have any views, suggestions, ideas or criticisms, please let me know by commenting below.

Thanks

RCG

Everest had previously pleaded guilty to breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, after an HSE inspector twice spotted Everest workers performing roofline refurbishments on mobile tower scaffolds without any protection to prevent falls in 2006.

The inspector took enforcement action and stopped work on both sites.

Everest was also recently fined £4,000 when a roofline installer fell from a platform he was working on.

HSE inspector Norman Macritchie said: “The level of fatal and serious injuries in refurbishment projects remains unacceptable. Each death is a tragedy for those involved and there is no room for any complacency.”

 • There have been a number of high profile casualties in the industry over the last few months.  How do you see the rest of this year panning out for the double glazing industry?

There has undoubtedly been a lot of turbulence. And I’m not sure we are out of it yet. Albeit that is not necessarily a bad thing, the over supply in this market needs a correction and it is happening. Supply and demand will always find its natural equilibrium.

• With increases in fuel and raw material costs, and a reduction in demand from consumers, which part of the supply chain is being squeezed the most?

Costs are increasing in every aspect of life and business, and aren’t letting up. I don’t think that you can be quite as general to say that one part of the market particularly is being squeezed. I am concerned for companies at all levels that show a reluctance to pass on the cost increases.

• What do you see as the medium to long term outlook for Synseal, and the industry as a whole?

The market is polarising on a daily basis. Synseal is arguably in the strongest position of all the profile suppliers. Firstly, we are profitable. Secondly, we solely supply to the UK so we can’t decide to ‘close the UK operation down and go back to where the money is easier’. And thirdly we concentrate purely on one industry, so we can’t decide to ‘go back to core’! Couple these points with our independent status and the ability to move quickly as the market moves, the medium to long term outlook for Synseal looks great – especially with the polarisation.

• Have you found that Ultraframe has become a stronger competitor for Synseal under new ownership?

There doesn’t appear to be much change.

• Do you think there will ever be 5% VAT on Energy Efficient Windows?

I believe so. The shift to green is so dramatic it has become cool! Synseal will continue with its 5 per cent VAT campaign. We believe the government will have to act upon the grounds of equality. How can the government allow a situation to continue where they allow the benefit to almost every other aspect of the property if it is thermally efficient, but not windows?

• Why have you chosen to establish a separate company for the manufacture of composite doors?

Composite doors have enormous potential in our industry.  Setting up Door-Stop allows those who work there to be 100 per cent dedicated to its customers. It also releases Synseal to concentrate purely upon its customers needs without the distraction of trying to intertwine new products with different customers.

• Do you think there are too many extruders in the UK?

Competition is healthy, we exist as a result of it. Competition creates innovation and nurtures initiative. If there are too many extruders supply and demand will ultimately remove the weak.

• And finally, do you think Nottingham Forest will be playing Huddersfield Town again next year?

How are Huddersfield going to get promoted from 12th and 1 game to go?

For more information about Synseal please visit www.synseal.co.uk.

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If you would like to put your name forward for an interview with the Renegade Conservatory Guy, please get in touch with me by commenting below.  I have a couple more top people lined up for interrogation, so please keep your eye on my blog.

Early Warning Signs for the UK Windows & Doors Market

At a time when even the most ambivalent are starting accept that a recession will hit the UK economy in 2008. A new study by industry analysts Plimsoll Publishing has looked at how the UK slow down is already impacting on Windows & Doors market.

The analysis, to be published on the 1st of May, has drawn on the very latest figures for each of the UK’s Top 1000 companies in the windows & doors market. The headline findings offer stark reading.

• Over a third of companies are already showing signs of recessionary behaviour, reporting declining sales. This is immediate evidence that the market is slowing down.
• Over half of companies have seen their margins fall. Of most concern, a third of these are currently running at a loss. The pressure on sales has forced an immediate squeeze on profitability. These companies are struggling against rising costs and declining sales.
• Over a quarter have seen an increase in their need for short term finance, a sign that costs are running ahead of cash flow. This is doubly dangerous at a time when Banks and financiers are looking hard at their loan books and therefore places these companies in an even more vulnerable position. 

As a result, as many as 1 in 6 Windows & Doors companies could disappear completely if this trend continues or deepens.

Explaining these results, David Pattison, senior analyst at Plimsoll, reports:

“We are reading every day how the credit market and the world of finance is been hit, but nonetheless I was still surprised to see just how much the Windows & Doors Market is feeling the pressure.  I hope this report is recognised as an early warning sign and managers read this and use the findings to steer a course though these tricky times.”

The analysis, is not entirely without some good news, some evidence that certain areas, particularly the small companies, with their concentration on local and domestic markets are less exposed to the slow down in the market.

I’ve got two main thoughts on this:

• Firstly, I think Plimsoll are around 6 months late with this analysis.
• Secondly, how are these statistics ‘early warning signs’.  Surely, we’re already deep within a window and door industry recession.

With bad news in the media every day about a housing price slump, credit crisis, and housebuilders struggling, then I’m afraid the sentiment of Plimsoll’s findings are correct. 

We’re all going to have to tighten our belts over the coming months.