13 minute read
Which Door?
UNLOCKING LOCKDOWN
During Lockdown #1, Apeer did spectacularly well with consumer response to its stylish videos. Then it was speculative; now it’s a known quantity and the Irish doormaker is turning up the gas.
On May 23rd 2020 the UK shut up shop. Window and door factories – amongst many other industries - simply pulled the shutters down, almost in anticipation of the advice to close. It was as if the industry was ready for a collective holiday; we were all in the same boat, so suck it up and make the most of it.
The rug was also pulled on marketing by most companies; whilst the furlough system was a life saver for most, cash had to be preserved…and they couldn’t deliver or install anything anyway. Hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. Asa McGillian, MD of composite door maker Apeer, decided not only to keep his consumer marketing in place as planned, but actually to increase it. But rather than making that decision based upon reams of extensive research data, he was largely following his instincts: “We were revising all of our marketing,” said Asa, “and whilst we kept our marketing department open, we were slowed down with everyone working remotely. But,” he added, “we had completed some beautiful new ‘lifestyle’ videos to be distributed through social media such as YouTube and Facebook. And whilst I would love to be able to say that we knew everyone would be glued to their laptops and iPads and smartphones throughout lockdown, we had no idea just how much so. We happened to have these beautiful videos ready, so we rolled them out as planned.” The Apeer boss is being modest to a degree: the production of seven brand new videos for Apeer doors in addition to three more for the sister window brand lumi, was driven by response to a dramatic ‘rock’ style video the firm had made and distributed for its Silka aluminium lookalike composite door: “Even before the lockdown our research showed that video produced 66% more qualified sales leads, whilst increasing purchases by 144%,” recalled Asa. We now know that homeowners, spending an extraordinary time with their families at home, decided to embark on an impressive drive to improve their homes, with the result that the window and door industry returned to unprecedented levels of enquiries and indeed sales when restrictions ended. Weekly leads generated through Apeer’s Doorbuilder online design facility, were consistently higher compared to prelockdown levels.
“We had pushed out those seven videos at the start of lockdown and we wanted to promote them as much as possible, without being in peoples’ faces at the beginning when fear and panic about being infected and job security and finances were the most important things on peoples’ minds. But as time went on, we could see people starting to relax and doing research for doors and windows. And curiously we’ve found more of a male audience clicking through on our Lumi advertising where before it was predominantly female – perhaps because there are more bored males on furlough?” quipped Asa. Inspired by the success of the videos during March, April and May Apeer invested heavily in promotion during the autumn, to climb to a heady 300,000 plus viewings from a not-too-shabby 160,000 during May. And with that experience in mind, Apeer is further stepping up its onslaught: “As we enter 2021 we are spending even more on promotion for our videos, with lead-generation for our installer partners throughout the UK and Ireland our absolute priority,” confirmed Asa. “So we are now ideally placed to even step up our efforts, as once again we are all staring at our four walls. As despite the latest restrictions being endured rather than enjoyed, there are signs that homeowners are still committed to improving their homes. And this time we are more than ready for them.”
Asa McGillian, Managing Director, Apeer
What’s behind these doors is amazing
PERSONALISED COVID-19 INSTALLATION POLICIES ARE A SUCCESS, SAYS ENDURANCE
Over 100 personalised COVID-19 installation policies have been produced by Endurance Doors for their nationwide network of Installer Partners, while the remainder have benefitted from the generic version that was distributed back in April last year.
Much was done last year by the solid and secure composite door pioneer to support Installer Partners through the unprecedented pandemic and both effective communication and the provision of dedicated marketing tools, did much to support and to re-assure their customers. There has also been a templated risk assessment produced, highlighting the risks and remedial actions that each installation business should consider when carrying out a door installation in the current climate.
This important document not only provides guidelines at the point of fitting, but is a handy publication that can be given to consumers for complete reassurance and peace of mind, that all precautions and best practice will be adhered to throughout the installation process. Installer Partners have reported that it has helped cement more sales and ensured that there are no last-minute cancellations by concerned homeowners. Stephen Nadin, Managing Director of Endurance Doors commented: ‘As we remain fully operational as a business, it’s important that we continue to support our Installer Partners in every way possible. The COVID-19 installation policies have been a big success, allowing Installer Partners to add unique content, different colours and logos, prior to print. He continued: ‘While we can see a way out of this thanks to the vaccination programme, we must remain vigilant, cautious and meticulous in the way that we manage business processes from manufacture through to installation.’ For further information on the Endurance Solid and Secure composite door range please call the sales office on 01652 659259, visit https://endurancedoors.co.uk, or e-mail marketing@endurancedoors.co.uk. You can also add to the Twitter following @EnduranceDoors.
With customer care at the top end of the agenda for Endurance Doors, the pioneering solid timber core composite door manufacturer has just published a new Customer Charter and Welcome Pack.
With some of the UK’s most trusted brands such as John Lewis adopting a culture of delivering a truly wonderful customer experience, Endurance Doors have not only adopted this approach for the last few years, but have backed up their claims in print. Scott Foster, Head of Group Sales and Marketing commented: ‘These publications reflect the way in which we engage with both existing and new customers. It’s ultimately our commitment to the very highest level of customer care. He continued: ‘Both the calibre and volume of customers coming on board recently perfectly demonstrates the way in which Endurance is becoming the most trusted name in solid and secure composite doors. It also reflects the confidence we have in our product which boasts many unique technical features including the Moisture Barrier System and CoolSkin technology.’ Endurance Doors have also done much to support customers throughout the pandemic and subsequent lock-downs, including the publication of bespoke installation policies and a templated risk assessment.
For further information on the Endurance Solid and Secure composite door range please call the sales office on 01652 659259, visit https://endurancedoors.co.uk, or e-mail marketing@endurancedoors.co.uk. You can also add to the Twitter following @EnduranceDoors.
DESIGN FOR THE NEW NORMAL
With the new normal and remote selling, the industry and the way we do things has change dramatically over the last twelve months. More and more services are moving online to keep up with the changes, and companies have to adapt to this new situation to survive.
Force 8 has always had a strong digital presence and it has now been reinforced with the addition of an extensive range of glazing cassettes to their unique Door Designer. Launched in 2018, the Force 8 Door Designer is the only online design system that includes arched frames; ‘an important element missing from every other system’. Homeowners have the ability to design their own door from the comfort of their armchair and then view it digitally in their own home, whether it's a standard or arched frame.
The simple no-nonsense step-by-step design process means that both the public and trade can use it with ease. “We wanted to create something different that would set Force 8 apart, but at the same time make it simple to use”, comments Dennis Sumner, Managing Director of force 8. “Including arched frames in the system was a major element for Force 8 and fills a large gap in the door market. Since it’s launch in 2018 we have continued adding to the system as we develop new designs, and acquire additional glazing cassettes. It’s now grown to be a major benefit, and almost a necessity with customers no longer able to visit showrooms during the present restrictions, it’s an ideal solution to these strange times”. If installers want to add the system to their website, Force 8 are offering the Door Designer free of charge, just register with the company to obtain a link to their trade website. Register here: force8.uk/door-designer-registration/ For further information on all Force 8 products and service visit their website at www.force8.uk.
WHY ALUMINIUM BIFOLDS AND PATIOS ARE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF EVERY INSTALLER’S PORTFOLIO
Many homeowners are investing in home improvements and with the trend for light-filled spaces showing no sign of slowing down, aluminium bifolds and patios having never been more popular. Steve Cross, Director of specialist trade fabricator Mercury Glazing, discusses the importance of choosing the right products and the right supplier if you want to capitalise on the market opportunities.
It’s fair to say there’s a home improvement boom going on at the moment!. The statistics are astonishing – according to a survey by money.co.uk, between March and July last year, homeowners spent £55 billion on improvements – that’s an average of £4,035.70.
There are several reasons for the boom. Firstly, many homeowners are stuck at home and want to create a property that works better for them. Secondly, more than half of people (53%) said they would rather improve than move over the next year. And thirdly, they’ve got the funds to be making the improvements. The Office for National Statistics estimates that UK households spend an average of £182 per week on activities such as holidays and meals out – activities that have been in short supply in the past year, making it easier to save. The good news is that the boom looks set to continue with a recent report confirming that British households are planning to spend an average of £6,531 on transforming their homes in 2021.
When it comes to this upturn, the question for our industry is simple: how do we capitalise on it? The answer is to make sure we have the products that fit the bill for the improvements that homeowners are making. In many ways, not much has changed. Homeowners are still seeking to create more space. The drivers have changed slightly, though. The aim now is to create living spaces that enable home working. This means that garden studios are growing in popularity as well as new build extensions. For our industry, key products are aluminium bifolds and patios – doors that create inspirational spaces that make the most of natural light and bring a sophisticated edge to home life. Both options have their advantages. Bifold doors are the aspirational choice with consumers, the doors that feature in nearly every Grand Designs project you’ve ever seen and as such, they have become a staple part of most installers’ portfolios for some time. Equally patio doors are always popular and offer numerous benefits. They can have larger panes, which means fewer glazing bars interrupting the view and they take up less space than a bifold. And in the great British climate, they may actually be a more practical choice for consumers. The one thing that’s surely a given is both bifold doors and patio doors have to be aluminium. Only aluminium has the dramatic aesthetics as well as the lightweight but robust credentials that these types of door need. Most importantly they present a great upsell for the installer as often command a higher pricing point. We can see that aluminium bifold and patio doors are growing in popularity since the first lockdown by looking at our order book. We’ve witnessed a huge upturn in sales in the past year and hear from our customers how important these must-have products have become.
As a trade supplier that focuses on specialist products, our customers return to us time and again to help them keep up with demand and maximise sales.
In the first instance, we have the capacity to keep lead times to a minimum – we opened our second aluminium factory last year as part of our strategic growth plans, so we have the capacity to cope. We have the experience too – we’ve been in business for over 15 years’ and we pride ourselves on our quality and service. And of course, we have the products that homeowners want and installers need. We fabricate two aluminium systems. Smart Aluminium Systems is the UK’s leading supplier of aluminium glazing systems and Alutech is a world-leading supplier. The Smart Visofold Bifold series of doors has all the design, thermal efficiency and security benefits you would expect. Add in impressive opening apertures and low threshold options and you have a package that’s hard to beat. The Alutech Aluminium Bifolding Door has up to seven leaves each way (14 in total), comes in a wealth of options and has all the durability and reliability bifold doors need. It offers an exciting solution for timesensitive or budget-conscious projects too: there’s a short lead time and it costs from £350 per leaf, including cill. Finally, we have the Visoglide Plus Aluminium Patio Door, which offers contemporary styling, robust performance and superior thermal performance. It’s fair to say that there is a sense of unreality at the moment. Our industry is booming but there’s also concern about what the longer term looks like. It probably means you’re keen to capitalise on as many opportunities as you can at the moment. This means savvy installers need the right products from the right supplier more than ever before with the added assurance that they are working with a business that offers longevity and financial stability. And with our capacity, experience and commitment to quality, Mercury Glazing ticks all the boxes.
To find out more visit www.mercuryglazing.co.uk
