Over the last few years, showrooms within the window and door industry have steadily been on the rise and while a quality showroom can be a useful selling tool, The Consultancy is warning that this must be backed by a strong online presence.
The digital specialist has worked within the industry for more than 10 years and is currently running its #InvestOnline campaign, encouraging companies to ‘reap the benefits of the digital age and begin generating leads online’.
Richie Thornton, director of The Consultancy, said: “You should consider your website as a cloud-based version of your showroom. If your customers can’t physically visit you, this is the first place they will go.
“Just the same as a material showroom, you also have to figure out how to get people through the door. Factors such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), social media, advertising and news articles all work to get potential customers clicking through to your website.”
Unlike your physical showroom however, The Consultancy says that there are many different ways to access your online product collection.
Richie added: “Online you have to prepare for all types of customer and their browsing habits. They may access your site through mobile, tablet or desktop and you have to ensure your website is responsive to all.
“Around 31% of the population now access websites through their mobile phones. If you don’t cater for them, that’s almost like closing your showroom to a third of your customers.”
The Consultancy launched its #InvestOnline campaign after figures revealed that out of an estimated 12,500 window and door specialists in the UK, only 23% are generating leads online.
Richie added: “Its crucial for any business wanting to grow to make sure they also grow online. There’s no point expanding if you’re website looks like its from the dark ages.
“A website should never be static and should be a constantly evolving marketing tool for your business. We offer a lot of different bespoke packages through The Consultancy and also offer low-cost quality solutions through The Glazing Vault (www.glazingvault.com.)”
To join the campaign tweet #InvestOnline or visit www.theconsultancy.co.uk
