Software and Marketing Articles
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Alex Tremlett, Insight Data’s commercial director, describes how telesales is still a vital force for generating leads and converting sales, despite all the advances in tech. It seems that with every month that passes, the power of technology more than doubles. And with the rapid rise of AI, we are seeing changes that, just a few short years ago, no-one...
Rhonda Ridge, creator of the AdminBase installer management system, starts the year as she originally started the company 30 years ago – listening to her customers and integrating a raft of new product updates as a result. 1995 was a pivotal year in the window industry’s software sector – a year in which Rhonda Ridge’s inhouse custom built CRM system...
By Andrew Scott, managing director, Purplex Marketing. Incoming governments, especially those with significant mandates, inevitably come into power on a tidal wave of optimism coupled with hope that ‘things can only get better’. Certainly, that was the message pushed by the Blair administration when it arrived in Downing Street in 1997. Fast forward to 2024, though, and the vibe from...
By Nikki Dunbar As we approach the end of the year, it’s time to start looking towards 2025 and set the wheels in motion for next year’s marketing plans. For many businesses, this means planning budgets, setting objectives, and potentially looking to appoint a marketing agency to help achieve objectives and goals. But with so many options out there, from...
Keystone market research’s director, Charlotte Hawkes, outlines the current PVC-U landscape and discusses how businesses can stay focused on where the greatest opportunities can be found. In today's evolving PVC-U fenestration industry, understanding which market segments to focus on is crucial for businesses looking to drive growth. With economic pressures, shifting consumer behaviours, and changing government policies, the landscape is...
Alex Tremlett, Insight Data’s commercial director, discusses the challenges for fenestration firms in 2025 and shares six strategies for success. 2025 promises to be a challenging year for businesses of all shapes and sizes, not least because of the UK government’s most recent Budget, and in particular changes to employer National Insurance contributions. True, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)...
Andrew Scott, MD of Purplex Marketing, highlights how a strategic marketing plan can generate success for fenestration businesses in 2025. This year has been a special one for my company, Purplex, as we have been celebrating the 20th year of its founding. Back in 2004 I began in adverse circumstances – I had little more than an old car, a...
As we near the end of what has been a challenging 2024, all eyes are on the future. In the latest Autumn edition of the Keystone Market Research Consumer Fenestration Trends report, homeowners have been asked to share their spending plans for the coming year. In this article, Charlotte Hawkes, director at Keystone, takes a closer look at the findings...
We talk to Jayne Griffiths, director of secondary glazing specialist, Storm Windows, about the advantages of EndtoEnd’s Integrate quotation software. GT: Tell us more about Storm Windows. Jayne Griffiths (JG): We're a family-run company, with 20 years’ experience specialising in the manufacture and installation of handcrafted bespoke secondary glazing. We’re proudly based in the Midlands, and we work with listed,...
Nominated for a G24 Award in the ‘Unsung Hero’ category, Business Pilot’s support co-ordinator, Katie Harris, explains what she loves most about her job, and how she can make tech appear easy. I am a people person first and foremost. So, when the position came up at Business Pilot for a support co-ordinator I jumped at the chance. I worked...
Why bespoke software solutions could soon be a thing of the past By Nick Bailey, head of sales, BM Group. Over the past two or three decades, fabricators have increasingly come to rely on highly customised or even bespoke software solutions from Business Micros. Our in-house programmers have become experts at adapting manufacturing and pricing modules in our processing software...
Rhonda Ridge of Ab Initio looks at the need for installation businesses to up the ante with their customer service and explains how the right software can help them to do this effectively. At the time of writing, Customer Service Week is shining a light on the challenges and successes related to customer care. Expectations in this area have never...
By Nikki Dunbar, founder, Nix Collective. With just seven months until the FiT Show returns, exhibitors should already be well down the familiar path of stand planning and all the design and campaign work that this entails. However, when it comes to exhibitions, it’s incredibly tricky to measure return on investment – so what truly defines a successful exhibition? Understand...
In a first for the industry, the newly released uPVC Fenestration Market Statistics Report from Keystone Market Research has been able to offer crucial insights into how the market's top-level volume demand has evolved over the past few turbulent years. Charlotte Hawkes, the company’s director, discusses how by accurately quantifying the impacts of the pandemic, the report sheds light on...
Alex Tremlett, commercial director at Insight Data, highlights the importance of using reliable marketing data in today’s competitive landscape. One of the principal reasons that companies choose to work with marketing agencies is for access to ‘contacts’. As we know, the lifeblood of any business is reaching potential customers, and very often it is a case of ‘who you know’,...
In the marketing trade, being specialist brings huge advantages. Andrew Scott, MD of full-service agency Purplex, explains how deep industry expertise and offering tailored campaigns outperforms generalist approaches in the fenestration sector. As MD of a specialist marketing company I always feel sadness when a client tells me that they've decided to leave us because "we've found someone more local."...
By Mike Rigby, managing director of WindowBase. Looking out for, and responding to, market trends marks out successful businesses. Early movers with a competitive edge take advantage of new opportunities, often with higher profits. This can be seen in one of the biggest trends in the last 25 years – the move to aluminium residential windows and doors. Aluminium was...
MD and founder of leading full service agency, Purplex Marketing, highlights a modern marketing trend which effectively allows businesses to target new customers. A ‘portmanteau word’ is the technical term for describing two words that are blended to make one. We’ve all heard about ‘glamping’, ‘brunch’, ‘Brexit’, and ‘staycation’, for example, and it seems that a new one is invented...
By Nikki Dunbar, founder, Nix Collective. Businesses are increasingly turning to AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline content creation. While these technologies offer advantages in terms of time and efficiency, they come with a significant risk: diluting and potentially eroding a brand’s authenticity and tone of voice, something which is built on genuine connections with customers. People are naturally drawn...
Despite smart home technology sparking significant industry interest, homeowners consistently rank it as a low priority. For the latest consumer trends report from Keystone Market Research, director, Charlotte Hawkes, sought to find out why. Open any fenestration industry magazine and it won’t take long before you see the words ‘smart home technology’. Touted as the next big thing, you’ve probably...