Clearview North October 2013 - Issue 143 | Page 43

DOORS&WINDOWS

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INTERNET expert The Consultancy has emphasised the
importance of a digital presence in the windows and doors
industry after statistics revealed that three out of four potential
customers log onto the Internet every day.
The official figures, from the Office of National Statistics, show
that daily internet use has doubled from 35% to 73% since 2006.
And a staggering 92% of 25-35-year-olds regularly buy good or
services online.
Richie Thornton, Director at The Consultancy, a specialist in
digital sales and online communications in the windows and doors
industry, is not surprised at the figures but said firms who do not
have online ordering or quoting systems are being left in the dark
ages.
He said: “The industry has come a long way since the 80’s and 90’s
when you got the traditional salesman turn up with a briefcase and
a mountain of brochures and take hours going through the whole
process.
“Customers are a lot more educated these days and have the ability
to research companies and communicate with others at the click
of a button, particularly price checking a lot more, especially in
the current climate. They can also visit social media sites and learn
about a company’s reputation, good or bad.”
The digital revolution has not been confined to the younger
generation either. Statistics show that daily internet usage by the
over 65s has jumped massively over the past seven years. In 2006
just over 9% reported using the internet every day compared with
today’s figure of 37%.
Richie believes that it will become the norm for customers to
have chosen their products before they make any contact with the
companies. Systems will become fully automated from the point
of sale, through the invoicing process to the manufacturing and
delivery. He continues: “The glazing and door industry was never
traditionally at the forefront of the digital revolution but thankfully
the majority now know that to compete they must have a good
online presence. That does not necessarily have to be an expensive
high-end website, there are plenty of lower cost solutions. For
example, we offer packages through www.theglazingvault.co.uk
which start at under £800.”
For more information, visit www.theconsultancy.co.uk or
call [phone].

To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com

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OCT 2013

43