Commission charged to tradesperson on completed jobs . Customers are individuals or SMEs .
* Estimated
Belgium Austria Netherlands
42 | JANUARY 2021
Business
ONLINE PRESENCE IS ESSENTIAL
Lauren Edwards , Digital Marketing Coordinator , the Glazerite UK Group Ltd
If there ’ s one thing 2020 has taught us , it ’ s that having an online presence via a website and social media channels is essential . While the first lockdown kept the vast majority of us homebound , internet usage went up , with UK adults spending around four hours a day online on average .
In an increasingly digital world , consumers still ask around for recommendations for installers , only nowadays they ’ ll do it using Facebook . If you ’ ve built up a good local reputation , you ’ ll find your customers will do your marketing for you by referencing your business and linking to your Facebook page or website , which means prospective customers are literally just a click away .
Keep your customer on that journey by ensuring your social media channels and website are dynamic , active and up to date with your contact information and strong visuals of your installations so they can get a real flavour of your work . Make your website easy to navigate , add a clear call to action and keep your branding and tone of voice consistent .
Platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram Reels took the world by storm in 2020 , which goes to show how much moving imagery can capture people ’ s attention . Think about how you can bring projects or your business to life , whether that ’ s intro videos of your team , a time lapse of an install or a virtual trip around your showroom ; anything that will capture customers ’ attention , and which they may go on and share on their own social media accounts .
Finally , make sure your website is mobile friendly – given 84 % of UK adults own a smartphone , this shouldn ’ t be a nice to have , it ’ s a must have for 2021 .
Being digitally-savvy is important but if you prefer to focus on your installs , tap into the marketing services your fabricator or supplier can offer . At Glazerite , 2021 is the year we up the ante for our installers . From digital brochures to the launch of a new installer-branded website and a social media toolkit , we ’ ll be adding value where it matters most .
www . glazerite . co . uk
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
Lead software developer celebrates decade of service
Sean Payne , lead software developer at specialist data supplier Insight Data , is celebrating 10 years with the award-winning firm .
Joining straight from University with a degree in web and software , Sean helped on several projects before working on Salestracker , the world ’ s first fully
integrated sales and marketing platform . And since then he has seen the software , and Insight Data itself , grow at a rapid rate .
Sean said : “ In many ways , it ’ s mirrored the rise of Insight Data . When I started , we had four researchers , one developer , a research manager and one person doing management and marketing .
“ Now there are around 80 of us , and we have a team of researchers , a sales team and marketing professionals all working from our dedicated research call centre and software development HQ near Bristol .”
Designed exclusively for the building and fenestration industry , Salestracker combines real-time prospect data with a powerful online portal with full CRM , map integration and credit profiling . And Sean and the team are already working on the next version .
www . insightdata . co . uk
Kingfisher plc acquires NeedHelp services marketplace
Kingfisher plc , the international home improvement retailer , has acquired NeedHelp , one of Europe ’ s leading home improvement services marketplaces , for a total cash consideration of c .€ 10 million . NeedHelp ( www . needhelp . com ) is an innovative ‘ business to business consumer ’ online platform that connects customers who need home improvement help , either in-store or online , with vetted professional tradespeople and other skilled experts . The acquisition represents an important step forward for one of Kingfisher ’ s key priorities under its recently announced ‘ Powered by Kingfisher ’ strategy : to build a mobile-first and service-orientated customer experience .
JJ Van Oosten , Kingfisher ’ s Chief Customer and Digital Officer , who has been appointed as NeedHelp ’ s Chairman , commented : “ NeedHelp ’ s success has been built by delivering ease and assurance to customers who want to improve their homes , and the tradespeople with the skills to support them . Kingfisher is committed to supporting NeedHelp in unlocking its significant growth potential , by promoting and growing NeedHelp ’ s open
Kingfisher acquires NeedHelp services marketplace
NeedHelp is an innovative online platform that connects customers who need home improvement help with vetted professional tradespeople and other skilled experts . The platform is available either in-store or online .
The acquisition represents a key step forward in one of the Powered by Kingfisher ’ s key strategic priorities : to build a mobile-first and service-orientated customer experience .
NeedHelp will continue to operate as an independent company and will seek to offer its installation capabilities to retail customers across the European home improvement sector , through its open architecture model .
The model
Sellers
Provide trade services
Most popular jobs
Key facts
Operator
Manages payments and sellers
Marketplace
Kitchen installation
Painting
Flooring
www . needhelp . com
Customers
Buy services from marketplace
Bathroom renovation
Walls / partition
Plumbing
Electrics
NeedHelp was founded in France in 2014 by Guillaume de Kergariou , who will continue as CEO to lead the team and grow the business .
Retail
partners :
12
Stores
signed up :
650
architecture with its existing retail partners , as well as with new retail partners across Europe .”
www . kingfisher . com
How does it work ?
Tradesperson vetting process Other key benefits 1 2 3 4 5
www . kingfisher . com
Customer
Tradesperson
Check ID , certifications , insurance , VAT number etc .
Test new tradesperson on simple missions .
Monitor response times , claims ratios , average ratings to find the best .
Verify the tasks they have experience of .
Describe and post your job
Search for jobs
Endorse the very best to work with retail partners .
Through its open architecture , NeedHelp already provides its services to customers of other well-known retailers .
Completed jobs in 2020 *:
58,000
Up from 29,000 in 2019
Current operating countries :
6
France Switzerland Germany
Choose a Tradesperson based on price and rating
Bid for jobs
Pay when the work is finished and rate them
Complete jobs and get paid
The platform provides customers with convenience , speed and competitive pricing for getting their home improvement projects done with the help of a tradesperson .
One platform for customers to find a tradesperson for all of their home improvement needs .
End-to-end platform manages bookings , payments and disputes , giving confidence for customers .
Added value to tradespeople : insurance , business set-up and tax return support .
Existing Kingfisher partnerships :
Planned expansion into the UK and Poland in 2021 :