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The Internet has the potential to generate low-cost sales leads says industry marketing consultancy In Your Face, which has launched two new lead generating schemes for installers. Both use the Internet - an area that few installation companies have tapped into. This was another reason why the audience at the recent launch event in Shrewsbury were all ears.

In Your Face is making a splash in the industry. It is headed up by Tony Randall, whose marketing successes include Heritage Glass and the Heritage Garage Door network.

Volumes in the replacement market remain depressed. New marketing initiatives can restore lost revenues to your business, the audience were told.

Conservatory super-site

The first initiative of the day was an invitation to join a new website operation selling conservatories manufactured by Affordable Windows Group (AWG). Eddie Gaughan, Managing Director of Affordable, outlined his plan for www.affordablewindows.co.uk: a high end product sold through the definitive conservatory website that comes in top of the list with search engines like Google and Yahoo.

This will be achieved by giving installation companies their individual website within the Affordable site, thereby building a huge network of conservatory installers all over the UK. Technical advice and buying tips are to be offered on the site too.

Companies joining up to this scheme were told that they must make an investment of 拢500 per month, which AWG will match.

The Federation

The second invitation was to buy the rights to leads by postcode from a collection of websites termed 鈥楾he Federation':

www.glazingfederation.com

Advertise the website in the local press and the sales leads will come to you. It鈥檚 as simple as that.

www.conservatoryfederation.com

www.rooflinefederation.com

This is an exercise in 鈥榙isguised marketing', says Tony Randall. Installation companies buy the right to advertise the website locally for an annual fee of 拢399 plus VAT.

Advertise the bold direct adverts in the local press and sales leads will come to you. It's as simple as that, installers were told.

Pros and cons

In Your Face reports a fantastic reaction to the launch event, with many installers signed up. On the day, a few installers didn't seem keen about the Affordable website. Joining a network is clearly not everyone's cup of tea, despite the investment pledge from AWG to drive the whole thing along.

The Federation is a simpler proposition, and the reaction was quick: Many installers seemed keen to get a piece of a website initiative that uses the Internet in a very simple but direct way: so that homeowners visit the website at their leisure and email their details straight to the local installer.

Glassex

The next push for the website initiatives from In Your Face Marketing will come at Glassex. The company can be found on stand C057 along with the Affordable Windows Group.