9 minute read
Website and Social Media Information
To increase your online presence, it’s crucial to link your website and social media profiles – here’s how to do it
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When it comes to online marketing, a website and social media presence go hand in hand. You need social media to build your website’s search engine optimisation and, in turn, you can use your website for a source of content to share on social media platforms. Follow this guide to find out how you can reap the benefits of adding social media links to your website.
Add some click-through buttons
Include social media buttons on every page of your website to make it easy for visitors to link to all your profiles. Buttons for the main social networks are usually included as part of your website building software, so it’s simple to pop them on. For the best results, make sure they’re positioned in a prominent spot, such as the top, bottom or side of the web page. Haven’t updated your Facebook page for a while? It’s best to leave this button out and focus on those platforms you’re using regularly.
As well as buttons that navigate to your social media channels, don’t forget to include sharing buttons that will allow visitors to post your content to their own profiles.
Show off your posts
Another way to highlight your social media presence is to showcase your posts on your website. It’s possible to embed your Twitter feed, for example, into your website to show readers what you’re tweeting about. It’s a great way to create a buzz and let visitors know instantly that you’re keeping up to date with what’s going on in the industry you are in.
Connect to your Houzz profile
It’s really simple to link your website to your Houzz profile by including a Houzz badge alongside your other social media buttons. Wix and Squarespace now enable you to easily add a Houzz badge, so you can put it on while you’re building your site. And if your website provider doesn’t have this option, that’s no problem either. Visit the Buttons and Badges page, click on your preferred Houzz badge to reveal your personalised HTML code, then copy and paste it to your website.
Simplify the process
Want to make it even easier to link your Houzz profile and website? Try the free Houzz Site Designer, which enables you to create a website quickly and simply. Create a profile first and the tool will use this information to build the website, which you can then customise whenever you like. The website you design will be automatically optimised for mobile technology, and of course a Houzz badge is included in the template.
Speak to our team
If you’d like some help setting up your profile, one of our Houzz experts can offer you a free, personalised consultation call to give you the tips and tricks you’ll need to get the most out of Houzz. Just email Houzz on ukprocommunity@houzz.com and we’d be happy to help! Or visit www.houzz.co.uk/pro to sign up for your free business profile today.
www.houzz.co.uk/pro
DELIVERING INNOVATION TO THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR – THE METEX JOURNEY
The team at Metex, renowned for its Corefix Fixing for plasterboard dot and dab walls, is often asked about the background to the company and why it develops and markets some construction industry products and not others. So we thought we'd do a little exploring to find out exactly what the company ethos is.
What became instantly obvious to The Installer team is that the company philosophy and direction stems from the two highly driven personalities, both of whom have extensive experience in the construction industry. Daniel Hopkins runs the sales and marketing aspects of the business and has over 25 years experience in a similar role, notably at Rainclear Systems and Drainex, two guttering and drainage specialists and Daniel Bamford (from the JCB Bamford family), who has a background in product design engineering, and is acclaimed for turning good ideas into practical products that increase productivity, reduce costs, improve quality and add real value when used.
Metex focuses on three main areas of the construction industry: screeds and concrete, fixings and hardware, and plumbing and
drainage. “We do not try to be a jack of all trades as this invariably results in being a master of none. Neither do we try and produce many me-too products unless we feel we can significantly benefit the end user.” Commented Daniel Hopkins, “everything we manufacture has a purpose and is usually developed in response to requests from those in the industry who want a better way of undertaking a specific task.”
So what was the trigger for Metex to launch Corefix specifically for Dot and Dab Wall? It began when construction materials evolved for interior walls and partitioning from solid block or brick internal skin with a plaster skim to time-reducing and userfriendly ‘dot and dab’ walls. All well and good, but a problem was created by the fact that it wasn’t easy to hang heavy items like kitchen or bathroom wall cupboards on ‘dot and dab’ as it was when using brick. The weakness of using the new materials lay in the fact that the cavity between the outer plasterboard finish and the solid wall behind created a weak point where there is nothing but the plasterboard to support the weight. We listened to feedback and the frustrations vented from construction Daniel Bamford workers when using the new ‘dot and dab’ materials and realised there may be an opportunity, so we got to grips with the issue and came up with a really simple idea of using a steel sleeve inside the fixing to bridge the gap and transfer the load to the solid wall. It’s a quick, competitive (patented) answer to a problem many faced that requires no special tools or skills.”
One of the Metex goals is to manufacture products that are very ‘user and time friendly’ see below how easy Corefix is to install
Daniel Bamford takes up the story, “We listened to feedback and the frustrations vented from construction workers when using the new ‘dot and dab’ materials and realised there may be an opportunity, so we got to grips with the issue and came up with a really simple idea of using a steel sleeve inside the fixing to bridge the gap and transfer the load to the solid wall. It’s a quick, competitive (patented) answer to a problem many faced that requires no special tools or skills.”
Bamford added, “Sometimes it is hard to spot how much development we put into our products, take a dapple bar, it’s hardly the most technologically advanced piece of kit on a building site; however, if you are using it for hours every day, even the smallest improvement becomes noticeable. A good example of this is the fact that we powder coat our dapple bars so they are easy to clean, thus saving time and labour. We also conducted extensive practical research when designing the 38mm bottom bar so that it creates the correct ‘wave’ on site, ensuring an ideal surface finish. We even made the handle removable on the 3 metre bar as many tradesmen were asking how they would stow it in their van.”
So innovation clearly seems to be at the heart of Metex. Hopkins and Bamford used their background in drainage and engineering to develop a “fiendishly simple product” that can easily be incorporated into the drainage system of most properties that prevents rats using the pipes as a means of entry to the dwelling. Called ‘Ratwall’, it is a simple stainless steel flap mounted to an external hinge that lets water flow one way but creates a barrier that stops rats going the other. The company’s 3D design process and insistence that it tests prototypes in live situations for every product it manufactures meant that the directors were confident this innovative rat barrier would work when it was eventually launched to the market.
The majority of Metex products are manufactured in the UK which means the company is less affected by currency rates and any possible Brexit conclusions! More importantly being British enables the company to produce innovative products that make a real difference in the construction industry rather than just compete on price with products from abroad.
Final word goes to Daniel Hopkins, “We are constantly looking for new opportunities and spend a lot of time with tradesmen and other industry professionals, looking at ways (and products) that can save them time or money or overcome a particular niggling issue. We are always willing to listen to new ideas that can bring widespread benefits. We have enjoyed our journey so far and we are proud of the fact that though we believe our products are competitively priced, they deliver tangible user benefits.
Call us free on 0800 130 3646 if you require any further information or have a product idea you would like to discuss.
www.corefixed.com
GIRA LAUNCHES DEDICATED UK FACEBOOK PAGE
Gira, one of the world’s leading full-range suppliers of intelligent system solutions for building management, has announced the launch of its dedicated Facebook page for the UK: @Gira.MadeInGermany
As a strategic part of its ongoing investment and commitment in the UK, Gira has made huge inroads with its most recent digital optimisation. Encouraging both brand and business to communicate directly with the end user, Gira is committed to financial investment throughout 2018 with dedicated UK offices, personnel in sales, service and marketing, along with increased overall branding top priority. The company is also targeting KBB installers and retailer as a key part of its development programme.
Mark Booth, UK Sales Director at Gira, comments “We have big plans for 2018, and the launch of our dedicated UK Facebook page is just one element of our planned overall marketing effort, having already invested considerably in UK advertising and public relations support.”
He continues, “Statistics tell us that 49% of users like a Facebook page to show support for a brand they like. With new businesses committing to Gira every day, we want to ensure our digital customer experience is the best it can be. By using social media and Facebook in particular, we hope to better engage our customers with open dialogue and reactive communication.”
Mark Booth, Sales Director, Gira UK
