Retail: Page 134

Sell Them the Right Filter

The pros and cons of the main types of pool filters — sand, diatomaceous earth (D.E.), and cartridge.

Sand filters, while often preferred for pools with high dirt loads, take up more space on a typical equipment pad and are less hydraulically efficient than other types of filters. This job uses both a sand filter (for the pool) and a cartridge filter (for laminar-style water features). (photos courtesy Rick Chafey | Red Rock Pools)

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iGarden Debuts in Europe: Redefining Outdoor Living at IFA 2025

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iGarden Debuts in Europe: Redefining Outdoor Living at IFA 2025

Website Critique: Sonoma Valley Pool and Spa

When Sonoma Valley Pool & Spa re-vamped its website, which went live in early 2010, Jolie Rozema, who co-owns the business with her husband, Saul Rozema, says, ...

Creating A Great Web Site With Great SEO

Here's a stat to chew on: The average attention span on the Internet is between four and 10 seconds. "It's really frightening," says Jon Gelberg, chief content officer at Blue Fountain Media in New York, N.Y. "When people come to your home page, if they don't immediately get what makes you better than the competition, they're gone and they'll go to the back button, and they'll be at your competitor's site in 10 seconds."www.bbpoolandspa.comwww.sierratimberline.comwww.sonomavalleypool.comwww.familypoolsandspas.com

Smaller Pools Selling In The Sunshine State

Sun Fiberglass Products has two manufacturing plants: one in Kentucky and one in Florida. At one time, a lot of the pools that rolled off the line from the Brookfield, Fla., facility stayed close to home.

Website Critique: Sierra Timberline

Sierra Timberline in Grass Valley, Calif., offers portable spas as well as outdoor living items like patio furniture and firepits. The retailer hasn't done a major revamp of its ...

Website Critique: B & B Pool and Spa

Bruce Bagin, president of B & B Pools & Spas, in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y., says his marketing firm, Marketing Works Now, has a lot to do with the recently redesigned ...

Making Pool Cover Estimates? There's An App For That

Beginning this summer, LOOP-LOC dealers will be able to order products, check estimates and even submit pool measurements for safety covers directly from any mobile device at their jobsite.

Time To Raise Prices?

Recently I noticed a news item that mentioned “unexpected” mid-season price increases coming down the pike at those of us in the industry who buy products for our pool and spa building, retail or service businesses. It seems lately every few weeks we see in the news “unexpected,” somewhat alarming economic news, and all of it seems to be negative. Unexpected — by whom? Sadly, this is not “unexpected” by anyone who did business during 1977-1981. These were the years the concept of “stagflation” first turned Keynesian economics, the accepted economic theory many of our professors told us was gospel in college, on its ear. Inflation and a stagnant economy was, according to this theory, not supposed to happen at the same time — but it did. Many of us old folks remember that we could not raise our prices fast enough to keep up with the constant increases in price we were barraged with by suppliers, the gas lines were long, and the “misery index” was high. Yes, boys and girls, not only high gas prices, but lines to get it. It was difficult to keep ahead of it. Unfortunately, the handwriting is on the wall and I am seeing deja vie all over again with this “unexpected” little bit of news that flew by almost unnoticed in our industry. Many of you do not remember the “bad old days” of stagflation and may not realize what is coming at you so “unexpectedly,” but this time, maybe we can get ahead of the curve with some industry-wide “proactive” pricing. Since business has been and still is somewhat stagnant in many parts of the country, the temptation is to cut prices to gain more business. However, this can be exactly the wrong strategy in a stagflation economy. One of the most useful seminars we ever attended proved to us mathematically how destructive price-cutting could be and how much increase in volume one had to make up to even break even. The details of the math, never my strong suit, are lost to me in the mists of time, but the lesson left an indelible impression. I remember my husband and I went back to our business and raised prices, and it saved us back then. Bill Markert, a long-time icon in the industry, and a friend of his developed the “lumberteria” concept of marketing and held this seminar, and I will always be grateful for their wise advice. I am seeing the time coming upon us EXPECTEDLY to raise prices now! Higher gas prices, increased regulations heaped upon the big folks we buy from, higher health care costs coming down the road at us, and the general uncertainty of cost of doing business ALL scream inflation and stagnation loud and clear, to me. Be aware, and price proactively. It’s later than you think!

New Winter Pool Cover Comes Without Straps

Evosus Honored For Rapid Growth

Evosus has been recognized for the second time by the Portland Business Journal as one of the region’s top 100 fastest-growing private companies. Evosus attributes its success ...

How To Accurately Measure And Fit A Pool Cover

In the past decade, the pool builder's art has been lifted to new heights, as more projects have come to include fancy rockwork, waterfalls, vanishing edges, free-form shapes, ...

Improving Your SEO: A Search Engine Ranking Factors Guide

The most beautiful, well designed pool and spa websites don't do businesses much good if search engines are not finding them. Here's how to improve your SEO.

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