West Coast Vinyl

Low E Windows And Argon

2009-10-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to insulate your window at home. The benefits is to save on your energy bill. One of the cheapest way that West Coast Vinyl offers to a homeowner on a budget is to coat your windows with "low-emissivity" and fill your double pane with argon gas.

Energy efficient Low-E ("Low-emissivity") coated glass can make a dramatic difference in energy savings and comfort. Typically, Low-E coated double-paned glass is filled with harmless Argon gas to increase energy efficiency and decrease heat conductivity.
Argon gas is non toxic, clear less, odorless. Due to its thickness, being heavier than air, it greatly reduces the transference of heat and cold through glass window pane.

- Cooler in Summer. The total solar energy transmitted through Low-E glass is almost 50% less than standard insulating glass.

- Transmits Visible Light. About 88% of visible light transmitted through this glass allows the exterior appearance to be similar to clear glass while providing glare control in bright, sunny climates.

- Reduces Ultraviolet Energy. Low-E glass helps protect interior furnishings, fabrics and carpets from fading.

- Warmer in Winter. The insulating value reduces heat loss and heating costs in cold winter climates.

Mobile User Discovers Local Services Needed

2009-10-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

There are some new mobile startups that are blazing a trail in the mobile local search. In a nutshell, these represent a move from local search as we know it online to mobility and automatic discovery of nearby events.

In Copenhagen, Denmark a company call “mobilepeople” their mobile apps is progressively evolving into what is call “mobile discovery 2.0″. This trend is consistent with many of the principles seen from last month data — building search products that better utilize the realities of the device, such as portability, location awareness, time of day, and size (i.e., minimal finger tapping).

Puddle

Mobilepeople discovers content based on user-defined preferences. These preferences are set when users create customized “puddles” — personalized search modules that automatically find results when opened.

A puddle created for restaurants could, for example, include places that have takeout and specialize in dim sum, Mexican, or Thai, but not Italian. Another example in the home improvement industry is energy efficient window. The module may show West Coast Vinyl windows, Cardinal glass, argon gas or Krypton gas. Puddles can be stored, shared, social networked, and accessed wherever (or whenever) a user happens to be.

“The idea is to get off a plane and discover products and services based on the customized needs of that specific user,” according to Mobilepeople. “We want to get to a point where consumers open the application and what personalized puddle will discover for them.”

Vertical Challenges

For publishers, mobilepeople will likewise allow them to customize puddles based on the nature of their content.

Holiday or event puddles, for example, can be active for a specific period of time. This is an area where many local media companies are poking around to find incremental distribution for their content, and to get it in front of the right mobile users.

This also represents a departure from traditional local search in branching out beyond just listings, reviews, google search box, and yellow pages. The company is positioning this as a source of mobile distribution for any source of local or vertical content.

“The idea is to pull from multiple vantage points — yellow pages, newspapers, magazines, TV,” Mobilepeople said. “These all have content that is related to you within a 15- to 20-mile radius.”

This comes with a holistic strategy to be more of a one-stop shop that appeals to users throughout their day. It’s a monster data challenge, but can be tackled with local content sources — something that mobilepeople has a proven ability to do.

Advertisers

The last, to this piece of puzzle is the advertisers. This is tied to users (traffic), and to publishers (content and ad sales channels). Once these are in place, the discovery format can be attractive and accessible to mobile marketers.

Mobile engagement has been shown to have favorable ad performance over online. This next evolution of mobile local should have a better ad performance, based on the granular targeting that these products will allow.

Going past the most important location and contextual targeting, additional factors will come to define mobile local advertising.

Low Cost Energy Efficient Window Film

2009-09-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking of investing in energy efficient window but are not ready to fork up the money. West Coast Vinyl offers advices on alternative way to make your window energy efficient at a low cost. Solution is with energy window film possibly more bang for the buck.

Energy window film can cut your heating and air conditioning bills by up to 18% without darkening the room. Very affordable and easy to install – you don’t have to hire anyone to make expensive renovation. This energy-efficient film applies to smooth glass fast and easy – without adhesives. Just peel it off and stick it on!

Keep out cold winter winds and hot summer sun!
Energy saving window film works to keep your home comfy and your utility bills low by blocking out sun and preventing heat or cool air loss. According to the US Department of Energy, more than $30 billion of energy is lost through single pane windows every year. Energy window film is an easy, inexpensive way to make homes more energy efficient.

We at West Coast Vinyl want you to make your home energy efficient, and we’re here to help.

Easy Mobile Search

2009-09-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Mobile apps are changing the way we search for information on our mobile device, search will get away from the traditional query search box. The benefits of mobile apps is the easy way of getting information at your fingertip. This may be the wave of the future in search for mobile users. We are getting away from typing into the query box, which makes sense when you’re dealing with the size of the mobile device.

Desktop users have space to work with and are not on the go. So they can use the key board, or to move the mouse around and click on the information. For mobile users, they need information quickly and efficiently. Doesn’t make sense to go to Google and type into the query for the nearest local window general contractor.

With a smartphone iPhone, Google Androids, Blackberries 3G all you have to do is tap open an app to find the nearest energy efficient window contractor. Opening the app shows West Coast Vinyl. Tap one more time to give them a call. Or if you need to see where West Coast Vinyl is located, the map working with geo location or GPS enabled will show you its location.

For mobile users its about easy cool ways (direct) with a tap of the finger or swipe to get your information on the go. For us local businesses be sure to have a mobi site or a regular site optimized to load quickly for desktop and mobile users. Also submit your business info to Google, Yahoo, USCities local.

Energy Efficient Window Mobile Apps

2009-09-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

Considering replacing your old windows for energy efficient windows? Want to get advice from West Coast Vinyl experts and browse project videos and photos to gather information on energy efficient windows for your next home improvement project? Maybe, you're looking for our window starter package and home improvement energy efficient consultative advices for the Do-it-Yourself? West Coast Vinyl Home Improvement iPhone Application can help you!

Over the past 20 years, we have helped thousands of home owners save money on their energy efficient window investment. Each home has reduced their gas bill by 40%. Even if you haven't invested yet, but are thinking about upgrading those old aluminum windows, West Coast Vinyl iPhone Application offers information on alternative ways to reduce loss of heat through your current window.

West Coast Vinyl iPhone Apps Features:

- Browse hundreds of custom made photos of West Coast Vinyl energy efficient windows to gather ideas for your next project or share your energy windows style.
- Read helpful tips and tricks on caring your windows, and ways to improve on reducing heat loss.

This is just some of the few features in this iPhone apps that we are working on to make your life comfortable when making a decision to improve your energy efficient home.

Mobile Speech For Local Search

2009-09-20T00:21:00.000-07:00

Mobile speech is being tested right now, though is not perfect yet. The application will be a big hit for mobile users, because of its convenient delivery. In layman's term means makes it easier to search.

So if you were searching for us, West Coast Vinyl but didn't know that we existed. You however knew that you were looking for energy efficient window. You would speak into the mobile phone and the screen would give you the information on where we are located and a button for you to tap to make the call.

Is that cool or what? With these techie toys it is about sleek coolness. So the application to search for a restaurant or the nearest gas station is just a speech and a tap, takes you there on the screen. Easy usability for mobile users!

Measuring Energy Efficient Windows

2009-09-13T20:56:00.001-07:00

When you’re ready to invest in energy efficient windows, it’s always smart to look for the Energy Star label. The information on each window’s NFRC label allows you to look deeper to find the best match for your particular needs.

Thousands of window, door and component manufacturers belong to the National Fenestration Ratings Council their submission are rated for energy efficiency. West Coast Vinyl windows all have the NFRC label. The NFRC’s distinctive label on each of its members’ windows rates several categories – different features can be more important in your particular situation, but in general all the ratings measure how well the window keeps the inside in and the outside out.

Here is the breakdown of what the sticker mean.

The U-Rating measures how well the window keeps heat from escaping – an especially big issue in the winter when you want to keep that expensive heat indoors. The lower the number (on a range between 0.20 and 1.20), the less heat escapes.

The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient measures how much heat the window lets in with the light – particularly of interest in those southwest-facing windows, perhaps. When you want to keep the A/C bills low, look for windows with a low solar heat gain coefficient.

Visible Transmittance measures (on a scale of 0-1) how much light the window allows to pass through; the higher the number, the more light is transmitted.

Air Leakage looks at one of the biggest culprits in a home’s unwanted gains and losses of heat: flow of air through less-than-perfect seals and other joints on the windows. The lower a window’s AL number, the less air it lets through.

West Coast Vinyl Energy Efficient Windows

2009-09-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

West Coast Vinyl manufactures and installs quality energy efficient windows for homeowners in the Pacific Northwest. West Coast Vinyl utilizes quality 3rd generation low-e coated Cardinal glass. Usually are dual pane with argon gas filled in between the pane. This is held in foam filled frame. This makes it one of the most insulated window in the window market.

West Coast Vinyl can tailor the size and frame types to choose that match the house. West Coast windows are in standard with the Obama Stimulus program to help homeowners get a tax credit up to $1500. When you choose West Coast Vinyl windows, its a lifetime commitment. West Coast windows are that good, we don't want you to keep spending on our energy efficient window 10 years from now.

West Coast Vinyl iPhone Temperature Detector App

2009-09-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on West Coast Vinyl iPhone app that can detect hot and cold air leaks along with area temperature in your home. Though we still have a long ways to get this completed, its getting there. Common air leakage sites are:

* Plumbing penetrations through insulated floors and ceilings
* Chimney penetrations through insulated ceilings and exterior walls
* Fireplace
* Attic access hatches
* Recessed lights and fans in insulated ceilings
* Wiring penetrations through insulated floors, ceilings, and walls
* Electrical outlets and switches, especially on exterior walls
* Window, door, and baseboard moldings
* Dropped ceilings above bathtubs and cabinets

If you can't quite pinpoint that draft in your living room, the West Coast Vinyl iPhone App Thermal Leak Detector may be the app for you. The heat detector picks up where our wind sensing start to fail by determining where temperature changes in the room are located, pinpointing them with the layar view (utilizing augmented reality technology) . You may have known before that the cold air was coming from that side of the room, now you can pin-point the source down to the corner of the window and take care of the leak. Start busting cold air out of your home now.

Ranking Factors In Local Search

2009-09-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you are a local business like West Coast Vinyl, then you understand the importances of being ranked in the search engines in your local area. One big factor that helps with your local placement is citations. Having local citation is like having websites linking back to your website for SEO.

A local citation is more in terms of how the search engine values that citation. The difference is that the citation does not actually link to the site itself, it merely references the site. This is an example, and intentional citation, for us.

West Coast Vinyl
4023 South Orchard St
Tacoma WA, 98466
http://www.westcoastvinyl.com

Now think of creating profiles to Google Local, Yahoo Local, etc… The url link does benefit the SEO side, but what is more important is the address and or telephone number. This tells Google that this is a business. Expose yourself to many relevant sites, local and theme sites. Don’t worry about the ‘nofollow’ links, put them up anyhow. Relevancy and trust are determined many more and different ways. This should help your business rank better in the local search.

Directions To West Coast Vinyl Now Easier On Mobile Maps

2009-09-08T00:27:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things about Google Maps for mobile is finding businesses on the go, especially for West Coast Vinyl. A while back Google launched a server-side change that makes it easier to get directions to businesses. You can now get directions to restaurants, stores, window contractors, and other points of interest by entering their names in the start or end point. For example:

Used to be, if you tried to get directions and entered a business name like, "starbucks", as the end or start point, Google Maps for mobile did not understand that you meant Starbucks the business. Rather, Google Maps for mobile would search for an address with "starbucks" in it.

Google Maps for mobile now recognizes when your end or start point is a business and not an address. Try setting "starbucks" or "West Coast Vinyl" as an end point when getting directions, and you'll quickly see what we mean.

If you've already got Google Maps on your BlackBerry, Nokia S60, T-Mobile G1, iPhone 3GS, or other smartphone, then you don't have to download anything to start using this new feature.

But if you don't already have Google Maps for mobile, visit google.com/gmm on your phone to download it today so you can look for us at West Coast Vinyl.

West Coast Vinyl Augmented Reality App

2009-09-07T01:54:00.000-07:00

West Coast Vinyl Augment Reality app for the mobile device is completed. Actually not, sorry we’re not as quick as Yelp who has just snuck in their AR app to iTunes app store for the iPhone 3GS in the last week of August. (I know we’re late)

The undisclosed new feature allows iPhone 3Gs owners to shake their phones three times to turn on a view called “the Monocle.” This view uses the phone’s GPS and compass to display markers for restaurants, bars and other nearby businesses on top of the camera’s view.

Yelp may be the first company to provide AR apps available in the U.S. Elsewhere Layar and Wikitude, two European companies offering multi-purpose AR browsers, both have Android AR apps that include content for the United States, but neither company has released an iPhone app yet. Layar’s CEO said that they were testing an iPhone version of his company’s software and that it was “very fast.”

Building a little AR into an already established app seems to be the method of choice for sneaking AR into the app store, because the sales on apps downloads is astronomical. Originally Apple wasn’t going to have any AR apps available until sometime in Sept with the new OS for iPhone 3GS.

The best use case for this Yelp app is not for finding businesses out of sight, but for pointing your phone at businesses you are physically near and discovering Yelp reviews of those places.

Now with West Coast Vinyl AR apps we are working on a layar that will show the data of a home energy efficient window. Such as the glazing type, low-e coating, gas fills, operating types, and frames. A far fetch one is possibly show how much heat is escaping from the windows or how much cool air or heat is inside the home. All this by pointing your iPhone camera at the window and room. This is in the works.

iPhone Convenient Delivery Of Information

2009-09-06T02:20:00.000-07:00

So far this year Apple iPhone app store has over five hundred million applications downloads. That is over a billion dollar so far for the year, only in app, and its not even December yet. Google (Androids), RIM (Blackberry), Microsoft (Windows Mobile), and Qualcomm (Palm) have announced launching app stores as well. Running application business is the gold rush right now.

Local businesses like West Coast Vinyl or Durr Plumbing don't have to wait for the next best business apps to come out of Apple. Why not develop an app for the business, that is to help your business. In marketing sense, its a way to use a different medium. Right now iPhone apps are hot!

Whats great about iPhone apps is that its what people want in an application for mobile device. Users "opt-in" by downloading applications on their iPhones that they want, and services are delivered by tapping an icon on their iPhone screen. This is a dramatic differences, particularly on a mobile device, to searching for information or services.

Think about it: Using an iPhone app, one can touch an application like West Coast Vinyl EEW and get answers about energy efficient window project. The alternative in a mobile environment is to go to your Internet browser on your phone, "Google" restaurants in your area, scroll down (if you can even read the microscopic text) and then call to inquire.

Search is cumbersome on a mobile device. Delivery of desired information will change user behavior and expectations. The success of the iPhone is due to the brilliance of the app store and the convenient delivery of (not search for) the services and information consumers want.

Convenient Delivery App For Mobile

2009-09-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

The big sales in the mobile industry increases the mobile users. The leaders are Apple iPhone and Google Androids. Apple owns most of the market shares, everyone knows that.

Google is known for their search capability for desktop users. You think mobile Androids would lead the way for the mobile web. Well, the problem is that the mobile device is a smaller product in comparison to a desktop/notebook with keyboard functions.

So mobile devices aren’t meant to be used for search like a desktop. So with that in mind, when mobile users do search its:

* texts are shorter
* direct name brand of product, location, stores, etc…
* expect mobile to work with your gps
* the “convenient delivery of mobile apps to get you the info on the go”. Such as tapping for specifics, voice recognition search and visual search. Thanks to the app store.

So remember if you are a local business like “Far East Cafe” or “West Coast Vinyl” that specializes in energy efficient windows. Maybe you should think about developing a mobile app that quickly shows where you are located and provide valuable info about your product or services with a tap of your finger. All of this in the palm of your hand! Mobile uses are on the go.

Optimizing For Mobile E-Commerce

2009-09-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Nowadays people use their phone not just to say hello, but to look things up on the internet and texting. According to comScore, more than 63 million people in the US use the mobile internet, with 35% of those people accessing the mobile internet daily, which is more than double the figure from last year.

This exciting growth presents a golden opportunity for retailers both big and small, national and local, to reach out to their potential customers no matter where they are searching. Many of the larger e commerce players have mastered the mobile experience for their users, but we from West Coast Vinyl would like to provide you with a few observations to ensure that you’re making the most of your mobile presence no matter the size of your retail venture, courtesy of Google Retail Team:

-MAKE IT EASY TO USE

Though West Coast Vinyl website is not about e-commerce (maybe future) but its important to know for simplicity. If you make you Mobi e-commerce site easy and convenient for people to use, it will bring them back for more. What is important is to make this accessible to any form of mobile device.

-MAKE IT EASY TO SAVE OR SEND SEARCHES FROM PHONE

To be able to capitalize on every transaction intention your users may have, enabling search or cart storage as well as the ability to email/sms product information to themselves is paramount. The nature of mobile search and ecommerce is such that many users are not able to or unwilling to pull the trigger on a transaction while on the go.

-MAKE IT EASY TO REACH YOU

Google has made it easy for businesses to advertise both online and on mobile devices, reaching out to searchers no matter where they're searching from. Google Mobile Ads allows you to extend your marketing campaign online via AdWords. Google has also provided Location Extensions, which dynamically attach your business address and phone number to your adwords ads. By providing a physical location or a linked phone number to enable a one click call, your potential customers can find you in person. So the idea is to provide a means for the user to reach you and purchase from you, no matter if it’s online, on the phone, or in person.

Jonathan Rosenberg, SVP of Product at Google recently said, desktop and mobile internet experiences are complementary. “Desktop ads are higher during the week…while conversely, mobile search volume soars on the weekends, when people are away from their desktop or laptops.” Creating an easy to navigate and familiar mobile internet experience is key to unlocking the millions of searches performed daily on cell phones. Being wherever the search is happening with the right information at the right time is the ultimate goal. You wouldn’t want to miss that call, would you?

Mobile Internet User Rising

2009-08-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

The “mobile Internet” users is rising. Statistics say there are more mobile phones in the world than PCs and more mobile phones in the U.S. than standard landlines. After years of marketing, the category is showing signs of real usage as there are roughly 34 million occasional mobile Web users in the U.S. today and more than 140 million people who use text messaging. There are also a range of free “voice search” offerings that build on the legacy of directory assistance and show promise for mainstream adoption.

One of the most important mobile content categories is “local“. People want “on the go” access to maps and directions, places to stay, shop and eat, and things to do. This is great news for West Coast Vinyl, there are searches for installing energy efficient windows. Local mobile search works together with gps technology to gain local info based on your location. In addition, they want to be able to communicate and share that information with others. These interests and needs form the basis for the concept of “local mobile search.” However, as complex as local search is today, local mobile search is that much more challenging.

The central task of local mobile search and mobile content delivery is masking the complexity of all the moving parts and getting the user experience to take action and adopt mobile technology. The goal is to make it simple for ordinary people to access the content they want, when they want it, and on the go.

This is great news for mobile advertising companies and local businesses. The time is ripe for local businesses like West Coast Vinyl, energy efficient window installers to gain a foothold in their market on the mobile.

West Coast Vinyl iPhone App

2009-08-30T00:51:00.000-07:00

With the popularity of the iPhone and apps for the mobile phone and devices. Applications for the mobile continue to increase, all limited by the imagination of its purpose.

We at West Coast Vinyl have been working on an app for the iPhone. Basically what it does is that it contains information of past and current window installs and problems with the solutions. Contains a collage of photos of energy efficient windows to view so that the customer knows what to expect, when they decide to invest in an energy efficient window.

Or maybe you are a do-it-yourself type, West Coast Vinyl app has the information on all the different type of windows and where to get it from. This app is still in its experimental phase, almost beta. So stay tune!

Optimizing For Mobile User

2009-08-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Marketing for mobile user is important for West Coast Vinyl to focus for the future. Bill Gates founder of Microsoft a few years back stated, “the future PC is in the palm of your hand”. Microsoft has invested enormously in the mobile technology and marketing. Looking at the new search engine Bing, is already optimized for local search, and it is poised for the mobile as well.

According to mobi.find a mobile search engine states that there are differences between a mobile user and a desktop user. Knowing the differences will help you provide a better experience for your customer and getting ranked for those mobile search phrases.

Here are some things that we at West Coast Vinyl is doing to optimize our mobi site and ready for the mobile user.

1. Optimize keywords with fewer keywords – use most “predictive search” phrase related to your business and location for mobile user
2. Phones are not used like PC
3. Think location (geo tagging), categories, and content formats for your mobi site.
4. Submit your site to relevant portals, this is an important source for mobile traffic.

These are just some of the basics of optimizing for mobile user. Just a reminder, mobile users are totally different than desktop users. Mobile users are on the go, when they search its quick and they use less words, going for more immediate dimensions such as location (nearness) or vertical product/business/service category suitability.

In other words, Joe’s Pizza is just as important to local search as Pizza Hut. Seventy-five percent of mobile searchers are not willing to browse beyond the second page of search results. With the first mobile results page showing at most 6 items, you can clearly see just how important is for your mobile site to be visible. As such, it’s important for everyone to factor these elements into their SEO work.

More Creative Ways To Use Microsoft Tag In Marketing

2009-08-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Microsoft tag has been pushing its barcode application since the beginning of the year. Here are some of the tags applications:

We at West Coast Vinyl plan to do is to implement these tags on our vehicles, hq building, t-shirts that are worn on our tech services and canvassers. Obviously, we are trying to dominate our presences not only for online but offline as well.

Microsoft Tag For Your Business

2009-08-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

There is a mobile technology that utilizes the camera phone to read a bar code to display information right there on your mobile display.

Microsoft has reconfigure the qr tag and call it their own, "Microsoft tag". The tag would have to be installed on your mobile phone. You use it by snapping a picture of a tag and almost instantaneous displays the information of a product or service.

So try it, snap a picture of the tag below, and you will see some information about us, West Coast Vinyl.