It seems like an obvious point to make, but the ways in which we (I’m talking everyone from installers to magazine editors here) consume and search for information has changed significantly in the past 30 years. Think about it, when was the last time you were asked a question you didn’t know the answer to, and you didn’t reach straight for your phone to look it up on the internet?
While there are some obvious drawbacks to the ever-increasing complexities of the digital world, it is here for good and that it has dramatically changed our lives.
For our sector, the internet offers immediate access to manufacturers and provides a hub of social media interaction, while it enables media outlets, such as PHPI, to get closer than ever to readers.
A recent example is the number of online responses we’ve had to our 2019 reader survey, which was fantastic to see – a big thank you to all those who took part, by the way. On a side note, (fortunately) it hasn’t detracted from the ‘bread and butter’ of the industry it seems. Responses clearly showed that the plumbing and heating community still get the majority of their industry news and updates via trade magazines, merchants and exhibitions. Without question, these avenues are still vital to improving standards and keeping up to date with the latest in the sector.
Having said that, we do understand that more and more readers expect to engage immediately with content online – once you’ve picked up the ‘good stuff’ from the pages of PHPI, of course. On this note, we have decided to move away from the traditional Readerlink Card enquiry system, in an effort to offer installers an enquiry service befitting the instantaneous needs of a digital age.
Each article in our print magazine now has a unique web address at the end of it, which starts with ‘www.rdr.link’. When typed into your preferred web browser, the coded address will re-direct you to a specific page, related to the article, product, competition or manufacturer – making it easier than ever to “find out more”. The new system is designed to offer you a more direct route to the relevant material online, meaning you can spend less time Googling and more time on the job.
And for those Readerlink card loyalists, it’s certainly faster than the postal service!
