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March 1, 2008 – Swatchbox Technologies, a top-provider of interactive home design software tools, has launched a customized web application for James Hardie, an international leader in fiber-cement siding technology. Mike Brunzell, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Swatchbox Technologies reports, “We are proud to be working with such a renowned company and believe that this design tool will drive sales while bringing about even more brand recognition for the company.”
 
Choosing a siding type and color is a big decision; the Design Center for the ColorPlusÒ Technology line allows users to actually see certain color combinations and textures on a home similar to their own before they buy. James Hardie wanted to provide a free, interactive web tool to help potential customers through this decision-making process, but in order to showcase their unique line of siding products and colors, the company needed a customized solution.  “We evaluated many options to make this tool a reality,” says Kurt Owen, Marketing Manager at James Hardie “and we determined that Swatchbox was the world leader in exterior home design tools.”

“Swatchbox wanted to developed an interactive tool that is not only useful but turns what could be a stressful decision into a creative and fun experience,” says Mike Brunzell of Swatchbox. Potential James Hardie customers first choose a home similar to their own from over eighteen different styles. They can further customize the model by choosing a roof type, color and optional masonry. Then the user makes selections from a variety of James Hardie siding types, siding colors, trim colors, and accent colors.

Once the user has tried a variety of siding colors and styles, he or she can do a side-by-side comparison of the top-picks to make that final, crucial decision. Next, there are options to save the finished product for later review, e-mail a picture and product list to a friend or family member for their opinion or print the final product.

By attaching this tool to the James Hardie website, traffic and user session duration is expected to increase significantly. Additionally, the company will gain a larger customer database for marketing efforts through user registrations, which are optional until the user wishes to save the project; registration was designed to gain information but not deter casual users from accessing the tool. 

James Hardie and Swatchbox worked closely throughout the entire process to create the Design Center. Kurt Owen, Marketing Manager at James Hardie reports, “Swatchbox has been a pleasure to work with as they created a custom solution for James Hardie. They were on schedule and on budget.  We look forward to a long relationship with continued innovation.”

This free online tool is available to use at  http://www.jameshardiesidingcenter.com/designcenter.shtml.

 

About Swatchbox Technologies

Swatchbox Technologies™ (www.swatchbox.com), located in Westborough, Massachusetts, is a leader in virtual design tools for the home. The company’s Swatchbox Rendering Engine enables homeowners to design and decorate using digital photographs of their own homes to make better design decisions before embarking on home improvement projects. Swatchbox works with manufacturers, retailers and online publishers. Manufacturers of home design products gain increased awareness and purchase consideration of their products through interactive product placement within the company’s home design tools. Retailers provide homeowners with design tools that encompass entire home improvement projects and enjoy higher average sales. Online publishers that offer home design tools on their websites benefit from an increase in traffic, session duration, user registrations and incremental advertising revenue. Swatchbox Technologies clients include Ace, Alcoa, Armstrong, Benjamin Moore & Co., Clopay, Dupont, Hearst Corporation, Lowe’s, Pittsburgh Paints, Scripps Networks, Sears, Sherwin Williams, Time Warner, True Value, and Valspar.