Getting the most from home warranty
Buffalo Grove-based Home Warranty of America (www.hwaHomeWarranty.com) revamped its Web site and plans to add more features, including a consumer video this week, to help provide more information to individuals interested in buying home warranties and other insurance products.
While some home warranty companies require information from customers seeking a quote, HWA's Web site offers the chance to shop for home warranty products online with no quote necessary.
Since the new site debuted last month, the company has seen a 50-percent to 60-percent increase in traffic. The average number of hits has been 1,000 to 1,700 per day, compared to 800 to 900 a day with the previous Web site, said company spokeswoman Chris Kaucnik. People who visit the site range from general consumers who own homes that are over 1 year old (when manufacturer's warranties have expired), to real estate business professionals, including Realtors and others, she said. "Our product is purchased either direct, by the homeowner, or by one of these types of professionals in a real estate transaction (buy/sell) situation," Kaucnik said.
The site provides educational materials for both consumers and real estate professionals, about the industry and how to maximize a home warranty. It also offers home maintenance tips and green-home options. This week, the Web site is expected to add a nine-minute consumer video with basics on what to expect with home warranties.
Surfing: Denmark-based Bang & Olufsen (www.bang-olufsen.com), designer and maker of high-end electronics, shows off some of its audio and video products in the new film "The Dark Knight," in the character Bruce Wayne's (aka Batman) home. Bang & Olufsen's North American headquarters is in Arlington Heights.
• St. Charles-based Harmonic Vision, developer of the Music Ace family of music education software, debuted a multipart initiative to help piano teachers incorporate computer-aided instruction into their private studios. The company has developed a 16-page "Guide to Using Technology in the Piano Studio" accessible either in printed documents or via an online search tool. Both are complimentary from the new piano teacher resource page www.harmonicvision.com/pianoteacher.
• Lisle-based Grid.org is a new Web site where cluster and software grid users, developers and administrators can network, exchange information and ideas, and participate in development projects. Its mission is to provide an all-inclusive destination for people with similar interests.
• MidPhase Inc. of Chicago (www.midphase.com) has relaunched its Web site following its acquisition last December by London-based UK2. The site offers a suite of packages that includes hosting and DesignPhase, a new solution that provides customers who have no design or online experience the means to launch a professional Web site and have it customized.