Not the Image You Want

Don't complain about wanting more business until you make sure you aren't chasing away customers. Customers see your website as a representation of your business and your attitude.

Just think about your own behavior. When you're searching the web and come across a website that hasn't been touched in four or five years, what do you do? It's likely you move on to find a site that's more professional, fresh and appealing.

Does your website tell customers and visitors:

• They might not be in business anymore
• They haven't kept up with business or technology
• They're probably struggling to stay in business
• They don’t understand basic marketing
• They don’t care about customers
• You don't really want to be here

Many customers may find your print shop through your website than through other means. Be very sensitive to the image it projects. It can be better to have no website than to have one delivering a negative message.

What's the Value of Value?

Value is invaluable!

Customers, clients, donors...all the people you send communications...are constantly bombarded by messages, advertising and blather. They make decisions on how to allocate their limited (and short) attention spans. This is where value makes a difference.

Send them messages with value and you will command more of their limited time. Send them dumb stuff just to be in their face and they probably think about making you go disappear... for good.

Value varies by recipient. In general, value is found in three areas:

• Information - unique or timely news, announcements, dates, etc.
• Education - details, advice, tools, etc. that make life or work better, easier, etc.
• Entertainment - generate smiles or laughs or stimulate thought in a positive way

Try a combination such as edu-tainment...humor and education...sort of like this blog...maybe.

Put value in your communications and your recipients will be waiting to get your messages.

How to Scare Away Customers

Your online image may be driving new customers away.

In today's marketplace, it's likely that 90% or more of new customers will look at your website before they ever contact you. Let's make this really clear...

Nearly every new customer will look at your website before they talk to you.

It's human nature that people want to look at companies' websites before going there or calling. You do it...we all do it. With smartphones this trend simply increases.

In looking at your website for 5 seconds, your potential new customers will form an impression about your business...and you as the owner.

Is that impression positive, confidence-building, exciting, customer-centered and informative? Too often, print shops' websites scream out old, really old, low-tech, no-tech and doesn't care. You'll never know how many potential customers found your print shop because of your website...then got turned off and went to your competition.

Want more business? Start by honestly deciding if your website is attracting or repelling potential customers.

Carpet Bombing Marketing

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), a.k.a "carpet bombing" marketing is very good for businesses whose target audience is geo-dependent (located in the neighborhood) and largely independent of gender and other demographics. This includes health clubs, beauty and barber shops, family, fast food and takeout restaurants, car repair, veterinarians, etc. 

When the audience becomes more specific, carpet bombing becomes less effective. As we say regularly, "men don't buy panties, women don't buy auto parts". For specific audiences, it's best to use a more targeted communication technique...drone strikes!

Read more at printshopmarketing.com and ez-vdp.com 

Hiding in Cyberspace

Super low prices may be one of the primary reasons your customers love ordering online. Another reason could be that they don't have to see you!

Seriously, anonymity, speed and convenience are big reasons people enjoy the internet for many things. With the internet, your customers may be able to order whatever printing they want and not have to see or spend time with you. This can be a problem...unless you find a way for them to look forward to seeing you (please keep it clean and family-friendly).

One hint...providing value and making them look good always helps.

Read more at printshopmarketing.com and ez-vdp.com 

Printers' Disadvantage

In the July 2013 issue of Quick Printing, Bob Hall quotes us as saying: "Small commercial and quick printers are at a disadvantage because the online, big box, and other competitors frequently do a much better job of marketing ink-on-paper products on the Internet and elsewhere..." 

Yes...we said. Yes...it's true.  Yes...that's why we started printshopmarketing.com

Read more at printshopmarketing.com and ez-vdp.com