Your Secret Weapon for Repeat Print Business: Private Label Websites

“How do I get them coming back for more?”

As a print owner, chances are that thought has rattled around your head more than once.

Let’s face it, getting print buyers to order printing from you and then continue to order printing from you isn’t always easy. This is especially true when you consider how your competitors are just a click away screaming and flashing their wares as cheaper, better, more convenient, and any other flashy adjectives they can throw your way.

But, don’t let that discourage you.

You DO have some powerful weapons at your disposal. One of those heavy hitters is Private Label Websites.

The Sticking Power of Private Label Websites

By providing a custom, branded, print-buying experience for your corporate customers that they can then pass along to their print-buyers, you’ll create a steady inflow of print orders through your website.

“I went from about twelve orders a month ten years ago to averaging 180-240 orders per month from online storefronts. Plus, 90% of the storefronts I’ve set up for customers have been used longer than eight years.”
– Gary Chmielewski, Northern Ohio Printing

What’s in it for You?

As with anything in life, there is some effort required to get the greatest return, but, the effort will be well worth it. Here are three benefits to you when you focus your efforts on getting your customers set up with Private Label Websites:

It levels the playing field of competition.

“Yes, we can do that!”

Sometimes all your customers need to know to say yes to your offering is that you can do what they’re wanting.

Bob Stalinski of Minuteman Press in Manchester, Missouri, had one such experience.

“I had a customer who came to me because they were having a problem with Kinko’s. They explained to me that they really wished we could do something like this (Private Label Websites). It was great to be able to answer that statement with a big ‘Yes, we can!'”

It seals the relationship.

When your customers begin to use Private Label Websites, you usher that customer into doing business with you for life.

“It makes it hard to lose a customer because they have all of their order history and forms set up with us,”
– Bob Stalinski, Minutemen Press

Gary Chmielewski of Northern Ohio Printing echoes Bob’s thoughts and even went on to say,

“Some of our private sites have over 40 items in them. Nobody wants to take the time to move all of that over someplace else. That’s a real benefit to me.”

It means you get paid up front.

One of the most significant advantages to online ordering through Private Label Websites is the fact that you get paid right away before you even start to print the job.

If you think about Gary above, that means he’s getting income from 180-240 orders on average per month UP FRONT! Seems like a pretty good benefit, don’t you think?

What’s In It For Your Customers?

The benefits aren’t just limited to you as the printer, though. There are also numerous benefits to your customers, including:

Easier order processing.
All of their order information and history is in one place making it easy to transition to another employee if one employee leaves.
It’s instant! Print buyers can order what they need anytime from anywhere. No more waiting to call you once you open in the morning.
Matching company branding across multiple branches, but all of their print orders are handled in one place (with you!)
It offers incredible consistency. Customers can get pricing and variable forms right at their fingertips.
More economical when all printing is handled in the same way at the same cost for branches across the country.

“One customer told us they save 30% on average having all of their corporate printing done through their Private Label Website with us versus going with a big box company.”
– Gary Chmielewski, Northern Ohio Printing

Tips to Seal the Deal

With so many benefits for you and your customers, incorporating Private Label Websites just makes sense if you’re looking to boost your online orders and customer retention.

But, how do you get customers to use them?

1. Create and Present Demos

[Warning! Big and bold words are coming because they’re really important!] You have to set up a demo for them with common products they’ll order.

Of all of our printers currently using Private Labels Websites (and using them well), there’s a common thread between all of them. They have all set up demos for the companies they’re trying to prospect to at no charge with a few of the previous items they’ve frequently ordered.

For example, Printer Pete might notice that Acme Healthcare Services frequently orders business cards. Printer Pete then creates a Private Label Website and puts in a recent business card order (or two) to demo to them how and why it works so well.

Then, Printer Pete would give Acme Healthcare a call and let them know he’d like ten minutes of their time to show them how this one tool could save them time, money, and make it easier for them and all of their company branches to order printing.

Not sure what to say? Here are some quick marketing quips you can pull from:

It’s like having your own private printing department right within your company!
Branded to look and feel like your own website, but behind the scenes, it’s your personal connection for ordering print easily and efficiently.
Detailed order history, making reordering almost as simple as saying “I’ll have my usual, please.”
For a purchasing experience that fits right in with the rest of your corporate intranet.
Eliminate the question marks of, “Who ordered that last time?” “What company was that ordered from?” “How much is that?” with all of your company’s printing information right at your fingertips.
The easiest (quickest, fool-proof) way to order printing for your company.
More convenience. Less hassle.

2. Prospect Correctly

When looking for companies to target for Private Label Websites, look for companies that have a number of products that they order frequently. Those will give you the greatest return.

Targeting companies that only order a couple of times a year or only have a couple of products probably will not be a good fit.

3. Work on Building Habits

The hardest part of this whole process will be getting your customers to develop a new habit.

This is where you’ll need to be persistent. If you take the time to show them how to use the website, but three days later they call in their print order, it’s important to take the time to remind them and train them on how they should order their printing. Some will jump right in, while others will require some additional hand-holding.

Final Takeaway

When it comes to setting up Private Label Websites for your customers, remember to consider the big picture. The amount of time you spend setting up demos for your prospects will pay dividends!