Websites Archives - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

If someone discovers your print shop for the first time, there’s a good chance they’re not walking through your front door. They’re finding you online. That’s why your website matters just as much as the beautiful job you just shipped. But for a lot of printers, the website is “that thing we’ll fix someday” while presses, people, and deadlines scream louder. If your site feels a little tired, a little out of date, or you’re simply not sure it’s helping you sell more printing, don’t beat yourself up. Many shops are in the same place. The good news: a simple year-end website tune-up for printers can make a real difference. You don’t need to rebuild everything. You just need a focused list of quick wins you can knock out before the ball drops. Why Year-End Is the Best Time to Fix Your Website You already think in seasons: back to school, holidays, trade shows, slow spells. The end of the year is when you naturally take stock, clearing out the shop, wrapping up invoices, reviewing the numbers, and planning for next year. Your website deserves a spot on that list. A short tune-up now helps you look more current and

Ever wonder why some print buyers treat you like a trusted partner while others treat you like a quote machine? It’s rarely about price. It’s about process. The printers who build lasting partnerships don’t just sell printing; they build systems their clients depend on. And when you do that, you move from being a supplier to being infrastructure: something essential, trusted, and nearly impossible to replace. Why Irreplaceability Is the New Loyalty For decades, printers have built loyalty through relationships. Think handshakes, lunches, and a promise to “take care of you.” But as buyer behavior has changed (including print buyer behavior), loyalty looks different. Today’s corporate clients are busy. They want consistency, speed, and simplicity more than charm. Their loyalty is operational, not emotional. That’s good news for you. Because when you implement processes that make their jobs easier (reordering faster, brand consistency automatic, and approvals seamless), you earn a different kind of trust: the kind built on dependability. Loyalty now lives in workflow. And the printer who powers that workflow wins. What It Means to Be Built Into Their Process Think about your best, longest-standing clients. Chances are, you’ve become part of how they work. Their marketing team sends

Search engine optimization is often misunderstood as a single project, something you “do” to a website once and then walk away. The reality is very different. SEO is not a one-time push that gets a site ranked forever. It’s a continuous effort, much like rowing a boat across the ocean. You can give it a strong shove off the dock to get it moving, but if you stop rowing, the boat will quickly lose momentum and drift backward. This concept, which we like to call the “rowing the boat” method, captures why consistency is one of the most critical factors in SEO. It also explains why our team places such emphasis on steady, monthly effort, including regular content creation, technical checks, indexing reviews, and strategic adjustments. These ongoing actions are the strokes that keep your SEO boat gliding forward. In this article, we’ll break down how this works in two parts: First, why consistency matters and what happens if you stop. Second, what our team is doing behind the scenes each month as part of the Advanced SEO subscription to keep your website performing well. The Rowing the Boat Method: Why Consistency Drives SEO Imagine launching a rowboat into the

You’ve been there: a new order comes in, the deadline is tight, and the file? Not quite ready. Whether it’s missing bleeds, fuzzy images, or font issues, file prep problems can slow everything down and create more stress than they should. The good news? You can head off most of those headaches by giving your print buyers a little help without piling more work on your plate. Here are four practical ways to set them up for success. 1. Share Common File Prep Pitfalls Not every client knows what goes into a production-ready file, and that’s OK. A simple, printer-approved checklist can make a big difference. That’s why we put together a free guide on the most common file prep mistakes. It’s an easy win: give your customers the info upfront, and you’ll both save time later. >> FREE DOWNLOAD: Top 7 File Prep Mistakes 2. Offer Setup Support That Scales If your clients design their own pieces, you know how often things like margins, trim areas, and safe zones get overlooked. That’s where artwork layout templates can help. Available as a website add-on, these downloadable templates (branded with your company’s logo) include clear design boundaries for popular products and

As the fall season draws closer, September brings the perfect opportunity to help your customers refocus, reconnect, and stand out. With routines resuming and back-to-business energy in the air, now is the time for printers to help clients deliver marketing that gets noticed, especially with banners that boost visibility and drive results. The September content—available now for download and print—features tools that make your clients’ messages clear, bold, and effective. From high-impact banners to lighthearted newsletters, every piece is designed to turn heads and support real marketing goals. Here’s a look at what you can start producing today for September outreach. Direct Mail For Printers Options Coffee Break Type: Direct Mail Humor NewsletterDimensions: 8.5″ x 14″Coffee Break Highlighting humor and fun themes, Coffee Break keeps connections strong with a fresh mix of jokes, trivia, and notable dates. This issue features punchlines like: “What do you give a man who has everything? Penicillin.” “My grandma has the heart of a lion—and a lifetime ban from the zoo.” The sidebar article plays with the age-old question, “How many does it take to change a lightbulb?” with witty answers from optometrists, politicians, and programmers. Paired with an October calendar full of trivia-worthy milestones,

What makes a high-value customer say, “Yep, this is my printer”? You could have the best pricing, stellar turnaround, and years of experience, but if that trust doesn’t come across on your website, the sale might not either. And for your dream clients, the nonprofits, schools, manufacturers, and marketing teams you really want, your website is the first sales call. So let’s make sure it’s pulling its weight. Why Trust Details Matter More Than Ever When print buyers visit your website, they’re often thinking: “Can I trust this company to do what I need, on time, without making me look bad?” They’re not looking for bells and whistles. They’re looking for signals—visual, verbal, and structural—that show your shop is experienced, approachable, and built to deliver. The 8 Trust Builders Your Website Can’t Afford to Miss 1. Clear, Clickable Navigation Your website’s navigation should feel like second nature. A first-time visitor should be able to land on your home page and know within seconds what you do, what to click next, and how to place an order. If your website is crammed with vague or internal-facing terms, simplify it. Use buyer-friendly language like “Order Printing,” “Request a Quote,” or “What We

If you’ve ever debated whether to list your prices online or worried that you’ll lose business if you do, you’re in familiar territory. For many printers, pricing feels like walking a tightrope: charge too much and scare people off, charge too little and eat into your margins. It can feel like putting your worth on trial, especially when you’re competing with “race-to-the-bottom” online competitors. But it’s not just what you charge. It’s how you present your pricing that makes the difference. And chances are, some of the “rules” you’ve been following are doing more harm than good. Let’s bust a few myths that might be costing you sales and show you what you can do instead. Myth #1: If I Show My Prices, I’ll Scare My Print Buyers Away The idea that showing your prices drives prospects away is one of the most persistent myths in the print industry. It’s rooted in the fear that you’ll be judged solely on cost, that your higher prices will send your prospective print buyers running to online discounters. But in reality, hiding your prices creates an even bigger problem: distrust. Today’s buyers expect transparency. When they can’t find what something costs, they assume

Imagine this: a print buyer lands on your website, curious about your promotional products. They click a link… and suddenly, they’re not on your site anymore. They’re in a completely new environment with unfamiliar branding and no clear reminder of you. This kind of abrupt shift is more common than you might think. Many printers link directly to vendor platforms like Sage, ASI, Carlson Craft, or DisplayCity. It’s fast. It’s easy. And it’s quietly working against you. Losing the Visitor Too Soon It’s not the act of linking out that’s the problem—it’s when and how it happens. If someone clicks off your website right after arriving, without taking in who you are, what you offer, or how to come back, you’ve lost control of their experience. This kind of early exit leads to: Higher bounce rates Lower engagement signals (like time on site or page views) Decreased search engine visibility Worse, it’s a missed opportunity to build a relationship. You brought them in, but then sent them away before they really saw you. A simple change, like adding a transitional landing page, keeps them engaged a few moments longer. That time matters. It helps your visitor feel anchored to your

The Honest Truth About What SEO Really Does (And What Comes Next) If you’re a print shop owner who’s paying for SEO and not seeing an uptick in print orders, you’re probably asking yourself: “Is this even working?” And that’s a fair question. In fact, it’s the right question. Because if you’re investing in something, you should understand what it’s supposed to do—and what it’s not supposed to do. So, let’s talk about it. What Does SEO Actually Do? At its core, SEO does one thing really well: It makes your website more visible. Think about Google like a highway. SEO puts up more road signs for your print shop so drivers (aka your potential print customers) can find you. That means when someone searches “custom postcards near me” or “EDDM for restaurants,” your website is more likely to show up. But here’s the kicker… Visibility doesn’t equal sales.It equals opportunity. What you do with that opportunity is where most businesses—printers included—get stuck. So… If SEO Is Working, Why Aren’t You Getting More Orders? Because the job of SEO is to get more people to your site. The job of your website—and your overall marketing—is to convert and convince them.

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ve likely heard about the Reorder Forms Library (ROFL), but you may still have questions. Is it the same as a standard reorder process? How does it work? And most importantly, what’s in it for you and your clients? Well, your answers await below! What is the Reorder Forms Library? The Reorder Forms Library is a website add-on that creates a personalized, hassle-free experience for your repeat print buyers through Private Order Forms. It stores all the details of their frequently ordered jobs—such as brochures, business cards, or postcards—and organizes them into private, client-specific forms. These forms allow you to offer tailored pricing and eliminate unnecessary steps in the ordering process. Instead of navigating through generic forms or manually re-entering job specs, print buyers can quickly reorder what they need with just a few clicks. Why not just use the standard reorder process on my website? This is a common question, and the answer lies in personalization and efficiency. While your website’s standard reorder option allows clients to place repeat orders, it doesn’t customize the experience for their unique needs. The Reorder Forms Library goes a step further by: Tailoring forms specifically