Websites Archives - Page 8 of 10 - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

Over the last several weeks, we’ve talked a lot about SEO – everything from What Good SEO is Not to How SEO Greatness Starts with Content to the Impact of Social Media to How to Do it Right. You’ve probably come to understand the importance your website plays in your SEO, and thanks to the power of the internet, you’ve no doubt come across a wealth of information on the topic. But, like all good internet diets, which one works, and do you have to care about ALL of it? Let’s simplify things. When it comes to SEO for your website, if you can keep the following in mind, you’ll be doing just fine. 1. Valuable Content (for your customers, not you!) Chances are, you’re tired of all the “Content is king!” or “Greatness starts with content!” talk. (Actually, that last one was pretty good, don’t you think?) But, tired or not, there’s some truth here that you need to allow to soak in a little. The key thing to remember is: Don’t put your focus on the word content. Put your focus on the word valuable. Content is really pretty easy. (Have you read the internet lately?) Valuable content is not

Flat Out of Luck Imagine yourself stuck in the ditch with a flat tire and no tools. To your relief, someone pulls over to help. A handyman – what luck! He takes a long look at your tire, empathizes with your inconvenience, and hands you an instruction book for fixing broken toasters. Wishing you luck, he roars away. What is wrong with this situation? Right person – a handyman. Right timing – the moment of crisis. Wrong SOLUTION for the problem at hand. In marketing, sometimes we make a similar mistake by “fixing” a problem a person doesn’t realize they have. Copywriting legend Robert Collier coaches communicators to meet readers where they’re at before offering solutions, reminding us to “join the conversation that is already taking place in the reader’s mind.” “PASTOR” Your Audience to Keep Them Engaged How do we do this? It starts with a shepherding mentality, seeking to care for prospects in each step of their journey. The March marketing tip, added to every website provided by Marketing Ideas For Printing, uses the PASTOR acronym for copywriting that keeps them engaged: “P” = Person, Problem, and Pain Identify the particular person you’re seeking; clarify their problem and

SEO is a buzzword that’s been floating around the printing industry a lot lately. From the random sales calls from SEO consultants who have “done you a favor” of reviewing your website to industry talk between fellow printer peers, it can be hard to figure out what you need to be doing to do SEO right. To cut through the clutter, focus on these five tips to ensure you’re on the right path. 1) It’s all about your website. Great SEO starts with a good website. If you want to be found online, sell something! Realize that today people aren’t going to your website to read your company information. They are looking to do business with you and to do it RIGHT NOW! To do SEO right: Upgrade your website to allow for online ordering and e-commerce capabilities. Pro tip: Stay away from large files or JPEGs that make your website take forever to load (here’s looking at you Flash Player). You have very little time to snag your website visitor’s attention, so remember that every second (more like every millisecond) counts. “If you’re not meeting your visitors’ needs, it doesn’t matter how ‘optimized’ your site is.” -Stoney Degeyter

You’re probably familiar with the overused marketing-cliche “Content is King.” It makes marketing sound so simple, doesn’t it? But, as we all know, marketing isn’t as simple as that and neither is SEO. In light of all the complexities to digital marketing and SEO, here’s something straightforward and clear we can all agree on: your content, no matter the type, should build trust and credibility with your prospective customers because consumers buy from those they trust. The idea of creating content isn’t new. It’s only the tactics that have changed over time. SEO used to be fairly simple, too, but today there are several things you need to consider to be found on page one of a Google search and to ultimately get a leg up on your competition. Below are some reliable SEO and content tactics that are sure to give you a much-needed lift in your prospects finding you. Don’t Build on Someone Else’s Land Publish your best content on properties you already own. (i.e. your website). While there’s great value in spreading your message far and wide via Facebook and other social platforms, the problem is you’re at the mercy of their platform, and they are continually

Knowing what your customers actually think is like holding the book of knowledge. It leads to better decision-making, better allocation of resources, and a more effective marketing message. Some of the most creative forms of information gathering are only one white paper away for your customers. Gather the Right Info The latest white paper published on websites of Marketing Ideas For Printers website subscribers, titled “What are Your Customers Thinking?” shows your customers the power of gathering the right kind of information from their customers. There are creative ideas for comment cards, surveys for direct mail, and more to help your customers think of useful ways to know their customers better. Here’s an excerpt You can deduce only so much from your customers’ purchasing behavior. Knowing what they think will be the difference in moving your business forward. Customers don’t often volunteer information about their changing tastes, likes, goals, and ambitions; you have to ask them. Knowing these things can help you meet the needs of your ever-evolving customer base. Market More Effectively Asking the right questions of your customers will allow you to know what they need to hear from your marketing message. Create Additional, Targeted Products or Services

Today, almost all of us start our shopping experiences online, so it makes sense that businesses are concerned about SEO, ranking well, and being found by their prospects and customers. But, for all the talk about what SEO is, it’s even more important to take a look at what SEO is not. Good SEO is not an excuse for lousy websites and design. Being found online is only one part of a much larger whole. After all, SEO means nothing if your visitor gets to your website and is completely underwhelmed. If Google sends someone your way, Google wants to be sure that your visitors will find want they want on your site. Good SEO comes from a quality website with exceptional design and exceptionally crafted content. So, don’t get lazy. Step back and look at your website from your buyer’s perspective. Do they see a solution to their problem, or a print company with poor web design and irrelevant content? Good SEO is not a quick fix where you can cheat your way to the top. Like weight loss and get-rich-quick schemes, there is no magic pill or secret sauce that will make you instantly…well, anything. In the SEO world, that

You asked. We listened. Styles and fashions are always changing and evolving to different tastes. We think websites should be the same. That’s why we’re excited to announce two new website themes to our website lineup! Introducing… Print Outside the Box When you want to stand out, you embrace a whole new look. After all, no one likes to be average, right? Our new theme, Print Outside the Box, allows you to spread your website wings and think differently. Featuring quick, at-a-glance features, a mobile-responsive design, and fresh, eye-catching pops of color, your customers and prospects will be able to capture the power of print from anywhere at anytime. Print Hero Don’t lose credibility with a dated-looking website design! Now you can flaunt your trendy side with an all-new modern and mobile-friendly homepage experience that promises to appeal to today’s print-buyers. Be a Print Hero, and show the consumers of today that you know, understand, and offer the design and online ordering capabilities they need. Ready for a Change? If you’d like to switch design themes to one of our latest designs, give us a call at (800) 736-0688 or (701) 241-9204 or contact us below. If you’re just getting started and looking

Sometimes customers can struggle with ways to add sizzle to their marketing package and stay within their budget. Good thing they’ve got you as their printer! Providing fresh, relevant content to your customers builds trust, establishes your brand, enhances your visibility, and inspires ideas and sales. If you want to be a frontline resource for new prospects and dormant customers, take advantage of our monthly print, design, marketing, and tech tips! Start the Conversation Our latest design tip, available on every website provided by Marketing Ideas For Printers, gets the conversation rolling: Are your printed promotions falling a little flat? If so, it’s time to start thinking about how you can use three-dimensional space in your next promo piece. While creating a true 3D item may be far outside your budget, you can easily trick the eye into thinking that there’s additional depth even when you’re working in only two dimensions. Here are some tips for leveraging three-dimensional space in your next print project. Keep Your Designs From Falling Flat The 3D design article offers several practical methods for creating a sense of depth without the cost or complexity of actual 3D printing. The first design option creates substance via

One of our favorite stories about Printer@Work (the email newsletter available for use with each website provided by Marketing Ideas For Printers) goes something like this: One of our customers (a printer) told us how their customer (a print buyer) replied to a Printer@Work email the printer had sent. The customer’s email simply asked the printer to print X number of items for them. Talk about a great sales story! The printer sends an email newsletter, and the subscriber gets the email and thinks, “I need to order more printing. I’ll just reply to this email!” It’s pretty obvious that the email newsletter made a trustworthy connection that ended with selling more printing! What Goes Around Come Around Guess what? It happened again! A recent issue of Printer@Work was sent out with the Uncommon Product featuring Mini Brochures, like this: One of our printer customers told us one of their customers noticed that Uncommon Product article and thought printing mini brochures for their company was a pretty good idea. They asked our customer, “Could you send us a sample of what that looks like? We want our company to use mini brochures.” Our printer customer wanted to put a printed sample in

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