Contributor Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

Ever Eaten a Beehive? Have you ever gone out on a limb? You know, scooching a bit too far, feeling the limb start to sag, but reaching…stretching your fingers until your joints hurt? That honey is all you want. It’s all you dream about. Right? That honey is your Holy Grail. But, no matter how far you reach, that hive of honey is just too far, too elusive, too hard to grasp. The Business of Bees Stretching for the unattainable is what being a small business owner is all about. All small business owners dream of that honey, of hitting it big. We think that when we open our doors, life will be a vacation, but that’s not how it works. Small business owners get “stung” by a million problems every day. It can be relentless. How can anyone manage through that? Execute, Execute, Execute If you want to learn to push through to reach the impossible, there are three really easy steps. Although these steps will help you, remember, it’s always about the execution. Execution is the key to success. Don’t tell me how you are going to be successful, SHOW ME. Everyone wants to sell their company for millions, but in reality,

Recently, I was having a conversation with a fellow print shop owner, and the topic of customer service came up. I mentioned that I thought customer service was more important than it ever has been in my 30-year career in the printing industry. He disagreed. “As long as I deliver a quality product in a timely manner everything works out great for me,” he said. I’m not so sure about that. Allow me to share my opinion on my friend’s opinion. There was a time in our industry that quality and speed would allow a printing business to charge a hefty price, rake in the dough, and control market share in their market. In our new digital world, though, expectations are already high. Quality is not expected, it’s required. And speed? Ever since the microwave was introduced, society has been trying to figure out how to make the world spin faster on its axis! To make matters worse, now that anyone can get into the digital printing business, there have been a bunch of newbies enter the print industry that have no clue how to price their products appropriately. That means it’s even more challenging to compete for the same margins

Ever been rejected? I have. When it happened, it stung. I used to write for a large publisher who eventually told me that one of my articles wasn’t good enough to be published. I had written roughly 200 pieces for this publisher when suddenly, they said ‘no.’ As a part of their declining my articles, they offered no discussion, no re-write, no conversation. Just a ‘declined.’ I’m not sure if it’s because of my ego, my busy schedule, or because I’ve lost my way, but I haven’t written much since, despite my love for writing good content. Either way, I have no excuse. Can you relate? Have you ever wanted to do something that you love, but didn’t pursue it out of fear, timing, or any other number of reasons? But, why wouldn’t you go after what you love to do? “There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” —Nelson Mandela To Boldly Go or To Go Boldly? Writing is Hard. I often hear people say ‘I’m a good listener.’ Usually, this means they’re not. Let’s be honest. When someone has to announce they’re

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

Email marketing isn’t easy. After all the time you’ve invested carefully crafting the perfect email, it’s important to make sure your message bypasses the digital black hole (a.k.a. the junk folder) and lands safely in the inbox of your customers and prospects. Here are some easy tips to get your email message on its way to spam-free status. It’s All About the List 1. Get permission first. Good email marketing starts with permission. Create a sign-up form and put it on your website to build your list in an honest, straightforward manner. After all, no one likes unsolicited anything, right? 2. Give the option to (easily!) unsubscribe or to update their preferences at any time. Along with permission, comes options. Remember, even though they allow you to send them email, that might not mean they want ten emails a week from you. 3. Be careful when buying lists. Buying lists can sometimes mean acquiring addresses without consent, which is more likely to lead to complaints and more importantly, not buying. If you don’t have the time to work on building your own list, make sure to do your due diligence when buying lists to ensure you’re getting a quality list. 4. Practice

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