The world is an ever evolving place and as a business owner, staying abreast of the latest trends, technology and best practice can be hard work. If you are the owner or manager of a print business, you may be feeling this pressure and want to modernise your operations, branding or offering. The digital age has brought about many changes in the way we do business, and print is no exception. You might be asking yourself how you can face this challenge. To help, we’ve put together some tips on how to modernise your print business and stay competitive in today’s market.
Embrace digital technology
If you haven’t done this already, incorporating digital technology into your business is a no brainer. This could include offering online ordering, digital proofing, and variable data printing. Having the option of online ordering makes it easy for customers to place orders from anywhere, at any time, from the comfort of their mobile. Printing quotation software provides the convenience of instant information, which is what everyone wants in today’s market. Digital proofing eliminates the need for physical proofs, reducing costs and turnaround time. Variable data printing allows you to print personalised materials for each recipient, which can be a powerful marketing tool. Furthermore, investing in print shop management software, can reduce the requirement for human touchpoints, improve process flow and reduce errors. All of this can result in a cost saving and in the long term will also improve customer service.
Offer a wide range of services
Don’t limit your business to just printing. Offering a variety of services, such as graphic design, web design, and marketing can help you attract a wider range of clients and become a one-stop-shop for all their needs. The convenience of being able to entrust one place to help clients with a variety of needs, is an attractive prospect. And while this means you may need to learn some new skills or employ the help of a freelancer or new part time staff member, the pay off will be great as you may attract some big, high value new clients, that you wouldn’t have previously.
Invest in equipment and software
Invest in the latest printing equipment and software. This will not only improve the quality of your products but also increase efficiency and reduce costs in the long run. Consider investing in automation software, such as a web to print system, which streamlines the ordering process and will undoubtedly help with a reduction in errors. Web to print software is particularly beneficial for any printers that have key clients and want to consider offering storefront solutions. If you are an established print business, you could consider having a separate arm of your business that is just trade online printing for resellers since it’s easier than ever for print businesses to integrate with a Trade Printer, facilitated by the development of API’s.
Go green
Many businesses and individuals today are looking for more environmentally friendly ways of operating on a day to day basis. By researching and using eco-friendly inks and substrates, and offering recycling services for your customers, going green could be a great selling point for your business. In addition, a web to print storefront option for key clients, could also reduce waste for both parties. By efficiently managing stock levels and the benefit of print templates, a web to print storefront can help cut down the margin of errors made which means that the printing of unusable print products is effectively eliminated.
Build an online presence
By creating a website and social media accounts for your business, you are presenting your business as a modern thinking enterprise. Printer websites can be as basic or intricate as the business desires. For example, you could have a simple, one page website, listing your offering with a strong contact page. Linking your page into an active social media account such as LinkedIn or Twitter will help the website gain visibility. Conversely, you could have a website with a full catalogue, printing quotation software and full ecommerce viability. A WordPress web to print website is a great platform that gives a business the ability to manage their content themselves and has options of including web to print software too. Employing the help of a digital marketing specialist will further increase your visibility on search engine results pages. This will help you reach a wider audience and attract new customers. Using social media can help showcase your work and engage with customers or other print industry businesses which is a great way to softly market your business.
Flex4 OPS – The Online Print Experts
Hopefully the roundup of above pointers will have given you some ideas about how to move your print business forward. Taking small but meaningful steps forward could help modernise your print business. Whether you’re a graphic designer thinking about diversifying and researching trade online printing for resellers or scaling up your existing print business and offering storefronts or selling online, Flex4 OPS can help. With over 15 years specialising in printer websites, web to print, digital marketing and more, we are the people to help elevate your print business. Give us a call or drop us an email to find out what we could do for you today!