The gap between your print business and the digital world is shrinking…fast. The fact is, your customers are out surfing the Web right now, sharing stories on social media, utilizing Web-to-print solutions and possibly researching your print business. An effective Website not only sends your customers a message about your business and brand, it can also boost your sales. You can think of your Website as being analogous to a brick and mortar store. If it’s easy to navigate to your site and find what they want, your customers are far more likely to stay and do business with you. So what do customers want from your Website and how can you make sure you provide it? Start with these five key areas.
1. Stress-free Navigation
Straight forward and visually pleasing navigation is an absolute must for your organization’s Website. After all, you want to let your customers know that you can provide them an end product which looks professional and gets their message across. Your Website needs to do the same for you. From the moment visitors arrive at your Website, it should be obvious where they need to click to get what they want.
2. Easy to Reach
If your customer has questions or wants to talk to you about a possible project, make sure it’s as easy as the click of a mouse. Adding a Live-Chat feature to your Website is easier than you might expect and is the fastest, most efficient way to get Web users in touch with sales reps. You can even have someone run it for you so that you can save your time (e-mail me and ask me how!). If live chat doesn’t appeal to you, providing an easy-to-use contact form that asks the right questions will make it simple for your customers to reach out to you as well. While you’re at it, make sure they can show you any pertinent files or documents by attaching them or uploading to an FTP, rather than having to start a back-and-forth e-mail exchange to get their questions about potential projects answered.
3. Mobile Friendly Design
The world is now mobile and that includes your customers. With increasing numbers of people accessing the Web on mobile devices, building a responsive Website that looks good across a range of devices is paramount. If your customers access your Website while they’re out and about and it doesn’t display well and clearly, they’ll go to a site that does and you’ll lose the sale.
4. Simple Ordering
If you’re providing your customers with the ability to order from you online, the process should be quick and easy with no bottlenecks or frustrations. Online ordering is a staple of many print businesses these days, as it gives your customers an instant and convenient way to get their projects started with you. Your online ordering system needs to be responsive and easy to use. That means the order management system that you choose to process your online orders needs to be sophisticated, powerful and customizable. The better experience your customer has with your Website, the more likely they are to think well of your print business and keep coming back to you. Your Website is a valuable business asset, so make it as user-friendly and intuitive as you possibly can.
5. Provide All Necessary Information
Visitors to your site are looking for information. As well as providing a clear and engaging introduction to your business and what you can do for their print needs, make sure any other information they might want is close at hand. From your opening hours to the exact services you offer and your pricing, everything they need to know should be accessible quickly and easily.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
- Companies:
- interlinkONE Inc.
John Foley Jr. is the CEO of interlinkONE and Grow Socially. John and his team help printers get on a strong path to marketing success. Their approach includes software solutions, consulting, Website development, marketing audits, and strategic marketing plans. interlinkONE’s software solutions for the print industry include their marketing automation platform, MAX, and ilinkONE V8. Learn more about MAX: Marketing Automation. Executed. by visiting MarketWithMAX.com, John at JohnFoleyJr.com, and his companies at interlinkONE.com and GrowSocially.com.