Use the Internet Effectively

These days, it’s inescapable. The Internet. Everyone from young children to great grandmothers has access to a computer, and while the levels of engagement might vary, the fact that it is part of everyone’s lives now is permanent.

“If printers are going to offer multi-channel communications as part of their business—how can they not use the Internet channel as a way to grow their business?” asked John Foley, president and CEO at interlinkONE Inc.

For printers, there are several ways to make use of the Internet and all it has to offer to grow the business and expand your reach. The possibilities are almost limitless with a bit of creativity, but there are several broad categories that the Internet falls into when it comes to running a business.

Web Sites Galore

The first, and most obvious, is to simply have a Web site for your business. Many printers have taken this first step already, but if you haven’t, this needs to be your top priority.

If you can afford it, the best option for creating a Web site is to hire an expert. You might think it’s money you can’t afford to spend, but this is, in many cases, your only chance to make an impression and win a client. Even if you’ve put in a bid on a contract, odds are good whomever is making the decision is going to visit each site to get a feel for the company, its capabilities, and customer service.

If you aren’t ready yet to take that plunge, then it’s time to build your own site. If you use Adobe’s Creative Suite software, odds are good you probably already own Dreamweaver, a Web site design and management program. Full disclosure here: This is my personal program of choice, as I maintain my own personal Web site. The program is easy to use and comes pre-built with templates to get you started.

One of the first things a good Web site will have is a way to contact you, displayed prominently. It can be under a “Contact Us” button, or something similar, but don’t hide that information. That’s one of the first mistakes many shops make. If they can’t find a way to get in touch with you in the first minute or so on your site, odds are good they’ll move on to someone who makes it easy.

On the same note, have more than one way to contact your shop. A phone number should be included, and a fax number if you would like, but an e-mail address should be a top priority. There just isn’t any excuse today not to have at the very least an e-mail account for your business. There are many free options online, and many Web site hosting companies offer free e-mail addresses as part of a package.

Whichever route you take, don’t skimp on the e-mail. Your clients today are probably connected to their Blackberries or iPhones most hours of the day, and are probably multi-tasking as corporations try to squeeze more work out of fewer bodies. By offering a way for buyers to choose how they want to communicate with you, you’re making it that much easier to do business with you.

Once the contact information is taken care of, it’s time to decide what else to list on your site. When the Internet was still fairly new, simply putting up an equipment list was probably enough. However, unfortunately, many buyers today know next to nothing about how print works. They don’t necessarily care what machines you own, or how many of them. What they care about are applications.

Instead of, or in addition to, an equipment list—which, it should be noted, should always be completely up-to-date if you do list one—offer a variety of case studies and capabilities. Get quotes from clients who loved your work, and get their permission to have pictures of the job along with it. Talk in a generic way about the types of projects you can do, from direct mail to variable data, to large-format signs and billboards.