For print and mail shops, your website plays a key role in connecting with new customers and supporting existing ones. If you have an older website, you are losing business without realizing it because users are influenced by how sites look, how fast they operate and how easy it is to find the information they want.
In addition, your website must be responsive, meaning that it can be easily navigated on smartphones, tablets, and other devices. Even if an older site can be viewed on a smart phone, if it is not specifically scaled to this device it will be difficult to navigate and people will switch to a company that has a site that is responsive. For these reasons and more, it’s time to update your website to engage potential customers and increase sales.
Some companies are foregoing websites in favor of using social media platforms alone as a communication and marketing tool. This option ignores the role that a website plays in local searches on Google and other search engines. Here are the reasons why you need a quality website:
1. 97% of consumers go online to find and research local businesses and 93% of searches
start with a search engine.
2. 88% of consumers who search for a type of local business on a mobile device call or go
to that business within 24 hours.
3. 30% of consumers won’t consider using a business without a website.
4. 75% of B2B buyers say digital website content impacts buying decisions.
Without a website, you simply won’t be found by the people in your area that are looking for print and mail services. However, having a poor website can be just as damaging.
☑ 75% of consumers judge a business’ credibility based on their web design.
☑ 79% of shoppers will not purchase from a site that is slow to load.
Sites that are difficult to navigate, i.e. those are poorly designed to deliver required
content, turn away prospective customers.
☑ 61% of users don’t return to a mobile site that is difficult to access and use.
Whether you have no website or one that is poorly designed or out of date, it must be designed
and updated to connect with your local print and mail customers.
Fresh content alone is not an updated website. To truly create the site that will increase views and sales, you must address several factors.
1. Visual Appeal. Your website needs to reflect your business and present it in a professional manner. Use photos and text to share information about your business and use page tabs or menus to make information easily accessible. For a print and mail shop, you could have tabs for business and professional services, print and mailing services, holiday and special events, school activities and events, etc. If you offer package deals or specials, have a tab for those. Again, photos are a great way to show the quality of your work.
2. Responsiveness. Up to 70% of web traffic comes from mobile phones, so you need to have a responsive site or be left behind. A responsive site is more than simply being able to view it on a phone. It must be designed to look great and be easy to navigate, including everything from a desktop computer to a smartphone or tablet. It should dynamically adjust to each of these devices to keep potential customers engaged. This scalability is a necessity to be competitive today and in the future.
3. Security. Older sites are easier to hack simply because hackers have had longer to get past old firewalls. You may not think that security matters on your site, but if you keep any client information, you need to update your site security. And before you think it can’t happen to you, here’s a scary statistic – 61% of small businesses experienced a cyber attack in 2017, and 60% of small businesses are forced to close after a data breach. Just because you’re small doesn’t mean that you aren’t a target.
4. Fast Load Times. The faster your site loads, the higher your Google ranking and the happier viewers are. Both of these facts improve your ability to capture new customers. There are many factors that go into developing a site that has faster load times, and you need to work with a web designer who can help you achieve this.
5. Easy Access to Business Information. Older websites have a “contact us” page, which is still good, but not enough. A great website should have contact information on every single page so that a customer doesn’t need to leave your page on mailing services or business card designs to reach out to you with questions or orders. The longer you can keep people on a page and on your site, the better your chances of getting a sale.
6. Calls to Action. Every page should also have a clear and concise call to action. Whether it is a button that says ‘order here’ or ‘contact us’, keep it simple and easy. For print and mail companies, giving people the opportunity to scan and upload content or images for printing, or the ability to schedule an appointment to discuss a project, improves your ability to convert a website visit into a sale.
7. Social Media Integration. If you use any type of social media, from Facebook to Twitter, use plugins that invite site visitors to follow you on these platforms. It increases engagement and will keep your business present in their minds long after they have left your site.
Your website matters more today than ever before. For print and mail shops it is a critical customer funnel, and to maximize this process your site must be fresh, easy to use and scalable. It’s worth the investment of time and money to update your site, given all of the benefits it delivers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
