Many need more time to explore the world of Web-to-Print before diving in, but developing the online presence can begin today, with PrintSites. Maybe you’re not quite ready to launch an online print store, or perhaps you’re taking the time to first develop a line of proprietary print templates. Either way, you can still have a professional, print-centric website from PrintSites for a reachable monthly cost. PrintSites lets you build fantastic websites for printers. And when you’re ready for Web-to-Print, the PrintSites platform is designed for a smooth transition. Unlike other website templates or developments, the PrintSites software development has been completely driven by a multi-generational group of printing professionals, which means every aspect of the printing business has been considered. It’s very easy to showcase and promote print-related niche products as well as company specialties. PrintSites is sophisticated enough to give you the SEO tools you need for online traffic, and friendly enough for most users to build and launch a site without IT support. The PrintSites software platform has been completely driven by a multi-generational group of printing professionals, which means every aspect of of the printing business has been considered. And if a printer is not quite ready for the world of web to print, or web2print requires further exploration, PrintSites is a platform that is poised for that transition. Printers can enjoy having a professional presence at a low monthly cost, and engage the online shopping cart at any time.

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For small business owners, news of a struggling U.S. Postal Service could cause alarm, leaving some to wonder how they will continue to manage their direct mail campaigns, invoicing, and product fulfillment. This may be a good time to review alternative providers, and also review ways to improve efficiencies. After all, the struggles of the USPS will hopefully not mean the end of traditional printing and mailing services. A few suggestions:

1. Plan to plan, and not use expensive overnight delivery. It can be outrageously expensive. Instead, back time your deadlines so that letters and packages have the luxury of traveling by snail mail. USPS may also be slower as a result of reduced hours and manpower.

2. Clean out and pare down your mailing list. You may not have given too much thought to your throwaway recipients, but now is the time to quit paying for non-prospects. Consider asking customers to Opt In to your mailing list with a return card or email response.

3. Shop around for competing services from UPS, FedEx and others. You might find an eager competitor who wants to entice you to switch over sooner rather than later.

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How many really good photo cards did you get this Christmas? At my house, we have a basket on our kitchen counter of every card, newsletter and photo that arrives between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Many were great – some were…miscalculated. Our good friends in Northern Michigan sent a collage, with one photo being their son meeting the President of the United States this past Autumn. Unfortunately, the photo was so microscopic, that we would not have known without the caption who were looking at. I don’t know…if my kid met the President…I might make it the hero of the photo montage, and certainly make sure the image was crisp and clear. Many did a great job, however, using the many print templates available online. It’s so easy now to transfer a digital photo file to a photo template and create something really memorable. At least half of the Christmas cards we received were photo cards. I suspect this number will only increase next year, as ease of use improves, and new template designs entice. It’s no wonder that our press story on holiday templates has been read well over 1,000 times since its post. If you’re considering setting up an online PrintSites web to print solution, don’t put it off. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can build up your own customer base, and give them the holiday templates they’ll be looking for in 2012.

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Which came first: the online sale, or the printed catalog? Okay, obviously the printed catalog pre-dates the online sale. But for a time, conventional wisdom led some to believe that customers would transfer their affections to the online venue, and forget their desire to flip through a printed catalog. These retailers were in for a big shock, however. They found that online sales decreased in conjunction with fewer printed catalogs arriving in homes. Conversely, they found that printed catalogs actually helped boost online sales figures. Seems that customers want both a catalog in their mail, and one on the Internet. Famous online retailers such as Zappos have publicly made it known that their customers who had a dip in their spending habits revived their spending, and responded well to printed catalogs. The printed catalog encouraged sales, even online.

A major university also found colorful catalogs to be helpful. The newsprint, black and white catalog produced little to no response. But, with the same catalog in glossy full color enrollment went way up. So much so, that they multiplied their printing run for the following semester. Confirmed by the US Postal Service, printed catalogs motivate buyers to spend money when on the website. The fact is, printing a catalog can boost purchasing, even online spending. Even The Sharper Image has revived their printed catalog, after a few years of attempting to shift exclusively to an online business model.

This can be encouraging news for the print shop owner who thought Internet sales were taking over. These printers are further encouraged by the huge strides being taken by PrintSites web to print ecommerce platform; the 2012 PrintSites+PLUS platform will allow native file uploads, multi-page design and large format printing. For a live demo of PrintSites+PLUS, simply reach out to info@printsites.com. For inspiration, simply check your mailbox – which is no doubt overflowing with evidence that the printed catalog market is alive and well.

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A perfect Thanksgiving metaphor: Mr. Potato Head portraying other W2P solutions trying to catch up to PrintSites (portrayed by the nimble Pikachu).

Time really does fly when you’re having fun…and also when you’re developing a wildly sought-after software development. It seems like we just returned from September’s Graph Expo – and to be honest, we just finished unpacking the last of the cargo! But only because we’ve been laser-focused on discussing the new PrintSites+PLUS Wide Format platform with so many interested prospective customers and partners, while also meeting the sales demands and support opportunities of our PrintSites 3.0 customers. This week, however, the PrintSites team will take a deep breath as we consider how thankful we are for how far we’ve come, and for the developing milestones and news on the horizon. First of all, we are thankful for the original vision for a true and limitless web to print solution from Rick Rockman III, and Rick Koester. They continue to build on their own original concepts at lightning fast speeds, while challenging the rest of us to bring our A-games, daily. We are grateful to sales leaders Patrick and Corey for tirelessly – and I mean tirelessly – promoting our product and investing themselves into every aspect of this product. We are thankful to Todd for creating the endless layers of the user interface with one hand, and for overseeing a talented template design team with the other hand; for Scott, Gary, Fred, Nate and Dan who deliver their brilliant software architecture and development skills every day; and for Rasheed, for project managing high level aspects of our application into the wee hours of every night. Meanwhile, Russ and Bryan keep the 3.0 trains running on time, making sure that our existing customers are fully supported. We are also thankful for our many customers, for our prospective partners, as well as for Christina, Penny, Roni and Amanda – and the many new team members who will be joining our team in the next few weeks. This is a week to count blessings, and to indulge a little. Now, get back to work. All of you. – Happy TH, Kathy

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Create a Niche Market, such as Holiday Postcards

We want to spare you the hackneyed Field of Dreams analogy. But the sentiment is there: most over the counter printers have no real idea how to build a web to print site that Internet customers will come to. And to be honest – even with built-in SEO tools and knowledge of this space, it requires diligent effort to successfully compete in the world of online print design and ordering. But it can and does happen!

Once your site is live, you might start wondering how to compete online with the mega-printers who are offering business card printing for spare change. First, read the essential tips in our How-To Basics article. Next, consider that it might be unrealistic to throw your hat into the low-price business card arena as a way to build online traffic.

The reason the big online printers are pumping millions of dollars into marketing business card printing for pennies is this: they want to attract customers who, when done ordering their business cards, will shop for other products. So, how can you move the needle in the online print fulfillment space, and attract customers?

Consider creating a Niche Market, and then funnel your marketing efforts to it. A Niche Market can target a specific product, or even an industry. Here’s what you need to know: the more pages, keywords and content you allocate to your Niche Market, the more the web crawlers will identify your online webstore as a good match for search results, and the higher your search engine ranking will become.

High search engine ranking often translates to increased traffic from customers who are specifically searching for your products and services. (The resources you allocated to your Niche Market should be paying off in the form of higher traffic volume.) If you’re getting traffic to your site, show them what they came for: online print templates for the products they’re searching for.

Let’s say that you’ve created a Niche Market of Holiday Postcards. You may have developed several pages of content within your site devoted to this niche. By using your webstore’s built-in SEO tools, you have created a great online environment that the search engines will love, and will send people to as they browse for Holiday Postcards. (And because you’re brilliant, you had your designers create unique print templates for this specialty product.)

Now, how do you convert them into a buyer when they arrive at your site? By having your great holiday postcard templates displayed prominently in the banners, in the navigation and in a callout box. If your web to print solution doesn’t give you these capabilities, consider switching to one that does.

At PrintSites, we are a big fan of Niche Markets. We have offered great Niche ideas to our customers, and have also run with their ideas. (Sorry, can’t share the specifics.) We have helped several printers reach page one of Google for specific Niche-related keywords and search terms. We find it exciting to track their analytics, and see how this strategy works to build traffic to their site.

For more details on using SEO tools, creating print templates and changing your print store online, stay tuned to the ‘How To Tools for Printers’ located at PrintSites.com. Check the bottom navigation for the link to this valuable page that’s great for all printers.

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Create New Designs for your Print Site

One industry that can accommodate both over the counter traffic and online sales is the local printer. The appetite for a brick and mortar print shop will likely never go away, yet more than other service providers, printers can also cast a net for revenues from a national group of clients by launching a print shop online.

Here are easy steps that nearly 98% of printers fail to do when they take their printing services online. By following these easy steps, you will be in good company. The nations most successful printers follow these best practices. When you start off strong, you can establish your online store for optimal online traffic.

First, when you take your store online, quickly establish email communication with your offline customers. If you do not already have their email addresses, get them. Call them on the phone if necessary, because you need to leverage your existing customer base. Then you can begin sending email offers and promotions to jump start online sales. This is a great way to prevent losing them to another online print provider. It also allows them to create a user profile, which you can use for future promotions and offers.

If you launch a new web store for print orders, be sure to link your new site to any websites you already have. Your existing website is already indexed by the search engines. Linking them together will help the ranking of both websites. Be sure to place a prominent widget on your established site, so customers will know about your online services.

Use the built-in SEO tools in order to drive traffic to your web to print site. Many printers ignore the metadata, which tells the search engines the content of your site. Populate the fields that ask for your title, your keywords, and your meta description. While metadata is no longer the holy grail it used to be,this simple step will give you an edge over printers who ignore the SEO tools completely. If your printing website does not have SEO tools, seriously consider switching to one that does.

Create new print design templates for your online print shop. Buyers will often decide on a print provider based on creative, fresh customizable templates. Your online design studio should come with a built in template library, but adding a line of new designs will set you apart, and keep customers coming back to see new products.

Refresh your storefront often, and update your offer before it loses its effectiveness. Your print shop online is a live environment, so change it often to keep your customers interested. Watch the top online print providers. They work hard to show their visitors new products and incentives.

For more details on using SEO tools, creating print templates and changing your print store online, stay tuned to the ‘How To Tools for Printers’ located at PrintSites.com. Check the bottom navigation for the link to this valuable page, that’s great for all printers.

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No matter when the Expo lands, it will catch us before, during and after becoming a better and more robust web to print software solution for a growing audience of appreciative printing professionals.

Chicago at Night

The Graph Expo is a month away, and there are no shortages of companies who are getting ready to make a proclamation or announcement in September in Chicago. But for PrintSites, this is not our first time at the fair. In other words, while we are eagerly anticipating the Expo, our enhancements will not wait for the Expo, nor will they stop at the Expo. PrintSites is continually evolving and implementing fast and furious improvements. No matter when the Expo lands, it will catch us before, during and after becoming a better and more robust web to print software solution for a growing audience of appreciative printing professionals. We have many who have put stock in our ecommerce solutions and licensed integrations, and many more experiencing our Industry Exclusive Demo, and we are certainly not going to hold up product enhancements for the prospective customer. But believe us when we say: there will never be a shortage of continual product improvements in the PrintSites camp. This is how we roll.

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Print designers: it’s time to jump into the world of online print design profitability. For about what you pay for one of your utilities, you can create a fully functioning ecommerce PrintSites website as a platform to sell your unique designs. The best news is this: you can also profit from the printing orders that your designs generate. Unlike some of the websites that showcase an artist’s photography or designs, along with order forms for printed deliverables, you can build your own showcase. Sell your own work. Choose your own print fulfillment partner. Think you know what people want in a birthday card or wedding invitations? Then a low priced Designer Package is a perfect way to generate online print design income. Once you sign up for a PrintSites ecommerce webstore, you’ll have a library of over 7,000 print templates to start with. Then you can begin layering in your look and feel, and your print designs. Create an online print boutique, or a mega-traffic web powerhouse. PrintSites gives you the platform for adding SEO content and metadata, which will help draw Internet-based customers. You can create an email list of customers, and reach out to your existing base, while growing your list of loyal customers. And your home page can be as creative as you are – it will be a completely customized web presence. So, get on it. You have the freedom to design, and profit.

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I was about to write off the end of The Office, Season 7, as a show that could not survive without Michael Scott – but I could be wrong. The writing was pretty funny, especially when it came to interviewing the manager candidates. Will Arnett told the search committee that he had a 3-Part Plan for doubling profits, but wouldn’t reveal it. “If you hire me, you get the plan,” he told them. But he did concede to giving them “part 3 of part 2.” Funny. But it also made me think of the parallel between this and SEO advice. No SEO expert will divulge the entire SEO plan, because we’ve all had to learn what works and what doesn’t work the hard way, over months and years of efforts. Building up the right kind of traffic to a search optimized website requires continual, trackable, hard work – and no professional is willing to have their trade secrets be a completely open book. True, there are best practices that we all know and adhere to as closely as possible. And it’s also true that most of our reward is the result of labor, and not because we know secrets that others don’t. For my PrintSites customers, I spend a great deal of time creating a favorable search environment, but it can still take months to move the needle and see some traction on Google Analytics. In my new series for the PrintSites newsletter, I will begin sharing some of the parts of the SEO Plan. Please feel free to visit www.printsites.com and sign up for our newsletter so you can catch many of the parts. Of course, if you join PrintSites…you get the whole plan.

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