Archive for June, 2009

First impression is the most important

By | June 29, 2009 | Micro Business Issues | No comments

From time to time, members from the Vistaprint staff will contribute articles to the Vistaprint Small Business Blog. Today we have a post from Dave Ball, Creative Director at Vistaprint.

Dave Ball

David Ball

It’s an old adage, that you only get one chance to make a first impression, and as a small business owner or consultant that’s out there networking, your business card is often the first piece of collateral.  The reason why the design of your card and what it says about you is important is because it’s something that people will use to remember you, and ultimately, whether or not they want to continue to connect and do business with you.

Some of the most important things to consider when you’re designing your first business card are very simple.  For example, put yourself in your customer’s shoes, and really look at what your business cards say about you and the service

Read more…

Covering all the bases – Ad Agency (Pt 4)

By | June 29, 2009 | Offline Marketing | No comments

Welcome to the final  installment of Covering all the Bases, if you missed out on any of the other  sections, please visit Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3. Today we will discuss perhaps one of the more important aspects of  selecting an ad agency.

Melissa Crowe

Melissa Crowe

People matters – When talking to the team that will be handling your account, make sure that they have your best interest in mind. For instance if you have a set budget, will they help cut costs in some areas to stay under budget? Read more…

What does your brand say about you?

By | June 24, 2009 | Offline Marketing | No comments

As you may have seen, Vistaprint recently unveiled a new brand image (click RebrandLogoFacebook_FINALhere to see the press release). Aside from the new logo and site design, the company is increasing its focus on our loyal customer base.

With brand on the brain, I wanted to emphasize the importance of branding for your small business (click here to see all of our posts on the subject).  Your brand is what customers associate themselves with and should be visible on all of your marketing materials from business cards and postcards to signage on your office and vehicles. Read more…

Covering all the bases – Ad Agency (Pt 3)

By | June 22, 2009 | Offline Marketing | 1 Comment

Welcome to the third installment of Covering all the Bases, if you missed out on our first two sections, please visit Part 1 and Part 2. Today we will discuss three more steps to take to make selecting an ad agency a little less complicated for you.

Ask for referrals – Ask an agency who’ve they worked with in your industry. It is important to know what kind of similar problems that they

Melissa Crowe

Melissa Crowe

have solved, and you can also contact their former clients to see what they thought of their experience. Asking for referrals will actually show a company that you are serious in working with them. They will also be more than happy to give contact information of past clients with similar needs.

Plays well with others – Make sure that your voice is heard. You don’t want to get stuck with an agency that will create a campaign that they see as best, regardless of what you think. Lines of communication should always be open, allowing both sides to work together to create a successful project. Read more…

Summer is here: What should you be doing?

By | June 17, 2009 | Micro Business Issues | No comments

While summer is a great time for people to take vacations and get out of the office, a recent USA Today article by Laura Abrams notes summer

Mindy Sanderson

Mindy Sanderson

can also bring fewer people calling, coming through the door or clicking on your company’s website. During a time when your customer traffic and sales may already be slowed by a sluggish economy, you may not be looking forward to the slow summer months.

Abrams offers some great tips you can implement in the next few months to help your small business stay visible to potential and existing customers. A few tips include:

  • Develop your fall marketing plan. Be ready to hit the ground running when your customers are ready to start buying again. Figure out your strategy; work on your marketing materials; line up trade shows, sales calls, and advertising. Beat your competition to the best prospects after Labor Day. Read more…

Covering all the bases – Ad Agency (Pt 2)

By | June 15, 2009 | Offline Marketing | No comments

Welcome to the second installment of Covering all the bases, Click here if you missed part one.  Today we’ll go over three additional tips to help make selecting an advertising agency for your business easier.

Good things come in small packages - Big agencies will sell themselves with countless success stories and a large employee pool to draw from. However, you need to be the center of attention with your agency. Read more…

Is Your Marketing Evolving?

By | June 10, 2009 | Offline Marketing, Online Marketing | No comments

With so many ways to reach customers in today’s day and age, sometimes it’s hard for small businesses to decide what’s best to use, what it can handle on a week to week basis, and what might be the most effective in driving customers to a business and revenue into your pocket.  But as we’ve said in the past, one thing you’ll always have to do is market effectively.  But how, where, when, and how much is what separates the great companies from the failures, and as your marketing efforts evolve, so will your business and your personal relationship with customers.

Read more…

Covering all the bases – Ad Agency

By | June 8, 2009 | Offline Marketing | 2 Comments

The old adage says, “Image is everything,” and when you’re marketing a

Melissa Crowe

Melissa Crowe

company there couldn’t be a more true statement. When considering launching a new brand, marketing campaign or re-branding, the first step to take is choosing an agency to work with.

All agencies have the capability to create a logo, write promotional

materials and set campaigns in motions – the question is which one will work best for your company? Read more…

Dealing with angry customers

By | June 5, 2009 | Retaining Customers | 1 Comment

No matter how well run or popular a business is, there will always be a customer or two who are not 100 percent satisfied. While their frustration can come in any number of ways, how you deal with these customers will ultimately define your business in the minds of your customers.

Whether you use traditional customer service tactics like phone or email support or more Web-geared methods like online chat or social media pages like Twitter or Facebook, the most important thing to keep in mind is that want to turn the angry customer into a happy one that will return and do business with you again in the future. Read more…

Creating a user-friendly site

By | June 3, 2009 | Site design | No comments

From time to time, members from the VistaPrint staff will contribute articles to the VistaPrint Small Business Blog. Today we have a post from Kirk Doggett, the User Experience Principal at VistaPrint.

In today’s marketplace it is rare to find a business that does not have some type of Web presence. A website, even a small one, is as essential to your business as a business card

Kirk Doggett

Kirk Doggett

or email address to even the smallest of businesses. It allows you to be found by potential customers (Click here for some tips on increasing Website visibility) online and also allows you to showcase your wares. While it may seem simple to just throw everything out there and wait for the business to roll in, however there is a rhyme and reason to creating a great site.

Take a look at Amazon, Google or our site and take a look at the look, feel and flow of the sites. Notice that everything flows and provides an ease of use for the customer or user, depending on the purpose of the site. When designing your site it is also a good idea to check out leaders in your space to see how their site is laid out and to borrow some of the things that you think would work for you. Read more…

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