At least 76% of small businesses rely on printed advertisement in their marketing strategy. Having well-designed, good quality paper marketing provides a good first impression to potential customers, before they ever step foot on your premises, and the opposite can be said of paper advertisements that have amateur designs, and poor quality printing. As such, finding good commercial printing companies that produces high quality printing jobs at a low cost is a big advantage to a small business.
Before you entrust your business’ marketing future to one of the commercial printing companies that came up in your Google search, here are eight signs that will help you identify which commercial printing companies are worth the money and which commercial printing companies you should steer clear of:
- Longevity. Look into how long the printer has been in business. If they have a long history, it might indicate that the quality of their work has helped them maintain a good client base.
- Style. Review other work that your potential commercial printing companies have produced. What impression does it leave you with? Does their style align with the look you want your business to have?
- Reputation. Contact past customers and ask about their experience, the quality of work produced, and the consistency of each of the commercial printing companies you’re considering. You can find reviews both on most commercial printing companies’ websites and on third party websites like Yelp! and Yahoo. Keep in mind that sometimes negative reviews are unavoidable for commercial printing companies and clients who had negative experiences are probably more likely leave a review, and some negative reviews should be weighed out accordingly.
- Technology. The printing industry is constantly evolving and new technology and equipment affords the printer more options. For example, some commercial printing companies are able to use software that merges your marketing material with personalized information of each recipient, so that each of the thousands of copies is unique, older equipment cannot interface with such software. Also, more modern printing equipment improves quality, speed, and price.
- Security. If the printer is going to be handling personal customer data for personalized print jobs, security is critical. Make sure they follow online security protocols and have have adequate privacy, repetitive firewalls, and contingency plans in place.
- Efficiency. Most commercial printing companies will tell you the most common question they get is about turn-around time. If given the choice, you should probably choose quality over quick turnaround, but it is good to know if the printer you’re considering offers rush printing in a pinch though.
- Pricing. If your only qualifier is price, you’ll probably get what you pay for. But everyone wants a good deal. It’s a good idea to get bids from several sources so that you understand fair and competitive pricing.
- Client Support. Good communication throughout the design and print process can make or break a big print job. Pay extra attention to the commercial printing companies who assign a project manager as a key contact on your job, it’s a good sign that customer satisfaction is made a big priority.
Do you have any tips to add to our list? Please share them in the comment section below!
