Running a business in the 21st century seems to be getting more complex by the day. As little as ten years ago, you could get away with not even having a website. If you had a website, it could have just been one page with an address and a phone number. Many businesses did have thriving sites by this time, but they weren’t absolute necessities. Now, there are many people who don’t even leave their houses to shop. So, every business is attempting to grow its online presence. That means you are now competing with businesses all around the world for a share of the market. In the past, you would have a corner on the market in your area; you would only have to compete with other businesses physically in your vicinity. Now, you could be in Adelaide, selling running shoes to someone in Oregon, U.S. That means your competitors can, too. So, how do you compete?
Local
Not everybody is enamoured with the complete globalisation of business; many feel that it leads to a depersonalisation as well. They want to have a relationship with their businesses. To that end, you can compete with the huge multinationals by reaffirming your place in the community. You can remind your neighbours that you are a business that is a part of the community. That will remind people you can be trusted. Also, many people just like local businesses so they can try things on and don’t have to wait for shipping to get them in.
Signage
Signage is a great way to remind people that you are close by. When it comes to banners, stickers, magnets and such, you can’t exactly deliver those over the Internet. The key to big signages such as banners is to make sure they are bright and visible. That means you should invest in a banner that is made of a durable material such as PVC. PVC is weather-resistant, fade-resistant, and tear-resistant. That means it can hang outside for a long time before it becomes faded and worn. If it’s bright and easy to read, everybody driving by will instantly know about your business. They’ll also know exactly where it is.
When it comes to smaller signage, you want to make it informative as well as useful. That’s why refrigerator magnets are such a great idea. Many people love to stick reminders and notes on their refrigerator doors. So, if you print refrigerator magnets with your logo and your information on them, many people will keep them just for their usefulness. If you, for example, sell running shoes, someone who’s not in the market for running shoes might keep a magnet for its utility. Then, months later, when they are in the market for running shoes, they might purchase them from you because of the magnet.
Obviously there’s no guarantee that magnets will increase your business, but getting your name out there is great marketing. Many printers in Adelaide can suggest even more techniques for creating compelling marketing strategies.
