‘Everything is digital’ you may be thinking. Sure – it’s more convenient, cost effective, and better for the planet. But that doesn’t mean you should retire print all together.
In a recently conducted survey of more than 800 respondents, FedEx demonstrated emphatically that professional printing services help four out of five small business owners stand out from the competition. The survey revealed that although we live in an increasingly digitally driven world, everyone, from customers to business owners, prefer the tangible characteristics of printed materials. Print is comfortable, familiar, tactile, and 49% of survey respondents said, “A world without paper would make them feel stressed or annoyed.”
How Small Businesses Should Use Print
What will make your small business stand out from your competition down the street? Printed brochures, business cards and your most commonly used materials, gives potential customers a personal way to get to know you – something they can touch and take with them to remember you by.
Eighty-five percent of consumers agree the quality of print indicates the quality of services. Is your print material accurately representing your business? And more convincingly, 85% of consumers surveyed said they are more likely to patronize a business that employs custom professionally printed materials like business cards, signs, flyers or banners.
Think about that well-designed flyer, a cool business card, or something that can be interactive. This will leave a lasting impression on consumers, whereas scrolling through hundreds of sites might not make your brand stick.
And, let’s face it; print can stand the test of time. Technology dies but print lives on. In fact, nine in 10 consumers, an overwhelming majority, agree that the need for printed materials will always exist – and we aren’t just talking about the Baby Boomer or Gen X customers, millennials love it too. Close to half of them like to have something professionally printed at least once a month. And in a more formal business setting, print is especially important to customers with relation to official documents and contracts.
This article was excerpted from Why 4 of 5 Business Owners Believe in the Power of Print by Small Business Solutions blog by Xerox.