What Not To Do! Seven Small Business Marketing And Designs Mistakes To Avoid
Posted on May 30, 2008 - Filed Under Business
As a small business you try to produce as much of your marketing material in-house as possible to save money. Understandable, and you CAN do it professionally if you avoid these and other common mistakes:
1. Don’t “buy” Free Business Cards. A few printers offer you free business cards if you use their templates and have their contact information on the reverse side. They’re worth what you pay for them. You can print 5,000 two sided, glossy business cards with UV coating for under $150 including shipping. These business cards are exceptionally professional and full color. Purchase them online at a multitude of sites. We prefer PK Graphics for their quality and customer service.
2. Don’t show photos of your building in your literature. Unless you are a retail location or you are selling your building you’re wasting valuable space. Your literature should sell your product or service.
3. Don’t show photos of you in your literature. Are you a celebrity with a recognizable face? Probably not. Again, your sales literature is for SALES! Yearbooks are for faces.
4. Don’t use clip art. Use custom artwork if possible, but if you are forced to use clip art or stock art, make sure that the art is of high quality (minimum 300 dpi jpeg) and that it is CONSISTENT throughout. For example, don’t select one style of a black and white cartoon for one section of your newsletter and ANOTHER completely different style of a color cartoon for another section.
5. Don’t print your literature on an inexpensive home printer if you will be printing in-house. Standard printers are fine for most uses, but they are too limited when it comes to versatility and speed. If you are determined to print your material in-house and you estimate you will print large quantities in a year, consider and electronic printer from one of the larger printer manufacturers. For example, a Xerox commercial electronic printer with replacement ink offers the versatility and speed you need and you can get set up for under $1,500.
6. Don’t “buy” free websites. Simple websites are not difficult to create. You already have the software to create you own site - Microsoft Front Page. Spend a few minutes and learn the software, it’s quite simple. This also gives you the added advantage of complete control of the content, which you can change and upload at any time. Your site will be what you want and will NOT have a prefix in front of the address.
iPower hosting service offers two year hosting AND domain name for about $250 - and you can track results for marketing purposes. They will walk you through the process.
7. Don’t overkill with information. Whenever you are designing a website or marketing materials maintain a good amount of white space. If you try to force too much information onto a limited space it becomes difficult to read and understand.
Neil Walsh
Daba Designs
P.O. Box 255
North Olmsted, Ohio 44070
Phone: (440)465-0744
Website: http://www.daba-designs.com
Tags: ads, advertising, creative, ideas, marketing, mistakes, promotions, sales, small business, tips
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