Are Your Point-of-Sale Materials Ready for the Holiday Season?

If Thanksgiving is a time to relax and enjoy good food and good company, Black Friday is the time shoppers take to work off that meal, arm themselves with coupons, and head to the stores. It also marks the start of the weeks-long holiday shopping season. Don’t miss out on the opportunity by forgetting to invest in eye-catching point-of-sale materials.

According to the National Retail Federation, United States retailers usually make 20 to 40 percent of their annual sales between Black Friday and Christmas. That’s a lot of revenue in just a few short weeks. While consumers are increasingly moving their shopping searches online, 70 percent of all purchasing decisions are still made in a store. That is why effective point-of-sale materials are still necessary, especially during the holiday shopping season.

Point-of-Sale Signage Tips

Changing a product’s signage can increase the sales of that item five percent. Adding a new sign increases sales about the same. Take advantage of the holiday shopping season to change or add signage at your store. Use holiday graphics or color schemes to direct shoppers’ attention to special holiday deals.

When designing point-of-sale materials, a little information goes a long way. You want to invest in signs that are clear, use white space effectively, and direct shoppers to the correct product. To do so, you need a firm understanding of what your shoppers desire and need to know.

For example, sale prices and regular prices should be clearly marked to show shoppers the deals they are getting. If your store offers coupons on some items and not others, your point-of-sale materials should highlight when coupons can be used.

Look Up for Effective Point-of-Sale Signage

If your store has a large retail floor, maximize the ceiling space to help direct shoppers. Many department retailers already do this to show shoppers where the home section is, for example, but the same concept can be used to direct shoppers to your best deals.

If you use ceiling-mounted point-of-sale signage, be sure that the message is clear and readable from afar. Use arrows or other graphics to help point shoppers in the right direction. Then, add point-of-sale materials on the shelves so shoppers know they have come to the right place.

It’s not too late to design and print your holiday shopping season point-of-sale materials. Contact Matreks Printing today at 952-746-4010 to learn more about your options and make this holiday season your best yet.

Digital Printing Increasingly Considered Better than Offset Printing

For years, digital printing has been playing a game of catch-up to its more established, traditional cousin, offset printing. However, print industry experts are starting to rate the quality of digital printing higher than that of offset. Digital printing is a high-quality choice for companies with print projects in the Twin Cities.

Print Industry Survey

A survey of 400 print industry experts in Europe and the United States found that respondents believed digital printing provides higher-quality images and better cost value than offset printing. In fact, over 43 percent of respondents had already made the switch from offset printing presses to digital ones in their own businesses.

Respondents rated several examples of digital and offset printing projects from poor quality to excellent quality. Though experts in Germany believed offset printing to be best, those in the United Kingdom and United States consistently rated various digital printing samples the highest.

For example, those in the UK thought the liquid ink digital piece was the highest quality sample, followed by toner digital and then inkjet. They rated offset worst in terms of quality. Similarly, those in the United States rated toner digital printing the highest quality of all print samples.

Use Digital Printing for Your Next Project

Digital printing offers substantial benefits to companies running advertising projects, billing and invoicing jobs, and countless other print projects. While offset printing does offer a quality product, it is very expensive to proof projects on offset printing presses. For this reason, offset is a less economical choice for short print runs than digital printing, which requires no proof since every copy is an original created from a digital file.

A major advantage digital printing has over offset printing is variable data printing. Since digital printing produces originals from a digital file, companies have the freedom to change information in their project mid-run. This is a great for advertising projects, since businesses are able to tailor their messages and personalize marketing to each recipient.

The next time you need to print a flyer, brochure, postcard, or batch of invoices, consider digital printing with Matreks. To learn more about the benefits digital printing, contact Matreks Printing today at 952-746-4010.

It’s Not Too Early to Start Thinking About Your Business’s Holiday Card

It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Don’t wait until Turkey Day rolls around to start thinking about your company’s holiday card. Plan ahead and save money—and your sanity.

Though it may seem a bit old-fashioned, sending holiday cards to clients can benefit Twin Cities companies. Receiving a card with a thoughtful message and hand-written greeting impresses clients and vendors and can help build those relationships. Companies can use holiday cards internally, too. Recognize a top sales representative’s efforts with a handwritten message or send a personalized note to the whole team.

Holiday Card Tips

Ordering holiday cards early in the season helps you get them out on time. It also helps you avoid a mad scramble to get the cards signed. As you’re considering a design and message, try to keep it non-specific. Remember that your recipients practice a variety of religions, so a Christmas or Hanukkah-specific card may not be appropriate. The possible exception to this rule is if your company or organization is religiously affiliated.

Thinking about your business’s holiday card before Thanksgiving also gives you ample time to think about the design and message of your card. A professional printer can help you create a vibrant design that incorporates your company’s colors, logo, and even its motto. Avoid skimping on paper quality. A flimsy card immediately looks cheap to recipients. Instead, invest in a heavier, higher-quality paper.

You may also consider adding an insert to your greeting cards. While it may be wise to avoid advertising or promotions in your holiday card, it may be appropriate to include a recap of company milestones or events from the past year. Clients, vendors, and employees may find this information interesting.

Now is a great time to be thinking about your company’s holiday card. Enlist the help of a professional digital printer to help you with the design and production of your greetings. To get your holiday card project rolling, contact Matreks Printing today at 952-746-4010.