We love to design... "There's no such thing as a free lunch"

"There's no such thing as a free lunch" so the saying goes. According to Wikipedia, this well-known saying means that "things that appear to be free are always paid for in some way".

Well, when it comes to free design, never was a truer word spoken. 

However, you've got to consider: "If design is free or cheap, something's gotta give?!"

We regularly speak to people who are doing their 'design' in Word, are getting their mate's brothers great-aunt to 'knock it out' or have been offered free design 'in with the print price'....

I understand that budgets are tight at the moment, that it's tempting to cut corners but how will you pay in the long run?

Well in my opinion, through lower (if no) brand awareness, through not being taken seriously by clients and competitors, through lower sales, ultimately through failure to get your business off the ground!

Significant research by The Design Council backs up my opinion, showing that businesses that invest in design show higher and faster growth and are less likely to compete on price than those that do not.

We've recently been working with a lovely chap called Mark Woodward of Green Directions. Mark has a fantastic business - a virtually self-sufficient conference, meeting and training centre based in the Peak District National Park.

Mark is extremely passionate about his business and has a strong ethical approach. When he launched his business, he got a website through BT. They also offered to produce his company logo for free within the package.

When Mark approached us, we asked him whether BT had taken any steps to understand his business, whether any time had been spent getting to the bottom of what he wanted for his business and how he would take it forward and whether it was a professional designer producing the logo. The answer was, of course, 'no'.

So, with no further ado, please enjoy looking through the range of branded designs we produced for Green Directions, from an original and eye-catching logo identity through to double-sided stationery and recycled brochures and leaflets. 

I'm sure you'll agree that investing in design makes all the difference!

 

If you, or you know anyone, who would like a free marketing consultation with me aimed at identifying how you can improve your identity and business materials, please shout up. It's what we're good at! 

Talk soon,

Sarah 

A revamp is as good as a rest...!

Well, actually a rest would be nice but in the absence of that, a revamp can do wonders for your company image!

We are often approached by businesses who have hung on to the same design and same finish for a good number of years, without realising the impact that a dated image can have on their clients' perceptions.

Below is our latest case study of a really simple revamp with a BIG impact, making use of StarMarque (or Spot UV for those in the know).

We are receiving so much feedback from clients who tell us that using StarMarque helps them to stand out against their competitors and creates a talking point at networking meetings. With so much 'noise' out there, it's important to find a way to break through it and that's what StarMarque does!

Check out the 'before' (flimsy card, metallic finish with dated foiling lettering)...

With some very simple tweaks, but keeping the layout the same on the client's instructions, we have produced a smart, professional and eye-catching design which brings the image right up-to-date...

The final bill for 2000 StarMarque Business Cards, full colour both sides with design? £165. Bargain!

If we can do the same for you or any of your associates and colleagues, I'd love to hear from you! 

Don't forget that until the end of June our StarMarque Business Cards are on offer (StarMarque Business Card Offer) so there's no better a time to get your image 'bang on trend'!

Sarah

If printing.com did websites....

... they'd be low cost, hassle-free, avoid jargon and be easy to update.

Which is why, over the past couple of years we've developed technology which allows us to deliver just that!

I know what you're thinking. A printing company producing websites? What good'll come of it?

Well, bear in mind that whilst we're extremely skilled at producing fabulous design and print, what we do 'behind the scenes' to ensure we deliver to such a high standard is driven by a superb, state-of-the-art, proprietory IT system and it is through this expertise that we've developed a unique piece of software which allows us to incorporate Update Centre, a handy piece of online technology (no downloading neccesary) which allows you to easily manage content and images so that your site stays up-to-date.

Through Update Centre, you get the flexibility of a content-managed website without the normal costs involved. Everyone's a winner!

So, with all of this in mind, check out our most recent site produced for Paul Hawtin of Derwent Capital Markets Ltd. For those of you who follow this blog, you'll remember the very sexy range of marketing materials that we produced in January for Paul ("We love to design.... A 'Capital' Achievement". This website represents the next stage on in this project.

 We were naturally chuffed to receive the following feedback from our client Paul: 

“Once again printing.com have nailed it! We wanted to build a new website to allow prospect clients to find out detailed information about us over the internet.  It was important that the site incorporated our new company design and marketing look which printing.com did perfectly. The process was very simple and hassle free, they did all the design and coding for us and we can now access the site directly through their Update Centre to update the website as and when we want. A job very well done. Thank you!”

 

So, take a proper look and it goes without saying that we'd appreciate any feedback, comments or suggestions you might have:

www.derwentcapitalmarkets.com

If you are looking for a low-cost web presence, why not contact us for a free consultation. If we believe our system is suitable to deliver to your brief, then we'll provide a competitive quote and all going to plan, we can have your site up-and-running within a couple of weeks.

For the full story, check out www.websitesbyprinting.com

I hope you've found this all useful and that we can speak to you soon about how to grow your business online.

Sarah