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Archive for August 2019

Post Printex 2019 media specials.

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Photo Direct in Wide Format Media with Comments Disabled Last Modified August 23, 2019

Did you miss Printex 2019?

Don’t worry you can still take advantage of our post show media specials.

HP Media

HP media is designed to meet the needs of graphics, photography, and technical professionals. All products deliver vivid, high-quality prints and offer excellent price-to-performance ratios.

DGI Canvas

DGI Canvas is a fantastic quality Polyester/Cotton Blend Canvas that does not sag in the frame over time and does not grow or shrink when printed, with acid free coatings and water-resistant surfaces created to suit pigment inks reduced optical brighteners for a longer lasting image.

Photo Smooth Pearl 290

Photo Smooth Pearl has a natural white base and an instant dry, micro-porous coating.  The paper’s wide colour gamut and high D-MAX delivers beautiful images, both in colour and B&W. Over the last two years Fotospeed have worked on creating the perfect Smooth Pearl Digital paper. This paper has become a market leader and is the reliable go to paper for photographers the world over.

 

Special offer ends 15th October 2019 – Minimum order of 5 rolls (mixed)

Email orders here or Phone 1300 364 817, Fax 1300 364 825.

Or contact our Technical Sales Representative Stephen Cordner on 0415 845 649

or email Stephen here.

 

While stocks last. Above prices are excluding gst, 10% gst applies.
$25 handling fee will apply to orders under $500 excluding gst.

 

The top 5 reasons small retail businesses fail

The top 5 reasons small retail businesses fail

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Photo Direct in Education with Comments Disabled Last Modified August 21, 2019

Around a third of new businesses fail in the first two years, and half in the first five. But many businesses fail for the same reasons. In the independent retail sector, business failure could be prevented by recognising some of those potential pitfalls. So what do small business owners need to recognise in order to continue thriving for years to come? Here are five common pitfalls for small retail businesses.

Limited marketing.

While word-of-mouth marketing is great, businesses that rely on it tend to go broke faster than the small businesses that invest in other areas of marketing. You simply can’t bring in new customers if those customers don’t know that you exist. While small businesses don’t need a multi-million dollar marketing plan, some marketing is essential to survival. Low cost marketing, such as social media marketing, online ads, email newsletters, and advertisements with local news and radio outlets, can help keep the doors open — and customers coming in — for years to come.

A bad location — online and off.

While marketing is essential, some customers will find you simply by driving by your business — if you choose a good location, that is. Convenience is a big factor for brick-and-motar customers, and an out-of-the-way location negates that. Make sure customers can find you easily — and that they’ll come back often — by choosing an ideal location.

Similarly, your business should also be easy to find online. Creating an SEO-friendly website with a simple URL is an important part of building a successful business.

Not charging enough.

Yes, small businesses still have to compete with the big box stores — but many small businesses fail simply because they don’t charge enough to cover overhead costs and leave room for growth. Don’t make what should be a limited time sale a 24/7 deal, or you could end up closing your doors.

Struggling through the slow seasons.

Every business tends to have a slow season — but that’s not the time to put your feet up on your desk and relax. Don’t just sit and wait out the slow season. Build up your marketing tactics, plan a sale or event to get customers in the door, expand your social media marketing efforts. Work  to build a more predictable cash flow, and your business is more likely to succeed.

Buying the wrong merchandise — or too much of it.

What you sell matters, but navigating what to sell and how much can be tough for new business owners. Be sure to look for a product that’s in demand with your particular customers. Understanding trends is your industry helps tremendously when choosing stock. Along the same lines, avoid investing too heavily in a new product before you know how well it will sell.

Small businesses are quick to blame big businesses for their struggles — but if that were the case, the rise of retailers like Amazon would have eliminated every small business. More often than not, it’s the choices that the business makes that determine whether or not the retail company succeeds. By understanding the potential pitfalls, small business owners can navigate their way to a long-running, successful business.

QR codes are far from dead - here’s why your small business should use them

QR codes are far from dead – here’s why your small business should use them

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Photo Direct in Education with Comments Disabled Last Modified August 14, 2019

When QR codes first launched, marketers hoped the black-and-white scannable codes would bridge the print and digital world. But despite all the hype, QR codes didn’t meet see explosive growth early on. The codes required a special app to use, which besides eliminating the people that didn’t know how to use the codes, could even take longer than simply typing in the URL address itself.

QR codes may not have had the rapid rise originally hoped for, but in 2019, QR codes are no longer underused, funny looking graphics. Now that most smartphones can scan QR codes without a dedicated app, the use of QR codes are on the rise. A report by Juniper Research suggests the scan-able codes will reach one billion smartphone users by 2022.

So how can small businesses integrate the now hot QR code into their marketing campaigns? Here are five QR code marketing ideas, besides just sending customers to your website.

Use a QR code to link to a digital coupon. Clipping paper coupons are a thing of the past. With QR codes, shoppers can scan a code from a printed advertisement and save a digital version to their smartphone wallet, easily recalling the offer when shopping later. Besides saving a few trees by not printing off all those paper coupons, QR coupons are easier to manage and harder to loose. You can even use the element of surprise and use a code that says “scan to see how big your discount is.”

Use as QR code to encourage social media followers. QR codes can be linked to a number of different things — including your social media profiles. Most major networks will allow you to generate a QR code linked to your social media page. Integrating an easy-to-scan QR code allows shoppers to easily find your social networks, which can increase your followers, and that’s never a bad thing.

Give shoppers more details on your products. The packaging only has so much space. A QR code can help customers easily find more information about that specific product. Think outside the box — link to a how to video, a page of customer reviews and more, simply by adding a QR code to the package.

Send shoppers to a dedicated app using a QR code. Does your business have its own shopping app? A QR code can lead shoppers right to downloading the app, simplifying the process of shopping with an app.

Use a QR code to make your physical location — or even contact information — easy to find. Did you know you can link a QR code to your physical address, phone number or email? If you are using QR codes in marketing placed outside your business, a QR code can help potential shoppers find directions to your location, or even dial in your phone number with a quick scan.

QR codes may not have been successful right off the bat, but thanks to improvements in the technology and widespread use, QR codes are gaining traction. Small business owners can use the scanning codes to do more than just send shoppers to their website.

Bindomatic Accel Ultra and Accel Ultra Plus

Posted on August 7, 2019 by Photo Direct in Equipment with Comments Disabled Last Modified August 7, 2019

The Bindomatic Accel Ultra

– High capacity thermal binding
– Batch-load 50 documents at one time
– Up to 45 times faster than traditional methods
– Binds one document per second

Double your loading capacity!

New ground has been broken in document binding efficiency with the new Accel Ultra. Designed with the high-end user in mind, the Ultra boasts double the loading capacity and has cut processing time in half. Our third-generation thermal binding machine binds one document per second –  45 times faster than punch & bind and 30 times faster than tape binding.

Our innovative Drop&Go Technology truly sets the Ultra apart from all others. By batch-feeding up to 50 documents into the machine, the operator is free to work in parallel. You simply Drop&Go!

Thanks to its intuitive simplicity, ease of use, and binding speed, the Accel Ultra is the ideal binding solution for users that bind large volumes of documents at once; many times the perfect solution for large print room or CRD environments.

See how the Bindomatic Accel Ultra works here.

The Bindomatic Accel Ultra Plus

  • + stands for Extra Thick Documents
  • High capacity thermal binding for documents 150 sheets to 360 sheets. (300 to 720 pages)
  • Batch-load up to 12 documents at one time
  • Up to 45 times faster than traditional methods
  • Binds one document per second

The most efficient way to bind expanded spine sizes.

The new Bindomatic® Accel Ultra+ takes the speed of the Bindomatic® Ultra and gives you the ability to bind thick documents with the same ease and simplicity that Drop&Go Technology offers.

Thanks to its enhanced capabilities, intuitive simplicity, and binding speed, the Ultra+ is the ideal binding solution for office/corporate walk-up print stations, as well as volume demanding CRD or commercial print environments with the demand to bind 150 – 360 sheets.

 

Come and see first hand our amazing suite of Bindomatic Machines at the Photo Direct Stand #E06 during Printex 19 (Sydney Showground 13-16 August, 2019).

To order call (03) 9894 1644 or email us today

5 Social Media Marketing Trends Small Businesses Can’t Afford to Ignore

5 Social Media Marketing Trends Small Businesses Can’t Afford to Ignore

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Photo Direct in Marketing with Comments Disabled Last Modified August 2, 2019

Social media is no longer a nascent technology, but as the category grows, small businesses only have more reasons to devote effort into social media marketing. As social media becomes more integrated into everyday life and consumer decisions, capitalising on the trends becomes paramount. Social media trends can highlight ways for small businesses to expand their efforts and grow their social marketing reach. So what do small business owners need to know in 2019?

More consumers say social media is important in making purchasing decisions. In 2016, only about 45 percent suggested that social media played a role in purchasing decisions, but in 2018, those numbers rose to 58 percent, according to the 2018 Social Commerce report. The trend suggests that more shoppers are using social media to make buying decisions.

More consumers are using their mobile device for shopping. More potential customers are likely to see your social media posts and ads from a mobile device than a desktop. In three years, the number of respondents in a GFK survey that list their mobile device as the most important shopping tool jumped from 29 to 45 percent.

Customers are hesitant to use the buy buttons on social media. Despite the growth, small businesses may not want to spend too much effort in creating options to buy directly on social media platforms. The 2018 Social Commerce Report indicates that 82 percent of consumers have never used the “buy now” buttons on social media that allows users to buy without leaving the network. So what’s the hesitation? Most said that privacy concerns kept them from purchasing on the platform, a key concern as many networks face cringe-worthy privacy scandals.

Chatbots are increasingly helpful. Chatbots aren’t just helpful for businesses trying to keep up with customer questions. The Social Commerce Report suggests that 72 percent of shoppers that used chatbots found them helpful. The number of customers willing to buy through a chatbot also jumped by twenty percent.

Video will continue to dominate. Visuals always bring more interactions than text-only posts, but videos are seeing big surges in growth. The latest studies continue to suggest videos will dominate social media, suggesting small businesses should focus on integrating more video content into their social media marketing efforts. Live video is also a big draw, since many platforms send users notifications for live videos.

Social media marketing continues to be a must for business — but looking at the latest trends and statistics can give small businesses a better idea of where to focus their limited time and budgets. In 2019, looking to provide purchasing information on social media, tailoring the message for mobile users, and using chatbots should be a focus, while “buy now” buttons aren’t yet trusted by a majority of consumers.