Confusing Customers

Do you confuse your customers? You might be. Better check.

Following are selected items from a very long list of products and services from a typical print shop website:

Color Copies
Digital Black and White Copies
Digital Color Printing
Digital Copies and Photo Black and White
Digital Output
Offset printing
Full-Color Printing
Color Copying
Color Duplicating
Color Output

Imagine you’re a customer looking to get some stuff printed and you see this. You’re not a printing expert, so what do you make of these things? What might be going through the customer’s mind?

Questions? Confusion? Felling insulted? What do you think?

“What’s the difference between digital color printing, digital output, full color printing and color output? Am I [the uneducated print customer] supposed to understand these things? Do I have to go research the differences? What do I ask for? What if I can’t answer the questions correctly?”

“What’s offset printing? Do I need that? Does it cost more? Is it better than digital? What’s the difference between printing, copying and duplicating? Is there something less than full color?”

“I just want some stuff in color. Maybe I should go to someone who regularly deals with dummies like me rather than these professional printing people. I don’t want to look like an idiot.”

“What’s the easiest way to get my printing job done without having to be an expert?”

What if you greatly simplified this list to something such as:

All types of color printing and copying…or… A full range of color printing and copying

Does that address the customer's needs? Will that make it easier for him/her to call you for help placing an order?

The point here is to question whether you might be making things more confusing for customers than need be.

Don't forget to check out the PrintShopMarketing.com website for more tips and ideas. Or, see our EZ-VDP.com for ideas about new print-related products and services.