Gone were the days when print brokers would connect with businesses to sell business cards in the local vicinity and earn as a mediator by outsourcing the project to the local business card printing business. Brands nowadays do not rely on the trial and tested business card designs as it is not just a tool of communication but a means of branding and creating a good first impression on the mind of your prospective client.
The worlds of business cards have revolutionized and corporate enterprises, as well as start-up businesses now, rely on online business card print shops. The reason to that is not only the online platforms are more accessible and cost-effective, but with the advent of web-to-print technologies, businesses can now get personalized and unique business cards without the need of a professional designer. Not only can they choose from the standard repository of business card templates, they can create their customized business cards of any shape, color, material and size they see fit.
Thus, if you too are into the business card printing business and are planning to transition towards the brick and click business model, the market is already established and thus, you need to plan your business strategically position your business on top of the minds of your target audience. How do you do that? Below is the step-by-step guide to establishing a successful online business card print shop with effective growth hackers:
A step-by-step guide to establishing a successful online business card print shop:
1. Extensive Market Research:
The first thing you need to do is study the international business card market. What kind of material do the businesses prefer? Which printing technology provides you with quality results and cost-effective printing alternatives? What are the ideal features of the Business Card Design Software? How much inventory do we need before initiating the business? How do we differentiate our business from that of our competitors? Find answers to all these questions and based on your budget and capabilities, create a minimum viable product plan to position your brand in the market.
2. Identify your niche:
When you transition towards the virtual world, instead of going all out and competing with the giants that already have an established network and business, you can focus on certain niche and industries to establish a strong digital presence and then, expand your business. Identify the niche that you could best serve with your experience, printing technology and design expertise and penetrate the market with unique and innovative business card solutions. When you focus on a niche, you can also limit your inventory investment and plan your marketing campaign accordingly. But do not limit your printing technology and Business Card Design Tool buying decisions based on your targeted niche as you might want to expand in the future and scaling your technology later can prove to be an expensive endeavor.
3. Create a personalized online platform:
Based on what your targeted niche is, plan your online platform in a way that it caters to all the customer expectations and represents industry-specific functionalities. Again when you collaborate with a Web-to-print solutions provider for a personalized online platform development, do not restrict your e-commerce platform selection decision to your targeted niche. Plan for the long term and create a scalable and flexible online business card print shop.
4. Integrate a Business Card Design Software:
To enable your customers to design their own personalized Business cards of any shape, size, material, color and design, you need to integrate an online business card design software. This tool will help your cater personalized products, personalized digital experiences and also help your designers create a repository of virtual business card designs.
Also Read: Evolution of Business Card Selling Business with Online Design Tool Software
5. Establish a strong social media presence:
Once you have a firm base of products and platform ready, you need to reach your target audience with social media marketing. Identify the platforms where you could find your target audience and employ organic and paid marketing strategies for optimum reach.
6. Associate with ICMA:
There is an organization called the International Card Manufacturers Association, join them to expand your network and connect with your contemporaries to stay updated on the market.
7. Create an innovation center:
To keep your business flexible and relevant, create an innovation center where people from different backgrounds will research and identify new trends in the business card market such as Digital Business Cards and 3D Business Cards and others. This will help you stay ahead of the market and grab quick business opportunities.
Take calculated risks or else, it is nothing but a gamble:
When you plan and strategize your business based on statistics and consider all the controllable factors, you can create a business model that has a higher probability of being successful. Thus, you must invest your money by following this guide in a business card print business and ensure success instead of taking a blind leap.
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