Internet vs shop ???

[Robert Lambie]

have you every looked at most of the online banner selling fascilities and the samples of work they offer? do not go there, let the cowboys keep the penny pinchers while the rest of us get on with some real work.

my personal view over signs is that its a face to face type business. come in, sit down, discuss requirements etc or go out and do same on site. even then its difficult enough. now lets go back to that internet online designing, pick a font, colour etc ive yet to know of anyone to make money at it. in theory sounds good but i bet the phone gets lifted in the end with some time waster wanting a building wrap banner for £10.

use your website as an online portfolio, by all means list prices etc but unless you have an extremely clever and expensive programe, tons of money to chuck into promotion. ide ditch the idea of the online banner guy.

oh and off the shelf sign stuff… well i think we can thank ebay for that being covered too. 😀

[Peter Normington]

if you are geared up to print a single type of media, banners or pop ups etc,
then there is no reason why you cant make money at it. people have the choice to shop around, and the web is as good a place as any for banners and pop ups, some are good quality, others may not be so good.

the market is going towards quick and cheap, a banner, by definition, is a quick and cheap solution, major supermarkets and the likes of McDonalds have very cheap (in terms of material) banners.
So yes people will buy from the cheapest source, and if you want to compete, then you must sell added value, but hard to convince the buyer that your banner is worth more than the competition!

Peter

[Shaun Cleary]

Do a lot of customers use you offline, I would rather do quality work offline but I am wondering if the work is there with banners being so cheap online (Crap products but cheap).

I mainly ask because most of the guys round me offer banners as a second thought over installing signs.

Have sales in banners dropped drastically over the years with the internet prices ??

[Karl Williams]

I’ve dealt with a lot of customers that have bought signs off ebay. They thought they were getting a good deal. Most come back and admit half heartily they made a mistake. People who in my opinion operate through ebay don’t appreciate the value of the product they’re selling. If you can’t appreciate the value of your products or an industry your involved in you won’t last long. Believing that what you do is worth while will make you a success so playing at the game won’t get you anywhere. Customers in all walks of life want value for money but they don’t want crap. I’m finding the majority of my client base is returning. They now appreciate the value that I give them not just in customer service but quality and the face to face contact. My advice……..don’t @rse around at it and charge the right price and stop devaluing a trade that’s far more important to the economy than people give it credit. 😉