Printers, consider this a public service announcement. When I find myself having conversations with print buyers, they usually drop a bomb with a random comment that needs to be shared.

For the record, I tend to speak with seasoned pros. Not occasional customers. Not crackpots. Not members of gen Z.

I was chatting with an experienced print production manager about working with the industry in general. The conversation tilted toward the challenge of finding new print providers when necessary. True, there are still over 30,000 commercial printers in the U.S., but expert print customers know that all printers aren’t the same. It’s difficult to make the right choice in a print partner.

She mentioned needing a printer in another part of the country, one where she had no experience. Then she added,

If a site is ugly, I don’t go any further.

I hadn’t asked about printers’ web sites. It wasn’t even part of the conversation. But there it was: her reality, and, I suspect, many other print customers’ as well.

How can prospects believe that you’re an innovative and contemporary print manufacturer, one that offers the latest in printing technology, if your site elicits “Ewwws!” and not “Ahhhhhhs!”

Hold a mirror up to your site. What’s your reaction? What vibe is it giving off?

If yours is a sore site for eyes, invest in a facelift. I think this print customer’s opinion is pretty common, and I don’t know many printers who can afford to turn off prospects with a dusty old, worn-out site.