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Most business cards are nothing extraordinary and get shoved into a wallet or purse where they quickly forgotten and never see the light of day again. And because of that you lose business. A prospective client will never get to know about your extended opening hours, your outstanding customer service or bonuses for repeat customers.

Business cards can say a truckload about your business. A card printed on inferior paper on your home printer or is riddled spelling mistakes it reflects on the way people think you will conduct business. It doesn’t matter if you have won thousands of awards for customer service or your products have been voted the best in Australia. If your business cards look cheap and nasty, you might as well kiss customers goodbye.An innovative and professionally printed and well-designed card sends a good first impression which will remain long after your initial meeting.

But what most people forget is a business card, no matter how attractive it is, if it doesn’t have a marketing strategy tagline, you are just throwing your money down the drain.

You need to give clients a reason to contact you- something more than just promising no appointment is necessary or that you’re located in the centre of town. You need to let people know why you are the person they should contact. Can you provide a free 15 minute hair consultation or will you offer a complimentary facial with any 30 minute massage?

What can you offer? You need to make this clear on your business card. It can be one of the most effective, portable marketing tools next to a printed brochure if done properly.
To ensure the job is done correctly, it may help to enlist the help of a graphic design studio who can give your business card the flair to grab attention and help you come up with a catchy tagline.
It will be the difference between whether your business card is stuck to the fridge or relegated to the back of a wallet.

We’ve all heard the expression outsourcing, but what exactly does it mean? Basically, it’s when one company hires another business to perform work on their behalf.

So instead of having a graphics department or using a marketing agency where promotions may run behind schedule and cost exceed your budget, your organisation might decide to outsource its art work to another company specialising in graphic design. For example; if you wanted to design flyer and posters for your next promotion, you would outsource, rather than employ a full-time designer or expensive agency.

Outsourcing is a smart, invaluable resource. So what are the benefits of outsourcing your graphic design needs?

Cost-Effective.

It’s not the only reason, but it’s certainly one of the major factors. At first the initial cost of outsourcing might seem to be expensive, but you have to look at the whole picture. For what it would cost you to set up top quality computers; graphic, web design and virus software plus upgrades. If you are currently using a marketing or advertising agency, be sure to shop around. independent graphic designer will be able to offer you a much more competitive price.

Time-Efficient.

Good outsourcing companies have resources to start jobs immediately. Their staff specialise in their niche so the quality end product is delivered to you much more quickly than if it were handled it in-house . By the time you advertised, interviewed, hired and trained the right person, with right graphic designer, the job would already be completed and on your desk.

Less Stress

Focus on what you specialise in. If your business offers services from automotive to zoo keeping, outsourcing your graphic design needs can allow you to concentrate on what you excel at. Instead of slaving in front of a computer attempting to design a flyer, write a catchy headline or crop an image, you could reduce your stress by leaving the design aspect to a professional graphic designer.

Competitive Pricing. Companies who try do everything themselves end up spending more on improvements, advertising, and distribution, all of which are passed on to clients. Designating your print or web design project to a skilled designer will enable you to lower your overheads, therefore allowing you to offer a more competitive price to your customers and increase profit.

Improve Quality.

Outsourcing your design projects to professionals who specialise in their field will guarantee a professional result. Not to mention, familiarity with market trends and can help you refine your ideas to get the message across to your target audience.

Decrease risks.

Every business venture has some level of risk – market fluctuations, competitors, government regulations, economic conditions, and forever changing technology. Outsourcing companies handle this risk for you, and given they are experts in their area, are able to decide best how to avoid these risks.

Typography is an art which takes time to perfect. While there are no hard and fast rules to adhere to, there are some basic principles you should keep in mind. Font selection is not about choosing your favourite typeface at the moment. The best artwork in the world -be it a corporate newsletter, tri-fold brochure, website or business card can be ruined by using the inappropriate font. So with over absolute tens of thousands of font families and hundreds of weights and styles, how on earth do you choose?

There are several essential elements to consider when considering typography.

1. It has to be easy to read. With all the funky, artsy fonts which can look awesome with their jagged edges or flamboyant swirls, it’s imperative to choose one that is easily readable. Visually appealing artwork services no purpose if it’s illegible. Keep it simple.
2. Is your text for the web or print? Despite the thousands of font families available, only a small selection is deemed to be web safe (i.e.: will appear correctly on most computers). Googling web safe fonts is the quickest way to find a list of types you can use without its appearance being altered.
3. The font you select for a modern dance poster will invariably be different than if you were designing a brochure for a government department. Think about your client and their target audience before making a decision.
4. Don’t use a potpourri of fonts. It is advisable to stick to just one or two different fonts which complement each other. A jumble of diverse fonts and styles can make your design seem unprofessional.
5. Size does make a difference. Font size needs to big enough to read effortlessly, but not so huge that the reader finds it annoying. If the type is too small, it can be straining on the eyes for extensive paragraphs.
6. Select a front with an appropriate positioning for the letters. Some fonts with unequal spacing can make reading more challenging.
7. Consider utilising the services of a graphic design studio. Their expertise will guarantee you professional results and essentially save you time and money.

Once upon a time letter boxing flyers, a series of radio commercials or a late night advertising promotion on TV would have been considered more than ample for an effective advertising campaign. These days to reach the throngs and guarantee your promotion is a huge success, you need to use an eclectic mix of mediums.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know what influential resource advertising on television can be, but what many people fail to realise is the power of print. Combined with a well-designed and easy to navigate website, a catchy print advertisement can assure your campaign is a huge success.

Before you splash out and place a print ad in the local paper there are a few things you should be aware of to get the most out of your print advertising.

Use Memorable Keywords

Apart from including your web address, you need to use memorable keywords. Readers won’t remember the web address, but they will recall other items such as the product, company name or slogan and turn to a search engine to locate your site.

Use your Print ad as a Teaser

As print ads are static, it’s hard to give readers a complete overview of your product. This is where you website comes in handy. Use your print ad to attract people to your website where you can show off everything your product or service is capable of.

Utilise Your Website

Not everything about your product or service is able to able to be included in a print ad. Incorporate the important aspects in print, anything else (For example; tech specifications, 3D photo tours, photo galleries and in-depth customer testimonies) can be included on your webpage to aid the buyer in making a decision to buy your product.

Never Underestimate the Power of Print.

If you’re not using print ads to reach your target audience, you are losing out on potential online traffic and income. Sticking to one medium can isolate prospective customers. It’s important to get the right fusion of print and website advertising.

Engage a professional.

It can be a daunting decision when it comes to spending money on advertising, but it’s worth engaging a specialist graphic designer. Whether it’s designing a website, flyer or press advertisement, a little extra cost is worth it, if it gives you the edge over your competitors.

Email marketing is one of the most lucrative tools you can utilise to effectively reach people interested in your products or service. It’s an inexpensive, environmentally-friendly and a faster way to touch base with your customers, increase sales and traffic to your web site.

Ensure your email marketing campaigns are successful by following these simple tips:

Set clear objectives

Firstly, you need to make a decision about what you would like to achieve. Do you want to acquire new customers or do you want to contact your database of old clients to remind them of what you offer?.

Build your email list

Utilise your current customers as well as having a prominent subscribe box in the page header of your website. Ensure mailing lists have a “double opt-in”. This means when a user subscribes to your mailing list, they will receive a link to confirm their subscription. Make yourself familiar with the email marketing laws

Avoid spam filters

Steer away from spam trigger words in your subject heading e.g.; Free, Quote, Trial. Adding a “add me to your address book” guarantees subscriber’s mail ends up in their inbox, not with the junk mail.

Personalise it

Customers want to feel important, not like they’re just another number being bombarded with bulk emails. An individual greeting and subject line are more likely to be opened.

Make it professional

Copy should capture the reader’s attention, be concise and easy to understand without any typos. For a professional touch hire a graphic designer and a copywriter if writing and presentation are not your forte.

Use a powerful call to action

The ultimate result is for your customer to respond to your offer. Make it clear what the reader needs to do and set a deadline to create a sense of urgency.

Testing, Testing…1,2,3

Split your customer database list and use a variety of subject lines, content and offers to discover what works best. This will allow you to determine what is effective.

Monitor your results and follow up

Use a hosting system which allows you to track delivery of your campaign. This will allow you to monitor distribution, bounces, unsubscribes, opens, clicks and website activity. Make sure you follow up comments, emails and feedback.

There are logos and great logos! We’ve compiled a list of what makes a great logo. Apply these characteristics to your company logo to make sure it measures up. If you can’t answer yes to these nine traits, it’s time to call the team at XDesigns and grab a logo overhaul.

1 Is your logo simple? 

Make sure it is straight-forward and easy to read. It doesn’t have to be a convoluted design interlaced with vector images and clip art. 

2 Is you logo memorable? 

Can you look at the logo for two seconds, close your eyes and then recall every detail of it?

3 Is your logo appropriate?

Do the fonts suit the company it stands for? For example, if you have a day centre for children does the font suggest playfulness and fun? The same font you use for a day care centre wouldn’t be appropriate for a law firm or financial institute.

4 Is your logo adaptable?

Does it translate well when you resize it to be used for office signage or a car wrap or is it only suitable for business cards and office stationary?

5 Does your logo reflect the vision you have behind the brand?

Take Nike for instance. The name comes from a Greek Goddess and means goddess of victory. The icon used in the logo is used to depict the wings of the Goddess but is also resembles a tick, which enforces positivity. 

6 Is your logo more than just a plain font on a coloured background?

It’s important that your logo reflects the service or product you provide. For example, the Woolworths logo incorporates a green apple into the design.

7 Does your logo stand out from the crowd?

It’s important when creating your own brand that your logo doesn’t mimic other businesses. You need the logo to remind people of your business, not think “Hey, that logo looks just like Coca Cola”.

8 Does your logo make good use of space?

Your logo should be easy to read. The letters should be well-spaced, not jumbled altogether. It should incorporate icons into the design and not have them added as an afterthought.

9 Do you know what makes a great logo?

If you’re still confused even after reading this blog, it won’t hurt you to send your logo to XDesigns Advertising for a logo health check.