With over a billion websites in the world, setting up a site shouldn’t be an afterthought. Remember that first impression is everything, and you want your customers to have a memorable experience when they visit your website.
Studies show that the global attention span is dwindling very fast. This is primarily due to the influx of content that ‘compete’ for our attention. Therefore, a website should not only be aesthetically pleasing but should also reveal its purpose in the first few seconds.
In this article, I will be discussing two websites, namely Shutterfly and Gold Level Print, which will give you an idea of what factors you need to take into account when setting up a website.
Interface
The Shutterfly homepage has a plethora of information on its homepage, which at first glance, might be confusing. The top left corner has two logos, which makes it challenging to understand the purpose of this site.
Below the logos is an overstretched menu of their services. This is if you are viewing from a computer screen. This site is, however, mobile-friendly and has a fast load speed. One thing to note is that the site’s optimization has been done correctly. If you look up Shutterfly on your search engine, the site appears at the top of your results. Once you scroll down the website, you will see a list of products that are on sale.
The Gold Level Print website has a clean interface and an aesthetically pleasing design. The logo is eye-catching and also has an appealing font. The header is visible and spells out the content for this site. Once you scroll down the website, a list of their e-commerce services, as well as testimonials, appear.
Both of these websites have SSL encryption that creates a trust factor for their visitors. What’s more, is that they both have email opt-in forms that provide discounts once you sign up. One thing to note is that they both lack a live chat website tool.
Services
Shutterfly offers a variety of products, which include photo books, cards, and stationery. These products can be customized into different designs, colours, and formats. Shutterfly, however, does not sell any business cards. They do have calling cards that lack comprehensive customization features.
Their personalized kids’ items are perhaps what gives Shutterfly an upper edge. These products range from kids’ room wall art and décor to fleece blankets and bean bags.
The Gold Level Print website offers a different set of products from Shutterfly. Their specialization is in business cards and log design. This site provides professionally designed business cards.
All customers need to do is type their design vision as well as logos and images that they would want to be incorporated into the final product. Once you have uploaded and purchased the design, the gold level print designer works on the business cards and delivers them within two business days.
The customer is allowed to make two revisions for free if needed. The short turnaround time gives Gold Level Print an upper edge among its competitors.
This website also offers basic and premium logo package options, respectively. The marketing team of experienced designers helps customers in creating a brand identity. They believe in 100% originality. Therefore, they design the logo from scratch, avoiding the use of templates as well as robots.
Gold Level Print also offers both online and traditional marketing. These include social media marketing, flyers, signs as well as billboards.
Banners are great marketing tools for any business. They need to be visible as well as have a wealth of information. This form of display advertising increases brand awareness and draws attention to a business’ services or products.
By creating a buyer persona, a business can target people that are potential customers through banners. Additionally, a company may use Google Analytics to track website traffic as well as the number of people that saw and clicked your banner ad.
One of Gold Level Print’s unique products is the standard retractable banner offered in both silver and black. These banners are not only portable and lightweight but also come with a carrying case. They are made from aluminum hardware, which is an eco-friendly metal.
This retractability enables customers to store it easily when not in use, making it very durable. The Gold Level Print designers are available and willing to help their customers in developing artwork and overall design. Customers are allowed three free revisions and receive the final product within four to six business days.
Another effective marketing product is the pop up banner that is mostly used as a trade show display. Most people are skeptical about purchasing displays and lean more towards rentals. Gold Level Print is aware of this factor, so they offer highly efficient and durable purchase pop up displays.
Specifically, the 8ft Curve Velcro Fabric Pop Up Display that is very simple and quick to assemble due to its pop-up mechanism. The Velcro fabric is not only durable but also low maintenance.
Gold Level Print has an array of flyer designs ranging from postcards and door hangers to table tents. The in-house designers also assist in the artwork similar to what is done in logo design.
Quality
Gold Level Print offers excellent quality products at reasonable prices. They offer PNG, PDF, and JPEG files in all their logo designs. Their banners are of high resolution, are scratch-resistant and can be washed regularly.
Additionally, their flyers are coated with a glossy aqueous finish and made from premium gloss books. All their products have excellent photographic qualities. The use of aluminum in their displays makes their products both eco-friendly and durable at the same time.
The marketing team at Gold Level Print is both professional and experienced. They offer a step by step process that involves their customers in the complete design process.
The products offered by Shutterfly are more or less informal but are highly individualized for each customer.
Prices
The products offered by both sites are different, so it’s no surprise that their prices are entirely dissimilar as well. Shutterfly products are very affordable, with most of them ranging between ten to thirty dollars. These products are unfortunately not for official use and are therefore only appropriate for informal events.
Gold Level Print products are a bit on the pricier side, but make that up with giving value for your money. Their package deals offer significant discounts, and the exceptional quality helps you save more money in the long run.