Be a great big brand strawberry. We’re all in business to attract attention and get picked. Right? The trick is making sure it’s us that customers want to pick. Find out how to get picked.
Nettl of Liverpool
On a regular basis here at Nettl of Liverpool, we’re still occasionally asked “what happened to Printing.com?” When you think about it, that’s kind of like asking “Where did Nettl of Liverpool come from?” Well, we’ll tell you!
Our business originally started in Liverpool under the aforementioned name of Printing.com, which was back in 2005 and as a two-person operation. At that time, our business focused solely on printing and design, providing professional material with an emphasis on high quality and eye-catching imagery for businesses of all sizes and sectors.
Based on Dale Street, one of the busiest streets within Liverpool’s business district, Printing.com quickly became a success, and was one of the more recognisable offices that people would see travelling in and out of the city centre over the next few years. However, as the world of technology changed with the growing importance of the internet, we had to change too, and so our evolution entered a key stage in 2015.
That year, we changed our name to Nettl, incorporating the Printing.com title since print and design remained a key part of our business strategy. However, these services were joined by website design and web development, ensuring that we could cater to the many SMEs in and around the region who require a first-class functional website at an affordable price. This would also lend itself into similar web options such as ecommerce and online booking. This was a crucial time for us, as it allowed us to expand beyond our previous reach, as well as encountering new, exciting opportunities.
In February 2016, we added another service in the form of exhibition design, in particular fabric exhibition stands, which allows ambitious companies to make a bigger impact at networking events and business conferences. The increased range of services necessitated the growth of our team of experts, which now includes Peter (managing director), Thomas, Emma and Stephanie. We have now been around for twelve years, remaining at our prominent office on Dale Street, and it’s been a remarkable journey thus far.
So, for those who still ask us “What happened to Printing.com?”, the answer is: we evolved, and we became the larger, busier and more prominent Nettl. We still offer print and design, but we offer many other equally-vital services for businesses too. And whilst it’s been a great ride so far, we’re even more excited about what the future brings, as we look towards the next step in the evolution of Nettl!
Customers will bail on 70% of online purchases due to a lack of trust. Don’t let a lack of credibility cancel your sales. Take note of these 7 essential considerations to help build trust online.
Getting the most from selling online
Part one: Merchandising your online store
As more and more people get in the e-commerce action it’s important to remember how it all started. Shops and stores showcased their products, built their reputation, looked after their customer base and spread the word.
Although as technology and behaviour changes, and a whopping £133bn a year is spent online, has the philosophy behind retail success really changed at all? Or have popular e-commerce stores taken the essence of what works on the high street and simply delivered these values online?
It may seem like a whole new ballgame but the principles of our offline shopping experience remain steadfast in our experiences online. Utilising these principles in the online world will help you get the most from your website:
- Merchandising your online store
- Credibility and trust
- Customer experience
- Making yourself known
Merchandising your online store
Seeing as your product is the star of the show, today we’re going to start with #1, merchandising your online store. Let’s begin by checking off some important tips to help you showcase your swag.
Real world example of e-commerce merchandising done well
Online fashion retailer asos.com do pretty much everything right. The site is oozing with aspirational lifestyle images, detailed glamorous product images and cat walk videos.
On the one hand they face a significant challenge. After all, traditionally people like to browse a store and try clothes on. But on the other hand, they have the advantage of tapping into an emotive subject, fashion. Or even deeper, public perception and self image.
How important is photography to my webshop?
When you’re in a real shop, you see the item how it is. Not a small blurry version of it. Seeing is believing. So a lot of effort needs to go into reproducing that visual experience.
You’ve been on gumtree or eBay. The items with the best and most photos stand out. The ropey photos make you think twice. So it’s no surprise that e-commerce sites with great product images outperform ones without.
Good photography improves the perceived quality of your product, can communicate lifestyle values and increase how credible and trustworthy your site appears. We suggest you get a professional photographer to help. It’ll be a smart investment long term. You can use the photos in your marketing, as well as on your product pages.
We can arrange professional photography for you or make a local recommendation. However, if you do not have the budget available right now, you can always shoot the images yourself. Just be sure to consider your lighting and backdrop. Whether you’re using your smartphone or a decent camera, set up a mini studio. Use a tripod, lamp and studio tent. Aim for good light, contrast and consistency. No blurry images, kitchens, bathrooms or unrelated objects in sight!
What product descriptions work well?
Paint a picture. Quality product descriptions help get the sale over the line. They are also very useful for search engines. So your goal is to have words that not only describe the product, but go beyond that.
Sure, list the features, but what are the benefits?
What problem does the item solve? How does it make you feel?
The ‘feature’ of a toy product might be ‘batteries included’. The benefit is that the child can start playing with the toy straight away. Avoids the tears from disappointed littl’uns. Avoids frowning parents making an impromptu dash to the shops.
Tell stories about the product and use words that describe how it sounds, smells, feels, looks. These things will all help elicit an emotional response from the reader.
Scattered throughout this explanation should be a few choice keywords, for search reasons. But it’s important this sounds natural, like a real person would actually say it. No broken English or robotic sounding phrases – this will just put your buyer off.
When you walk around a shop, you don’t read every bit of information, it’s impossible. You scan for bitesize info that you can quickly act upon. This applies online too. So Use headlines, subheadings and bullet points within your description to make your text easier to pick out and absorb.
Does my e-commerce site need product reviews?
It helps, yes. Social proof. Just like in the real world, people are way more likely to believe what someone else has said about a product over what you’ve said yourself.
Especially if that someone has already bought and received the item. Did you know, 61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision?
And if people are on the fence between a couple of options, they’re likely to go for the one with the most positive reviews. In fact, 50 or more reviews per product can lead to a 4.6 increase in sales.
What other information will help people buy?
It’s summer, you want to get fit and spend more time with the family. So find yourself meandering round a bicycle shop scouting for bikes for the family. It’s understandable that you might want some advice to help you decide what bikes suit you best.
Online, in the absence of a smiling sales assistant, your web shop needs to compensate by offering useful guides matched to expected customer queries.
In this instance, you’ll want to have content that explains what type of bike suits your usage, and especially a size guide. Content might be articles, illustrations or videos and could cover things like:
- FAQs,
- Size guides,
- Comparisons,
- Performance charts,
- Instructions,
- Assembly guides (if it’s simple!)
What type of video drives e-commerce sales?
Have you heard of the term ‘showrooming’? That’s where potential buyers peruse the high street shop to browse before hitting the internet to find the best deal online.
But reverse showrooming, or ‘webrooming’, occurs when customers browse online but head to a bricks and mortar shop to complete their purchase. There is an increased risk of this when your website either fails to provide enough information about the product. Or the consumers desire to see the product in action isn’t met.
There’s no better substitute for actually being there than video. Until AR/VR takes over then it’s the best thing we’ve got to demonstrate what the product looks like and how it’s used. Videos that showcase product dimensions, as well as product functionality tend to be really helpful.
Ultimately, it’s good to have video because tests show product videos help sell more.
What’s more,
- 71% of shoppers think video explains the product better
- 58% think companies with product videos are more trustworthy
It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The videos on asos.com are simple but effective. They film the model wearing the clothes marching glamorously onto the set, ready to take the photos. Two birds, one stone.
As a guide shorter videos work best. But although reviews are generally a good thing, research has shown that videos of someone reviewing a product, tended to be a flop with the audience.
How can I design my website to upsell more products?
In stores, product placement is important. Items are often grouped together or advertised as a bundle. Coffee pods by the coffee machines, matching bathroom decor, a discount on shaving products with purchase of razor, that sort of thing.
Plus we are bombarded with last minute impulse buys. Whether it’s batteries by the conveyor belt or the friendly sales assistant on the till. How often have you been asked to consider something extra that you hadn’t originally put in your basket? We heard about one petrol station asking their customers if they’d be interested in the chewing gum deal. Possibly a bit rude. Gum, anyone?
But it works and that’s why they do it. Your website can do this even better, because it can offer a never-ending array of products to you, without getting annoying. Imagine someone at the checkout offering you one product after another, how annoying. And yet your website can display dozens of products throughout the customer journey. As you browse the pages, as you add items to your wishlist and basket, it can follow you around saying “Wow, great choice. Why not get this with it? Other customers bought them together you know.”
What makes an effective webshop category page?
Supermarkets and department stores organise their goods into sections, aisles and departments, so shoppers can make better sense of it all. It helps people find what they want quickly, immerses them in a relevant environment, and adds an element of control to the customer journey.
This is where your category pages come in. They add structure, navigation, enjoyment and momentum to the shoppers journey.
Good category pages will introduce shoppers to subcategories, holding their hand through the journey and guiding them effortlessly to the products they are looking for.
Make sure you use enticing images and descriptions. They will be useful and reassuring for your visitors and also a great place to put your key search terms, ready for those googlebots to find.
Include a customer service bar at the top to build trust. This section could feature a phone number, free delivery message and hassle free returns badge. Don’t overload it with too much info, just enough to reassure the buyer and nudge them along.
How can I keep on top of stock control?
High street stores have limited space. Efficient stock control is the key to having the right amount of stock in the right place, maximising the opportunity for sales.
Most ecommerce platforms have systems in place to help you stay in control of stock levels. But what if you have a physical shop too? How can your till, website, and inventory software keep talking to maintain a healthy stress-free relationship?
If you have an epos now or datasym system, we can help connect your website to your epos equipment and automatically synchronise stock levels between your web shop and your retail stock.
- We’ll import your products from your system
- Review products, add images and detailed descriptions
- Sync your stock levels automatically
- When you sell an item, the stock on your till is automatically updated
- Get paid into your merchant account and process the order
- Despatch or allow ‘click and collect’ and send email notifications to clients
Contact your local studio to get started.
So you see, the values embedded in successful bricks and mortar retail can be harnessed to great effect online, where the potential for sales is greater.
Hope you found part one useful. Coming next, part two, building trust.
But for now, in the words of retail, ‘Thanks, please come again’.
1. The curse of the ill positioned fold
If you’re going to have a large headline or name crossing a fold on your campaign leaflet, try it out before you print 500,000 of them.
Unfortunate fold in Tory Matthew Hancock’s election leaflet for West Suffolk pic.twitter.com/KGSmwq2yQL
— Nicholas da Costa (@nick_dacosta) April 17, 2015
2. The “Edstone”
The stone containing Labour’s manifesto became a source of near universal ridicule. It was compared to the stone tablets in the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments, and to a cemetery headstone. In a matter of hours Twitter users had declared it the “EdStone”.
3. Bringing Germany to England
Beware of using stock photography. The green fields and rolling hills were actually photographed outside the German city of Weimar, birthplace of the famously doomed 20th Century government, defined by economic catastrophe and subsequently replaced by the Nazi party.
4. Don’t contradict yourself.
Voters won’t take you seriously if you don’t have a clear message.
#Ukip confusion. Fools. pic.twitter.com/pTO5Mj5iXH
— Geoffrey (@Geoffrey_M_B) April 19, 2015
4. David Cameron forgets which football team he pretends to support
During a speech on diversity, David Cameron accidentally dubbed himself a West Ham fan despite normally claiming to support Aston Villa. That was awkward.
6. Ukip loses election because candidate didn’t spell party name correctly
It is believed the Ukip hopeful, who has not been identified, wrote ‘UKIP’ as the name of their party on the paperwork. Strict Electoral Commission rules state the candidate should have written ‘UK Independence Party’, as the name of the party must be written in full. As a result, Labour’s Liz Smith won the election by default with a grand total of zero votes.
7. The bigoted woman
Gordon Brown is overheard describing an exchange he had with a female voter as a “disaster” and calling her a “bigoted woman”.
8. Is your message ambiguous?
Get a second opinion before you commit to a design layout to make sure it can’t be interpreted in an unfortunate way!
I’m not a huge fan of them either, Simon, but isn’t that a bit extreme? pic.twitter.com/6qbtMyf6Iz
— Scott Hoad (@ScottHoad) April 18, 2015
9. Make yourself look friendly.
If you’re using a photograph of yourself on your election marketing, make sure it doesn’t scare away the voters.
10. Always check your spelling and grammar.
Obviously.
UKIP never fail to impress… (a leaflet marked by an English teacher in Frome) pic.twitter.com/k5KE9wItRt
— Leanne (@leanne_bisatt) April 17, 2015
11. Beware of placeholder text.
It’s best if you replace these bits with your own words.
@telfordlive perhaps we have to help @trinagilman with a strapline as @TandWLabour seem to be struggling #leafletfail pic.twitter.com/C74uEqbP6w
— Emma Thomas (@EmmaGreenow) April 8, 2015
12. Vote Name Surname.
Having the candidate’s name on any promotional material is quite important
My local Tory candidate’s leaflet came today. I certainly will vote for a candidate with a name AND a surname. pic.twitter.com/5yDm9rYi0c
— William Nicholson (@willnich) April 22, 2015
Kate Roughly, a recent Graphic Design and Multimedia graduate, shares her thoughts on joining our Nettl Academy as a Nettl Cadet.
When I started at the Nettl academy, I felt nervous and excited. I graduated from the University of Worcester last November after finishing my course in May. I have missed designing every day since I finished, and I grabbed the chance to design again at the Nettl Academy.
I travelled down to Birmingham on the first day and felt welcome as soon as I arrived. I met the other designers on the course and we all soon broke the ice and got chatting. I’ve been working full time in retail since I left university so it was great to be around other designers again in this atmosphere.
Chris and Simon who have been leading the course are great at teaching and really friendly too. I love being able to learn again. We have been focussing on web design on the course and learning about Brambl and WordPress. I didn’t do much web design during my time at university so I was looking forward to this chance to learn new skills as a designer.
We began with a group task which was really fun, we were given a brief then had to talk it through, create a launch project for a juice bar and then show our work to the rest of the group. This was nice to start off with and I enjoyed all of it. Even presenting at the end, which I never thought I’d miss!
We then learnt how to use Brambl, a platform Nettl have to make web design more efficient. I’ve only ever used code before which I found difficult and Brambl is much more visual which I definitely prefer. Being able to build the website panel by panel and adjust it visually is easier for me.
After that we looked at WordPress which is a little harder to use than Brambl. Brambl is great but quite simple, whereas WordPress gives more freedom to me as a designer. Being able to use plug-ins, its free to use by anyone, and CSS code can be added to personalise the site even more. I prefer WordPress out of the two platforms as even though it is harder to use, I know that I can still learn how to use it well and then have more freedom with my design work.
We have been given a brief from The Printing Charity and as a group, we are all redesigning their current website individually. This is such a fantastic opportunity as I get to design again and work with a client. The Printing Charity wants a fresh new website that is clearer and easier to follow so the audience can find out what the charity does and how it helps people, as well as letting them donate if they want to.
So far I’ve redesigned the home page for the site and kept it clean and simple, using images of the people involved to help the user connect more with the charity and I’ve stuck to the colours that are already being used. These colours are really bold and look great on screen, it gives the website much more of an impact. I can’t wait to redesign the whole website which will hopefully lead to more opportunities.
I’ve been really enjoying my time at Nettl so far and getting to work with such a great company of creatives. I’m getting to grow each week as a designer and learn new skills which I’m really grateful for.
The Nettl Academy recently opened it’s doors to welcome the first batch of Nettl Cadets onto the training programme. The Nettl Academy is a way for design graduates to gain some experience, get on-the-job coaching and real-world training.
Could you cut it at Cadets?
If you’re a design student, or you know one, we are looking for applicants for next term.
After graduating with a degree in Illustration and Animation, Sean Comrie heard about a ‘cool design experience opportunity’ on the horizon. Welcome aboard the Nettl Academy, Sean. Give us your thoughts on becoming one of our first Nettl Cadets.
“I had spent a couple months working a typical supermarket job whilst desperately trying to find some kind of creative inspiration, admittedly more days spent not designing at all and just focusing on working a very normal job. So hearing of an opportunity where I would get to learn some design skills and get real life design brief experience to me felt like a total win, as at university I had never really experienced doing any commissioned-style projects because that was more catered for the Illustration Graphics/Fine Art students.
Initially, I was very nervous, as I thought maybe I’d lost my edge. I hadn’t designed anything to show others in a while. My projects prior to starting had very much been private and mainly unfinished. But everyone at Nettl put me at ease because they are very friendly and it almost feels like a little family relationship rather than just serious business.
The lessons on web design run at a good pace and are made easy to keep up with, especially for someone like myself with zero experience in web design. After the first couple of sessions using their in-house web design software, Brambl and WordPress, I am slowly getting a better grip of designing for web.
I understand the things required to make an appealing and successful website. In addition to this, the critiques after the sometimes one-day deadline projects are very helpful as they get you thinking of where you can improve and practice quick thinking and execution.
During these projects you also get to work with some of the other cadets. It’s a nice experience meeting new people from different places, much like university again, which is something I really enjoy.
Over the last week I was challenged to create two logo designs for two different types of companies which is something brand new to me as normally logo design is out of my field. But doing this was great fun and I feel like it’s eventually something I will be able to say is part of my designers repertoire.
As I continue through this programme I hope to continue honing such skills and develop others.
The Nettl Academy recently opened it’s doors to welcome the first batch of Nettl Cadets onto the training programme. The Nettl Academy is a way for design graduates to gain some experience, get on-the-job coaching and real-world training.
Could you cut it at Cadets?
If you’re a design student, or you know one, we are looking for applicants for next term.
Click to find our more about the Nettl Academy or enrol.
Tom Read, a current Illustration & Graphic Design student at Coventry University, and one of our first Cadets, shares his experience of the Nettl Academy:
“As soon as I heard about the opportunity to gain real world experience in a professional design studio, I jumped at the chance head first. Something like this isn’t a regular occurrence and having that kind of experience under your belt is vital to a successful career in design.
“Situated in the centre of Birmingham, 5 minutes from New Street train station, the Nettl studio is everything I imagined it to be; modern, quirky and well equipped. Plenty of seating areas, a generously sized meeting room and enough Mac computers to satisfy any Apple fan boy. But the best thing about the studio is its in-house coffee shop supplying the fuel that keeps us designers going!
“The skills we would be developing though out the course were clearly highlighted to us at the start of the programme; the ability to use web building software to create responsive and attractive websites, vital techniques needed to be able to print a range of documents and imagery and marketing, sales and general business skills needed to communicate with potential clients.
“Sounds like a lot of complicated work, but this isn’t the case as the professionals that work at Nettl are there to guide you every step of the way. They run though everything in great detail so there’s no need to feel like you’re unsure as to how something works or is produced.
“I am currently in my final year at Coventry University studying Illustration and Graphic design so as you can imagine, my current background isn’t web design at all. In fact, I’ve only ever messed around with basic web programmes like Adobe Dreamweaver and Muse and so have had no solid experience so you could say I’m a complete novice at this. But fear not, as this does not matter when you enrol onto the Academy course as the professionals will teach you everything you need to know from the ground up from setting up the site to publishing it.
“So, 2 months in and I have learned an incredible amount about this industry. I can say now that I can create a fully functional website using a range of building software completely independently; something I could only have dreamed of beforehand. I am also more aware of key marketing and sales skills to be aware of as well as how to work efficiently with clients to ensure a smooth working partnership is achieved.
“Anyone looking for some solid industry experience should look no further as the answer is right under their noses. The Nettl Academy is exactly that, solid industry experience. I am incredibly grateful for everything I have been taught so far and hope this list only grows over the next coming weeks!
The Nettl Academy recently opened it’s doors to welcome the first batch of Nettl Cadets onto the training programme. The Nettl Academy is a way for design graduates to gain some experience, get on-the-job coaching and real-world training.
Could you cut it at Cadets?
If you’re a design student, or you know one, we are looking for applicants for next term.
Click to find our more about the Nettl Academy or enrol.
The Nettl Academy recently opened it’s doors to welcome the first batch of Nettl Cadets onto the training programme. The Nettl Academy is a way for design graduates to gain some experience, get on-the-job coaching and real-world training.
Here, Chris Locke, one of our first cadets, speaks about his experience so far.
“At the Nettl Academy I’ve been taught how to use certain online applications such as WordPress and the company’s own Brambl to make professional looking websites in very little time.
“The intense series of tutorials have helped to show me how a studio workflow revolves around speed and reliability. Building websites quickly and to a high standard is something I didn’t think I’d be able to do two months ago, but I’m doing two or three in a day now.
“It’s allowed me to get through the swamp of setup relatively quickly and actually get down to designing things, using the skills I honed at university.
“It’s something I can put on my CV, that I’m learning from, and that easily allows me to work a part time while still being involved in the industry I really want to get into. We all know it’s a terrible time trying to find something directly out of university.
“It’s given me a reasonable example of how a studio naturally works. The change of pace is the most substantial difference, making for an invigorating experience. My colleagues and I are receiving a better experience of work than we did at university, and from professionals as well.
“What’s more, it’s free and doesn’t eat into my schedule too much. We can come and go as we please at the studio any day of the week, and Nettl have given us the ability to use web creation software at home as well – though not professionally of course.
“Our input on projects is listened to and we are given proper, harsh advice that we can actually build upon. Not to say that the staff are any less than lovely. Everyone’s friendly and willing to help you out. Simon’s an excellent tutor, down to earth and concise.
Could you cut it at Cadets?
If you’re a design student, or you know one, we are looking for applicants for next term.
Click to find our more about the Nettl Academy or enrol.
Nettl now: Same day printing, delivered FREE in 4 hours
We’re pleased to announce the launch of Nettl now this week.
Our solution to your on-demand print needs.
Nettl now offers a range of popular print products, delivered direct to you for free, in as little as 4 hours. You can order anything from one poster to a few hundred flyers. The service was created in response to client demand. Our studios tell us they are constantly being asked to help with last minute jobs and get clients out of a pickle.
The rapid turnaround is the perfect tonic for when print is needed urgently. Perhaps:
- You’ve been let down by another printer,
- Someone forgot to order,
- You’ve spotted a last minute event opportunity,
Panic not. The NEW fangled way to get printing & display, when you downright must have it today!
Clients place their order online at www.nettlnow.com, upload their print file and then choose a delivery slot, starting within 4 hours. Their order is then printed, packed and delivered that day by dedicated bike or van.
Our pilot service is available in Manchester right now, and following a successful trial period will be rolled out to a further 10 locations and beyond, with plans to offer Nettl now in all major cities across the UK.
Free delivery with Nettl Now is available in the following Manchester postcodes now: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M13, M14, M15, M16, M17, M21, M27, M30, M32, M33, M41 and M50. The service covers the city centre, Ardwick, Ancoats, Blackfriars, Brooklands, Castlefield, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Clifton, Davyhulme, Deansgate, Flixton, Greengate, Hulme, Fallowfield, Ladybarn, Longsight, Manchester Science Park, Media City, Moss Side, Northern Quarter, Old Trafford, Piccadilly, Pendlebury, Rusholme, Trafford Park, Sale, Salford Quays, Stetford, Swinton, University, Urmston, Wardley and Whalley Range.
Become a Nettl Nowmaker
Does your business make digital print or posters? Register to find out more about becoming a Nettl Nowmaker,
