Impressions - February 2016 - 51

By hosting all of their designs
and styles in one shop, they can
confidently and easily reorder
one or 100 pieces. This goes a
long way with customer service
and encourages loyalty.
Having a website does not mean
instant recognition on search engines. You must make it visible
to searchers. The higher up in
Google search results your website is, the more traffic it will
see. Following are several budget-conscious steps you can take
to help increase your placement.
1. Sign up for and engage in
everything Google. Open every
possible Google account in your
business' name and add content or
update these sites regularly. To
name a few: Blogger, Gmail, Google
Maps, Adwords, Google Analytics,
Google+, YouTube, Google Domains,
Google My Business and AdSense.
2. Do everything possible that
is relevant. The more your business name and location are seen
by Google, and the more you update
content, the more Google will
engage with your business.
3. Learn simple SEO and keyword
theories. Keep track of all your
activity with Google Analytics.
This is imperative for understanding which keywords and search
terms are most relevant to your
customers' searches and how users
engage with your site.

as expensive and complicated
as standard SEO work. My philosophy for social media is to
contribute, but don't obsess.
Spend money elsewhere. Part of
the beauty of social media is that
it's free, so take advantage of
that and don't get suckered into
expensive ad campaigns.
I find the most value in Facebook
and Yelp. The latter, like Google,
is imperative because it prominently features customer reviews,
which are important. If using
Yelp, encourage your customers
to use this feature.
Hit the Streets
The relationships you develop
with your competitors is essential for gaining referrals and
capturing your target low-minimum
market. Your website is capturing data and leads daily. Both
of these are critical to growth,
but it may not be enough. You
may have to pick up the phone or
go door-to-door to promote your
services.

When it comes to getting your
name in front of businesses,
remember that you have a distinct advantage over your competitors. You can make custom
samples quickly - and for next to
nothing. Find companies in your
area that need apparel, create
a custom logo or borrow their
existing logo from the Internet
and make a sample. Take it to
their location, include special
pricing, and sell yourself and
your shop's capabilities. Be proactive and use one-off printing
to your advantage by offering
personalized samples that will
wow your prospects.
With more time and dedication
than money, you can professionally
promote a credible and visible
DTG business. Remember, just having a printer will not guarantee
success; you have to sell the
capability. Have fun, make money
and happy printing. 
John LeDrew is the DTG director at Melco Intl., Denver.
For more information or to comment on this article,
email John at jledrew@melco.com.

Dominate Your Local Market
Try to pick a business name that is
available for a .com address; it's
best if your company's name matches
your URL. You also can try to tie
in your region. For example, the
domain name "seattlecustomshirts.
com" will immediately pop up for
anyone searching for custom shirts
in the Seattle area.
Ensure all of your marketing keywords also include your area of
operation. For example, instead
of paying for the keyword "custom
shirts," narrow it down to your
region, as in "custom shirts seattle." If national acclaim is your
focus, be prepared to pay heavily
to be seen.
Social Media
Social media marketing can be

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