The recent growth and digital footprint laid during a period of market uncertainty is the perfect case of how the basic fundamentals - when done right - can have a huge impact on a small business such as this.

The Lowdown

Aurora Print Service is a predominantly online based print shop located in Hobart.

The ambitious owner of the store came to DigiBite Studio to help realise his idea of a growing print store that can cater for the demand he was aiming for, as well as a way to broaden their horizons to offering printing solutions to the rest of Australia - right in the middle of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our solution comprised of developing an easy-to-use and slick website design, capable of fulfilling basic eCommerce needs such as ordering and on-the-spot enquiries. In turn, we utilised a very broad brush SEO campaign that was able to garner them new customers from right across the country.

The recent growth and digital footprint laid during a period of market uncertainty is the perfect case of how the basic fundamentals - when done right - can have a huge impact on a small business such as this.

Things to Consider...

The world of commercial printing is a very complex entity, one where the usual variables of products and quantity are seemingly infinite. Although Aurora Print Service worked extra hard on transparency in their quoting and how additional factors such as material and turnaround would be affecting the price, they couldn't translate their comparatively competitive pricing well in the same manner.

Aurora Print Service had dabbled in the digital world before, and weren't entirely new to it, but did find the solutions they came up with rather limiting for what they wanted to say, and how they wanted to say it. This included such basic examples of never being able to find the right medium to showcase their massive price list via Google's My Business or on social media.

This ultimately was always a roadblock to Aurora Print Service, unable to find a fix to the problem they knew existed, and not being able to reach new or even existing customers in the right way possible.

Don't Blow the Budget!

What also hampered Aurora Print Service's response to the problems they knew they had was that, whilst occasionally they would find a miracle solution, ultimately the dollar price attached proved to be too much of a barrier.

With that in mind, we offered Aurora Print Service a quite versatile but ultimately off-the-shelf template website, one that would prove to be stable, but also one that could be completed both quickly and cost-effectively.

From beginning to end, this project took a month to complete all of the functionalities that were essential for such a business in such an industry. This included:

  • A much more clearer and accessible display of price lists and disclaimers
  • An overall improvement in contact features, including an interconnectivity to Google My Business for quick access of essential details
  • A detailed contact form, specific to services and products offered, to make the enquiry process much easier for both customer and business owner
  • A blog section to offer the business owner to showcase their unique understanding and knowledge of the industry and the products they were selling

The website was build to be seamless on mobile, with an understanding that many of the business' clients were on-the-go and so too were the manner of enquiries sent through. The template approach looked great too, providing Aurora Print Service with a great platform for which to explore further their first foray into the digital world.

Change and Adaption During Uncertain Times

Whilst Tasmania was largely spared from the worst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the state did experience a huge disruption to usual routines for many months, of which Aurora Print Service was not spared.

As a local print shop, the business did heavily rely on the local market and its demands. Like many businesses, they too suffered both a sudden and significant drop in sales during Tasmania's first albeit brief lockdown.

A decision was made by the business to explore online opportunities, specifically eCommerce solutions, as they had a luxury of being able to rely on regular shipping carriers to fulfil orders. In consultation with DigiBite Studio, the decision was made to move the bulk of their efforts online, along with accessible and user-friendly payment options to offer existing and new clients some respite from the downturn of the time.

Both DigiBite Studios and Aurora Print Service worked in conjunction to first figure out which products were suitable for both being advertised online, as well as being sold online given the limited flexibility that the lockdown offered. A broadening of the website's scope through a tailored SEO and digital marketing strategy followed, allowing Aurora Print Service to reach a new market they thought they were years away from reaching.

The results were dramatic. Not only was Aurora Print Service able to reach new customers, but their overall turnover during this period meant they got an immediate return of investment from the website upgrades done.

Does this story resonate with you? Feel free to get in touch with us to see whether this strategy would help you to enjoy the benefits that Aurora Print Service did. Alternatively, you can tell us specifics on what you're after using the enquiry form below, and we'll get back to you right away.