We know envelopes are a vital part of your day-to-day business routines. That is why Ajalon is pleased to offer 10% off your envelope orders this winter!

Envelopes work wonders for:

• marketing goods and services
• sending out invoices
• connecting with consumers through newsletters

Offer expires March 31, 2012

Rebranding Your Business in the New Year

Have you heard the rumors about the approaching apocalypse in 2012? We have, and while we’re not quite buying that “the end” is coming, we certainly do anticipate change.

A new year is the perfect opportunity to rebrand your local Sonoma County business. Updating business cards and stationery with a new logo will work wonders to attract new clients, as well as let your current customers know that you are a growing brand.

While a lot of us were raised to oppose change, 2012 is surely a time to embrace it! Contact Ajalon today to begin your rebranding efforts.

Why your local business needs a business cards…

If there is one thing I have learned from my boss while working at Ajalon, it is this: when giving your business card to a prospective client, be sure to give them two cards—not just one. That way they have one card to give to a friend as a referral!

Business cards are essential when spreading the word about your business. A great business card will leave a lasting first impression, so be sure to take care when designing your logo, picking out your font and laying out your type.

If you need help designing the perfect business card for your local Sonoma County business, contact Ajalon today!

The benefits of the business card are endless. Don’t forget to take advantage of this great marketing tool.

SEO helps Santa Rosa customers find your business!

Most small business owners have a simple website set up. It used to be that a few simple pages containing the business background, location and contact information was the norm for all business websites. Even though they thought that is all their site needed to get their customers through their front doors back then, they could not be more wrong today.

If a new customer cannot find your website to begin with, any page you publish will be rendered irrelevant. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is going to get your small business website seen on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Titles

Your webpage title is the most important aspect of your SEO. The keywords you use to title the pages of your website will bring you to the top, or the bottom, of search engine results.

For example, Bob’s Towing originally used the title “Bob’s Towing” on their homepage. This was great when customers of Bob searched for “Bob’s towing” on Google, but what about all the people out there who don’t know about Bob?

When Bob changed his title to “Bob’s Towing – Santa Rosa, Sonoma County Towing and Automotive Services,” he started to reach customers who were searching for things like “santa rosa towing” and “towing sonoma county.” By adding a few relative and local keywords, Bob reached a whole new customer base.

Tags

Title tags are important to how your business website is presented to customers within search engine results. This would be a good place for Bob to condense his page title, creating a transparent link that no one will be afraid to click. Ex: “Bob’s Towing – Santa Rosa Services”

Descriptions

Meta descriptions are also important to how your website is presented to customers within search engine results. When a meta description is not provided, the search engine will select content from the page and display it for your customers. By providing a crisp, clear and complete meta description for a page, a customer is more likely to trust and click on your site.

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Are you utilizing SEO within your small business website? Adding simple things like page titles, title tags and descriptions will help bring you to the top of search engine results everywhere.

Holiday newsletters keep customers connected to you!

Keeping in touch with your customers is a great way to build a community around your local business. Constant communication will keep your customers returning for your goods and services, and increase your authenticity as a brand. Sending out a monthly or quarterly newsletter is an excellent way to do all of these things and more.

Whether you have been sending out newsletters to your Sonoma County clients for years or are just seeing the benefits of this marketing tool now, there is no better time to send out a newsletter than during the holiday season!

There are several things you can do to create the perfect holiday newsletter:

• send warm greetings and well wishes to your valued customers

• tell customers about your updated holiday hours and/or vacations

• market holiday deals and specials

• tell customers what your local business has in store for the New Year

No matter what kind of information you are trying to spread, we have trouble thinking of a better way to do so than within a newsletter. Don’t forget to work with your graphic designer to work a little holiday cheer into your newsletter design!

Selecting a Graphic Designer for Business Endeavors

Whether you are creating your business’ webpage or producing top-notch printed materials to market to your customers, choosing a graphic designer that works for and with you should be the first step in your endeavors.

A great graphic designer should work with you and your company to understand your needs, and create killer visuals for you to utilize within your business. We know the search can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips to help you find the graphic designer of your dreams:

• Keep local. Search local business listings and reviews on sites like Yelp. It will be easier to determine which graphic designer will work best for you based on others’ experiences.

• Ask for referrals. Trusted friends and businesses will guide you in the right direction. If you see a piece of graphic art from another business that you are drawn to, don’t be afraid to ask who their designer is.

• Search design directories and browse designs from contests and competitions.

Your designer will help boost your brand or business by implementing your business persona within your business graphics. Awesome websites, mail pieces and more will draw your customers in and keep them coming back for more!

Local Businesses Need A Letterhead!

Do you have a local Sonoma County business, but lack a letterhead? Your business stationery is one of the most important elements in your marketing endeavors. A great letterhead will work wonders to show professionalism and keep your brand in customers’ heads.

For those of you who just opened up shop, letterhead is the heading at the top of your business stationery. An awesome graphic, along with contact information should be included on the printed material that ends up in your clients’ hands.

Is your Sonoma County small business listed on Yelp?

If your Sonoma County small business is not listed on Yelp, be sure to set an account up ASAP! It is easy, free and most of all, will guide local customers straight through the doors of your business.

Yelp is one of the most trusted review sites on the web– consumers are constantly reading and writing reviews about tons of local businesses. Who knows, you might even be ranked in the “Best of Yelp,” just like Invitations by Ajalon!

We encourage all of our customers to review us on Yelp, helping push us to the top of the Santa Rosa Local Services. Facebook is planning to trash their “Reviews” application as well, making Yelp more valuable than ever to small businesses. Are you listed?

We recently made a new Yelp page for Ajalon Print, Web and Social Media.  Review us today!

The Pain of a Website That Isn’t Working for You

What can a business in Sonoma County do when their website is not up and working for them?

I have been talking to business owners about their websites and I have been hearing some common themes.  Most of them painful to hear, and certainly not helpful for the local businesses here in Santa Rosa or anywhere.

I was talking to a local winery from Alexander Valley, near Healdsburg.  They paid an experienced web designer a big down payment to create a new web site for them in December.  It is now 4 months later and not a single page of the new web site is up.  There has been much frustration and broken promises.

Whenever you are thinking of working with a web designer, a very important question to ask is, “By when?”  Some designers are very upfront with you and will tell you they can’t get to your project for weeks or months.  Others are eager to take your downpayment or deposit, because they have cash flow problems, and then move on to the next victim, whoops, I mean client, and get another deposit to tide them over.

We have learned how to do business with most people, but it seems to me that web design has led business people to neglect the normal best practices they would follow with other vendors.  Most business owners would not give money to a vendor before a job was started without have a very clear, written commitment and production schedule.

For some business owners, websites are this fuzzy area that they don’t know very much about and aren’t even sure what questions to ask.  As a consequence they look to the professional that a friend recommends and don’t ask many questions because they don’t feel very confident about what to ask.

I will be offering a series of questions to help you make intelligent choices by asking the right questions when you are going through the process of wanting to put up your web site or getting something improved on your website.  Web sites are important and can be a big help for your business.  At Ajalon we are always happy to help you succeed.

Pocket folders, gift card holders, warranty paper holders, presentation folders  for new products. Businesses and consumers all over Sonoma County are using these smaller presentation folders.

We’re all familiar with the normal pocket folder that is 9″ x 12″ and holds a full size letter.  But many businesses in Santa Rosa or Sebastopol have need to present and protect materials that are different sizes.

Gift Card Holders

Over the years we have made many different types of folders for gift certificates, or now in the modern era, magnetic gift cards.

We have a number of dies available for various sizes and can custom make just about anything you might need. Colorful gift card holders add value and allow the purchaser to write a personal gift message.

Warranty Papers or Contract Folders

A very popular size of folder is in the 4″ x 9″ size.

This versatile folder can safely protect warranty papers or other important documents (such as a contract) that are folded up.  Or they can carry a tri-fold brochure or rack card and other material for a streamlined, but effective, presentation.

Half Size Folders

Sometimes the best size is half size. For various reasons sometimes what needs to be kept together only needs a 5″ x 8″ size folder.  We have produced various models over the years.

Pocket Folders

Because of our invitation business we have access to a wide range of pocket folders for just about any size presentation. Click here to view available sizes and colors.

So we have been providing businesses from Petaluma to Healdsburg and Freestone to Sonoma with their presentation folder needs for many decades.  We offer letter size pocket folders, legal size folders, reinforced edge folders, small folders, box pocket folders, expansion/capacity  folders,  three-panel presentation folders, etc. all with attractive and custom designs.

If you are interested in letting people know of your new products or services, presenting your products at trade shows, or just want to make a good impression, Ajalon Printing can provide you with folders that guarantee a high marketing appeal and are durable and affordable.  Give us a call today or visit us on the web at http://ajalon.com.

Written by David Walrath

Ajalon Printing & Design