Press Releases

Egency 'Feels Pretty' Launching Salon/Beauty Ecommerce Vertical

Gaining a reputation for premium business cards, Egency courts more professions.

Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) February 09, 2012

Egency - an emerging website offering premium business cards, flyers and marketing postcards for specific industries - today announced the addition of Salon and Spa to its growing list of supported professions.

"Stylists, salon owners and beauty professionals are searching for ways to differentiate themselves in a very competitive market," says Jay Fayloga, Egency's Director of Product Management. "We've heard a call from professionals to help them stand out. Now, with Egency's Salon and Spa designs and premium paper - this entrepreneurial group can have a unique voice."

According to an estimate by AnythingNow.com, nail salons are the fastest growing niche under the Salon / Beauty umbrella - with a 9% year-over-year growth rate; this beauty sub-group credits self-marketing to their industry's growth.

"We advertise within the mall here," says Kevin Nguy, manager of Affection Nails in Agoura Hills, CA. Nguy adds that while spot advertising works to bring in walk-ins, it's Affection Nails' business & appointment cards that bring people back. "We always have a big amount of business appointment cards to give out ... to returning customers, to new ones. We give out at least 10,000 cards a year."

Egency's first set of Salon and Spa designs are available now on the website. Egency's inventory specialist anticipates an even greater variety of designs to arrive soon. "We're focused on quality ... quality design templates, quality of the end product. It takes a bit more time, but our customers truly appreciate our selection and craftsmanship."

"Marketing business cards are very important to me," confesses Keefe of Keefe Hair in Los Angeles, CA. Known only as "Keefe", the experienced hair designer has turned networking into his own art-form. "When I see a potential client, someone whose hair I'd like to cut, I just introduce myself and hand out my business card. That approach has worked great for years."

Rated "very important" on his list of marketing tactics, Keefe relied on his business cards when direct mail campaigns stopped delivering clients over the past few years.

"Everything just stopped in 2009." Keefe depended on in-person networking, referrals - and his business cards - to get through a dry time. "It's picked up," adds Keefe, saying he won't give up his own customized business cards for other types of marketing.

Keefe's final analysis: "I think hair stylists, salon professionals will benefit from having a website, like Egency, to create and customize their own business and appointment cards. It's such an important tool to communicate your services."

Egency, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., provides high-quality design solutions for businesses. Egency is a member of the AGFA Graphics family, an internationally renowned leader in the publishing and printing industries, with teams based in the U.S., and Belgium.

For more information, contact Egency Marketing @ (805) 277-6971.

Dentists Feel Slow Economy, Brush Up on DIY Marketing Finds Egency Poll

Focus is on retention. 'Do-it-yourself marketing' becomes an office mantra.

Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) January 22, 2012

Dentists participating in an online poll conducted by Egency.com - a provider of direct marketing materials for professionals - say the current economy is affecting their marketing strategies as well as presenting other challenges.

"I think the biggest challenge facing individual dentists today is personal debt." Sobering words from Keith Kano, DDS. Dr. Kano of Valley Hill Dental Group has been practicing for 15 years in Modesto, CA.

Slow economic conditions over the past few years have impacted Dr. Kano's colleagues as well as his own practice. "There has been a decline [of patient visits] in the last 2-3 years due to people losing their jobs, so their dental needs are low on the priority list in comparison."

That decline in patient visits has also meant a reduction of big budget marketing for some dentists. According to the poll, 70% of dentists who responded say "budget" is their main marketing concern, with another 30% admitting "not knowing where to start." A Kansas-based dental office manager wrote-in: "Although we're concerned with budget, we can't stop marketing. We use a lot of recall cards - which we find on the web - and we do shop for quality cards that are professional."

"I out-sourced a mid-sized marketing agency a few years ago, but now, I do it myself. Well, me and my office manager," offered one Camarillo, CA dentist. He spoke to Egency on the condition of remaining anonymous, but had plenty to say. "Hell, I feel lucky to even have an office manager. It's been a roller coaster ride over the past couple of years. I'm still here. Things are slow, but solid. Retention is my main focus. Keeping them coming back. Great customer service, old-fashion appointment cards I have printed out ... and updating my own website."

The growing trend toward do-it-yourself marketing among dentists and other professionals is also apparent in search engine queries. A look at Google search trends shows the phrase "diy [do-it-yourself] business cards" up almost 40% in October 2011 over October 2010, a possible sign of more professionals turning to template-based online tools and printing services over costly creative agencies.

"We just use word of mouth for our marketing, most of my friends do the same," reveals Dr. Kano. "Mailers and other mass media ads attract all kinds of patients. Word of mouth generally attracts the kind of patients that we already have. Our practice is a boutique type practice. We engage and retain patients by providing exceptional service and quality."

Other dental marketing professionals agree that retention is key. Steve Israel of Your Secret Weapon - Marketing and Communications, LLC in Toledo, OH, a firm that advises dental practices, says, "My practices are in touch with their current patients, as well as potential patients, regularly, and it's really made a difference in their production. They're the first to say, 'What economic slowdown?'"

"I intend to keep doing as much myself as possible," adds the Camarillo DDS. "Creating recall cards online is not difficult. And those cards go to my returning patients to keep them returning."

Egency, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., provides high-quality business cards and other direct marketing solutions for dentists, event planners, cosmetic surgeons, salon/spa professionals, realtors and other professions. Egency is a member of the AGFA Graphics family, an internationally renowned leader in the publishing and printing industries, with teams based in the U.S., and Belgium.

For more information, contact Egency Marketing @ (805) 277-6971.

Egency Announces New Partnerships with Top Designers

One-Stop, High-Quality Business Card & Print Marketing Solutions for Dentists, Cosmetic Surgeons, Wedding and Party Planners

Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) December 14, 2011

Egency - an emerging website offering distinct, high-quality, customizable business card & marketing design templates for specific industries - today announces new design partners.

Typework Studio of Buffalo, NY and RS Kmiec, Philadelphia, PA have joined Egency's contributing design team.

Their new design templates are now available on Egency.com as business cards for wedding planners and ritzy postcards, flyers for event planners.

"We are not producing cookie-cutter templates," says Jay Fayloga, Egency's Director of Product Management. "We take great care to find and work with designers and design teams who understand our mission of excellence." Fayloga explains that excellence begins with each unique, well-made template, and extends to high-quality printing of the finished product.

Egency templates are currently formatted as business cards, appointment cards, full and half page flyers and postcards. For example, appointment and recall cards for dentists - direct marketing postcards for cosmetic surgeons and business and reminder cards for wedding and party planners. Additional industries launching in early 2012 will include real estate and beauty.

"This is a chance to get a professional-looking design for a much lower price than working directly with a design agency," says Sven Versmissen, Owner of EHBOntwerp, Antwerp, Belgium and Egency contributing designer.

Atlanta, GA-based Creative Director of Matador, author of The Typographic Desk Reference and Egency contributing designer, Theo Rosendorf, also sees advantages of the Egency model. "It can absolutely save money for its customers. Likewise, the designer can save time since they can produce solutions based on past experience of having worked on the same types of projects."

Along with top-notch designers Versmissen and Rosendorf, Egency designers also include Creative Holly, Angela Stewart Design and Fluid Studio, who reveals their thought process to producing design work for Egency customers.

"Research plays a big part. We take the time to see what appeals to the customer and their audience. What magazines are wedding planners reading? Who is (or isn't) going to the dentist office regularly? By understanding the potential client we can understand how to build a more successful product."

Egency designer Aaron Masonek of DrawBridge Creative sums it up: "The primary advantages are selection, price and speed. Egency has lots of great designs from lots of great designers all in one place and it's easy to customize, print and ship."

Egency, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., provides high-quality design solutions for businesses. Egency is a member of the AGFA Graphics family, an internationally renowned leader in the publishing and printing industries, with teams based in the U.S., and Belgium.

For more information, contact Egency Marketing @ (805) 277-6971.