Does Anyone Know What Free Samples Means?

Hello there!

Yippee it's Friday!

Do you have any big plans for the weekend?

Are you planning a Saint Patrick's Day party or going to a Jessica Simpson concert? You bet she can sing!

Maybe you're just chillin' out at home with a movie and the ones you love.

Whatever you do this weekend. I hope you enjoy it and savor the moments you share with those you love.

Every once in a while I like to take time to study the competition.

Recently, I found a really nicely designed label website that probably offers a great product to their customers.

They seem like a reputable company and I love the ease of use of their website.

I hope that by visiting the competition's website that I possibly can learn how to make our site better. And also what to avoid that's wrong.

The two important lessons that I learned were:

1. WHEN YOU GUARANTEE THE BEST PRICE PROVE IT.
And
2. FREE MEANS FREE? Or does it?

GUARANTEED BEST PRICE?
This website caught my eye because it's ranked in the number one position in Google for the keyword search of labels.

The first thing I noticed was their lowest price guarantee.
At first glance I was surprised that their prices were lower than ours!

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! ;-)

To test it out I looked specifically at one carton of their standard white shipping labels 2.625" x 1". They offer 100 sheets per carton 3,000 labels per carton just like we do. Their published price is $10.45 per carton.

Our price for that same label size and quantity is $12.23.
WOW we are $1.78 higher! At first view...

But ...

By digging a little deeper and by actually adding items to their shopping cart it becomes clear that they you have to add S&H charges to their "low" label price. So instead of a carton of labels for $10.45 you can have it delivered to your door for $15.45. (This of course, may vary depending on where you live.)

Since we offer free shipping & handling, with all orders, our delivered price would be only $12.23! That compares to their delivered price of $15.45!

Now we're talking! You'll save $3.22!

Ours is the better deal! What happened to their lowest price guarantee?
MORALE: Make sure to add shipping & handling charges before comparing prices.

FREE SAMPLES MEANS FREE? Or does it?

This other site offered "free" sample labels too! But there was one hitch, you had to pay $3.95 to cover the shipping charges!

What happened to the "FREE" samples?

Plus to add insult to injury, they restrict the samples to only one of three types of labels.

You could try:
(20) CD Labels or
(20) Address Labels or
(20) Return Address Labels

What if you wanted to try their circle labels?

How about the business card stock?

Did you want to try their rotary card labels, or their pinfeed or thermal labels?

If so, too bad, because they were not available and even if they were you could only get "free samples" of the three listed.

On the other hand, we know that Free means Free!

You can request any sample label you want. Pinfeed, laser, inkjet, thermal, card stock or media and get it for free. Just click on the Samples link and apply.

You'll get only two or three sheets of each item that you request, but at least you can test the exact item you want and know what to expect before you invest in a full carton.

And best of all... they are FREE.

There's no handling charge...
There's no shipping charge...
There's no charge, period!

Let me define that for you. They are Free!

As in it will not cost you anything.

Free, as in, you don't have to pay us a cent to get a free sample label.

By the way, when did the word "FREE" become so confusing? ;-)

Rick