Critique our free print template designs

[wella58]

Hi guys, I need some feedback on what and how should we improve our print template designs. We've just launched our site recently and basically it aims to provide free print templates. So as marketing professionals who have used brochures, business cards, postcards and flyers as marketing tools, I would like to get some feedback from you on how should we improve our template products. You can download some of the print templates on this page: Microsoft Word Business Card Template (http://www.templatebowl.com/3-5-x-2-5-horizontal-business-cards-template/) . Please feel free to give you suggestions. You might want to consider if our templates are printable or is it easy to use? Let us know what you think. :)

[vangogh]

Right now I see 3 templates and all are pretty much the same. The information is in the same place. The difference is the vertical or horizontal bar. More variety is something you need. Make them different. Move more than one part of the card before calling it a new template.

To be honest the hardest part is that people will need to print these for them to be useful and I'm pretty sure most printers will already offer business card templates. To compete I think you're going to need a larger variety of cards and also some really nice and unique designs. I would spend some time look over some of the designs they offer for inspiration and then come up with some designs of your own. Also check the formats that printers want. I have hunch Microsoft Word is not the preferred format.

[KristineS]

I run the Marketing Department for a reasonably large company. My first issue with this was that it was a Microsoft Word template. No one I know who works in design uses Microsoft Word. Heck, except for when I write drafts for a blog post, I never use Microsoft Word and I'm a writer. Plus, most printing companies already offer templates or at least design specs which will help ensure the design meets their requirements. It's possible I'm not your target audience, but I don't see any situation when a Microsoft Word template is going to be my best option for a printed item I'll be giving to others.

So, I guess I'm not really sure who you're aiming at with this site, or why you think people would use it. Especially when it comes to business cards, getting items professionally printed is relatively inexpensive. Why would someone download a template from you vs. using one from their printer of choice? What are you hoping will happen with your site?

[wskdigital]

I would personally do Photoshop templates based on the VistaPrint.com specs. There's a money making opportunity here also. You can sign up for VistaPrint's affiliate program and make a small percentage if the "client" decides to use their printing services with your free templates.