What dip tank system to go with???

[Screened Gear]

I thought I was the guy that is right about everything? I could be wrong...or can I?

[Printficient]

I thought I was the guy that is right about everything? I could be wrong...or can I?

Yes unfortunately you are as I am the guy who knows everything and is always right!

[GraphicDisorder]

UH OH! SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH THE GUY THAT'S RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!!

freakin' a man.  LOL

Chill out man. All I'm saying is that while a web site may be convenient, it's not an end all be all.

Where did I say in this topic a web site was the end all be all?  Interestingly I am saying the same thing you are actually, except in relation to the phone, it isn't the end all be all either.  In fact I didn't even make this about NOT doing it all by phone, you have.  I said clearly, you can have both.

And the huge shops with no web presence? I'll bet they'll be the same or larger in 10 years.

Again this is largely about suppliers with 1000's of skew's, but you keep making it about shops.  But sure will there be shops with no web presence in 10 years, for sure, hell probably in 100 years there will be some without web.  But that's not the context of my statement now was it.  I didn't say they wouldn't exist, I said it would likely be a drastically different picture.  10 years ago screen printers had a much smaller web presence than today.  It's changing...like it or not. 

Word of mouth man, word of mouth. Long term relationships, etc.

Your right, word of mouth is not on the web, at all.  Sorry but be it word of mouth from a friend to friend in conversation, email, phone call, text, whatever it is all the same.  I live off this myself since other than my facebook and web site there is no way I advertise.  I dont pay for google ranking, do email blasts, mailers, nothing.  But I move it around a lot faster via the web.  I guess other businesses are doing that as well.  For example this is why Ryonet is becoming huge, while others are playing on the phone, they are doing phone and web sales/support and a customer can shop without wasting their time or the company time and buy however they see fit, be it web or by calling.  It's not a complicated idea.  They sell some junk, so does Sonny.  Amazingly you can see a lot about a product from a online picture and list of specs/features/data.  I certainly trust my eyes over a salesman's pitch on the phone.  Ryonet screwed up a ink cartridge on a order of mine, customer service was great after the fact and they overnight-ed the replacement.  Proof you can have it both ways.  I am sure though they are not perfect, like the rest of us. 

My pops, a general contractor, is much the same way. No web site, doesn't answer the business phone,
no advertising, no schmutzy Facebook gimmicks.

Yup lots of people are that way today, but consider when your father started his business and how the climate is changing.  There are faster ways to develop a business than 10 years ago.  That's just a fact.  Some embrace it, some don't.  Doesn't mean one or the other doesn't work.  I never suggested you CAN'T run a business without a web site or facebook or whatever you want to make this about.  I suggested its a helpful tool illustrated perfectly by Prosperi-Tees suggesting he would have bought from Sonny had he known that.  Amazing concept.  If showing people your work is a gimmick, then my facebook is a gimmick frenzy and we are enjoying record month after record month from it. 

The people that he wants to work with have his cell phone number and can contact him.
I'd love to one day be in that position. John Q. Public be damned.

I would work that way to if it I was in his type of business. 

I used to think much like you, refused to business with anyone without a web page to order from.
Then I sought out better products and service rather than convenience.

Ill take both, its very simply to replace products that don't work, mean while I will work with convenience.  Again you can have it both ways.... The screen print world will come around.  Watch.

[Rockers]

Well generally true about web sites, I've found that more often than not, the old school companies
that have been around for ages but have no web presence tend to have a better product/price/service than the new guys
and their fancy pages. While not nearly as convenient, a little leg work goes a long way. Sericol for example.

Frankly you CAN have it both ways.  This is evident outside the screen print world.  Of all the industries I deal in this one is the one that seems to run from web sites.  BTW, I didn't say they couldn't have a phone line and take phone orders.  I said how do you expect people to know a bout your 1000's of products if all you got is a forum id and a phone line.  Web sites are NOT expensive to run and if done properly it would simply be a tool to make more sales and sales without needing to involve extra time for story time on the phone with 90 customers a day.  Not everyone enjoys that, even if you do.  Again if a company wants, one wouldn't affect the other.

There's several six plus auto shops in my area that have no web presence whatsoever, and probably
prefer it that way.

My post was more so pointed at suppliers of screen print supplies, not actual screen print.  But yes a shop and a supplier can make it without.  Run that out 10 years though, will the same be true?  I bet you will see a drastic change there going forward in the future.

When I first started I conveniently ordered some manual pallet brackets from Ryonets web page,
they are junk. Same thing with the squeegee's I got from there.

So by your math a man on a phone can't sell you junk, but a web site can.   Right?  I have it on good info that some of Sonny's products flat suck, he deals on the phone.  I don't think he is a bad guy or offers all bad products, but if I am understanding you right only honest people work by phone or you can only be sold crap by the internet?

I think the mediocrification of America largely goes hand in hand with moving away from brick and mortar.
It doesn't have to, and in many cases it doesn't, but it can certainly aid it.

I don't get that at all.  For example I can walk into Best Buy, and ask for computer advice or parts and get mediocre results.  I can go to New Egg, or dozens of other sites, save as much half on the product and read 1000's of reviews about such.  Far more useful than a 17 year old waiting to get off work so he can pop his zits.

And websites or even better online stores make it so much easier for customers from abroad to place an order. Saying that, I posted on Xenon's Facebook page asking if they take orders from abroad and guess what , I never got a reply.

[alan802]

To each their own, buy from who you feel comfortable buying from and move on.  I buy 90% of our stuff from 2 suppliers that have crappy websites.  The one with the biggest, baddest website gets very little of our business.  I don't mind emailing or ordering from afar, or I can call my suppliers and get what I need.  I don't necessarily like talking to people over the phone all the time but I probably order more via phone than electronically but it's pretty even.

A company can have a great website and crappy products and it can be the other way around.  I do think having great customer service and a great product will overcome a crappy website but a great, user friendly website will not overcome bad products and service, but I'm sure we all knew that.