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Web or print: Which is right for me?
As the world becomes increasingly enamored of electronic media, it’s good to keep some perspective about how to communicate with your target audience most effectively. Not everyone has computers, and even those who do may prefer the more comfortable medium of paper.
Print and web both have strengths and weaknesses, and the key is to use each appropriately.
A web site is always open, available, and updateable (providing the host server is working). Unlike a brochure, a web site can’t be lost under a pile of mail, or prematurely thrown out. Unlike a book, which relies on an index that may or may not be complete, web sites are searchable in any shape or form. They offer more points of entry, and thus their interface is more versatile.
Though the web is more versatile than print as an interface because the web offers more points of entry into your message, print media have more physical versatility because they are not tied to a computer. Pity the person who wants to peruse a web site while in the bathtub. Not a good idea. And until LCD screen contrasts improve (and we hope not even then), most of us won’t be spending hours in the park with our nose in a good laptop.
All this means that it’s important for you, the communicator, to do some thinking about the nature of your audience and how you want to reach them. Are they mostly computer literate? Are they likely to make decisions in an office or home-office setting? Then electronic media may make sense. If your audience is more likely to be using a pen than a mouse, and lounging in a chair to pay bills or browse catalogs, then you may want to stick to printed pieces.
Of course, that’s not to say that both may be appropriate for your needs. Both probably are necessary to accomplish everything on your wish list. But if (like most entities) you are on a budget, then a little forethought can help you, and Quicksilver, choose what media will offer the most return for your investment.
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