Customers have more framing options than ever, but one thing hasn’t changed: People still want professional guidance. Studies show that more than half of shoppers feel online retailers lack personal service, and 84% seek sales associate recommendations before making a purchase.
In custom framing, input from a seasoned pro can elevate the entire project. Shadow boxes, heirloom preservation, and large-format prints require trust, the right materials, and the kind of careful handling online services can’t replicate.
That’s where your shop has the upper hand. When you combine in-person service with modern digital tools, you create an experience no online framer can duplicate.
Discover how combining digital efficiency with professional artistry helps you compete with online framers and attract customers who value quality, support, and peace of mind.
Online framers can’t offer the one thing your shop delivers effortlessly: real technicians handling artwork in person. People trust what they can see, feel, and talk through face-to-face.
Focus on these strengths to compete with online framers:
Offer same-day consultations for urgent projects: Beat online turnaround times with walk-in appointments and express service so customers receive important projects fast.
Handle valuable artwork with professional care: Demonstrate how you use protective handling and secure on-site storage so customers trust their pieces are in safe hands.
Master complex mounting projects: Create jersey mounts and multilayer designs that online retailers aren’t equipped to execute with accuracy or care.
Resolve problems on the spot: Fix spacing issues, swap mats, or adjust hanging hardware instantly, so customers leave happy and ready to refer your shop to others.
These strengths position local framers as the most dependable, best-equipped option for handling nonstandard or specialty projects.
Online framing tools can’t show textured mats, scale mouldings accurately, or handle unusual objects with the nuance they deserve. Local shops succeed whenever a project requires real-world judgment.
How to highlight these benefits:
Physical shops excel where online services have limitations, giving you an edge on projects that matter most to customers.
Customers expect speed, clarity, and instant visual confirmation when choosing a frame. Digital preview tools give your shop the same convenience shoppers find online, while pairing it with the skilled insights that only face-to-face consultations can provide.
Enhance your in-store experience with tools that:
Adding digital mockups during consultations means you’re no longer competing with online framers — you’re outperforming them with clarity and professional insight.
Many customers turn to online frame companies for convenience. But you can match — and exceed — their level of service with automated point of sale (POS) tools that make your shop feel just as modern, fast, and easy.
Transform your workflow with tools that:
Show designs with true-to-life accuracy: Present digital mockups using your full supplier catalog — mats, mouldings, glazing — offering far more selection than the limited libraries built into online framing tools.
Organize projects professionally: Track every detail of a framing job, from measurements and materials to deadlines and staff notes, so even complex builds move smoothly from design to completion.
Facilitate fast customer communication: Message customers with updates, proofs, and approvals, reducing delays and elevating service beyond what an online platform can offer.
Integrate with key vendors: Access current pricing, materials, and lead times, allowing you to quote accurately and stay competitive on both cost and turnaround.
A purpose-built POS solution helps small local stores compete with online framers by delivering the convenience customers want and the hands-on support they can’t get anywhere else.
Online framing is projected to increase from 2.3 billion in 2024 to 4.1 billion in 2032. Shops that modernize now can capture customers who value both expertise and digital convenience.
LifeSaver brings everything together — your design expertise, digital previews, project tracking, and customer updates — into one efficient system. With FrameVue, customers get the quick visuals they’d find online, plus the in-person craftsmanship only a local framer can provide.
Keep your local business strong. Explore our plans and pricing to discover how LifeSaver helps you outperform online framers, enhance your consultations, and boost your overall profitability.