The popularity of branded USB drives has made many people eager to get their business name on one as quickly as possible, so they can hand them out to customers as a promotional incentive. If you intend to include data files or programs on the jump drives themselves, however, a little planning and attention to detail can go a long way to increasing your chances for a successful transaction.

Let’s say you want to include a promotional video or a special offer sheet for customers who come back for another purchase or service offering. Ideally, you would have a master file that you would provide to the custom provider. The provider would then mass-produce the file(s) across all of the jump drives you ordered.

A reputable dealer for USB jump drives will provide a pre-production sample, showing you exactly what the data will look like when a customer plugs the jump drive in on location and opens the file. This provides a final approval stage that eliminates costly and time-consuming mistakes that need to be corrected later.

You want to provide a client with an easy-to-use storage drive they can use for more than just viewing your product catalog or company policies. If any of the data requires a measure of confidentiality or security, you increase the potential for confusion and frustration caused by those who are not as familiar with computers and the different types of documents commonly used for business.

Software compatibility is always a concern as well. If a customer has an older model computer or earlier versions of important programs like Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, or internet browsers like Internet Explorer or Mozilla’s Firefox, they may not be able to use the files you load on a branded USB drives right away without some form of upgrade.

There are other considerations as well. What printing options will you choose for your drives? Lettering and designs can be screen-printed, embossed, engraved, or printed using spot colour or more advanced “full colour” processing. Will your branded USB drives have a lanyard or key chain attached as a convenience? What shapes, materials, and colours are suited best for your company’s brand image?

Having as many of these details worked out in advance will eliminate processing delays and make the entire process go more smoothly from start to finish.

With so much to consider in designing adequate branded USB drives for your particular needs, it makes sense to check your provider’s return policy well before placing an order. If possible, read reviews from others who have used the same provider and generated feedback on their experience. Ask around for anyone who may have ordered promotional products in the past, and inquire on what they did or didn’t like about the transaction.

Another note of interest is that most of the custom branded USB drives purchased from vendors are manufactured overseas in China or Taiwan. The flash memory chips are obtained from an OEM supplier like Intel or Samsung. In some cases, the vendors that assemble the final product may use lower quality or recycled memory chips to save money.

Check with your supplier to verify that good quality materials are being used, and ask for a sample of your custom design before you all them to ship a completed order.