How Web-to-Print Solutions Drive E-commerce Success

The print-on-demand trend has spurred the creation of numerous e-commerce platforms that offer highly stylized shirts, mugs, plates, and other assets. Established print shop owners have been the primary beneficiaries of this trend. However, these legacy shops need assistance to navigate the increased demand for customization from a growing customer base. So, how do they tackle this challenge?

Web-to-print (W2P) solutions are empowering modern print shop owners to expand their businesses online. Print shop owners can now launch and operate their e-commerce platforms without significant investments. However, implementing and managing W2P solutions can be deceptively complex.

In this blog, we guide you through the steps to successfully integrate W2P e-commerce solutions into your online print stores.

How Does a Web-to-Print Solution Work?

The traditional printing workflow for legacy print shops is straightforward and manual. Typically, it involves:
1. The customer places the order.
2. The print shop provides price estimates.
3. Pre-printing processes correct any errors.
4. The final products are printed.
5. The customer receives the product.

Simple, right?

However, the process becomes much more complex when managed through e-commerce platforms. Now, the process involves automatic price estimation, online marketing, delivery tracking, large-scale print job monitoring, customer support systems, and more. To complicate matters, each of these operations requires dedicated software platforms that the print shop owner must master.

A W2P platform serves as an intermediary, connecting your printing process with all the ancillary systems. This allows print shop owners to optimize their workflows and avoid switching between multiple applications. Moreover, W2P platform providers offer custom solutions to address specific business challenges.

How Web-to-Print Software Benefits E-commerce Businesses

Workflow Optimization
Workflow automation eliminates redundant tasks, allowing employees to focus on mission-critical functions. Over time, this saves resources and reduces the number of human errors.

One of the best examples of workflow optimization is automatic price estimation. Typically, preparing a quote takes a couple of weeks as the owner coordinates with multiple vendors. Automatic price estimation, however, instantly compares printing capabilities and vendor quotes to offer the best estimates to the customer.

Cost Savings
Manually operating the backend printing processes of online e-commerce print shops requires significant capital. Setting up specialized print machinery, like canvas and cup printing, involves major capital infusion. Additionally, a large workforce is needed to complete print jobs.

W2P platforms offer end-to-end automation for the print process, reducing the need for manual labour. Native integration with trade printers, such as Print.com and 4over, and strong vendor management provides access to specialized printing techniques at a low cost. This allows you to expand your product offerings on your website without the need for specialized machinery, freeing up resources to cater to larger, high-value clients.

Omnichannel Marketing
W2P platforms help create multiple marketing channels through native integrations with HubSpot and Mailchimp. The W2P-integrated e-commerce website offers a comprehensive overview of how many prospects convert into customers, effectively measuring the ROI on listed products.

Steps to Launching a Profitable Web-to-Print Commerce Website

1. Find Your Niche
Identify a trending niche with a high entry barrier, such as canvas printing or vinyl printing, which requires specialized printers. Focus on a limited number of high-quality products initially to build trust and increase customer retention. Offering personalization options in the checkout window can make your website stand out.

2. Get Stakeholder Buy-In
Consult with stakeholders, employees, and website developers to understand the technical requirements. Developers can identify redundant processes and suggest areas for automation. Stakeholders, like trade printers, suppliers, and vendors, can offer insights about automating inventory and order management systems. Engage with print shop employees to understand areas that can benefit from workflow improvements and assure them that automation will enhance their efficiency.

3. Plan Your Budget
Implementing W2P solutions can be costly initially, but they reduce manual labour and material wastage in the long run, increasing ROI.

4. Select a W2P Solution Provider
Choosing a W2P solution provider can be overwhelming. List providers based on your budget and requirements, review case studies and success stories, consult with professionals, and schedule demo runs before finalizing a provider.

5. Choose the Integrations
Select the right integrations to expand your W2P e-commerce website’s functionality. Essential integrations include Print MIS for cost tracking and job scheduling, workflow management applications for automation, and trade printers for peak sale seasons.

6. Create an Asset Bank
Develop a repository of high-quality visual elements, templates, and design assets for customers to personalize their products. Organize these assets into categories to enhance searchability and usability.

7. Track Your KPIs
Identify key metrics that align with your business goals, such as conversion rates, average order value, customer retention, and order fulfilment times. Monitor these KPIs to evaluate the efficiency of your production and delivery processes.

Wsc Printer E-commerce Solutions

Wsc Printer Web-to-Print solutions have proven successful for various print e-commerce websites. For instance, Print and Signage, a manufacturer of small, large, and wide format signage, faced several challenges with their existing e-commerce platform, including:

- Lack of quick estimation for print products.
- No options for creating corporate storefronts.
- Complex UI.
- Difficulty managing B2B orders.
- Lack of product-specific pricing and shipping cost estimations.

Our professionals addressed these issues by migrating operations from Shopify, integrating corporate W2P storefronts, introducing product-specific pricing, enabling a centralized order management portal for B2B and B2C clients, and automating sales channels. As a result, Print and Signage experienced:
- 3X revenue growth.
- 100% automation from ordering to shipping.
- 50% reduction in human efforts for customer service and prepress.

In conclusion, Wsc Printer can significantly enhance the operational efficiency and profitability of print e-commerce businesses. By following these steps and leveraging the right technology, print shop owners can successfully navigate the complexities of the online marketplace.