Self-service Print Ordering VS Traditional Print Ordering, What is customer preference and where the printer should focus?

By
IntelligentHQ

Digitalization has disrupted many industries around the world. With capabilities such as global reach, all-time access and cost-effective marketing and selling, businesses have shifted their focus on digital businesses. But, if you look at the real digitalization capabilities and opportunities, it is much larger than global reach and online sales. To put it in a nutshell, you get access to benefits such as personalized services, process automation, new business models, additional revenue streams and others. Digitalization changes the way businesses conduct their operations and gives you a competitive edge in the market. 

Similarly, digitalization has also disrupted the printing industry too! With the advent of online print shops, not only can printing businesses create a global printing business, but they also can automate the printing process, create new business models, new delivery approach, revenue streams and other such capabilities. But, the biggest change that exists between digital print businesses and traditional print businesses is the capability of rendering self-service print orders to customers.

Self-service print ordering vs. traditional print ordering: 

Before we understand how self-service print is revolutionizing the print industry, let’s first understand what self-service print ordering is and how it is different from traditional print ordering. Self-service print ordering is enabled by employing Web to print software on your print store. With the W2P tool, you can empower your customers to customize the products with their desired designs and get a personalized product delivered at their doorstep on-demand.

While traditional print ordering relies on a designer’s interpretational and designing skills, self-service print ordering is user-friendly and anyone can create a design even without the design skills. The only requirement is that the user must have a basic understanding of their devices such as laptops, desktops or smartphones. 

While traditional print ordering might take few days and reworks to get the design right, users can create their custom designs easily with an online print designer. Also, the traditional print ordering process is manual but with web to print solution with capabilities such as design templates, vendor management and features like ready-to-print output files, one can automate the design and print process completely. 

This shift towards self-service print ordering not only streamlines the production process but also empowers customers to create professional product mockups that accurately reflect their vision. As users engage with intuitive online design tools, they gain the freedom to experiment with various layouts and styles, resulting in highly personalized print products.

Based on these points, let us understand how self-service print ordering is revolutionizing the print industry:

Benefits of self-service print ordering to the printing business:

  1. With self-service print ordering, businesses can create a digital business with minimal resources and employees.
  2. Businesses can execute more custom orders without any additional administrative or designing costs.
  3.  The order turnaround time is reduced to a minimum with design, order and print automation.
  4. Businesses can create virtual designs and skip inventory or dead stock with print-on-demand to start an online print business with minimal capital.
  5. Centralized platform with personalized customer service capabilities. 

Benefits of self-service print ordering to the end-users/customers:

  1. With self-service print ordering, customers get their desired products without the to and fro with your designers.
  2. Customers can get personalized products quickly with design templates.
  3. Extensive customization options with elements such as clip arts, fonts, colors, icons, texts and other such customization options.
  4. Defined design areas with a 3D preview of their designs to get a clear idea of their customized product.

All-time access from anywhere and all kinds of devices:

One of the biggest advantages of employing self-service print ordering on your online print shop is the ability to do business 24*7 365 days! An ideal web to print solution integrated on your platform, your customers can create and place their orders from anywhere and at any time by using their laptops, desktops, smartphones or tablets! 

With self-service print ordering, customers can design their product online independently and can place an order with you or your associate printing vendor directly. The printer can execute the order and ship it directly to the customer. Your whole print order process is automated and thus, there is no need of hiring administrative or designing staff. All you need is a W2P tool, a printing vendor and a customer management team.

Make your business future proof:

With the evolution of digital marketing and online businesses, customer demands are changing frequently. B2B businesses are using every aspect of their business as marketing collateral and are leaving no stones unturned. Right from packaging material to uniforms to banners, labels, stickers and others are used as marketing collaterals and are customized and aligned with the brand vision.

In B2C print businesses; there are new trends every few weeks because of Social media platforms. Right from t-shirt quote trends to personalized gift trends, the world of social media is changing the printing industry constantly. Creating a new product with each trend is impossible with the traditional print ordering process. 

But, with self-service print ordering, printing businesses can create virtual designs and upload them for customers to order. Apart from that, with the help of a print-on-demand business model and Web to print e-commerce solutions, you don’t have to create an inventory and deliver orders after they are placed.

Varied revenue streams:

Apart from printing services, you can create many other revenue streams with online print businesses. For instance, with a web to print online designer, you can provide your software as a service to enterprises and freelance designers. Enterprises can use the tool to design their products and pay a fee for the tool and designers can get a subscription and create designs on your platform to sell. Instead of a subscription, you can also give free access to the tool and get a commission on every sale they make from your platform. 

Apart from that, you can also increase your product portfolio by inviting different vendors and printers to upload their products on your platform and create a multi-vendor platform with customized product offerings for every product category. With this, you can not only get commission on each sale, but you can also get premium prices for customized orders and tap a new set of audience.

Become a part of the future:

Self-service print ordering and online print businesses have all that is required to become successful in this competitive market. Fast-paced deliveries, personalized experiences, customized products and process automation for cost-effective business, get all this and more with one single investment in a Web to print solution! 

So, if you are determined towards long-term success and a futuristic business, the result is clear that self-service print ordering is the future and that is where you must focus.

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