Traditional Print is Not Dead but Also Not Scalable

The offline printing industry is not dead. There are still businesses that carry out operations that involve manual labor. Their employees still perform multiple print runs to get what their users want.?

But this traditional business model is no longer feasible. Because customers today are demanding exceptional experiences, and they are willing to pay more to get them.

Studies say that they will pay a 16% premium for a great customer experience. Moreover, Gartner says that CX drives over two-third of customer loyalty.

Customers not only want products delivered quicker but also expect businesses to cater to their individual needs.?

Hence, printing business owners who are growth-oriented are embracing digital evolution using web-to-print.?

Read on to know more about how web-to-print can help overcome the challenges of the traditional model and how you can prepare your business.

Reasons Why You Should Turn to Web-to-print?

With web-to-print, your printing business enjoys several advantages like reducing operation costs, generating new business, improved customer service, client retention, and more. Here’s a detailed overview.

Streamlined Operations with Automation

Businesses in any industry are automating their business processes, and printing is no exception. Executing print processes manually is time-consuming, increases errors, and causes delayed deliveries. And hence, many businesses have started using workflow solutions to eliminate errors, improve quality, and reduce costs.?

Let’s look at a success story .

Buffalo Printing, a Western New York State printer, was drowning in manual touches. It managed more than 12,000 SKUs and took in 200-400 jobs per day. Employees manually re-keyed online information from spreadsheets into the job ticketing system.?

The result was a three-day to a four-day backlog of jobs that had to be entered. This manual prepress operation even affected other important tasks because prepress took 70% of the job workflow.?

After they installed a workflow manager, the scene was entirely different. Their SKUs doubled, and the prepress time dropped from 70% to 3%.

Automation enabled the company to focus more on growing the business. “It enabled me to pursue other clients who I was hesitant to call on before because I was reluctant to put my biggest clients’ work at risk,” - Joe Farage, president of Buffalo Printing. He mentions that sales have tripled while his sales force has remained the same.

If implemented correctly, web-to-print automation can:?

• Identify and eliminate errors with the help of tools
• Increase print job speed by reducing manual process
• Improve customer satisfaction using automation software that enables you to fulfill all their demands
• Reduce the overall cost of printing processes as compared to the traditional way

Preparing your business for workflow automation

PIWord, in an article, shares some insights from experts on how you can prepare for workflow automation. Here are some actionable steps:

• Do a workflow audit - Pat McGrew from Infotrends calls this step ‘walking your workflow.’ From job entry to delivery, you need to identify gaps and bottlenecks at every touchpoint (human interaction).
• Take advantage of automation you have - Often, printers have automation capabilities. But people might not be aware of them.?
• Take advantage of data - Once you gather all required information to understand your workflow better, make data-driven decisions.?

Getting started with workflow automation

Web to print software like inventory manager, print job manager, and ERP management software can enable you to power up your business with streamlined workflows.?

• Print Inventory Manager helps merchants seamlessly manage inventory. It has some cutting-edge features like inventory, warehouse, customer management, and more.
• Print Job Manager is another tool that lets you manage your print workflow timeline. It has innovative features like job scheduling, job management, order tickets, etc.?
• Print ERP Software is a complete solution for the printing industry. This solution ensures every stage of your workflow remains glitch-free, from collecting print order files to shipping orders.??

To know more about how you can automate your printing business using a web to print software, you can head over to the Brush Your Ideas page here .?

Looking Ahead in Automation

Workflow automation is just the beginning. The printing industry is already looking ahead by leveraging artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and more.

Enable Product Customization

In a conventional printing model, it is not possible to enable the customization of products. For even the slightest changes your customers want in a product, you need to carry out multiple print runs. But web-to-print allows you to efficiently deliver customized products, a trend that is gaining popularity.??

Let’s look at a few examples

Ascend Sportswear is a North Carolina-based sportswear store. They have an amazing design solution using which customers can customize their cycling jerseys. Once they log in to their account, they can start with the design process. They can add text, name/number, clipart, upload images, and more. Finally, they can preview their design using 360 degrees rotation to get a clear idea of what they will be getting.

DineDrops is a UAE-based company where you can order personalized prints. They offer They offer different products, including greeting cards, posters, calendars, invitation cards, etc. Using a web to print solution, customers can personalize any of these products with text, images, and other design elements.

Skinit is another industry leader in personalized and branded products for electronic devices. They have a category ‘create your own’ on their website where shoppers can customize phone cases, laptop skin, and even watchbands and AirPods. They can easily upload images from social media and create their custom covers.?

Benefits of Offering Customized Print Products

One of the biggest advantages of enabling customization for your printing business is that it works as a perfect marketing tactic. It encourages word-of-mouth marketing because if one customer is satisfied with your service, they will likely recommend your brand to others.?

Moreover, when others see a product that one of your customers has designed, they will notice and want to get more information.?

Athan Didaskalou, the CSO of July Luggage , says that customization works as a conversation starter.?

“Customers tell us all the time that people stop them in airports and on trains to ask where they got their suitcases. People like the idea of initials on their suitcase."?

How you can leverage product customization

Using a product designer tool , customers can create and edit designs as per their requirements. Such tools work on any product, including apparel, gadget covers, mugs and glasses, cards, books, flyers, etc.

The tool is compatible with any eCommerce platform. It comes with a pool of features that makes customization super easy for your customers. And the best thing is it is customizable as per your business needs. Additionally, a powerful backend ensures that you, as an admin, have complete control over what your customers design.?

In a Nutshell

The conventional model of the printing industry is no longer feasible. In the era of digital technology, your customers demand great experiences. Give your printing business a competitive edge using web-to-print technology.?

Using print automation tools, you can not only save time and effort but make your business operations more efficient. Secondly, staying relevant in the industry also requires you to cater to the increasing trend of customized products. A product designer tool will enable you to deliver customization and thus take your business to greater heights.??

If you want to know in more about how web-to-print web to print software solutions can help your business, you can request a personalized demo here. Once you share your requirements, the team at Brush Your Ideas will get in touch with you.?