Web to Print! Is it a tool for running an Online Print Store? Or a tool to engage existing customers? Part 1 of 2

After the announcement of web to print technology and the recent awareness initiatives about web to print enabled storefronts, most digital and offset printers still consider it as a highly technical tool. It is an assumption that it is required only when you want to cater to a large no, of retail customers, or for reaching out to customer beyond your local geographical area.

Just as in the past, the printing industry greets every significant shift in technology with Fear and caution. For example, most people saw the Internet and exchange of information online as a death knell for the printing industry. The reality was far from it!

While the introduction of Digital Printing technology did change a few things, it was only for the better. More people started opting for printing as they now had an option to print less. Of course, whenever they want to print more, Offset Printing is the more affordable option. Overall, the Printing Industry benefited by creating a new segment (for short print runs) which was non-existent when offset was the only option.

After many years, this is happening again, this time the buzzword is Web to print. The printing industry landscape is changing yet again, for the better. Anyone thinking about ordering, will not be discouraged by geography, and bigger players using web to print technology will now print even bigger orders and lower the cost which will increase the competition.

The point is, why worry about a business you are anyway not catering to. At the same time, why don’t you focus on understanding and learning about the technology, which is creating the doubts? You are worried FOR NO REASON. Instead of thinking that you will lose customers, focus on how you can retain them by giving them NO REASON to move away from you.

Start writing down your goals – Are you looking out to:

  • Reach out to thousands of people, earn peanuts in margin by selling them 100 Business cards, then spend 33% of cost to deliver them the product?
  • Spend a fortune on promoting your business, which will bring thousands of people on your print store?
  • Attending customer support calls for answering user queries like “where is my order”, as he is too excited that online printing does everything like a magic wand?
  • Attend to complaints that there is delay in delivery than what you suggested on site?, Wherein he was not there to accept it
  • FOCUS on what you want to do? Yes, everybody wants to generate more customers, simplify order process, atomize routine tasks! Have you ever tried doing this while catering to existing customers?
  • If yes, you are not the target reader of this article
  • If No, Read On for discovering the solution.

The overall point is FIRST making sure your existing customers do not go away – DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY REASON to do that. Once you ensure this. Next step is to CONCENTRATE & FOCUS on how can you generate newer customers in this highly technical competitive world?

We are sure you already got the answer of the Question, which is really the title of this Article.

“Web to Print! Is it a tool to run Online Print Store? Or tool to indulge existing customer?”

If not, here is the simple, straight, bespoke answer. Start thinking on how web to print can help you retain existing customers instead of worrying about how web to print can take away your business by snatching away your customer base.

Read On…. Start using Web to Print, to retain your existing customer.

Note: Here you will focus on how easy it is to cater to your existing customers by providing them services like archiving, online editing, online proof, back office tasks and so on……….

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