Flex4 offers web-to-print ecommerce packages with a range of integrations and modules
Web of knowledge
Not so long ago, some were heralding the introduction of digital technologies as the death of print. However, fast-forward to the modern day and the reality of the situation is somewhat different.
Yes, digital has led to a decline in certain aspects of print and there is certainly a great deal more competition when it comes to capturing the attention of consumers. But what has become undoubtedly clear in recent years is the ability for print and digital media to work hand-in-hand and present consumers with a whole host of new options.
One of the best examples of this is web-to-print; by adopting such a system, print-service-providers (PSPs) ensure they are covering both their traditional retail business, as well as the online world, with customers able to order printed products from almost anywhere. Such is the flexibility and importance of this offering that businesses without this system in place risk being left behind.
With this in mind, we have taken a look at some of the latest web-to-print systems available to PSPs and highlighted some of the core benefits these options offer to both the printer and their customers.
Improving trust
Flex4 offers web-to-print e-commerce packages with a range of integrations and modules. David Whiteley, managing director of Flex4, says the core benefits of integrating web-to-print as part of your business are increasing revenue, reduced administration costs and improved customer service.
According to Flex4, without an online print store, competitors will corner the market and printers will miss out on work
“One of the main benefits is being able to access the growing online market and to extend your customer base to increase your revenue,” Whiteley says, adding: “While this is still a very important benefit, the trend in recent years has been an increased focus by printers in reducing administration costs and this can be achieved by integrating a web-to-print platform with other software used by printers.
One of the main benefits is being able to access the growing online market and to extend your customer base to increase your revenue”
“This kind of integration allows the automation of simple tasks, freeing your employees to work on more detailed customer service requests. The minimisation of double keying of orders reduces the administrative burden on your business.
“Reputationally, having a user- and mobile-friendly online store with recognised payment gateways improves trust in your business and means a customer is more likely to convert and place an order with you online. A site that works well and is easy to navigate is more likely to result in repeat orders from online customers.”
Whiteley also noted the impact of the pandemic on online ordering, saying e-commerce sales increased 30% year-on-year as more consumers turned to the internet for their printing requirements. As such, without an online store, Whiteley says you are missing a whole section of your potential customer base.
“If you choose not to have an online print store, it’s likely that your competitors will corner the market and that you will miss out on the fastest growing channel to market,” he says, adding: “In addition, higher costs compared to your competitors will increasingly put print businesses that don’t embrace an integrated web-to-print solution at a considerable competitive disadvantage.”
Whiteley says Flex4 can provide PSPs with a dedicated print e-commerce solution that is tailored to meet their company’s needs. Flex4 also offers private, branded storefronts for businesses in the print industry.
“We work with you to find the best solution for you, whether you wish to offer editable templating to your customers or wish to outsource some or all your print products to trade printers,” Whiteley says, adding: “If you have specific bespoke requirements, we can develop bespoke solutions that will put you ahead of your competitors.”
Easy decision
Elsewhere, Infigo Software also specialises in solutions for the print industry, including web-to-print software. Greg Young, head of customer success at Infigo, says taking on a web-to-print system should be a “no brainer” for modern businesses.
Greg Young, head of customer success at Infigo, says using a web-to-print system should be a “no brainer” for modern print businesses
“The past 18 months has shown the importance of protecting the bottom line for so many organisations, and utilising technology to make processes leaner and smoother should be a no-brainer,” Young says.
“For me, the biggest benefit is when a customer becomes ‘sticky’. This means the ability to secure a long-term, profitable and beneficial relationship between the print provider and their customers.
“In the past, some prospective clients have approached Infigo looking for projects that could help them make a quick-buck – and although that’s possible, the real benefit is achieved by those who look for longer term solutions, as they are able to secure ever-expanding, repeat business, and create new revenue streams.”
Young says by not investing in an effective web-to-print system, PSPs risk being left behind, saying that in the past year, Infigo has seen an influx of PSPs that realised they were rapidly falling behind their competitors by not having an online solution.
“At Infigo alone, we saw a significant increase in our existing customers contacting us to discuss projects they had always wanted to explore, but hadn’t acted-on, as they lacked the time, money or resources to do so,” Young says, adding: “However, many feel that now is the time to invest, and so many are reaping the rewards already.
“A lot of people often see web-to-print in a negative light, from the view that technology is replacing people, but that simply isn’t the case. Technology, rather, is enabling greater volumes of orders to be placed, whilst removing any barriers that were previously causing delays.”
In terms of solutions, Young says the Infigo modular solution has been adopted by hundreds of printers, brands, corporate businesses and educational establishments since its inception in 2010.
Infigo says its modular solution has been adopted by hundreds of printers, brands, corporate businesses and educational establishments
“The Infigo platform can be used for B2B and B2C scenarios, with many of our customers deploying a dedicated storefront for each,” Young says, adds: “It’s the exact same product, with a slightly different configuration – this allows established businesses to try and explore new revenue streams, by launching B2C sites when they have been predominantly used to delivering a B2B model.”
One of the latest developments at Infigo is its ‘Web-To-Print in 30 minutes’ concept, which it said allows the user to build a storefront, end-to-end, in under half an hour. This concept is broken down into three core areas: storefront set up, product build, data reporting and dashboard.
“With each of these, we have developed tools that will either make the journey more efficient for either the storefront owner or the end user – both equally as important,” Young explains, adding: “Quite often, the focus is placed on making that user experience enjoyable and straight forward yet the daily tasks or processes for the storefront owners and administrators are forgotten or overlooked.
“Therefore, we have spent time improving the experience for those internal teams to ensure that they are freeing up more time for other tasks within their organisation.”
Changing habits
Meanwhile, VB Media is able to provide all sizes of print business with a consumer-facing website, managed via its own, custom-built online admin interface. VB Media director Wayne Bodimeade says the real beauty of web-to-print, from developer’s point of view, is that all the web-to-print systems can all talk to each other via their respective APIs.
“This creates huge opportunities for companies with a web-to-print system to further increase product ranges, efficiency and profitability,” Bodimeade says.
“Can print businesses carry on by traditional methods? I don’t see why this isn’t possible. However, what you are doing is not catering for future customers. Customers’ purchasing habits are changing.
“People are becoming more accustomed to buying online and having facilities in place to cater for this is a must as society continues to plough on into the digital age.”
O Factoid: According to research by Statista, worldwide retail e-commerce sales in 2020 amounted to $4.28tn (£3.02tn), while e-retail revenues are forecast to reach $5.4tn in 2022 O
Focusing on VB Media, Bodimeade says this is an easy solution for those wanting to evolve their web-presence. He says VB Media offers a complete checkout flow tailored around the multitude of products encompassed by the print umbrella.
“It allows businesses to display their wares so that their potential customers can do their research,” he says, adding: “It allows for easy customer ordering with the ability for upsells for services such as artwork creation.
“Orders are managed via their Control Panel, which can be used to print in-house job sheets, or send individual items to suppliers – streamlining the order process to maximise the benefits for both customer and business owner.”
In terms of new developments within VB Media, the company will unveil the latest version of its solution at The Print Show later this year. This release will offer a major upgrade to functionality for areas such as the Page Editor, with plans to offer optional work-flow management later down the line.
Early screenshots of VB Media 3, which will launch at The Print Show in September
Other developments include a potential new product that will perform pre-flighting checks on artwork, which Bodimeade says will allow businesses to decide on how to proceed in the event of a failed check.
“While we continue to develop this next major release, there are exciting developments in the pipeline for the current version as we are in discussions in regards to expanding our connected suppliers, giving our customers an even larger choice and potentially expanding their product range even further,” Bodimeade says.
Though it may seem a little daunting at first, web-to-print is easily accessible to printing companies of all shapes and sizes. With many options available to printers and a whole of host of benefits as a result of implementing such a system, perhaps it is time to get online and open your business up to more potential customers.
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