For the technology to flourish and be a genuine “win-win”, it must work for the client and for the printer. It’s no use in the long run if one side of the equation benefits and the other side doesn’t, so let’s look at each in turn and see if we have the “win-win” that we’re looking for.
Web to print benefits: The client’s perspective
Essentially there are three broad benefits:
Cost Savings
Since the web to print process reduces the cost of order processing for printers, clients will naturally expect some of those savings to passed onto them – and all the evidence suggests that this in fact happens. Printers, of course, need to be careful that they don’t over-commoditise the service, particularly as it’s all online: all this will do is drive margins down.
Brand Protection
It’s a hugely important area. Protecting and then reinforcing the client’s brand through the effective use of pre-agreed w2p templates and designs is an absolute must for all business customers – particularly those who devolve a degree of decision-making from head office to branch level.
Business Efficiency
This follows on from cost-saving, but takes in more elements. Administration reductions, improvements in internal reporting, inter-departmental collaboration, convenience of being able to order 24/7, all have a part to play.
Web to print benefits: The printer’s perspective
From the web to print benefits listed above, that it could be a driver to reduce margins, so why would printers be interested?
Cost Savings
Mirroring the client benefit, an online print ordering system will reduce administration time and people costs, thus saving money and therefore – providing the sale price can be retained – increasing margin. This particularly applies to smaller orders, where the cost of order administration can at best eat into and at worst outweigh the profit.
Client Retention
If a client uses your online print solution, and is happy with it, it becomes second nature to them to continue using it. After all, why would they change if everything works satisfactorily? So the printer has the opportunity to secure a longer term commitment from the client, and sell them more and higher value products over time. Furthermore, a client is likely to use more than one printer but unlikely to link to more than one web to print supplier.
Improved Customer Service
By giving your clients exactly what they want exactly when they want it.
Increased Enquiries
Using digital marketing in tandem with a fully fledged web to print solution will drive up visitors to your web site.
You can sample the benefits today
Delivering the benefits of web to print is what we do, and we’re good at it. Come and talk to us and find out how we do it, and how we can help you increase your profits.
Flex 4 have been providing best-in-class W2P solutions and digital marketing services for print and graphic design businesses since 2004. We have numerous satisfied customers right across the country. We are UK-based – all of our team work out of our office in Kendal. We pride ourselves on our customer service, flexibility, and desire to please – we would love the opportunity to show you what we’re capable of.
If you’d like more information on our company please click here, or here for our contact page, or call us any time on
020 7952 8160
and as always we will be delighted to answer all of your questions and give you all the help that you need.