Before researching the field and seeing what web-to-print options are out there, a top priority for any serious buyer should be understanding the real needs of their company. Think of it in terms of how a web-to-print solution could be utilized.
With that in mind, the first thing one should be doing is looking into the different price points and features among competitors. It’s safe to say the Internet isn’t going anywhere, so regardless of your business model, a web-to-print is necessary for any print shop looking to not only grow but simply to stay in the game. Inspect your intentions. Try to objectively assess your company’s needs and invest in a web-to-print solution that is right for you (the one that’ll give you the biggest bang for your buck).
Ask things like: “To have an online design tool would be great for digital proofs, but do I expect to increase online business enough to justify its cost?” Depending on whether you’re a tiny Mom and Pop shop or a big enterprise, your requirements will be different. Having clearly defined goals and a sense of your company’s needs at the beginning will help you decide what web-to-print company is the best fit. By taking the introspective path, you’ll be less likely to overspend on alluring features that may sound great, but aren’t actually that suitable for you.
Monthly fees for a SaaS web-to-print solution may seem like too bold of an expense to justify at first. But all things considered the positives outweigh the negatives. Explore the broad range of monthly rates. Know what works best for you. Following the implementation of a web-to-print solution, you will see your company save time by shortening the duration it takes to do a variety of daily operations.
Depending on the extent of features you decide to go with, things like imposing files, data entry, uploading templates, and virtually every step associated with processing a customer’s order and getting it to press, can be shortened or eliminated saving you money and more than covering your month-to-month investment.
Like any skill, web-to-print has to be systematically learned, practiced, and refined before maturing into a trusty instinct for you and your employees. By its nature a web-to-print solution will trim off steps taken to get a job to prepress that have been deemed dead end processes. These are steps in a standard print-to-production process where progress can be hindered. They are dead end because there is a long term cost in continuing to do them.
A web-to-print solution safeguards your company for the future, by eliminating these unneeded processes. The most obvious example would be entering the same information over and over again into different types of software programs used by your company. A good web-to-print will provide integration. With integration, which interconnects different software, this example of a dead end process would be eliminated. In order to have a more specific understanding of the savings you can expect, your best bet is an ROI (return on investment).
Remember to fully understand your needs before buying. If you find a company (like us!) that offers you a trial – we highly recommend giving them a whirl.