4 min read
5 things every ecommerce website for printers must have
We’ve established in a few of our previous posts that having a website with ecommerce capabilities is an important part...
6 min read
Purchasing a web to print system is one of the best investments a print shop can make. Ecommerce for printers is a huge market, and when properly implemented, web to print software will provide by far the most ROI for your company (check out our why you need web to print post)
When you’re ready to start gaining the benefits of web to print; begin saving time, making money and getting new clients, make sure that you’re not falling into these common pitfalls.
1. Doing too many things at once
We’ve all been guilty of this at one point or another; you have a clear picture of what you want your end result to be, but when you break down the steps to get there you end up having a lot on your plate. Sometimes it can seem like the path to saving time is going to take too much time in itself.
If it’s your first look into the world of web to print, then it’s easy to consider all the features, functionality, and options available for you to customize and either get overwhelmed by the process, or start taking on more than you can handle.
A good web to print system will allow you to start making your website a key part of your client acquisition and service strategy almost immediately, without the burden of entering all of your pricing and product details.
2. Wanting to make everything perfect (wasting time on details)
Although there’s often little room for imperfection when it comes to printing, when implementing your web to print system perfect is certainly the enemy of good enough.
If you’re still using your web presence as simply an informational billboard to advertise your products and services, then each day you don’t have online ordering options is a day you’re missing out on business from those who prefer to order both online and locally.
The goal posts for perfection can gradually shift as time goes on, but you’re losing out on business the longer you restrict how your clients order. It’s easy to get stuck considering all the edge cases, so make sure you pick a web to print system that’s extensible so you can get going quickly without sacrificing in the future.
You want to focus on what will give you an immediate benefit, with a clear path to compounding on that initial effort down the road.
3. Missing the most important things (shipping, billing, file upload & custom quotes)
There are certain features any ecommerce venture must have to be successful in the long run. If you don’t have live shipping rates and a payment processor integrated with your web to print storefront, then you’re not giving prospective clients the option to follow their impulse when it comes to ordering from you online.
Not every client will require live shipping rates, or the option to checkout using their credit card, and a good web to print system will allow you to service a variety of clients with different shipping and billing requirements but one thing is for sure; you will alienate a portion of consumers if you don’t have these things set up.
Additionally, if your system doesn’t allow your client to easily upload files, or is so inflexible that it won’t allow you to respond to a custom quote with a purchasable estimate, then you are going to lose out on a lot of orders in the long run.
4. Not having a responsible employee in change of implementation
Just like any project you don’t just need clear objectives on how to get your web to print system implemented, but you need a responsible employee to be accountable for any required tasks.
A good web to print solution will give you a clear road map for a successful implementation, with actionable tasks depending on your needs and timeline. The onboarding team assigned to your company will work closely with you and your staff to ensure you’re making good progress.
5. Not leaving dedicated time
Not putting time aside for any project can doom it from the start. With so much to gain from a small investment of time in your web to print system, make sure you schedule accordingly to get yourself up and running.
On the topic of time, be mindful that the concept of compound interest is also at play here; in the long term the time you put in adding content, pricing and simply fine tuning your web to print system is going to give you a better return moving forward.
6. Not having unique content
Having content unique to your business, product and services on your website not only makes it easier for customers to understand who you are and what you offer, but it makes it easier for search engines to pick you out from the crowd.
When it comes to unique content, a little can go a long way, and adding your own local flavor to any generic content is a good way to make sure purchasers in your area know they’re buying local.
A good web to print will allow you to fully customize content for your B2C and B2B sites, even down to the automatic email notifications. Our web to print software comes with an easy to use content management system which allows you to easily copy, make changes, revisions and brand new content for your products, product groups, and web pages.
7. Not notifying clients about the new system
Now that you have a new web to print system, it’s time to brag about it! Don’t neglect to let your clients know about all the new features that will make their lives (and in turn yours) easier. You might consider even preparing a YouTube video of your new sites ordering process to encourage existing clients.
It’s always a good idea to use whatever marketing channels you’re comfortable with to let your clients know about the new system, and a sure fire way to get people interested is to offer a limited time promotional code for purchases made on the site.
Times change and purchasers come and go; it’s never a bad idea to let a client know that their last ten orders are available for reorder through their account, and ask them if they’ve logged in to it recently.
In the future we’ll be writing an article that goes into detail about different avenues for notifying your clients about all the things your new site can do.
8. Asking clients to go to the website and “figure it out”, not presenting properly
Remember, sometimes we simply can’t see the forest for the trees, and if you stand to save a lot of operator time by introducing a client to their new account or storefront, then it’s worth being comfortable in demonstrating the simple options an end user has available to them.
Presenting the system properly to a current or prospective client is really just a matter of putting yourself in their shoes. A good web to print will have the option for you to easily see a particular client's perspective, and make it easy for you to show them anything custom that you’ve set up.
A good way to get comfortable answering simple questions about end user experience on your new site is to run through a few scenarios with employees role playing as your clients.
9. Trying to force every client to use it (not being flexible)
Simply put, not every one of your clients is going to want to fully utilize your web to print system, and if you make too pointed an effort to convince them otherwise, it can leave a bad taste in their mouth.
People are creatures of habit, and although there are plenty of common sense benefits to using your web to print system, benefits that both you and the client will agree on, it will sometimes seem to fall on deaf ears.
A good web to print system will allow you to take advantage of order management, processing, and order history in a way which doesn’t rely on your clients using the site. Where your clients can pick and choose whether they want to use all the features, and you can still reap the benefits.
Remember: purchasers come and go, so make sure you’re in a position where you have the company's order history in their account ready for the next purchaser to use.
10. Not responding to clients who register on your site.
If someone walks in your store and doesn’t seem to know what they want, you’d probably ask them if they needed help, right? A client who registers on your website should be treated no differently.
A client will typically register on your web to print storefront for a reason; to upload a file, request a quote, or to add a product to their shopping cart. It’s good practice to keep an eye on what a client does after registering, and follow up with them if they haven’t move forward
Want to know how you can improve customer service using web to print? Check out our article here.
Our web to print specialists have decades of experience in the industry, and have helped hundreds of print providers gain newfound success in the online market.
Let us know what you need out of your web to print.
