There’s no doubt digitalization is killing our old-school ways of doing things, but guess what, the print industry, too, is embracing the latest digital technologies and has a lot more to go in terms of success.
Who doesn’t love printed products? The print has always been a fascination for us, but unfortunately, earlier, the print was only limited to paper or fabric. Today, breaking the barriers, the print industry has made it possible to achieve print on any surface we like, be it canvas, glass, metal, wood, etc. along with personalization.
Like any other business, the print industry also has never been the same. It has always been an up and down ride for it. There was a golden era of printing, which now, due to digitalization, is facing a slower death. According to the leading industry research company IBISWorld, in the last five years, the printing industry has experienced a lot of downfalls like;
- Printing industry revenue has decreased an average of 2.1% per year
- Printing companies have disappeared at an annual rate of 3.2%
- The number of people employed by printing companies has dropped 4.2% per year
But survival is essential, and to hold the position of a successful print service provider and to amplify one’s sales, the print owners have to try on the following hacks to keep going. Let’s see what they are.
1. Offer Personalization
Today people love products in their own way rather than compromising and buying what is available. Hence, customization is trending, and offering that to your customers will definitely bring you more business. Product customization and personalized services are a win-win. It makes customers feel important and as a part of your business, and they will keep coming to you, or the best, bring more people along with them to your business.
2. Simplify Business Process
Online business is not as accessible as it appears to be. There’s a lot of online management required, like in taking and confirming orders, invoicing, shipping, delivery, and so on. To make the most out of your online print storefront, a custom web to print software solution is a must which will help you streamline your business and solve biggest business challenges, making it more profitable for you. With features like a custom print workflow, MIS implementation, pre-press process automation, and others, your print business will run smoothly without causing you any headaches or hiccups.
3. Use Digital Marketing Strategies
People are always found online, and hence, you should never miss a chance to market your print business online. Until you let people know about your existence, nobody will notice. Run campaigns, apply strategies, network, shout out on social media as you are not alone in the print business. The market is getting hotter, and you need to make use of digital marketing strategies, which can also cost you less than traditional marketing.
4. Update Yourself First
Websites are indeed the first impression, and they affect business a lot. Hence, if you are still holding on to your old site, let it go and get a new one. Update and make it a marketing and sales-driven website as it is your digital real estate for marketing your products and services. Integrate social media channels and communicate with them. Lure them to your site and visually impress them first with your website and later with your products and services.
5. Expand Your Offerings
Instead of only offering them only printed t-shirts, you can increase your product range and provide them with other printed solutions like business cards, mobile covers, photo album, banner, signboard, greeting card, shoes, etc.
You can also offer your customers with a fully mobile responsive design studio to create print-ready-designs to order on your website, anytime from anywhere, 3rd party integrations, or serve them individually with add-on modules like;
Corporate B2B –
A completely secure, private, and branded B2B corporate storefronts with role-based access to serve all organizational customer needs.
Trade printer –
Enable trade printers to offer branded storefront to their resellers for leveraging their connections and local market to bring more orders for your business.
Graphics designer –
Where you can register as many designers or artists to your online print store and crowdsource designs for your customers.
Multi-vendor –
Add any number of vendors to your online print store and offer any number of products.
Supplier and fulfillment partner integration –
Where you can integrate 3rd party inventory suppliers, fulfillment partners or drop-shippers with your web-to-print storefront and automate your ordering and dispatch workflow.
Custom book module –
A comprehensive web-to-print book module to offer self-publishing of books.
6. Add Added Value
There might be tons of online print storefront, but define what makes you stand out. Find your niche. Work on your weaknesses and turn them into your strengths. Listen to your customer’s complaints and reviews and improve on that. Support them. Figure out where your customers are facing trouble in your print store and help them out. All these actions will make them love you even more.
7. Include the Trends
Make sure you are walking with the latest trends. Include templates of what’s trending in Canada like any holidays, catchy slogans from news, any trending character, colors, designs or patterns, etc. for the customers to get their favorite trend printed on their products. This will not only keep your print business upfront but will also make you known for living up to the trends so that, when something new comes up, they know where they can get it printed.
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Wrapping up
Like any other eCommerce business, of course, for the growth of your online print store, you would have to build a network, keep customers happy, market yourself, offer promotions, etc. but to survive today in the competitive industry, you must practice the above-mentioned hacks too.
In fact, to get your business some much-needed exposure, you yourself can create personalized products and use it to market your business. It is crucial to take advantage of today’s technology, like a print shop website software to offer the best for your customers as well as to get the best out of it.
