Future of Online Signboard Printing Platform in 2023

Signboards are one of the most demanded outdoor advertising tools for any physical business. Be it healthcare, education, retail, wholesale, or anything else, people have been using signboards for a very long time to attract customers, create more brand visibility, promote their offers/services/solutions and so much more. However, not every time would they be able to reach out to you at your store. Thus the online sign board printing software.

These are custom-built solutions for a print business where you get the functionality of an ecommerce store along with print-specific tools that help your customers design their signboards online on your platform and order it from you. Not only this, these solutions are endowed with tens of tools that also make your business operations more seamless. It is a power-packed technology-driven solution that allows you to take your local print business to next level. It is your go-to solution if you are looking for business expansion, optimize the print approval and delivery process, improve customer experience, extend personalized solutions and so much more.

Today, in this blog we are here to explore the benefits of web-to-print software and how it is going to revolutionize sign board printing completely. Before that, do you know about WTP Biz? We are a web-to-print solution provider with years of experience in providing web-to-print software solutions that help your customers to design their own signboards on your platform. Connect today, to know more about WTP Biz web to print software, connect with our technology expert today. We provide solutions for all types, and sizes of print businesses.

Technology-driven personal and business sign board designing

Be it for personal or professional use, one thing that is common between all your customers is that they have a set design in their mind regarding their signboards. The challenge arises when you have to take their cues and design the perfect signboard that matches their needs and also makes them fall in love with it. Usually, a print business would be required to make a number of iterations to the original design they developed, and at last – after consuming your time and occupying your resources your customers feel satisfied with the work you have done.

Cut down to today, web-to-print software allows your customers to DIY their signboards. There are some very good tools that they can use that are available on the web to print editor and they can use it for designing sign boards without having to know graphic design.

The process helps you eliminate:

• The lengthy design approval process
• Irritating repeat visits to the print shop
• Inaccuracy in the design
• Customer dissatisfaction with the services
• Design fails
• Communication gaps and so much more.

Is web to print as good as it sounds?

The internet has taken over the world. People are constantly using their smartphones to find products, services, solutions, nearby things, book travel, order grocery/food/transport, and much more. Do you really think they want to get out of the comfort of their home just to go to a print shop to get a signboard and get into the endless loop of iterations before they receive their signboard? Definitely not!

If you have spent some years running your print business you must have identified a number of challenges that have been stopping your business from its potential. Although you have a great set of employees, people are always going to come to you with some design idea that is just next to impossible to replicate. Of course, we are not telepathic. But, what happens when they start designing those signboards. The table is turned 360 degrees. Customer satisfaction reaches the sky. So, yes – web to print is as good as it sounds.

How to build web-to-print software?

First things first, a web-to-print solution is an ecommerce site. A lot of print businesses confuse the web to print software for an ecommerce store and that is when the chain of disappointment starts building. You need to have a website from where you can sell your products. Now, as you know it would not allow your customers to make customizations to the product assortment, and hence you need a specific solution which is web-to-print software. Together with the ecommerce capabilities and web-to-print software you get an ultimate web-to-print shop. To clarify things further, here is a comprehensive list of features of a web-to-print store and web-to-print software for you to make a bifurcation. Also, some features may overlap.

Features of a web-to-print shop

As said earlier, a web-to-print shop would have all the capabilities of an ecommerce store and web-to-print software. It features:

• An easy design approval process
• Access control if you want to monitor and control the process to be hierarchical as per your organization’s structure
• Workflow approval
• Easy cataloging and categorization
• Content management
• Inventory management
• Secure payment process
• Marketing and branding solutions
• Customizable templates
• Design management system
• Discount management system
• Enterprise resource management
• Customer relationship management
• Multi-store management
• Order management
• Performance metrics
• Data analytics
• Design preview
• Delivery management
• Customer profile management
• Order tracking and more features

As you can see, it is an ultimate solution for the business as well as your customers where it provides a seamless process right from designing to placing an order and getting print approval to delivery.

Features of a web-to-print software

Web to print software is the tool that helps you leverage the features that are specific to the print industry. The features listed in the above section of the web-to-print shop that is specific to only the print industry are warranted by web-to-print software. Here is a list of features:

• Discount management
• Price calculation for retail and wholesale orders
• Print approval
• Configurable workflow
• Activity dashboard
• Access control
• Customer account management
• Template management
• Design management
• Cataloging
• Image editing
• Unlimited design library and more.

The biggest job of web-to-print software is to provide you with a web-to-print editor that helps your customers make customizations to the products offered by you.

What types of signboards can be offered on a web-to-print store?

• Plastic signs
• Wood signs
• Name badge engraving
• Name badge color printing
• Aluminum signs
• Vinyl
• Decal
• Banner

To help your customers make a better choice, provide sign board samples on your web-to-print store that allows them to understand what these terms mean technically. This would ensure customer satisfaction even further.

Also, not only can you use the web to print software for providing online sign board printing solutions can use them for other solutions too such as sticker printing, apparel printing, book printing, and more. However, you would need to customize the web-to-print tool as per the solutions you are providing. If you are thinking about launching a web-to-print store, contact our technical experts to take a free consultation and identify how technology can help you fulfill your dreams.

Online signboard printing – the business model

One of the biggest things that have led to the failure or success of many businesses irrespective of their domain is the business model or the business strategy. Just because something is trending, it is not a good enough reason to incorporate it into your business.

Yes, you need to go online. But how, what is the return you are expecting from your investment, how does it reduce the operation cost, what are the pros and cons for this implementation, and so many other questions have to be answered by you before taking the big leap.

Here is a common business model for web-to-print stores, but – there is always the need to map your business needs to it to make it work out for you.

1. Why do you need a business model?

Even for a physical store, you have to streamline your process. And when you start expanding your business with an online signboard design shop the need for it would be more than ever. You have to streamline the customer experience, designing, print process, delivery system, and cost of the solutions to get a sharper edge into the market. Most of all you have to have a workflow for the things to run smoothly and also make it easy for you to monitor.

2. What is the basic workflow of an online web-to-print store?

• Customers choose service, product, and type of signboard and material.
• The customer uses the web to print editor to make customizations to the product canvas using text, graphics, logos, borders, colors, background colors, etc. You should also have some pre-built customizable templates with an unlimited library to offer them more ease.
• Customer chooses to fix methods ranging from adhesive tapes, suction cups, hangers, screws, bolts, etc.
• Once the design is finalized, they place an order, choose a payment method suitable for them and the order gets to you.
• Once here, you will ask for a print approval, for bulk orders people may ask for a sample first to check the output and then approve. Mostly for signboards, it is not required, unless you see a major issue in the design.
• Once completed printing, the order is shipped to the customer.

3. Revenue Model – how to earn money?

We have talked about customers, we have talked about signboard ideas and we have also talked about technology. Let’s dive into the most important part of the discussion – how to make money?

The ultimate motive of investing in the web-to-print solution or any technology for that matter is to make your business process fast, reduce operation costs, increase business capabilities and earn money from your services and solutions. The services that you would provide and the revenue that you earn help you take care of designing & printing, man-hours, delivery, etc. So, strategically manage the cost of the products and also stay competitive. If you are a small business, look out for alternative approaches to churn money while also staying competitive in the market where there are some big sharks. Here are some sure shot tricks:

• Advertisements

You must be aware of online advertising. Allow businesses to run their ads on your site and earn money with each click of their ads. But don’t go overboard, not many people like closing hundreds of tabs. Also, select advertisers very carefully, and allow only industry-related service providers to run ads this would allow you to earn more money as people looking for print products might also like relative services from other vendors. But to get here you need an incredible online presence, talk to a digital marketing expert that would be able to help to get the desired traffic on the site, while also making sure your products sell.

• Additional services

We talked about how people love designing their own signboards if they have signboard ideas, but what if they don’t. People may lookout for expert designers, and ask you to provide one. Especially, if your product is related to individuals you must have a professional designer on board. You can set the price based on size, complexity, and time taken to complete the design. You can also set the no. of iterations that are allowed for a particular design.

Some other features that you must have on your signboard design store online?

When we say must-haves they are like irreplaceable. So, make sure your service provider is incorporating the following features in the web-to-print store and software:

• Unlimited template library
• Chat, email, and call feature
• Signboard samples
• Happy customer reviews
• Product categorization and easy filters
• Cost estimator (retail and wholesale)
• “How to design?” video

Are you looking forward to setting up your own web-to-print store? Well, you need a partner like us to help you in your course. Learn about the web-to-print software and what amazing features you can have for optimizing your customer experience on your web-to-print store and how you can improve your business operations and cost.