Unlock W2P with Online Design Tools

Surprise! More print is being ordered online. According to InfoTrends’ latest software investment surveys, PSPs expect the volume of work submitted through web-to-print to increase by 48% in the U.S., and 18% in Western Europe over the next few years.

Adoption rates of web-to-print software have risen in most regions, with U.S. adoption rates topping 50% in 2017. Now the problem is how to grow the number of customers using the system, along with the order volume. One way to kick-start growth is to target new customers and applications that benefit from the use of an online design tool where users can customize designs.

Online design tools come in various shapes and sizes, depending upon their target market and applications. Online design tools focused on the consumer market attempt to empower the non-designer to create better content. The user typically starts with a pre-designed template, where most design elements can be edited. B2B-focused online design tools, however, are usually more concerned with offering brand control features and functionality for the business user. The overall design capabilities are similar to the B2C space, but with added controls to lock design elements where the business wants to enforce corporate design specs or brand integrity.

Online design tools can be grouped into three application categories, although most can support more than one type:

• Document-focused: tools that enable end-users to create and personalize single or multi-page jobs for digital or physical output.
• Promotional-focused: tools for creating content to be printed on promotional items, such as apparel and novelty items.
• Packaging-focused: tools for creating or customizing labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging, or corrugated products—where 3D visualization is critical.

Knowing the types of customers you are targeting, along with the types of products to offer, will allow you to compare solutions. From there, formulate a plan for educating and onboarding your customers to use the new online design capabilities before engaging the software vendor further. After all, the best technology is wasted if customers fail to embrace it. Creating a thorough go-to-market strategy is where you should spend your “design time” so you can unlock web-to-print for your customers.