- Very good image carrier for sales staff - a tool that really makes a difference
- Defined approval workflows enable system-supported and controlled printing of advertising materials in the right design
- Relief for your head office and/or marketing department
- Permanent overview of all activities for printing, such as orders, approvals, stocks, etc. within the store
- Significant simplification in the supply and management of regionally or internationally distributed points of sale with advertising materials
- Clarity and overview thanks to centralized management of all valid advertising materials and printed matter in one platform
- Immediate updating of all advertising material and printed matter via central server control. Print products can be added, changed, switched off, individualized and ordered digitally with immediate effect
- Enormous cost savings in the production of individualized advertising materials and printed matter
- Significant reduction in coordination processes and correction loops in marketing thanks to simple operation when customizing products via the system
- Location-independent and time-independent access to the 100% web-based web-to-print solutions
With Web-to-Print, you can create customized advertising material for your company based on predefined templates with just a few clicks.
Contents
Why is web-to-print important to you?
Your top 10 advantages with web-to-print
Overview of the main components
Who is the technology suitable for?
What is the difference between web-to-print and web-to-publish?
What does a software solution look like?
What business models are there?
Overview of the most frequently asked questions
What is Web to Print?
Web to Print, also known as Web2Print or W2P, is a simple and cost-effective solution for producing personalized printed materials for your company. Print templates can be customized digitally, regardless of location. Thanks to the automated, internet-based transmission of print data, web-to-print solutions facilitate the printing of personalized advertising materials and products and streamline the management and communication processes between your sales and distribution partners, branches, subsidiaries and the central marketing department. Field offices can easily customize and print templates for print products and articles according to their needs and their own customers without having to worry about the right design. No prior knowledge is required, as the brand's templates always ensure that the corporate design is maintained. A web to print store is tailored precisely to the customer's needs and includes a wide range of possible services: Posters, flyers or business cards (business equipment) can be created and printed just as easily as stand-up displays or sales documents. The print documents are checked in the system and sent to the print shop or can be downloaded directly via the web-to-print software. This enables the marketing department to create successful campaigns that are true to the corporate design and geared to the needs of local customers.
Why is web-to-print important to you?
The advantages of web-to-print stores are manifold. But is a web to print system really suitable for your company? When is it really worth investing in web-to-print software?
Web-to-print solutions are beneficial for your brand if you are interested in successfully managing local marketing campaigns (local customization) or marketing automation that are tailored as closely as possible to your sales and distribution partners, branches and subsidiaries. This can be problematic with a large number of branch offices. Thanks to Web2Print software, however, partners can simply order print products based on their current requirements and offer customers exactly what they need on site. These independent customization options for the templates relieve the central marketing department and allow it to devote its capacities to larger projects. In addition, the simple creation of printed materials and direct transmission of the print data to the print shop saves considerable time and money. As a result, web-to-print is not only fast, simple and strengthens the personal responsibility of your employees, but is also reflected in your sales.
Your top 10 advantages with web-to-print software
Uncomplicated to use and a streamlining factor for workflow and internal company management - these are the functions that the optimum web to print solution should offer. But there are also numerous other functions that companies can use to their own advantage thanks to the various application and modification options offered by Web2Print Shops. But what do these look like in detail?
Overview of the main components
For a successful web-to-print solution, the individual components and functions of web-to-print should be optimally tailored to your own needs.
Editor
The layout engine, or editor, is used to display the text or image information fed in for reproduction on a screen or print product. This is where the design of the products takes place. The editor offers various functions that are easy to use. On the one hand, personalized print products are displayed appropriately in the Web2Print Shop. At the same time, the print documents are checked for feasibility. The design is based on the templates provided. This allows communication and management to be standardized for the entire brand.
Online store
The integrated store for the various items in Web2Print makes it easy to order printed materials. Not only is the location of the person placing the order irrelevant, but also the question of whether it is a stock item or an individualized item. At the same time, numerous regulatory functions such as the management of service providers, approvals and user administration can be combined within the store.
Analysis/ Controlling
User-friendly reporting tools make it easy to analyze activities in the web-to-print system at any time. Here, companies can monitor the marketing activities of their individual partners/branches/branches: Who orders which advertising material and when - and who does not? Targeted analysis enables direct intervention and the provision of assistance and further service where it is needed. It also provides sufficient data to calculate future marketing expenditure for print products.
Who is the technology suitable for?
A web-to-print store is particularly popular with the management of decentrally organized companies. Print products can be easily created and ordered via a Web2Print system, far away from the head office and independent of time zones. Field staff can easily produce and reorder printed materials such as business cards or displays according to their needs. There are many sectors in which a web-to-print solution can simplify and enrich everyday working life:
- Insurances
- Banks
- Franchise
- Trade
- Automobile
- Journey
- Clubs and associations
- Gastronomy
- Hotel industry
- Healthcare
Cost and process optimization
Inexpensive, fast, simple - suitable web-to-print solutions offer all of this. The use of ready-made templates eliminates correction loops between the graphics and marketing departments. Processes are streamlined, agreements are superfluous. This means that marketing capacities can be used more efficiently. Thanks to automatic transfers from other systems, address data does not have to be entered manually into the web-to-print system and can be transferred directly into the products, thus reducing the error rate. Web-to-print stores also check the quality and design of the print data before it is sent directly to the print shop. This makes printing advertising materials for companies efficient and cost-effective.
Sample calculation for creating an advertisement with and without a web-to-print system:
ActivityManual (in minutes)Automatic (in minutes)Inquiry to marketing / web-to-print system 15 5Construction of ad 60 15Sending PDF to client 5 0Corrections 25 0Transfer of final print documents to client 5 0Print approval by client 5 5Forwarding to print service provider/customer 5 5Total 120 30Costs per ad (hourly rate: EUR 70.00) EUR 140.00 EUR 35.00 EUR
What is the difference between web-to-print and web-to-publish?
Web-to-print and web-to-publish are often associated with each other. But what is the difference between the systems? A web-to-publish system is used to publish content via a central system. It is irrelevant whether this involves the design of print products, websites or apps. In contrast, web-to-print solutions only convert information fed into the system to print products. Web-to-print is therefore a sub-area of web-to-publish.
What cost models are offered?
Would you like to integrate web-to-print software into your brand? Then choose a cost model based on your calculation.
Purchase
When you purchase a web-to-print system, you acquire all the services offered by the provider with a one-off payment. In addition to the web-to-print program itself, a purchase usually includes other services such as comprehensive service, support, performance checks, staff training and consulting. Purchasing a web-to-print solution may be the most expensive cost model. However, it offers your brand the most comprehensive services.
Rent
Some providers allow customers to rent the licenses of a program for monthly payments instead of buying them at a high price. This keeps the costs of the web-to-print program more manageable and easier to calculate. However, in the case of long-term rentals, the monthly payments may exceed the one-off purchase price in full.
Participation in the order volume
Participation in the order volume results in low to no investment costs for the web-to-print system. This is made available to the company by the web-to-print provider. In return, the head office pays a "handling fee" to the provider of the Web2Print system, which is linked to the order volume. In other words, the company agrees to give the web-to-print provider a small percentage of the revenue generated by each print order placed via the system.
What does a software solution look like?
Based on your company's own requirements for web-to-print solutions, the scope of a web-to-print system can be easily customized. Depending on your requirements, the various elements of the Web2Print system are tailored to your needs.
The function with the simple and secure editing tool for optimal editing of your documents. The step-by-step wizard guides you online through the personalization of your printed matter and includes the option of inserting images, text modules and graphics into the template and editing them in a targeted manner. You don't have to worry about the design in any of these steps. With the help of the preview function, you also receive direct feedback directly in the platform every time you make a change.
This function is suitable for optimal and targeted communication between your sales and distribution partners, branches or subsidiaries and print service providers. Any print service provider can be connected to the Marketing Portal via the open eco-system, allowing orders and status transmissions to be exchanged online.
The key feature for optimal monitoring and general management of your order processes. The approval process takes place via a central point in the company and thus offers absolute review and control. After a successful check, the order is automatically forwarded to the responsible print service provider or canceled if necessary.
What business models are there?
The design of a suitable web-to-print solution can be very diverse. Nevertheless, different business models can be divided into three categories based on their availability:
License-based (commercial) programs
License-based web-to-print programs are classic software applications that are purchased by companies. With the purchase of the (single) license, it is possible to install the program internally. With good support, the web-to-print software can be adapted precisely to individual requirements. However, license-based web-to-print solutions can be associated with high costs.
Open Source Programs
As open source programs are not distributed commercially, they are largely free of charge. This means that open source web-to-print solutions can be the cheapest way to access the benefits of this technology. However, in order to ensure that all employees can use the program optimally, costs for training must be factored in. Therefore, open source web-to-print software is particularly suitable if the employees have sufficient IT knowledge and can therefore familiarize themselves with the programs.
SaaS offers
Software as a Service (SaaS) offers use cloud programs that are made available online as a web app. Employees access the service of a SaaS offering online and from any location via individual user accounts. Instead of paying a high one-off fee as with a license-based solution, SaaS offerings are usually based on lower monthly fees. However, a continuous internet connection of excellent quality that enables online working is essential for the successful integration of a SaaS offering into the workflow.