Just as e-commerce has transformed the retail sales industry, print on demand is redefining e-commerce! Instead of investing in bulk inventory or waiting for a minimum order to go to print, many e-commerce owners are working with print on demand companies that can fulfill each order as it comes. These business owners are able to cut costs and lower risk while still offering high-quality products.
Consider these benefits of print on demand for your small or medium sized business.
1. Zero Inventory Risk
Print on demand offers significant benefits to both businesses and customers. As a business owner, you’ll find that partnering with a print on demand provider is much lower risk than using a traditional retail model, whether you just want to dip your toes in the e-commerce market or you’ve been in business for years.
Because you don’t have to purchase bulk inventory before you sell a single item, you can get started right away, even with limited capital. Maybe you own an established business but you want to add a product to your line. Printing on demand means you’ll never have to invest in inventory. Just add the product to your e-commerce site and if it doesn’t see big numbers, remove it. It’s that simple.
2. Reduced Costs
With print on demand, total costs will be down across the board. In a traditional business model, you’d pay bulk shipping for items to be sent to you, only to turn around and ship them to your customer. Shipping and inventory management costs, along with the cost of goods not sold can add up quickly. However, with print on demand, items ship directly from your printer, reducing not just shipping costs, but storage costs as well.
3. Elimination of Inventory
Don’t fill your dining room with boxes of inventory or pay for storage you don’t need. When you partner with a print on demand company, they’ll manage the storage on site. Whether you sell only a few items a month or your sales are increasing every week, your print on demand partner will always have the inventory on hand.
4. Easy to Scale
Print on demand allows you to start small—or not! Because you don’t need to manage inventory yourself, you can really tailor your product offerings to your customers’ needs with zero or no investment in inventory. Of course, all business owners hope that all of their products will be best sellers, but in the event that no one is jumping to buy your latest mug design, simply remove the product from your e-commerce site. It’s that easy.
5. Ease of Use
You don’t need to be particularly tech savvy to partner with a print on demand provider. Once your online store is set up, you’ll simply need to set up an account with a print on demand provider and link the two accounts. Most e-commerce platforms use plugins to make the process even easier.
6. High Quality Products
Your customers will benefit from print on demand, too! It’s essential for companies to partner with high-quality suppliers and brands, and not just those who offer the best price. That way, you’re able to offer the best products to your customers while also providing reasonable pricing. When your customers order something from your site, they are guaranteed to receive products that feel anything but cheap. Satisfied customers are more likely to write positive reviews and even purchase from your site in the future.
7. Quick Turnaround
When you work with a print on demand company, they can start processing your orders the moment they’re received. There’s no need to wait for minimum orders. This means that your customers will usually receive their purchases within days, not weeks.
8. Improved Customer Communications
In e-commerce, your reputation is only as good as your negative reviews. Even if you offer the best quality products, a lack of customer service could hurt your business. Fortunately, most print on demand suppliers have trained customer service representatives to manage issues when they arise. Whether you need to clarify the details of an order or a customer is trying to track a shipment, concerns will be addressed quickly during customer service hours.
9. Product Customization
With print on demand, if you can design it, they can probably print it. Whether you just came up with the best slogan for a tee shirt or you’ve photographed the perfect sunrise for a coffee mug, your print on demand provider can make it happen. Most will even offer customization, as well. For artists and designers, this means you can focus on creating, while your print on demand provider manages fulfillment and shipping.
The Ideal Business Solution for Small and Medium Sized Businesses
If you own an e-commerce business, you’re probably wondering how on earth you can reduce costs while still providing high-quality products and stellar customer service. It may seem like an impossible dream, but it doesn’t have to be! When you partner with a print on demand provider like Fujifilm, you can avoid paying for shipping, storage, or even inventory, all without skimping on quality. Whether you’re looking to start a side hustle or streamline an existing business model, print on demand can make it happen!