Advantages of Web-to-Print Solutions

 

Time and Cost Efficiency: Reduced time spent on manual tasks and costs are a major benefit of using web-to-print solutions. Traditional ways of ordering personalized products, such as phone calls, forms, or brochure filling, can be time-consuming.

Web-to-print technologies streamline this process, letting customers design and order custom-printed products online with a few clicks instead of back-and-forth emailing. Allowing customers to personalize designs in real-time, web-to-print companies get fewer order returns, saving their time and money.

Customization and Personalization: Web-to-print tools allow companies to provide customers with personalized products. These solutions make it simple to create unique products, from one-of-a-kind decals and signage to apparel and even sports uniforms. Customers feel more connected to a brand that understands their individual wants and requirements, which can increase engagement, loyalty, and customer satisfaction.

Business and Process Automation: Automation allows companies to significantly cut down on human interaction in processes like manual communication with customers, preparing a lot of design mockups for approval, and order processing.

Not only does this shorten the production cycle, but it also guarantees constant quality while minimizing errors. Scalability is enhanced when businesses use web-to-print solutions that have automation features. This allows them to handle a bigger volume of orders effortlessly, get better KPI, and increased sales.

Let’s compare and contrast the two solutions so that you can make a decision about which one is best for your company.

 

Aspect	OOTB Web-To-Print Solutions	Custom Web-To-Print Solutions
Cost	Pros: More cost-effective upfront Cons: Limited customization may require workarounds	Pros: Greater customization possibilities
Implementation Time	Pros: Quick and immediate usability Cons: Limited customization can hinder unique branding	Pros: Tailored solutions but longer development timelines
Maintenance	Pros: Updates and support Cons: Limited control over feature enhancements	Pros: Greater control but complex maintenance
Feature Set	Pros: Ready to-go features   Cons: May contain unnecessary features	Pros: Can be built to align with specific requirements perfectly
Scalability	Pros: Best for small businesses Cons: May not easily adapt to growth	Pros: Can be adapted to growing needs

 

Out-Of-The-Box Web2Print Solutions

Out-of-the-box, or OOTB, Web-to-Print Solutions are ready-to-use software that can be purchased and used on a company's website with minimal development time required. This option provides users with a library of prebuilt features and templates. OOTB solutions are cheap in most cases and can be set up quickly and easily.

Their lack of flexibility to meet specific requirements is their main drawback, which could stunt your company's development on the road.

 

Pros of Out-of-the-Box Web-to-Print Solutions

 

Ready to Install and Use: When a company decides to set off on a new path, agility is essential, and here is where innovative web-to-print solutions step in to save the day. Because of their built-in flexibility, they can be quickly installed and deployed, which is a game-changer for startups on a budget.

Imagine this: Just in time for the holiday shopping season, these technologies may be easily integrated into a startup's platform, turning it into a sales machine. The convenience of implementation becomes a competitive advantage.

Support, Updates, and Upgrades: For a seamless launching experience, clients may rely on the extensive assistance, guidelines, and documentation provided by these solution providers. This gives clients the tools they need to make the most of the web-to-print platform right from the start.

Additionally, frequent updates and upgrades demonstrate the dedication to constant progress. Bug fixes, improved security standards, and new features and capabilities that match industry trends are all to the benefit of clients. 

Integrations and Ready-to-Go Assets: Standard web-to-print solutions eliminate the integration issues that afflict many companies. These apps connect the creative process with commercial success by integrating with the most popular e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and others.

Businesses are given a leg up by the pre-made product and asset galleries, allowing them to enter the market without having to deal with the intricacies of creating a product catalog from scratch. 

 

Cons of Out-of-the-Box Web-to-Print Solutions

 

Limited Design Freedom: Web-to-print solutions may provide you with less creative control than custom solutions, even though they supply templates and design features. For companies who need highly specialized and elaborate designs or unique personalization flow, this restriction can be a problem.

Initial Setup and Integration: Web-to-print solution providers offer a variety of ready integrations with well-known eCommerce platforms, which makes it easy for businesses to set up their web-to-print solutions.

However, if you use an eCommerce platform that is less mainstream or if you have a custom-built website, it can be challenging to set up a web-to-print solution out of the box. It can also be a challenge to find a ready solution that can seamlessly interact with the specific third-party apps if you use them.

Unused Features: One notable drawback is the prevalence of unused features, as these solutions aim to cater to a broad audience. This abundance of functionalities can result in a complex and cluttered user interface, leading to a steeper learning curve for users. Moreover, the inclusion of irrelevant features may hinder the overall user experience, contributing to inefficiencies and potential frustration.

Additionally, businesses may pay for features they do not need, increasing overall costs. The rigidity of off-the-shelf solutions in terms of customization and scalability further limits their suitability for businesses with unique or evolving requirements. 

Custom Web-to-Print Solutions

In contrast to OOTB, custom web-to-print solutions are developed from scratch to meet the specific requirements of specific clients. With custom web-to-print software, companies may adapt each part of their web-to-print solution, including the features, user interface, and overall appearance. 

One of the main benefits of tailor-made solutions is that they perform precisely as intended. In this way, their features can be tailored specifically to your company's needs. The enhanced adaptability, scalability, and durability of the end product justifies the increased investment in time and money required for a custom solution.

 

Pros of Custom Web-to-Print Solutions

 

Tailored Features and Custom UI: Custom solutions are built based on your exact needs, which allows businesses to choose the features and options that make sense for them, providing better customer experiences.

Code Ownership: With custom solutions, you fully own the code, allowing you to control and modify the code to fit your exact needs.

No License fees: With OOTB, you pay to use their pre-built software, and you can only use it as it is. With custom solutions, you only pay based on the agreed scope and requirements.

White-label: With custom web-to-print solutions, you can customize your solution and keep your branding intact throughout the user experience.

Better Performance and Scalability: Custom web-to-print solutions are built with scalability in mind, providing businesses with a solution that grows alongside them.

Tailored Tech Stack and Hosting Options: Custom solutions allow businesses to choose the technology stack they want to use, giving them more control over the hosting options they prefer. Moreover, custom development companies have the know-how to recommend the most appropriate technology stack, taking into account the needs of the client and the company's overall objectives. For instance, we inform our clients about the options that best suit their needs.

Support and Optimizations: With custom solutions, you get support from the development team, which can help you stay up to date on the latest developments and offer suggestions for improvement and further business growth.

 

Cons of Custom Web-to-Print Solutions

 

Extended Development Timelines: Bespoke web-to-print solutions demand time and patience. From conceptualization to the actual deployment, the development process is often protracted. While out-of-the-box solutions offer immediate usability, custom solutions have a requirements gathering or discovery phase before the development, design, and testing phases. Businesses aiming for rapid implementation may find these extended timelines a hindrance.

Complexity: Sometimes, implementing unique features in a custom solution can be challenging due to their complexity. It is crucial to find experienced vendors who can determine your business requirements, confirm the feasibility of your idea, and identify potential risks before implementing.

When it comes to your business's printing needs, having a custom Web-to-Print solution is the way to go. Not only does it save time and money, but it also creates a seamless process and bridges the gap between customer design and the final printed product. 

Choose a provider that specializes in creating tailored solutions to fit your business's unique needs. A custom Web-to-Print solution will also help you control your branding, maximize your budget, and elevate your brand presence. 

Making the Decision: Evaluating Key Aspects

Choosing between out-of-the-box and custom web-to-print solutions requires a thorough evaluation of various aspects to ensure the chosen path aligns with your business goals. Assess your specific requirements to determine whether customization's flexibility outweighs the implementation speed. 

Consider your timeline — is a rapid launch essential, or can you afford a more gradual but tailored approach? 

Budget considerations are pivotal, weighing the cost-effectiveness of out-of-the-box solutions against the precision expenditure of a custom solution. Conducting a comprehensive risk assessment is equally crucial, ensuring that the chosen solution aligns with your business's risk tolerance and scalability aspirations.

Conclusion:

Custom web-to-print solutions provide endless possibilities for businesses looking for a highly flexible and scalable web-to-print solution. While they may require a more significant initial investment, the long-term benefits are worth the investment. When it comes to web-to-print solutions, the decision is ultimately yours to make based on your business's needs, budget, and future growth.

Unlock the power of customized printing with our expert guidance on how to build a web2print solution, and start your journey towards a more efficient and personalized printing experience!

Are you prepared to make a sound decision for your company? Contact us to discuss your project!

What Is Sublimation Printing?

Sublimation printing is a printing technique where a design can be transferred onto a sublimation blank, such as a shirt, ornament, or tumbler, and permanently remain there. It opens up a world of possibilities for making one-of-a-kind items. You must understand how it functions and its limitations in order to achieve success.

It's been around for decades, but new tools have made it easier and cheaper than ever for anyone to try their hand at making custom pieces. The ability to design and manufacture one's own unique goods has led to 3D printing's meteoric rise in popularity in recent years.

How Does Sublimation Printing Work?

Digital printing using sublimation ink is used to duplicate images on sublimation transfer paper. This specialized paper with the printed design is then combined with the components and heated in a press.

The item is then heated to well over three hundred and fifty to four hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

Both the transfer substance and the ink become gaseous at this moment. When they reach this stage, they are able to penetrate deep into the fabric.

Once the substrate and transfer paper have been heated and the ink has penetrated the fibers, the heat will be turned off. When heated, sublimation ink releases a gas and opens the pores of the substance being transferred into. The ink returns to its solid state and the pores of the fabric close once the heat and pressure are removed, trapping the ink within.

In a nutshell, the heat is utilized to fuse the ink to the fabric.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Sublimation Printing

What Are the Benefits of Sublimation Printing?

 

 Image Quality

The image quality that may be attained with this technology is perhaps the greatest benefit. It's one of the few options that maintains the same level of clarity as the original file, with no resolution degradation.

Longevity

This is a genuine strength of the process and one which makes it a wonderful investment. Prints made using sublimation techniques are permanent and resistant to fading and cracking.

Freedom of Design

The flexibility of design is another major benefit of sublimation printing. It works for both simple and complex designs, large and small batch orders, and a wide range of design variants.

Full-Color Designs

When it comes to printing full-color artwork, sublimation printing has many advantages. To begin, the prints it produces are of excellent quality and endure a long time without fading. This makes it great for making eye-catching and professional-looking designs on various materials such as fabric, ceramics, and metal. Sublimation printing also permits flawless color gradations and mixing, producing prints that look incredibly lifelike.

What Are the Challenges of Sublimation Printing?

 

Limited materials

For sublimation printing, you can use only polyester, whether in the form of a polyester blend or pure polyester, as it is an essential fabric for most garments.

Here’s the list of fabrics that are usually used for sublimation printing:

Polyester: Polyester and polyester blends are the most suitable materials for sublimation printing. The ink used in sublimation printing works best when it can bond with the polyester fibers, resulting in vibrant and long-lasting prints.

Nylon: It offers durability and versatility, making it a popular choice for sublimation printing.

Rayon: Known for its soft and breathable nature, is also compatible with sublimation printing. It provides a smooth surface for vibrant ink transfer.

Spandex: Despite being a stretchy fabric, spandex can also be used for sublimation printing. However, it is important to ensure that the fabric has a high percentage of polyester for optimal results.

Acrylic: Can be used for sublimation printing, offering a wide range of possibilities for custom designs and vibrant colors.

Although it is technically possible to do it on other fabrics, such as cotton, it is strongly discouraged. This is because it can only be used on very light fabrics.

Price

Sublimation printing might be more expensive per unit than other printing technologies, making it less attractive for bulk purchases. Sublimation printing is a great option if you need to order a large quantity of things, but you should always consult with a local sublimation printing company for advice and pricing before placing an order.

Wide Range of Products You Can Create With Sublimation

The essential first step is to know which product is best suited for sublimation printing. Sublimation printing utilizes ink with tiny bits of dye.

Sometimes it is also known as dye-sublimation printing. These dye particles form strong chemical bonds with polymers, such as those found in polyester. The better the dye bonds, the more defined, crisp, and colorful the print will be.

It's probable that this is why 100% cotton objects can't be printed using sublimation. In addition to paper and plastic, this printing technique can be used on glass, ceramic, and metal.

You can use sublimation to make anything your creative mind can imagine. Some examples of things you can sublimate are:

> T-shirts, sweatshirts, baby bodysuits, workout gear, slacks, socks, and even lingerie.

> Accessories for the kitchen such as pot holders, dish towels, tablecloths, and tiles.

> Sports uniforms created with sublimation printing offer a vibrant and durable solution for teams and athletes. This innovative printing method allows for intricate designs, logos, and personalized details to be infused into the fabric, resulting in a comfortable and long-lasting product that resists fading, cracking, or peeling during intense physical activities.

> Collars, ID badges, bandanas, bowls, carpets, and more are just some of the pet supplies available.

> Key holders, decorative pillows, decorative blankets, drink coasters, wall signs, plaques, door mats, and photo panels are all examples of home accessories.

> Keychains, luggage tags, ID badge reels, watch bands, phone cases, air fresheners, license plates.

> Office products such as clipboards, erasable boards, mouse pads, pencil holders, notebooks, and journals.

> Coffee cups, tea cups, tumblers, shot glasses, beer steins, and metal camp mugs are all examples of drinkware.

> Other items such as ornaments, face masks, tote bags, and makeup bags.

What Do You Need to Start Sublimation Printing

There are a few fundamental necessities for beginning sublimation printing. To begin, you'll need a sublimation printer made for this type of printing. In addition, you'll need sublimation ink, which is designed to give you prints that stand the test of time. Sublimation paper is also essential because it is what actually transfers the ink to the substrate. In order to activate the ink transfer process, you will also need a heat press. Last but not least, you'll need polyester or polyester-coated substrates for best results.

How to Choose the Right Sublimation Paper

As the intermediary between the computer design and the finished result, sublimation paper deserves more credit than it gets. Knowing the different kinds of sublimation paper and how to use it properly is crucial for producing high-quality results.

Types of Sublimation Paper

> Fast-Dry Sublimation Paper: Ideal for high-speed printers, this type of paper dries quickly and prevents ink from spreading.

> Tacky Sublimation Paper: Designed for fabrics, tacky paper keeps the transfer in place, ensuring precision and preventing ghosting.

> Textile Sublimation Paper: Specially formulated for textiles, this paper optimizes color vibrancy and clarity on fabric surfaces.

Sublimation Inks

Sublimation inks are the heart and soul of the sublimation printing process, offering an array of color options and considerations for various applications. Choosing the right sublimation ink is paramount to achieving the desired results in your projects.

Types of Sublimation Inks

> Dye-Sublimation Ink: Known for its vibrant colors and long-lasting durability, dye-sublimation ink is ideal for apparel and soft goods

> Pigment Sublimation Ink: Suitable for hard substrates, this ink type delivers rich, opaque prints on materials like ceramics and glass

> Fluorescent Sublimation Ink: For eye-catching, neon-colored designs, fluorescent sublimation inks add a unique touch to your creations

Sublimation Blanks

Sublimation blanks, an often-overlooked part of the printing process, serve as the backdrop for your creations. These are blank things or products that are carefully coated to receive sublimation transfers, making them the perfect canvas for your creative creativity.

Sublimation blanks encompass a wide range of products, including but not limited to:

> Ceramic mugs and tiles

> Polyester fabrics and apparel

> Phone cases and mousepads

> Metal panels and keychains

Equipment for Sublimation Printing

In order to transfer designs accurately and vividly onto a wide variety of substrates, sublimation printing equipment is an essential part of the sublimation process. A sublimation printer, heat press, and a computer with design software are the standard components of this setup. 

Sublimation printers are built specifically for use with sublimation inks, and they come in a range of sizes to meet the needs of a wide variety of projects. In order to turn the ink into a gas and bond with the material, heat press machines are necessary. The artwork is also designed and edited on a computer using design tools before being sent to press. The success of making professional, long-lasting sublimation prints depends on the quality and compatibility of these instruments.

How to Prepare Designs for Sublimation Print

Step 1: Create a Design

Let's say you run a successful eCommerce shop. The idea of adding product customization options to your online shop has crossed your mind. 

With sublimation printing, images are crisp, clear, and vivid. However, the print file could not have the same image quality as the original file, especially in terms of color saturation and sharpness. If the print file's image quality is poor, the resulting print will be blurry and lackluster.

How to get high-quality print files?

Obtaining high-quality print files is crucial for achieving excellent results in sublimation printing. To ensure this, utilizing product designer software is recommended. This software provides high-resolution print files in various standard image formats, such as JPG, PNG, TIF, EPS, and more. Specifically, PNG files are generated at 300 dpi resolution, while SVG and PDF files are created in vector format. By using this software, you can guarantee that the print files produced will result in superior print quality on the desired product.

When it comes to product design, you have the option of using software, such as the cutting-edge product design software that we provide. This specialized software empowers users to create and customize designs with precision, ensuring that the sublimation process results in stunning, high-quality prints on a variety of substrates. Alongside a sublimation printer and heat press machine, our product is an invaluable tool for achieving exceptional sublimation printing outcomes.

In addition, you can substitute product design software for higher-end design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, CorelDRAW, Silhouette, and so on. 

Step 2: Print Design on a Product

When it comes to sublimation printing, it is crucial to determine the most suitable product for optimal results. Extensive research and comparison of various brands and suppliers can help in making an informed decision. Sublimation ink, which contains tiny particles of dye, is specifically designed for this printing method. To achieve vibrant and long-lasting prints, it is important to use high-quality sublimation ink that is compatible with the chosen product. 

Step 3: Using Heat Press for Sublimation Printing

The type of heat press machine is merely one component of the heat press/transfer process. There may be some variation in print quality amongst heat press machines of the same manufacturer.

Substrate Preparation

Any substrate that will be used for printing must first have its surface thoroughly prepared for the sublimation transfer by being thoroughly cleaned and smoothed out. In order for the transfer to adhere properly to most fabrics and hard surfaces like metals or ceramic cups, a protective coating is applied. If there are any creases or dampness on the substrate, you can get rid of them by preheating the press machine and pressing the substrate for a few seconds.

Transfer Paper

The artwork or file must first be printed on the transfer paper using sublimation ink before it can be transferred to the substrate through pressing. Using the correct transfer paper and paying close attention to the required time and temperature will yield the greatest results from your sublimation printer.

Pressing the Substrate

It is time to press the transfer paper and the substrate together after the artwork has been printed on the paper. Before pressing, check that the artwork and substrate are properly aligned for the best results. Determine the needed heat and time for your substrate and transfer paper. It's important to press your transfer at just the right amount of pressure and for the right amount of time to prevent it from coming out too wrinkled or too flat.

In Conclusion

Sublimation printing is an excellent method for having high-quality graphics printed on cloth from seam to seam with virtually little resolution degradation. The final product does not peel, break, or fade. Although there are certain limitations to the color and type of fabric that can be used, it gives longevity and remarkable freedom of design choice.

Dive into the world of sublimation printing – contact us to transform your ideas into vivid reality!

WHAT IS A PRINT-ON-DEMAND BUSINESS

Print-on-demand (POD) is a business model that allows you to fulfill orders only when a customer places an order. Unlike a traditional business model that requires having inventory on hand, POD allows you to pay for the product only when you sell it.

POD businesses work with third-party suppliers who handle everything from printing to shipping. You only need to set up a website, create product designs for your customers to choose from, and do some marketing activities to get consistent traffic. 

POD's business model allows you to diversify products and saves a ton of time and money. For instance, you'd need to invest in two printers if you offer multiple products and printing techniques, like DTG printing for apparel and screen printing for stickers. However, you can outsource the printing process to the supplier with the POD model.

Moreover, the POD approach is more flexible regarding product customization, allowing customers to design and order personalized products per their requirements.

As customers now prefer customized products over standard ones, providing customization options for your POD business can give you a competitive edge and result in a more engaging customer experience, increased brand loyalty, and higher sales.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO START A PRINT-ON-DEMAND BUSINESS in 2023?

The cost to start a print-on-demand business depends on different factors. Still, we will overview the main expenses required:

Set up a website. Depending on your specific needs, the cost can range from nothing to a few hundred dollars for more advanced features. A popular option is Shopify, which offers a $1/month plan for the first three months of subscription.

Domain name. Popular eCommerce stores usually provide a free default domain name. Still, you can buy a custom domain for a better brand image. The average domain name pricing range is $2 to $20 annually.

Product designs. Creating designs on your own can be free. However, if you hire a graphic designer, the average rate would be around $25 per hour. Another option is to utilize an online product designer, which allows your customers to handle the design process. The price for this option varies depending on the included features and license model, ranging from several tens of dollars to thousands.

Sample orders. Depends on the products you’re planning to sell. For example, selling custom socks costs ~ $20/item + shipping tax (which can be zero to $10 depending on your POD platform terms).

Starting budget. Some POD platforms like Printful require a starting budget on a card, e.g., $100.

Starting a print-on-demand business can generally cost from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. The minimum required budget is ~ $150.  

HOW TO START A PRINT-ON-DEMAND BUSINESS?

 

#1 DEFINE YOUR GOAL

Launching a print-on-demand business is like starting any new business. It starts with the goal you are trying to achieve. For instance:

1. Manifest your design ideas;
2. Start a line of your own branded merch;
3. Crowdfund for a cause;
4. Test a small business idea;
5. Create and test unique products;
6. Get attention to your community by offering unique merch to your fanbase;
7. Build long-term enterprise business;

Goals provide a benchmark for success. When you have a goal, you understand what you want to accomplish, what outcomes to expect, and the criteria for evaluating your POD business success.

#2 CHOOSE YOUR NICHE

Print-on-demand is often associated with t-shirts only because these products are the most popular. However, the t-shirt niche is highly competitive and can be challenging for newcomers to succeed in. Luckily, there are many other untapped or less popular niches to explore. For example:

1. Promotional products such as phone cases, tote bags, and mugs
2. Jewelry
3. Socks
4. Sports uniforms/jerseys
5. Canvases
6. Stickers
7. Stationery
8. Apparel such as hoodies, caps, and hats

How can you find more business ideas for your print-on-demand store?

You can do your research to discover the perfect niche and business idea to build your store around.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a free tool that uses Google data to show keywords and customers' searches. 

You can review trending topics on the home page to check what is currently popular and has high sales potential. Filtering by country can help you understand your target audience better.

You can also type in search of any ideas that come to your mind to get real-time results on popularity and business potential. Comparing the searches can help you understand the best fit for you. The tool allows you to check if the product has been popular for the whole year or has seasonal demand.

 

Additionally, you can review distribution by subregions and similar requests that can push you to any more business ideas. 

Communities, social media

Explore social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, which can help you effectively gain insights into the interesting products for your target audience.

By analyzing their purchase patterns and design preferences, you can better understand what they like and tailor your offerings accordingly.

 

Amazon, Etsy, eBay

Check top POD players such as Amazon, Etsy, and eBay to review what products are popular and whether they can earn you maximum profit.

For example, the most popular products on Etsy now are personalized jewelry, engraved wood coasters, and other custom products.

Since you do not invest in inventory, you have room for experimenting and testing your ideas risk-free to find the most profitable niche.

However, the most important is to choose the niche that will enchant your target audience. Conduct thorough research on your target audience's interests and preferences to ensure your niche meets their needs. Selling the right products to the right people can bring success to your print-on-demand business.

 

#3 SET UP YOUR PRINT-ON-DEMAND STORE

To begin selling online, you need to launch a website. Start with registering a catchy domain name for your website to help you build your brand. 

Once you officially register the domain, you can choose your eCommerce platform and start your online shop preparations. Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce are the most popular eCommerce platforms. Among these, Shopify is used the most often for POD businesses due to its user-friendly interface, the abundance of POD applications, and effective marketing features.

When choosing the platform, ensure it’s fast and customizable and allows you to do effective SEO to build your visibility.

 

#4 CREATE DESIGNS FOR A PRINT-ON-DEMAND SHOP

Once you’ve set up your store, it’s time to prepare appealing designs so you can start filling your print-on-demand product catalog. Here are some tips on how to do this:

1. If you have ideas and are good at designing, you can use free tools such as Canva, Adobe Express, etc. Pinterest and similar platforms can help you find some inspiration.

2. Hire an external designer. You can use some outsourcing platforms like Behance, UpWork, and others.

3. Opt for an online product designer, a software that you can integrate into your online print-on-demand shop and give the product personalization process to the hands of our customers. You should upload just blank products and configure fonts, colors, and an artwork gallery. Such tools also allow you to set up product locations and printing areas.

Additionally, you can configure a templates gallery so your customers can use ready templates and tweak the design according to their liking rather than starting from scratch. Once they place the order, you get the production output files and order details you can send to your POD fulfillment provider.

The result? Increased sales, engagement, improved communication with your customers, and great scalability. Check our real case study on developing a print-on-demand platform for the jewelry business that helped it scale globally.

 

#5 INVOLVE AI IN YOUR PRINT-ON-DEMAND SHOP

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is highly used in numerous industries, and the print-on-demand sector is no exception. Utilizing AI-powered tools can help you enhance customer experience, generate design examples, and streamline your operations.

For example, you can use Chat GPT, a chatbot trained to provide detailed prompt responses. You can ask the chatbot to suggest some eye-catching slogans to use in your designs or inquire about the most popular designs and colors among your target audience.

MidJourney or DALL-E tools can help you generate realistic images based on your text description, which you can use as ready designs. Ensure you are very descriptive and specific in your prompts to get images that fit your needs.

One way to improve the design process is to integrate AI tools with an online product designer tool. This tool can help close the gap between customers' ideas and designers while reducing the required manual work. With tools like MidJourney, DALL-E, or similar, customers can describe their design ideas, and AI software can transform them into visual representations. Then, the online product designer applies the design to the final product with a real-time preview.

 

#6 FIND A POD PROVIDER

Once you decided which products to sell and figured out the best way to create designs for them, choose the print-on-demand provider you will be working with. Below are some well-known POD providers for you to consider:

#6.1 Printful

Printful is one of the most popular print-on-demand providers and offers an extensive selection of products catering to small startups and large enterprises. Whether you plan to sell custom print-on-demand t-shirts, hats, mugs, signage, or other items, Printful covers you.

Pricing: Free

Integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, Amazon, Etsy, and others

Fulfillment time: 2-5 business days

Handle printing & packaging: Yes

Products: More than 300 (the most popular: t-shirts, hats, mugs, totes, phone cases, signage)

Printing techniques: DTG, all-over printing, sublimation, embroidery, direct-to-firm

Custom branding: Yes

Features: Mockup generator, no minimum quantity, easy to use

#6.2 Printify

Printify is no less popular than Printful but more cost-effective. Affordable pricing is possible through global partnerships that let merchants choose local producers for production and shipping.

#6.3 CustomCat

CustomCat, a US-based POD company, allows fast shipping and competitive prices. They also provide hundreds of customizable products that are printed in high quality. CustomCat can be a good choice if you plan to sell custom sports jerseys.

Pricing: Free

Integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Etsy, and others

Fulfillment time: 3 business days

Handle printing & packaging: Yes

Products: More than 500 (the most popular: apparel, jerseys, accessories)

Printing techniques: DIGISOFT, dye sublimation, embroidery

Custom branding: Yes

Features: Fast US-based fulfillment services, high-quality prints due to DIGISOFT technique

 

#6.4 Gelato

Gelato is a worldwide POD provider that operates in 32 countries. They utilize an algorithm to identify the most suitable print provider for your delivery location to offer fast shipping. Initially started with custom paper products, they have expanded their offerings to include apparel, stationery, and promotional products.

Pricing: Free

Integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Etsy, and others

Fulfillment time: 1-2 business days

Handle printing & packaging: Yes

Products: More than 100 (the most popular: t-shirts, hoodies, wall art, phone cases, mugs)

Printing techniques: DTG, sublimation, embroidery

Custom branding: Yes

Features: No minimum order quantity, monthly and bulk discounts

 

#7 ORDER TEST SAMPLES

Once you have chosen your POD provider, it makes sense to order test samples to ensure colors, sizes, and quality match the requirements, and you will provide excellent service for your customers.

You can also evaluate packaging and shipping to confirm that the products arrive in good condition. Obtaining order samples can also help you plan any potential improvements before you launch your print-on-demand business. 

 

#8 PROMOTE YOUR SHOP

Once you launch your POD business, the next step is to promote it to reach potential customers. Here are some quick tips:

#8.1 Set up social media accounts

Social media is a great and free way to reach your target audience. You can boost your online presence by joining community groups and engaging with the audience. Consistently posting interesting content with appropriate tags can also help attract new subscribers. You can experiment with different social media platforms and choose the one that works best for your marketing efforts.

Additionally, suppose you're looking for quick results and are willing to invest. In that case, you can consider running ads on Facebook or Instagram.

 

#8.2 SEO

To rank top positions in Google, you need to do search engine optimization and provide high-quality content that interests your audience. You can check Google SEO recommendations on what steps you need to take to meet their guidelines.

Start with basic keyword research to understand what target keywords you can use for your landing pages and blog posts. You can use Ahrefs or Semrush tools for such purposes. These tools provide free limited access that can help you at the start.

Moreover, such tools allow you to do an SEO audit, which can identify technical issues such as low speed, lack of internal linking optimization, or incorrect website structure. It's also essential to ensure that product pages are indexed correctly.

Lastly, don't forget to consider the importance of user experience when optimizing your website, which is also an essential factor in improving your search engine rankings.

 

CONCLUSION

Launching a print-on-demand business with minimal investment is feasible. POD offers flexibility when it comes to customizing your products to meet your customers' needs, regardless of whether you're operating in the apparel, promotional, uniform, sign, or any other print-based niche.

Furthermore, as your POD partner handles printing and shipping, you can dedicate more time to developing your business.

The LiveArt team has much experience in print-on-demand and can help you take your business to the next level. Get in touch with us to start your journey!

Project Overview

MK Socks is a USA company having over 45 years of experience in the sock industry. It provides licensed, branded, themed, customizable athletic socks, uniforms, and accessories.

 

Business Goals and Pains

In 2018, MK Socks contacted us, already having an existing Shopify store. Their primary goal was to integrate a sock builder to streamline the growing amount of orders and enable customers to configure socks easily. 

 

"We needed a builder on our website for our customers to design and order their socks and jerseys and see the color and logo changes in real-time."

Read more

Previously MK Socks company used back-and-forth emails and phone calls to communicate with customers about their custom design orders.

The primary pain point for MK Socks was finding a solution that would allow them to save time and costs, eliminate manual labor and communication with customers, and help them scale their business.

 

MK Socks was searching for some ready solutions that would meet their critical needs: 

1. Implement a WYSIWYG personalization scenario, e.g., select socks pattern, add text and logo, colorize the socks panels, and preview pricing changes in live mode.
2. Develop a user-friendly interface so their customers can make changes on the fly.
3. Directly exchange order information details with the manufacturing team via a custom Shopify application. 
4. Integrate with their existing Shopify store and meet their seamless branding.

 

After evaluating various solutions, none proved to fit their business needs.

Eventually, they came across LiveArt, where we met to discuss their pains and helped apply our expertise to meet MK's business needs by implementing a tailored solution.

 

How LiveArt Met the Needs 

The solution we build works as a print-on-demand ecosystem and consists of the following:

 

Custom Product Builder 

The client addressed his immediate pain needing the builder to give customers complete control over the personalization process, e.g., choose a socks pattern, colorize it, upload the team or corporate logo, and most importantly, preview the final result in real-time.

The client's goals were clear, and we started integrating a socks builder into his Shopify store.

After seeing the immediate business value and growth, MK Socks expanded their product offering by allowing customers to personalize other products such as jerseys, hats, and scarves.

 

Adding multiple product support to the builder allowed our client to transform their solution into a comprehensive uniform kit platform, simplifying the ordering process for customers who can now build and purchase all the required items in one place.

 

 

The jersey support opened new customer capabilities, such as doing complete full-feature team orders by uploading the team roster and then exporting all team uniform kit specs to the production team.

As a result, MK Socks got increased offerings and sales and took their business to the next level.

Since Mk Socks provides an extensive range of products, styles, and patterns, we aimed to ensure a hassle-free intuitive customer journey and fast loading times.

Additionally, we prioritized mobile usability by developing our solution with a mobile-first approach.

 

Backend and Admin Area

With such a wide range of products, MK Socks quickly developed an urge to introduce and tweak new product options.

Setting minimum order quantities for products or additional checkout options, to name a few.

After discussing this pain with our customer, we suggested a solution.

We created an admin tool that allows setting minimums with just one click when editing or creating products or categories.

 

Ultimately, our task was to create a flexible management information system (MIS) for MK's vast product catalog and allow turning on or off additional options or introducing new ones for specific product groups.

As a result, the client got a significant profit from adapting to new business challenges.

 

Another pain our customer struggled with was the inability to process short-on-stock products effectively.

MK Socks managed their preorders using ad-hoc methods, and the default Shopify applications were ineffective and unable to meet the demands of their business.

We proposed to add the ability for customers to preorder items directly on the product page.

At the same time, the admin automatically receives preorders and manages them more effectively without hassle. 

Adding preordering capability resulted in a significant flow of new customers. It led to a notable increase in sales for MK Sock.

Our client saw business value as the company could overcome the challenge and turn lost opportunities into new orders.

 

Production Backoffice App

Many print-on-demand providers struggle with back-and-forth communication with production facilities, and MK Socks was no exception.

Order information mistakes and much time spent on processing orders were some things that prevented their business from growing. 

To overcome this challenge, we built a tailored bespoke application that works as a convenient communication hub and provides all the necessary info directly for the production company to fulfill the order, including a product spec and print files. 

Automating this process allowed our client to streamline the operations, avoid many production mistakes and save the tone of time on communication. 

Company personnel can now dedicate their time to critical business tasks and goals.

 

Results

The tailored print-on-demand solution we built for MK Socks allowed them to simplify product personalization for their clients, improve communication with customers and make order processing straightforward.

MK Socks sales increased by 10 times once we integrated the solution into their Shopify storefront. 

"For us, the most important thing is that the builder works and is easy to use for our customers. We have generated sales via this builder 10 times over what we have spent. To me, that is the most important measure of success."

 

What next?

We continue improving the solution by adding new cutting-edge features and products, allowing the client to capture more business opportunities, take his business to the next level, and offer their customers the best on-market uniform kit personalization experience possible. 

Ready to scale your business? Tell us your story!

Project Overview

MetalPressions is a USA-based jewelry company offering hand-stamped, personalized jewelry for men and women, such as necklaces, charms, cuff links, rings, bracelets, and more.

 

Business Goals and Pains

Starting as a small family business crafting jewelry in their garage, MetalPressions was passionate about creating unique and innovative custom jewelry, providing customers with the best online shopping experience ever. 

MetalPressions was aware that there were many custom jewelry makers on the market, and actually jewelry industry is highly competitive.

They understood they'd need to differ from their competitors to succeed in this business. 

The company contacted LiveArt back in 2009, looking for a tool that would help them introduce design capability and improve customers' experience on their existing AbleCommerce shop.

This is how MetalPressions saw room for growth in their business.

At that time, all the processes and communication with customers were manual.

Their customers were calling them by phone and describing how they wanted their jewelry to be personalized or sending low-quality mockups, which led to ineffective back-and-forth customer service.

The primary goal for MetalPressions was to let their customers design jewelry online and see the result before purchasing it, unlike other competitors who usually offer some forms to fill out or limited personalization options that don't meet customers' needs. 

 

How LiveArt Met The Needs

We started with a simple WYSIWYG designer offering customers the flexibility to pick jewelry elements such as charms, necklaces, and others, place a hand-stamped text in any orientation, and embellish the creation with gems.

It allowed customers to design the exact piece of jewelry they envisioned while being able to see all changes in real time.

Once we added a jewelry designer to the MetalPressions website, the client noticed significant conversions growth and more streamlined order processing, which finally led to more satisfied customers.

The application also reduced the daily routine and consumer support while focusing on manufacturing. 

With the purchase of new laser equipment, MetalPressions immediately saw the opportunity to engrave custom imagery onto jewelry.

The initial process was very manual and slow. Customers emailed images and waited for an estimate after their design was manually digitized and proofed using third-party tools.

This approach was time-consuming and did not provide customers with so desired design-your-own-jewelry experience. 

To address such a challenge, LiveArt offered a solution to allow image uploading directly to the jewelry designer. 

It allows the customer to drop any photo digitized as an engraved image during the design process, crop the part they want to engrave, and preview how it looks on the jewelry item instantly on their piece.

As a result, Metalpressions was able to add more versatile templates to their website, including handwritten parts of the design or laser-engraved artwork, as well as soldered elements.

All of the above significantly improved their unique selling proposition, thus increasing conversions and customer satisfaction with the products and services.

MetalPressions' business was running smoothly, but they wanted to take it to the next level. They saw a great opportunity to extend by working with resellers' physical stores.

The goal was to build an on-premises kiosk network where customers, with the assistance of a salesman, could design and order custom pieces directly from a jewelry designer while in the store. 

LiveArt team devised a microsite for each vendor to allow customers to build jewelry pieces from scratch or use the vast MetalPressions catalog of premade templates.

From an admin perspective, we built a tool to manage resellers and the orders they sent MetalPressions for further manufacturing.

 

(Source: https://www.instagram.com/metalpressions/)

 

As each kiosk is essentially a large tablet device, we adjusted the Kiosk mode for the MetalPressions website to fit such screens and ensure a user-friendly interface and excellent customer experience.

After launching the kiosk network, our client saw significant results in increased revenue and visibility.

Scaling a jewelry designer to a turn-key platform provided excellent business value for MetalPressions, allowing them to expand the kiosk network and promote business to the next level. 

Our client works with 13 physical jewelry stores and plans his subsequent collaborations.

 

Results

Starting from a simple hobby, our client scaled their business to a global level, having many resellers' physical kiosks and customers worldwide.

Moreover, improving their jewelry business with a turn-key print-on-demand solution allowed MetalPressions to help many brick-and-mortar stores adopt the advancements of the digital age and transformation.

 

What's next?

We are constantly working on solution enhancement with some great features to empower our client to reach his highest potential and open new doors of opportunity: collaborative editing, capabilities of AR, and the use of the latest AI advancements are the following immense opportunities for the jewelry industry and the personalization era overall.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Contact us!

Let's move on!

 

Choose an eCommerce platform for your store

 

To list your products, accept online payments, and manage orders, you'll need to launch your online uniform store. 

Start by finding the best eCommerce platform you'll use for this.

There are two ways.

 

Choose from ready eCommerce platforms

 

You can use ready eCommerce platforms, which allow you to set up the website quickly without any coding, fill the product catalog, and go live.

There are multiple types of eCommerce platforms:

 

Hosted - eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, Adobe Commerce (Magento), BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, etc.

Such a platform provides an eCommerce as a Software as a Service (SaaS).

"Hosted" means that the application or platform is hosted on the provider's server and doesn't require installation on your premises or further hardware management.

The hosted platform is easier to start with and helps avoid substantial upfront costs for the e-commerce platform deployment.

This type is also best for those who do not want to deal with technical aspects and maintenance.

 

Commercial - eCommerce platforms such as nopCommerce, some versions of Magento (Adobe Commerce), etc. that are free but provide copyright removal keys.

This means each page of, for instance, the nopCommerce store will contain a "Powered by nopCommerce" link at the bottom of the footer if you do not purchase a copyright removal license.

 

Open-Source - eCommerce platforms such as WooCommerce and OpenCart, which have open code available to the public.

Best for those who want complete control and the ability to customize the solution according to their needs. 

Statista states that Shopify, Squarespace, and WooCommerce are currently the most popular eCommerce platforms in 2023. 

 

When choosing an eCommerce platform, we recommend paying attention to the following:

 

SEO

 

When you're just starting your online shop, your prospects should be able to find you on Google.

The platform you choose should be SEO-friendly, allowing you to correctly implement your technical SEO to make your website visible to crawlers and drive organic traffic.

You can also able to start your website blog to rank for more keywords and provide value to your customers by posting great content.

 

Speed

 

Website speed loading is a top factor for users when they make online purchases, especially from mobiles.

For instance, if the page loads over 3 secs, it leads to a high bounce rate and low conversions. Ensure your chosen platform has good speed performance and core web vitals stats. 

It also makes sense to use a theme that meets your requirements while does not add a ton of code to your pages, which can slow down your store.

 

Security

 

Website security is essential when you want to look like a trusted source for your customers. 

Ensure the e-commerce platform is secure and supports HTTPS/SSL certificates, so your customers can make secure payments.

 

Customization

 

The ability to customize is vital if you want to meet your and your customer's specific needs. 

The eCommerce platform should allow you to customize your shop per your requirements.

For example, you might need to customize the theme to meet your branding, create personalized buyer journeys, and offer intuitive payments. 

It can also be helpful if the platform provides API you or your developers' team can use to connect with any OMS, CRM, or product customization plugins to automate your business processes.

Choose an eCommerce platform that can handle the volume of orders and provides easy-to-use tools for personalization, managing orders, payments, and shipping.

 

 

Build a web-to-print website from scratch

 

Sometimes, ready eCommerce solutions do not fit as they cannot cover your business needs fully. 

In this case, the alternative option would be to build a web-to-print website from scratch tailored to your requirements and branding. 

Custom-developed eCommerce solution gives you complete control and limitless possibilities to make a specific journey for your customers, set pricing logic according to your business model, create the website design you wish, and implement powerful SEO. 

A tailored solution also gives you independence from any providers as, in most cases, you own the code of it. You can manage it on your own or with your developers' team.

 

If talking about uniforms or apparel, you might need to work with the manufacturer, so you should send order details to the producer. 

The process becomes more challenging if you work with many manufacturers, so managing this process manually takes time and effort. 

Out-of-the-box eCommerce platforms and plugins either do not provide or provide some default production management functionality. 

Custom development allows you to get a solution that meets your specific workflow automating a complete cycle of your uniform printing business.  

 

At LiveArt, we provide custom development services for print businesses. We can build robust and scalable solutions for your requirements, including custom eCommerce integrations. 

Share your requirements brief with us, and our expert team will get back to you to suggest the best fit for your particular case.

 

What's essential in your online custom uniform shop? 

 

If you want to enhance your business, your website should not only be a powerful tool for building an online presence and selling uniforms directly. 

Firstly, it should be a place where your customers' needs will be fully met, especially if we are talking about the personalized uniforms niche.

When customers are looking for custom uniforms, they want easily communicate their requirements: how the uniform should be colorized, what colors should be used, where the logo should be placed, which fonts should be used, and how the player roster list should look.

For B2B businesses, this process is time-consuming for both sides since such customers often order uniform sets with different designs rather than 1 item.

So, they expect an easy way to personalize uniforms on your website and ensure the items will be printed according to their needs without any returns or reprints.

 

Plan your customer journey

 

To provide the best service and satisfy customers' needs, you should understand how customers purchase products and what's important to them.

The ideal customer profile you might prepare earlier can give you a better understanding of what your customers expect from your online shop and how you can craft the ideal flow for them.

 

Start with the following questions:

1. Will the customer use ready templates or design uniforms from scratch?

2. Which customizations can the customer do? For example, the most common scenario is colorizing uniform panels, adding one or more logos, adding a names&numbers list, choosing a font and its color, and selecting sizes.

3. Can customers preview customization in a live mode or just choose options?

4. Will you provide any limitations, such as minimum or maximum order quantity?

5. Will the customers be able to order the uniform online, or should they contact you for the quote?

 

When creating an ideal flow, ensure it's user-friendly, intuitive, and responsive to mobiles. 

These points are crucial for customers and directly affect conversions and customer experience.

 

Enable personalization with jersey design software

 

Today customers want to be a part of the creative process when ordering custom products and expect brands to provide them with such an opportunity. 

Moreover, they are willing to pay more for exclusive and unique products made especially per their needs.

Product customization is an excellent opportunity to enhance customer experience and increase loyalty. 

To provide the best personalization experience, consider involving uniform design software, which can be your unique selling point. 

This web-to-print software with various features allows your customers to design uniforms online, see changes live, and order the design. 

By putting the personalization process in the hands of your customers, you can free yourself from permanent calls and back-and-forth emails. 

High-resolution output files you receive after customers submit their designs allow you to print the uniform according to customers' needs, saving your time and reducing print errors.

 

 

With LiveArt jersey design software, you can provide such a level of personalization to your online shop. 

The tool is simple to use while providing powerful features your customers can use to communicate their needs via the design process. 

The designer is responsive to all devices, allowing your customers to create designs on the go. 

You can start with an out-of-the-box solution if it meets your needs or requests a tailored web-to-print solution if you have specific requirements and want a unique customer journey.

Contact us for a free consultation to find the best fit for you.

 

Market your online uniform shop

 

Once you launch your store, it's time to tell your prospects about it and get the first leads.

You can use different marketing channels, for example, organic search engine, social media, email marketing, paid marketing, and display advertising.

You can start by building social media presence. When doing it actively, this activity can drive traffic to your website. Social media is also an excellent chance to know your target audience better.

At the same time, start working on search engine optimization to rank higher on Google. However, consider that SEO takes about six months to provide results.

It's a long but reliable process that can bring you consistent organic traffic for free.

 

There are three main directions you can start with: 

1. Do keywords research to understand which keywords you should use for your titles,      description, and content to bring you traffic relevant to your business;

2. Implement correct technical SEO - make sure your pages are indexable and crawlable by Google;

3. Use internal linking to help crawlers understand your site structure and simplify navigation for your customers.

 

If you need immediate results, you can start with Google Ads or Facebook ads, which allow you to target your specific audience. 

If you work with B2B, we also recommend collecting as many reviews as possible, gradually building customer trust and long-term relationships. 

 

The bottom line

 

The sports uniform industry is growing consistently.

Starting a uniform printing business online can be profitable with a deep understanding of your target audience and the right tools to solve their pains and provide a great customer experience. 

Share your requirements with us if you want to explore how our jersey design software can streamline your uniform business and improve communication with your customers.

 

 

Know your customer and market

 

The golden rule before launching any business is to analyze your market and ideal customer.

 

What is market analysis?

 

This is a process of gathering information about your industry's demand – uniforms in your particular case - its niche and target market. 

The main aim of this research is to gather the information that will help you to identify your ideal customer and their problems which you can then solve with your products and services. 

This step is time-consuming but essential, as rushing with it or not doing deep research can doom your business even before you start it.

Here are some general questions you might need to find answers to:

1. What problem am I trying to solve with my shop?
2. Who is my ideal customer?
3. How large is my audience?
4. How do my customers usually order uniforms? How can I improve their experience?
5. How much can they pay for the uniforms I sell?
6. Who are my competitors?

You can supplement this list of questions depending on your objectives.

Try to gather as much information as possible. The more helpful information you have, you'll make fewer business mistakes. 

Once you're all set with the list of questions, what are the essential steps of market analysis?

 

Find your ideal customer

 

The target audience is your ideal customers. Shortly put, it is a group or several groups of people with a specific pain you solve and get money for.

For example, your ideal customers can be businesses and members of sports teams who need to print some uniform sets according to their requirements.  

Usually, they would order uniforms by phone or manually fill out brochures. It is hard to visualize the final design and causes back-and-forth emails where you constantly send logos and mockups to your customers for approval.

Such an approach finally causes a lot of returns and errors where you need to reprint or produce the ordered item again.

The ability to order online with the live preview of any design changes allows you to solve the main pain of your customers - communicating their needs correctly to get their uniforms printed according to their needs. 

With online uniforms personalization, customers can choose the uniform template in your online store, colorize it, put a logo on the desired place, fill in the player roster and add the design to the cart. 

You then get the design details and output files in your admin panel and can print the item as per the customer's requirements.

Thus, communication becomes much more accessible and saves you a ton of time you can spend on other business tasks. 

Let's now dive more deeply and identify common traits your audience has to understand your target market better. 

For example, it's helpful to collect the following data:

1. Location
2. Company size
3. Average revenue
4. History of purchases

Based on this research, you can identify customer personas to build a more detailed picture of your potential customers, including information about their pains, motivations, frustrations, and ordering behavior. 

This information will allow you to understand how you can satisfy your customers' needs fully.

 

Research your competition

 

Your competitors are always a source of helpful information. 

Check what uniforms they sell and whether they offer personalization, and try to understand why customers purchase there. 

You can do a spreadsheet with a list of your competitors to collect valuable data about them, check them from time to time, and keep them up-to-date.

Identify their strength and weaknesses to cover how your competitors are performing and how it can shed light on areas of your opportunity to grow. 

Strengths, for example, can be the website's responsiveness, user-friendliness, and the ability to choose from ready templates rather than starting from scratch or even personalize uniforms using the uniform design app. 

Weaknesses, for example, can be a poorly designed site, loading speed or checkout issues, and no ability to obtain design proof before ordering.

Study their success stories or stories of similar brands. You can use their experience and understand what you can do better to have a more competitive advantage and develop a unique value proposition.

 

Where to find the data for your market research?

 

There are many ways to get information. 

You can use public resources such as Google to collect any available statistics or information about the audience and uniform market.

 You can also use free analytics tools to gather information about your competitors.

Check the social media of your potential customers, as there can be a ton of beneficial information to understand them better. 

You can also review competitors' founders' profiles on LinkedIn or Crunchbase to learn more about their businesses and success stories. 

As a more thorough approach, you can conduct your research by running surveys, interviews, or focus group sessions with your potential customers.

The above steps will help you collect more in-depth and original information and ask questions tailored to your business.

 

Pick Your Niche

 

Now it's time to decide what sports uniforms you plan to sell. It's a significant point before you start. 

Trying to offer as many general products as possible in your online shop may be ineffective rather than focusing on something specific which enchants your target audience. There is where the niche helps. 

For instance, if you specialize in custom uniforms, your niche can be a specific sport that is most popular among your customers, e.g., football jerseys for adults, baseball uniforms for women's teams, or school uniforms for kid teams.

Finding a niche and narrowing your target audience will help you to launch your online uniform business with minimum costs and offer a more personalized approach.

 

How and where to find your niche products?

 

Keyword research

 

Find out what and how customers are searching by conducting keyword research. 

You can simply use Google for this. When you perform a search, Google automatically completes your sentence with the most searched terms, which can bring some ideas. 

You can also use keyword research tools such as Ahrefs and Semrush. These tools show the average number of searches for each keyword which can help you understand if the niche you're discovering is worth investing in. 

Typically, such tools also suggest other keyword ideas to help you discover unique niches you've never heard of before.

 

Google Trends

 

Google Trends is a free tool that shows the popularity of specific Google searches and suggests related queries and topics that might seem attractive.

For example, we've chosen Hockey Jersey. You can see quite clearly that there's been skyrocketing growth over the past several months. 

 

You can also set a period from 2004 until today to understand if this niche is stable or has only high search intent seasonally.

 

 

Online communities 

 

One of the other ways to find a niche is to check some popular online communities like niche forums and social media groups. 

You can read members' posts, discussions, and comments to understand what is trendy and what niche products you can offer them. 

In addition, try to start a conversation and be actively involved. It will help you better understand this audience's pains and develop your value proposition.

 

Conclusion

 

Online shopping is growing fast, so now is the best time to start. 

Launching an online business is tricky, but it becomes easier with a deep understanding of what you need to do to operate efficiently. 

In the next part of the series, we'll discuss how to choose the e-commerce platform and design a buying journey for your online custom uniform shop. Stay tuned!

 

 

Business Goals and Pains

Before contacting LiveArt, Stickylife already had a website offering custom promotional and printable products. The current design tools they used were very limited in what they could do, so Stickylife could not offer so much to their customers.

The customer experience was not good, and the functionality did not meet the needs. For instance, clipart images were static and could not be edited by customers.

The product sizes were not editable, and customers could not know how the final product would look.

As a result, the company spent much time on manual work: resizing and formatting clipart, communicating with clients, and sending the design for approval.

The whole production process was tedious and increased the team workload a lot.

Stickylife team began to feel that they needed to find a solution to optimize the current process and satisfy customers' needs. The co-founder of StickyLife, Natalee Fisher, contacted us to automate their business and streamline the orders using LiveArt Designer and our technical expertise.

 

How LiveArt Met the Needs

Working as an agile company, we started with identifying Stickylife's needs and pains by running an exploration phase where we discuss, analyze, and document requirements necessary for successful project implementation. 

Natalee wanted to have a tool that works perfectly with the Magento 1 eCommerce platform and is easy to use for the customers.

LiveArt was chosen to scale their current business and free their team from manual work so that the company can focus more on moving the business forward. 

Stickylife wanted to allow customers to personalize their product by themselves and preview all changes live. The production team would then just receive the order with the ready-to-use output file, which they can send off to printing. Bingo!

 

Once the initial requirements became clear and agreed upon with Natalee and her team, we started to build a custom solution which was an ideal approach for Natalee's request.

Stickylife offers a variety of products, including irregular-shaped signs and stickers. One of LiveArt's tasks was to leverage and develop an easy product setup in the admin area while maintaining all layers, including safety and bleed lines.

We've also developed an integration with Pixabay to improve customer experience more and make the design process more fun.

As a result, the designer has been tailored to the specifics of stickers and vinyl letter manufacturing. The tool is straightforward and works perfectly on tablets, smartphones, desktops, and many other devices despite the internal complexity.

 

"They already had a tool that they built. They customized it heavily to meet our needs. I threw out lots of challenges to improve the product, and they met them all."

 

Under the hood, our team decided to migrate the whole solution to a scalable microservices architecture to make it as reliable and maintainable as possible. Since then, we migrated the site to Magento 2 and are working on functionality and scalability improvements.

 

Results

StickyLife immediately was able to benefit from LiveArt updates and noticed an increase in sales. The process became streamlined much more, and, thus, the team has very little manual work compared to the times before LiveArt. 

Stickylife team can now focus on their business and marketing goals and does not spend their time emailing with the customers to understand their needs. Print-ready output design files they can use for production are a big time-savior for the whole team!

 

"Without them, we would not have a business. We rely on them heavily for the design tool; it's the only way customers can use our site."

 

Stickylife gave freedom in the hands of their customers to express themselves as much as possible while providing them a great and fun experience.

 

LiveArt is happy to be a part of our clients' businesses. The sky is the limit in the web to print industry!

SEE LIVEART IN ACTION or CONTACT US

This is part 2 of a series of posts about choosing the best web to print solution for your business that will streamline your orders and automate the current processes.

Part One: Checklist: 10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing Web to Print Solution

Let’s continue and dig into the remaining questions we suggest every business owner ask the company during the evaluation phase about the web to print product designer software.

 

Is the tool convenient and straightforward for my customers?

Boosting your web to print businesses in the present days of COVID isolation is always about the customer experience. The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a product configurator is the load speed. It is known that the web page should load as fast as possible. Otherwise, you risk losing your customers.

The next crucial thing that impacts whether the customers will buy your products is the product design tool interface. It should be user-friendly. What does this mean? It means that the interface should be convenient, straightforward for customers to quickly apply custom text and artwork to the product and order without complex and lengthy processes.

The solution should meet the needs depending on your customers, the user flow, and the products you sell, whether this is a sign designer with a variable data printing feature, a simple boat lettering tool, or complex uniform design software. 

Some other things have an impact on customers’ convenience. For example, providing your customers with a free artwork gallery may help them create their designs quickly. Sometimes your customers want to purchase a custom product however do not have any ideas of the design they want to have. In this case, it can be beneficial to provide a catalog of premade templates that allows your customers to use ready designs rather than starting from scratch.

For products like signs, business cards, having a ruler and snap lines in the designer for better precision can also make the design process more flawless.

 

Does it have its own admin panel?

For standalone solutions, a featured admin panel can significantly reduce efforts for management. Own admin area allows you to have everything under your control rather than some eCommerce integrated solutions. Inquire the company whether the designer has its admin panel. Normally the admin area shall allow the following:

- Set up and configure the product. For instance, define product locations and editable areas, apply sizes, configure colors, add restrictions, or some additional product material options.

- Create premade templates with some constraints.

- Manage assets like artwork, fonts, colors.

- Configure pricing.

- Manage orders which shall include customers’ information and output files.

Ensure the admin panel has a user-friendly interface and meets your requirements by testing demo links complemented with the documentation. 

 

Is the application deployed in the cloud or on-premises?

Before adding a web to print solution to your online print shop, ask how it will be deployed. Vendors may offer you on-premise deployment or a cloud-based. On-premise deployment means that software will be hosted on your server, and you get complete control and can manage it on your own.

Unlike on-premise deployment, cloud one means that the software is deployed remotely on the vendor's cloud server. In this case, vendors may charge a subscription fee to provide a web to print solution (or part of it) as a service.  

For on-premise deployment, clarify the setup requirements. Ask how much disk space would be sufficient for the application. Do you need to provide server access? Is it required to install any additional applications such as ImageMagick, Inkscape, or Docker? Ask where the design images will be saved and hosted. Do you need to create any accounts on cloud storage?

Generally, the deployment process requires some basic technical knowledge. It is crucial to ensure that the vendor’s team will deploy everything independently or provide the necessary documentation and guidance if you have an in-house development team.

 

What kind of support does the company provide?

The software purchase and deployment is not the final step. It would help if you were sure that it works correctly, and in case of any issues or questions, you will have someone to help you. Having a maintainable solution means that you save your time and costs. Ask the company what kind of support do they provide. We have outlined a couple of essential questions to ask:

- Do you get free support for out-of-the-box solutions? For how long?

- What does this support include? For instance, some critical bug fixes, troubleshooting, or assistance with product configuration.

- Do you have any time limitations for the support? For example, the company can allocate a limited amount of hours in a year for your solution assistance. What should you do if you need more time?

- Do you get free upgrades?

- What are support terms if you have any customizations developed in your out-of-the-box solution?

- Does the company provide support plans? What packages are available?

 

It is also essential to inquire what are company’s business and support hours. If you are located in a different timezone, and your solution accidentally is down, it may affect your sales very hard. The available support team is vital for guaranteeing the solution’s stability and continuity and your business at all. 

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, we are always open and ready to answer :)

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