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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