Common Misconceptions about Web to Print that Stall Adoption
Two decades into the 21st century, ordering print online has gone from niche to commonplace. 50% of commercial printers today have integrated a web to print solution. That’s right, HALF of printers offer online ordering to their customers, but half don’t. What separates one half from the other? Web to print continues to gain traction as a major component of the print industry in the 21st century, so what’s holding back the printers who haven’t jumped on board?
With an adoption rate of 50%, we are right now on the cusp of web to print becoming standard among commercial printers. Considering the pace at which new technology tends to spread in the print industry, 50% is an impressive number. But clearly there are still factors holding back many printers from making the jump. Looking into some of the reasons why printers have yet to adopt web to print can give us insight into the future of web to print adoption.
Let’s look at 3 of the biggest misconceptions about web to print that are stalling widespread adoption.
Perceived Lack of Customer Demand
A study by NAPCO found that, of the 50% of printers without a web to print solution, 42% stated that a lack of customer demand influenced their decision to hold off on finding a solution. This was the most common deterrent found in the study by far.
Interestingly, most adopters of web to print cite meeting customer demand and creating a better customer experience as primary reasons for making the move to web to print. This incongruity suggests that the lack of customer demand is only perceived. This is backed up by evidence. According to the same NAPCO study, “offline print shipments are projected to decline by CAGR of -6.0% by 2021, but Web-to-Print is projected to grow by a CAGR of 5.2%, reaching $48 billion by 2021.”
Perhaps this comes down to something as simple as the natural resistance to change, especially when nothing is “broken.” Moving from no online ordering system to a modern web to print solution is a big change. If the way things work in your print business now have worked for so long, and all of your long-term customers are used to how things work, why mess with that?
It’s an understandable sentiment, but most likely won’t be a common one indefinitely. As more and more business move online, and people become more and more used to the convenience and efficiency of web-based commerce, web to print included, this customer demand will only continue to be clear.
Doubts About the ROI Potential
As with most waves of technology adoption, the cost factor can’t be discounted. Printers need to make decisions about what technology to invest in based on projected returns on investment. Simply put, if a printer doesn’t think that a web to print solution will pay itself off quickly, it won’t be high on their priority list.
This is true even for printers who recognize that there’s a growing demand for web to print and that the print industry is moving in the direction of web to print as the norm. This seems reasonable, but the reason we’re calling this a misconception is because of how hard it is to truly predict how much extra revenue a printer will get out of a web to print solution.
That calculation must take into account the following increases in revenue due to implementing a modern web to print solution:
- New customers the printer could attain that require advanced workflow capabilities
- New customers the printer could win due to offering a solution that sets them apart from competitors.
- More work from current customers due to the ease of ordering across a wide user base.
- More work from current customers due to being able to offer more types of products.
- Longer lasting relationships with customers thanks to a “sticky” platform that customers become accustomed to.
Worries About the Technical Skills Needed
For some printers, the idea being able to take orders online and support large enterprise customers with a streamlined, tailored platform seems appealing, yet intimidating. It’s understandable that if you haven’t taken the dive into web to print yet, you might assume it will require significant technical skills to manage and maintain. If you believe that implementing web to print will require hiring skilled technical personal, it can very easily seem not worth the effort.
It’s true that some printers have such complicated and niche workflows and specialties that they choose to go for a home-grown web to print solution, or at least a highly specialized, custom-coded solution. But this group is in the minority. 72% of printers with web to print purchased an off-the-shelf solution, leaving just 28% who went for the do-it-yourself method.
This is likely due to the robustness and flexibility of many modern web to print solutions available on the market today. Unless you have very particular and unusual needs, you almost certainly can find a powerful web to print solution that will give you the capabilities you need without any custom development or special technical skills on your end.
Trending Towards Web to Print
Regardless of the reason why one half of commercial printers have yet to adopt web to print, it’s obvious that the industry as a whole is trending in that direction. Every year, the amount of print ordered online increases while the percentage of print ordered through traditional means decreases.
This 50/50 stat is unlikely to hold steady for long. As more printers realize the benefits for both workflow optimization and customer acquisition that modern web to print solutions offer, web to print adoption will continue to grow.
