In 2020, we took on a project to collect stories from some of our customers about how they ended up choosing Propago. Our customer base varies greatly, from top 30 print service providers to global technology brands and more. We wanted to better understand the different paths that led our esteemed clients to choose us and what problems the Propago Platform solved for their businesses.

Out of these conversations, we created case studies that break down the journeys of 8 of our customers. Each customer’s story has its own unique twists and turns but we also discovered some common through-lines. This project produced some telling insights into what drives companies to seek a better web-to-print platform and what they gain by doing so. These are the 4 biggest takeaways from our 2020 case studies.

Takeaway #1: It’s not enough just to have a platform anymore.

According to a NAPCO research, 50% of print service providers have a web-to-print platform of some form or another. That number has been on the rise since web-to-print’s inception and is unlikely to slow down.

Web-to-print has become fully mainstream within the printing industry because it brings operations and ordering online. These platforms make every part of the marketing asset supply chain more efficient and convenient, from product personalization and proofing to production and fulfillment.

As marketers become more accustomed to this new way of buying print, the bar will continue to rise. This means that its no longer good enough to just have a web-to-print platform. It needs to look and feel modern and deliver a full feature set. When most of your competition utilizes web-to-print solutions, yours must stand tall with the best to win the biggest accounts.

This takeaway is the fundamental reason why most of the customers we interviewed sought out a solution like Propago in the first place. 7 out of 8 of the customers who make up these case studies had a platform before Propago; they just needed a better one.

Ultimately, a powerful, modern web-to-print platform is a sales tool. It’s what you show off to your prospects that puts a picture in their head of what it will be like to do business with you. The director of IT from one of our customers puts it like this:

“Propago shows very well during presentations. Prospects and customers can see how good the user experience is and that it has all the features they need.” – Brian, Director of IT

Takeaway #2: Finding the right solution opens pathways to new business.

The second big takeaway is that going from an outdated legacy platform to a modern web-to-print solution can have a dramatic effect on the quantity and quality of new business.

Perhaps this was best demonstrated in the case of a brand management company that was aiming to win a large client and needed a platform upgrade to do so. To quote the company’s co-owner:

“The initial client [won with Propago] has grown to account for 20% of our revenue with approximately 12,000 electronic invoice transactions per year.”

– Phil, Co-Owner

Many of the customers we talked had similar stories. One business added 21 new clients in their first year with Propago and they attribute that speedy growth to the strength of the platform.

From several of our customers, we heard it put like this: when you find the right solution for your business, you can pursue prospective clients who were out of your reach before and that can change everything for a company in a competitive market.

Takeaway #3: Sometimes a few key features can make all the difference.

One of the more surprising takeaways from these case studies is that it’s not uncommon for one or two features to be the driving force behind the need for a better platform.

More often than not, we get people interested in Propago because their current platform is falling short all around. They come from outdated platforms that are often described as “clunky”, “unintuitive”, and  “lacking in functionality”.

But don’t underestimate how much the decision to finally take the plunge and upgrade your platform can rest on one must-have feature. For one customer, it was the ability to pull a direct information feed from an MLS number. That was the make-or-break item they needed to win a large prospective client.

For another customer, gaining the ability to support responsive UI mobile storefronts ended up netting them $500K in annual sales that they wouldn’t have gained otherwise.

Sometimes, finding a platform that does a particular type of product well can lead new business. That was the case with one of our customers, who said:

“Apparel has become a very large part of our business. On our previous platform, apparel wasn’t handled well from a user perspective. Our apparel volume has increased in part because of Propago.”

– Christina, Director of Client Experience

The main point here is that it pays to find the platform that is the perfect fit for your business. Web-to-print platforms are not one size fits all.

Takeaway #4: In the end, it’s all about finding a true partner.

While many of the customers we talked to said they were originally seeking a modern platform to replace their outdated one, almost all stated that ultimately it was the partnership with Propago that stood out as the biggest change.

Over and over, our interviewees referred to the partnership between their company and the Propago team as integral to their success with the platform. Just as important as the strengths of the platform itself is the “willingness to work with us to address our needs and those of our clients.”

To quote one of our interviewees:

“With Propago, we feel more like we have engaged in a partnership, rather then simply purchased some software. The team is extremely supportive and goes above and beyond in helping us provide the best solution possible to meet our customer’s needs.”          

Jerimiah, Creative Services Manager

Sometimes it’s not all about features and metrics. Web-to-print platforms are now an essential and deeply integrated element in the business of many modern printers. So it is critical to know that when you choose a platform, you’re in good hands. That means that the customer support is top notch, the software is adaptable and growing, and the vendor wants to work with you to reach your full potential with the platform.

To read all 8 of our case studies, CLICK HERE.

To learn more about the Propago Platform, CLICK HERE.

To contact us, CLICK HERE.