Print on Demand or PoD services, in essence, allow printing the required number of copies based on custom order volumes.
The company doesn’t need to buy a large batch of printed products at once, like when you order from the studio and print publishers, allowing you to order the exact quantity to be sold and distributed.
Everything related to the order of printed goods – from printing to delivery – is often processed directly by print on demand service providers. With an up-to-date provider at hand, you can order the required printed products in a few clicks, easily and rapidly implementing such business processes as:
Among the huge number of print service providers, an inexperienced user will find it quite easy to get confused and the first seemingly best option they come across. Settling the following key questions beforehand, however, can help with the most proper placement of an order from a POD partner for your particular business case:
These are only the most basic points to figure out, but it can already help you efficiently settle with your general requirements to issue for new print on demand partners. As for further details, make sure to pay attention to the following.
Most companies in the PoD niche start their business with the production of clothing or accessories. The logo of your business printed on the apparel will give your brand uniqueness, recognition, allowing the buyer to feel like part of the company.
Striving for further development, the following aspects should be taken into account:
It’s not all exclusively about the quality of basic materials: fabric, threads, knurling, ink. In all fairness, you should examine the supplier’s equipment, which can affect not only speed, ability to complete an order, its characteristics but also the percentage of rejects, which means a possible increase in the cost of the finished product. Take an interest in how often the partner buys new and updates the existing units.
At the same time, the best opinion is your own – order a prototype to really assess the quality of each component and make out the real cost of the final product in order to avoid hidden payments.
One of the most important moments – what’s the point of expanding the range, looking for the best prices and designs, if the end consumer has to wait several weeks until their order is shipped? It is important to choose a PoD company based as close as possible to the target audience, sales region.
A pleasant bonus is the packaging of goods in the corporate paper, packages or using customer packaging. This gives the end consumer the illusion that the products are shipped from the warehouse of the company itself. At the same time, it is desirable to indicate the PoD partner with the return address, avoiding excessive return procedures.
Most companies in the niche have contracts with carriers on special conditions, which not only expands the geography of shipments but also significantly reduces their cost, making your pricing policy more attractive. At the same time, it is desirable to be able to have several options for sending: standard, express.
There are frequent cases of customers refusing the ordered goods. The reasons can be very diverse: from an erroneous purchase to defects in production. It is necessary to thoroughly study all related procedures – the processing of return submissions, selection of a warehouse where the return shipment will be sent, and underlying expenses.
Having clarified these points, the contractor will thoroughly know the process of solving this issue, while your business is completely ready to receive the goods back, minimizing the end user’s negative attitude.
Depending on the company scale, sales volumes, a client can choose a POD partner, based on the following “traits”:
Every other client wants to clearly understand what they pay money for and what they receive in return. What will be the cost of the basic version of the product, and for what will you have to pay extra? Are there hidden charges, subscriptions, premium accounts?
All these points are crucial and negotiated at the conclusion of the agreement. Otherwise, the cost of production may be much higher than declared and not even cover the projected profit.
90% of clients carefully study reviews and opinions about the company with which they intend to cooperate. Key points to consider are:
It’s important to read the numbers correctly: a slightly lower satisfaction rating of 1,000 customers is often much more reliable than a high rating received from 10 people. Friends, acquaintances, relatives can write the first reviews about the company, which, however, will have nothing to do with reality and requires additional verification, on other resources as well.
High-quality, constantly available support is the key to increasing customer loyalty in the eyes of its customers. The ability to quickly, efficiently solve issues related to delivery and quality is one of the main criteria when choosing any contractor.
On top of that, it is desirable to have several communication channels (chat, mail, instant messengers, etc.) for a quick response, helping to solve relevant issues at any time of the day.
Time spent on the market often indicates the high quality of the services provided. In addition, such companies are able to offer non-trivial ways to solve technical issues, apply the necessary technology, achieving the desired result while also optimizing and reducing costs.
Often, established companies practice a variety of loyalty programs for their regular customers (in production, delivery, etc.), which positively affects the profitability of the business in the long run.
A necessary element for a company looking to scale. The ability to produce new products, fresh design ideas helps the client company not only successfully implement their ideas but also be in the trend of new products and strive to develop new projects.
The most attractive advantage of a PoD company is the ability to implement new ideas or businesses with minimal risks since there is no need for large-scale procurement. At the same time, choosing a reliable partner seems rather complicated, and the partners themselves are interchangeable.
But as soon as the understanding of the brand expectations, its technical characteristics, and further development prospects comes – prices, catalogs, production capabilities, functionality, geographical location will be crucial points to consider, greatly facilitating your choice.
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