18 February 2015

10 steps to web to print success

The recent BPIF printing outlook suggested 58% of printers derive no revenue from web to print while 30% of printers have web to print as a focus for upcoming investment. Simon Ellington, Director of web to print vendor ROI360 and author of the web to print fitness guide shares the 10 steps to making a success of web to print.

Download the full web to print fitness guide for free here 

1. Define Web to Print Goals
   
   Set SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely) for web to print before you make any investment. Consider writing a 1 page web to print business plan with these headings 1) Winning new business 2) Reducing costs 3) Improving client retention. Define what specific outcomes you are looking for, by when against each of these headings. 
   
   
2. Getting the team involved
   
   Web to print cannot be a department, a one off initiative, a solely technical or solely sales exercise. Make sure everyone from the people you are asking to sell it to those who will build templates get involved in choosing the technology and the software partner and approach the investment as a change management project not like the purchase of a piece of kit.
   
   
3. Choose the right partner
   
   Weigh up the pros and cons of building a system, buying a product or renting a web to print service and also think about what you want the vendor to do to support you. You will likely need more support than you think. Go to the suppliers premises, meet the team, look at sample projects and find out what expertise the supplier can provide you over and above the product. 
   
   
4. Target the right prospects
   
   Few printers would invest in kit before knowing who they are going to sell the new capabilities to, and web to print shouldn't be different. Included in the web to print fitness guide is a worksheet to help you and your team brainstorm good fit industries, business models and marketing challenges to quickly generate a web to print prospect list.
   
    
5. Find the pain
   
   Printers who are successful with web to print are able to uncover pain points in their clients marketing and procurement processes. It could be brand consistency issues, inefficient sign off procedures or managing up to date content. One tip I advise clients is to take in a piece of print and ask the prospect to talk through all of the processes they went through to get the piece into production. This method often uncovers areas where web to print can improve the marketers processes. 
   
   
6. Demonstrations pack a punch
   
   I have sat in numerous meetings between printers and their clients where an effective demo of the web to print solution has lit up the enthusiasm in the marketer. They start to imagine the possibilities of their own marketing portal. Once you understand the prospects pain points you can make the demo personal, showing features that address relevant marketing challenges. Complement good case study sites with a catch all demo to show the full range of capabilities. 
   
   
7. Convert Sales
   
   In my experience a stage and gate model works best to convert interest into action. Start with a proof of concept (1 or 2 identified products) that can be trailed by a suitable sub group within the organisation. Use the success of the low commitment proof of concept to pursue the next larger roll out phase with more products and a wider user base. 
   
   
8. Pricing model choice
   
   A hybrid pricing model usually works best with an up-front fee attached to each milestone of project delivery relative to the scope of the milestone alongside a monthly subscription fee that encompasses both the product and service aspects you are delivering (hosting, maintenance, a support service, some template build or revisions etc). 
   
   
9. Implement your clients successfully
   
   In an ideal world you wouldn't be asking your sales team to manage the web to print project in full. It is preferable to have a web to print implementation manager that can create a project plan, gather requirements and present the client with a clear Gantt chart and project plan. Make sure the technical lead is given the necessary training and is afforded the time to develop a demo site or low risk project quickly after training. 
   
   
10. Continuous Improvement
    
    Those companies that have really transformed their business with web to print have adopted a process of continuous improvement. They strive to measure and improve efficiency, size of clients they serve and innovation they bring to those clients. By keeping an ongoing focus on innovation they build barriers to entry from competitors and develop a genuinely differentiated value proposition.  
    

Read more about how to make your web to print solution work harder for you by with your free copy of the full web to print fitness guide here

Connect with Simon on Linkedin http://linkedin.com/in/simonellington

Find out more about ROI360 at www.roi360.co.uk