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How to use web to print storefronts as a sale tool

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One of the most underrated and underutilized strengths of web to print technology is its benefits as a sales tool. We at PressCentric see this scenario  very often; a printer gets a web to print system but doesn’t prioritize its implementation which leads to eventual delays in introducing it to their clients. Sometimes a print service provider will inform their clients of the new features and functions poorly, without clearly explaining the benefits.

We’ve discussed in this prior blog post ten mistakes to avoid in implementing your web to print system, and we know that to really get value out of your web to print system, you’ll need to be confident enough to start bragging about what it can do. The internet is the great equalizer, and it has allowed many small companies to begin competing for larger print customers. We’ve found that a lot of these smaller firms have won big contracts by looking and acting big themselves.

Gone are the days where only behemoths could afford to deliver great levels of web to print service to corporate clients. A great web to print system will make you look great, and when utilized properly it can help you land and service large clients.

Here are a two ways to really leverage your web to print system as a sales tool:

1. Use it as a lead generation engine


Modern, well optimized websites with a wide variety of print products available will make you look good to prospective clients, and encourage them to register an account. Once a client has registered you must follow up with them immediately; that’s a red hot lead!

When you have clients with registered accounts on your site, you can capture a lot of value out of email campaigns and marketing through other mediums. Simple tools like MailChimp and Constant Contact will allow you to easily drive repeat sales.

It’s important to treat your B2C storefront as a means to cultivate a healthy list of local print purchasers. If you view it as a means to capture one off web orders in your area, then you’re not setting yourself apart from national print providers.

Be the local printer who is easy to access through any means; a new retail client that hasn’t purchased much print in the past can easily turn into one of your more valuable business clients. Remember; It’s not necessary to have pricing for everything on offer on your site, but you must ensure that everything you can offer a client is advertised adequately.

2. As a key part of sales presentations to large clients


It may sound cliché, but it’s true; you only have one opportunity to make a first impression. You’ve got to make that first one count, especially when presenting to large corporate clients. 

When you have tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands in sales on the table you want to make sure your presentation is perfect.  Trying to pitch the same story as everyone else (“we have great service and offer quality printing”) is just not going to cut it anymore.

Teach your sales team the benefits of W2Print, what it makes possible, and how to use it to cater to the growing needs of larger clients. You can do these presentations in person or via a  remote screen share using  tools like Zoom. Show the prospective client how easy it will be to manage their print, demonstrate different features and answer questions on the ordering experience.

Make sure your presentation focuses on how you can make common pain points for larger print purchasers a thing of the past, things such as:

  • Checking order status
  • Easy reordering
  • Per piece personalization for their staff and agents
  • Automatic proof generation
  • Automatic preflight checks
  • Order approval process
  • Storefront administration
  • Location specific products
  • Customizable email CC’s for their accounting or management 

The key to your presentation should be that you have tools available to empower those managing print for organizations, giving them the option to spread out the print purchasing to individual agents whilst ensuring corporate guidelines are being followed. For those ordering on behalf of several locations or entities, you can make it easy for them to track and manage all those orders.

If you don’t have one already, then make sure you create a demo storefront for sales presentations. Your web to print should make it easy to create a personalized storefront with presentable features quickly, and give you the option to include a prospective or current client’s files without any cost.

PressCentric’s online design tool is so efficient that you can set up online editable templates for a prospective client without it costing you more than 5 minutes of an employee's time, and it’s a valuable tool in the arsenal of any sales team.

Remember when you’re presenting this to an existing client; even if it transpires that this isn’t an option the client wants now, it’s important that you show your client base that you are willing to offer this as and when it becomes necessary. A competitor will have a hard time approaching and impressing your client with similar options if it’s nothing new to them.


PressCentric have assisted in the successful implementation and introduction of countless corporate web to print storefronts. Our team make it easy for you to be confident when presenting and closing on large print contracts.

To see a high performant and practical web to print design tool in action, book a demo with one of our web to print specialists today!

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