Top Pain Points for Print Businesses Using Shopify (And How to Fix Them)

Blog Summary: Struggling to succeed with your Shopify print shop? Don’t worry! You are not the only one. Many print business owners face challenges like high fees and limited customization and their businesses are now desperately looking for alternatives. So, if you are a print business owner planning to mark your online presence, or wanting to switch from Shopify, this blog is for you.

Did you know? Almost 90% of the eCommerce businesses fail within the first 4 months of operations. The major cause behind this shocking figure is the poor choice of the store building platform.

For many print shop owners using Shopify, this reality translates into frustration over limited features and high costs, ultimately hindering growth. While Shopify is a popular choice for e-commerce, it often falls short in addressing the unique challenges of print businesses.

This blog delves into the top pain points experienced by print shop owners using Shopify, such as limited customization options, high commission fees, and complicated order management. We'll also explore how OnPrintShop's dedicated web-to-print software for the print industry can provide tailored solutions to help you overcome these hurdles and optimize your online print business for success.

Biggest Challenges for Print Businesses Using Shopify and How to Fix Them

Facing print business challenges on Shopify can stifle your growth and creativity. There are many hurdles to tackle, and it can be overwhelming. Therefore, let's identify the key pain points and discuss the actionable strategies to overcome print business challenges.

Limited Customization Options for Print Products

Creating a print shop with Shopify leaves you with a limited customization option. It gives you a few customizable templates, but those templates are used by a lot of other stores making it arduous to get a unique store.

Impact:

Having just the next print shop online doesn’t do justice to the custom products you have to offer. Customization challenges of a print business take away its unique selling point. Other than that, branding is all about uniqueness. If you cannot create a unique store, you cannot build a brand.

Moreover, if the customer cannot recognize your brand, it affects customer satisfaction and brand image. It discourages them from doing business with your brand thinking it’s not a professional brand.

Solution:

OnPrintShop offers one of the most flexible custom web-to-print solutions for custom print business owners. Create online store with your branding and personalized to display print products specifically.

Furthermore, OnPrintShop’s W2P solution is not only for you but for your customers too. It lets you design specific customer experiences for different users based on their interests and preferences.

High Commission Charges on Every Sale

One of the biggest Shopify print business challenges is the high commission fees on each sale, which can significantly cut into profit margins. And if you wish to lower the payable commission charges, you need to buy an expensive subscription.

Impact:

These fees can make it difficult for small to medium-sized print businesses to thrive. Over time, the cumulative costs may reduce your profitability, making it harder to reinvest in your business or expand your custom-printed product SKUs.

Solution:

The competitive pricing plans by OnPrintShop allow you to keep more of your profits without the hefty commissions. By choosing a dedicated web-to-print platform, you can enjoy a more sustainable financial model that supports growth.

Complicated Print Order Management

Managing print orders through Shopify can become complicated, especially as your business scales. The lack of dedicated features for custom print businesses makes it cumbersome to track and fulfill orders efficiently.

Impact:

This complexity can lead to errors, delays, and frustrated customers. An inefficient order management system can negatively affect customer loyalty and brand reputation. Moreover, the ineffectual workflow can make your business incompetent at utilizing its true potential by limiting the number of accepted orders at a time.

Solution:

OnPrintShop's advanced print order management software is specifically designed for print businesses. It streamlines the entire process, enabling you to track, manage, and fulfill orders seamlessly, ensuring customer satisfaction and repeat business.

It helps you free up your team for more creative tasks such as designing new products, by handling the entire order cycle. Furthermore, it reduces the turnaround time by streamlining all the processes and scheduling processes for maximum efficiency.

Difficulty in Managing Bulk Orders and Customization

Handling bulk orders with specific customization requirements can be a daunting task on Shopify web-to-print. The platform lacks the necessary tools to streamline this process effectively.

Impact:

This can lead to inconsistencies, increased labor costs, and unhappy clients who expect high-quality, personalized service. Not being able to manage bulk orders efficiently may drive potential customers to competitors who can.

Due to this, processing Variable Data Printing orders becomes way more hectic than it should be.

Solution:

OnPrintShop offers advanced features to handle bulk orders with ease, including customizable templates that allow for mass personalization. This ensures that you can meet client expectations while maintaining efficiency. This enables you to fulfill VDP orders with ultimate quality in the least time.

Lack of Shopify Integration with Print-Specific Shipping Solutions

Shopify has some of the best shipping solutions but those are generic. It lacks the support for integrating custom printing business-specific shipping solutions, leading to logistical challenges that can hinder your operation.

Impact:

Without proper integration, you might face issues like higher shipping costs or delays in order delivery, which can hurt customer satisfaction and retention.

Solution:

OnPrintShop provides 300+ third-party integrations with leading solutions including print-specific shipping solutions. This ensures a smooth fulfillment process that enhances your service quality and keeps your customers happy.

Complex Workflow for Proofing and Approval

The proof and approval process on Shopify can be cumbersome, requiring manual intervention and often leading to miscommunications.

Impact:

A convoluted workflow can cause delays, dissatisfaction, and potentially lost sales if customers grow frustrated with the process. The canceled orders also account for the avoidable expenses for your print business.

Solution:

Advanced W2P software like the one from OnPrintShop offers an top-notch online print proofing software that simplifies the proofing process. Clients can approve designs quickly and easily, minimizing back-and-forth communications and speeding up order fulfillment.

Quality Control and Consistency

Maintaining quality control and consistency is crucial for print businesses, but Shopify lacks robust tools to manage these aspects effectively.

Impact:

Inconsistent quality can damage your reputation and lead to the loss of clients and your brand image. Nothing can replace the necessity of high-quality standards for building trust in your brand.

Solution:

The integrated quality control features offered by OnPrintShop’s robust print workflow management software ensure that every print job meets your high standards. With a systematic approach to quality management, you can confidently deliver consistent products.

Order Fulfilment and Shipping

The fulfillment process on Shopify can be complicated, especially for print-specific needs, leading to inefficiencies. As it doesn’t have any custom print specific shipping integrations, order fulfillment might not match the customers’ requirements or your brand specific customizations.

Impact:

Delays in order fulfillment can frustrate customers and negatively impact your brand's reputation. Efficient shipping is crucial for customer satisfaction.

Solution:

OnPrintShop’s web-to-print, one of the most promising Shopify alternatives, streamlines the order fulfillment and shipping process, providing tools that ensure timely delivery. This helps you maintain high customer satisfaction and build loyalty.

Managing Print Job Management and File Formats

Dealing with various file formats and managing print jobs can be a nightmare on Shopify, which isn’t tailored for print businesses. Services like wide-format printing need specific file formats that might be missing in Shopify’s storefront or are tricky to be put together.

Impact:

This can result in lost time, increased errors, and potentially unhappy customers if jobs aren’t completed to spec.

Solution:

OnPrintShop's advanced job management features to handle multiple file formats effortlessly. This makes it easy to manage print jobs accurately and efficiently.

Multistore Management

For print business owners looking to expand, managing multiple stores on Shopify can be cumbersome and inefficient. As a custom print business, you have to manage your various franchises, suppliers, and trade printers. You might have to feel the limitations for such niche-specific for custom print service providers with Shopify.

Impact:

Without a streamlined approach, it can lead to confusion, operational inefficiencies, and potential revenue loss.

Solution:

OnPrintShop offers a unified platform for managing multiple stores from one dashboard. This allows you to streamline operations and enhance your overall business strategy.

Inventory Management for Print Products

Inventory management on Shopify can be challenging, particularly for print businesses with diverse product offerings and customizations.

Impact:

Poor inventory management can lead to stockouts or overstock, both of which can harm your profitability.

Solution:

OnPrintShop’s inventory management features are specifically designed for print businesses. They help you track stock levels in real time and manage your product offerings efficiently.

ConclusionWhile Shopify offers a general e-commerce solution, it falls short in addressing the unique print challenges. OnPrintShop's dedicated web-to-print platform provides tailored solutions that cater to the specific needs of print business owners. By switching to OnPrintShop’s W2P solution, you can overcome the generic e-commerce platform pain points.With a focus on customization, order management, and integrated solutions, OnPrintShop positions you to not only survive but thrive in the competitive print industry. So, without any further ado, book a live demo today and experience the ultimate storefront management system.