Print businesses that are looking to upgrade or create a new web to print eCommerce site, may be confounded by all the eCommerce options available to them.
Many people think that an off the shelf plug-in such as WooCommerce will work for print products, but upon testing this theory, find that WooCommerce just doesn’t have the functionality required for web2print. The result is a waste of both time and money which would have better been invested in a solution developed specifically for the print sector.
What Is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is an eCommerce plug-in for WordPress websites. If you are selling an item that has simple attribute choices such as colour or size, WooCommerce is an acceptable choice to turn your WordPress website into an eCommerce machine.
So, Why Is WooCommerce web2print Less Than Ideal For Print Products?
Print products are special.
When selling print products online the functionality required from your eCommerce site is much more complex than can be offered easily by WooCommerce. Web2print eCommerce functionality such as multiple attributes – materials, paper sizes, colours, design choices – are not easily delivered using WooCommerce. Furthermore the complex price calculations needed to sell print effectively online have been found to be beyond the capabilities of most web developers who lack any specific knowledge of the print industry.
Web2print sites can deliver easy to use and highly functional template editing options for a customer to use when placing a print order online. Whilst there are template editing plug-ins available for WooCommerce, the functionality is usually quite limited and additional design and development work may be needed to provide the same functionality than can easily be found in a specifically designed web to print WordPress solution.
What Should I Look For In A Web To Print WordPress Site?
When comparing web2print WooCommerce sites with WordPress sites, such as Flex4’s Online Print Solution (OPS), there is a wide range of print specific features that have been developed.
- Product pages that are configured to provide all attribute choices you need based on the nature of your print product is a great place to start.
If your web to print solution can offer multiple attribute choices and a varied pricing structure to meet all the needs of your product on one product page – it immediately adds more choice to the customer with fewer clicks through your catalogue.
- Effective and easy to use template editing functionality, such as Flex4’s OPS Template Gallery, minimise the pre-press design work for you and your team whilst providing an easy to use online solution for your customers.
- Fully integrated artwork upload functionality allow customers to easily upload their artwork when placing an order. This is an important feature for any effective web to print WordPress solution that minimises routine customer enquiries and provide an effective way for customers to order print online.
The good news is that the Flex4 OPS solution is available in a range of highly affordable and competitively priced packages which compare favourably on price with most WooCommerce based eCommerce websites.
Why Choose Flex4?
Flex4 have over 10 years’ experience in designing, developing and supporting web to print systems, solutions and services for print businesses in both the UK and overseas.
We have an experienced print eCommerce team with skills and experience in business development, marketing, project management, software development, website management, online payment, print management and both SEO and complete online marketing campaigns for printers.
Our market leading OPS web to print eCommerce solution combines print specific functionality with the many benefits offered by WordPress. OPS has been designed and developed specifically by Flex4 to help your print business grow by increasing your print revenues and reducing your administration costs by streamlining workflows. The result is a better ordering experience for your customers and a better margin and more efficient process for you.