Adding ecommerce

[Stacey K]

Thanks Stacey! I'm also wondering now, do any of those solutions allow customers to have an "account" where they can login, check their past orders, reorder something again or pay multiple open invoices, or do you have to have that type of ecommerce set up with something like Square or Quickbooks or do they integrate together somehow?

I assume the Web2Print would force the customer to create an account and be able to check their past orders, similar to Signs365 or something like that. For the WIX sites, yes - I just looked it up LOL they can create an account, add their address and payment method for an Express Checkout. They can check current and past orders also. They call this a "Member Page"

 

[Stacey K]

Thanks Stacey! I'm also wondering now, do any of those solutions allow customers to have an "account" where they can login, check their past orders, reorder something again or pay multiple open invoices, or do you have to have that type of ecommerce set up with something like Square or Quickbooks or do they integrate together somehow?

Yes, WIX integrates with Quickbooks. Personally, I use Wave and have the payments from WIX go directly into my checking account which is linked to my Wave account so I can track it that way and make any account changes needed. I print a report at year end for taxes.

 

[Pauly]

Thanks Stacey! I'm also wondering now, do any of those solutions allow customers to have an "account" where they can login, check their past orders, reorder something again or pay multiple open invoices, or do you have to have that type of ecommerce set up with something like Square or Quickbooks or do they integrate together somehow?

I'll try keep this reply as short as possible.

The extremely short answer is "no"

Shopify, Wix etc and Woocommerce** are basic ecommerce shop fronts.
They're mostly for selling a specific product... Say phone covers, or mugs, plants, etc if you get where i'm going. Anything you can buy at the store.

All the platforms you can create an account, log in, check current and past orders, download invoices etc.

** Now Woocommerce.
Reason i mention this separately is because woocommerce (apart of wordpress) is the most customisable website/ecommerce builder out there. (there's probably a proper name that i cannot remember)
You can download and purchase extensions (plugins) to do all sorts of things with wordpress.
With plugins, you can make your products more customisable, add extra features such as shipping calculators, dynamic pricing and the list goes on.
Print sciences WP2Print is built for wordpress/woocommerce, so it'll do everything you ask for, as it's a web to print software that's built for wordpress.

With a basic ecommerce store, you can only go basic stuff.
Unfortunately with anything to do with printing, There's a lot more involved and it's all specific to printing.

The things that web 2 print software can do for you that other ecommerce platforms cannot:
- Print specific products with area pricing, dynamic pricing, quantity based pricing.
- workflow managing. Ecommerce sites cannot do this, but only show the order if it's pending, processing or complete. Web 2 print will allow you to manage your workflow of orders and customise the workflow process
- offline / phone orders. Ecommerce cannot do this for highly customised products so it can be a huge hurdle.
- invoice payments (customers can pay for their invoices with their credit card online)

There are so many other features, you just need to read about them on their websites, as different systems are catered towards different printers.

 

[GB2]

Thank you Pauly, that was a very helpful explanation, I appreciate that. Mind if I ask why you are considering changing from Print Science? I had a web tour of their product and they seem to have it all at a reasonable rate.

 

[Pauly]

Thank you Pauly, that was a very helpful explanation, I appreciate that. Mind if I ask why you are considering changing from Print Science? I had a web tour of their product and they seem to have it all at a reasonable rate.

It's a good platform and for a lot of people, it'll be great for years. Creating products with woo + wp2print is quite easy when you know your way around.
Send me a PM and i can send you some additional useful info if you want to go with wp2print.

Im only moving due to some features we're after which wp2print is limiting for us.

 

[tulsagraphics]

The things that web 2 print software can do for you that other ecommerce platforms cannot:
- Print specific products with area pricing, dynamic pricing, quantity based pricing.
- workflow managing. Ecommerce sites cannot do this, but only show the order if it's pending, processing or complete. Web 2 print will allow you to manage your workflow of orders and customise the workflow process
- offline / phone orders. Ecommerce cannot do this for highly customised products so it can be a huge hurdle.
- invoice payments (customers can pay for their invoices with their credit card online)

There are so many other features, you just need to read about them on their websites, as different systems are catered towards different printers.

Actually, you can do most of these things with WooCommerce and some specific WC plugins. I use WooCommerce Measurement Price Calculator, Gravity Forms + GravityFlow, IgniteWoo Manual Phone Orders (which includes automatic and manual invoicing), multiple payment gateways including credit cards, check by phone, financing, email proofing (REST API stuff), upload/sync files with the RIP station after approval, and many other features like synchronizing all of this data with my accounting system, text message notifications, and automated payment handling via digital auto attendant (fun with VOIP telephony!). It does require a fair bit of setup / ongoing maintenance (let's be fair, I've been developing websites for 17 years) -- but it's not an online design tool either. It's more of a workflow system for online ordering without incurring any hefty monthly subscriptions. I avoid online "design" tools because I've tried so many of them over the years and they simply can't compete with the expertise of a trained human who can ensure that files are prepared correctly for a specific workflow, handle color management, profile corrections, etc. Files always need to be edited/manipulated/tweaked in some way or another -- that's just how it is (YMMV depending on your clientele).

 

[Pauly]

Actually, you can do most of these things with WooCommerce and some specific WC plugins. I use WooCommerce Measurement Price Calculator, Gravity Forms + GravityFlow, IgniteWoo Manual Phone Orders (which includes automatic and manual invoicing), multiple payment gateways including credit cards, check by phone, financing, email proofing (REST API stuff), upload/sync files with the RIP station after approval, and many other features like synchronizing all of this data with my accounting system, text message notifications, and automated payment handling via digital auto attendant (fun with VOIP telephony!). It does require a fair bit of setup / ongoing maintenance (let's be fair, I've been developing websites for 17 years) -- but it's not an online design tool either. It's more of a workflow system for online ordering without incurring any hefty monthly subscriptions. I avoid online "design" tools because I've tried so many of them over the years and they simply can't compete with the expertise of a trained human who can ensure that files are prepared correctly for a specific workflow, handle color management, profile corrections, etc. Files always need to be edited/manipulated/tweaked in some way or another -- that's just how it is (YMMV depending on your clientele).

For simple products like Rollup banners, Business cards, A-Frames etc, Even posters and other set size products. It's easily done in woocommerce.
When you start doing custom sized stuff, area based products. It can get tricky. Or even doing pricing for products with a lot of customisation
Check out https://pluginrepublic.com/ They have a lot of neat plugins for woo. At the beginning i used a few of them. Some could be use to you.

Yes the huge problem with wordpress is the ongoing maintenance. And also the integration with other plugins, sometimes can cause things not to function properly.

But there's so much w2p can do that wordpress just cannot.

There are a few really good design tools out there that handle files correctly. PDF output, Bleeds, safe margins, colour managing etc. Literally can spit out print ready files. Even if they're used as a cropping tool for some.

At the end of the day, It's what you need and what you want to provide your customers with.

 

[tulsagraphics]

For simple products like Rollup banners, Business cards, A-Frames etc, Even posters and other set size products. It's easily done in woocommerce.
When you start doing custom sized stuff, area based products. It can get tricky. Or even doing pricing for products with a lot of customisation
Check out https://pluginrepublic.com/ They have a lot of neat plugins for woo. At the beginning i used a few of them. Some could be use to you.

Yes the huge problem with wordpress is the ongoing maintenance. And also the integration with other plugins, sometimes can cause things not to function properly.

But there's so much w2p can do that wordpress just cannot.

There are a few really good design tools out there that handle files correctly. PDF output, Bleeds, safe margins, colour managing etc. Literally can spit out print ready files. Even if they're used as a cropping tool for some.

At the end of the day, It's what you need and what you want to provide your customers with.

One of the biggest challenges I found when working with these w2p platforms / testing 3rd party apps / building my own platform / etc. .. was the lack of support for AI/EPS/PDF file uploads that customers often provide. In some cases I found that these apps would simply convert the vector file to a pixel-based file type (JPG/TIFF/etc) I tested out wp2print just now... same issue (it won't accept AI/PDF). Based on this quick test, I suspect that wp2print is expecting bitmaps only (JPG/TIF/etc)... which... in wide format vector-based printing introduces a whole new set of production / quality problems. Can you confirm that wp2print has these limitations? (mostly just curious).

 

[Pauly]

One of the biggest challenges I found when working with these w2p platforms / testing 3rd party apps / building my own platform / etc. .. was the lack of support for AI/EPS/PDF file uploads that customers often provide. In some cases I found that these apps would simply convert the vector file to a pixel-based file type (JPG/TIFF/etc) I tested out wp2print just now... same issue (it won't accept AI/PDF). Based on this quick test, I suspect that wp2print is expecting bitmaps only (JPG/TIF/etc)... which... in wide format vector-based printing introduces a whole new set of production / quality problems. Can you confirm that wp2print has these limitations? (mostly just curious).

Ok so i cannot speak for wp2print as we don't use their designer. But i tested it out (they have 2)
I uploaded a Ai created PDF to both designers. One didn't work (i believe they're still developing it when i asked about it) and the other worked but as you said it was a bitmap preview.
Now as i dont have access to the final atwork, i can't say the print ready file will or will not continue to be a vector.
It could just be a preview for the purpose of the browser, but i cannot confirm.

Onprintshops designer however. I uploaded the same PDF. made a print - 1.2m x 2.4m. set up the artwork in the designer and processed the job.
i downloaded the print ready file from the backend.
Opened it in Ai.
It was still a vector.

 

[netsol]

One of the biggest challenges I found when working with these w2p platforms / testing 3rd party apps / building my own platform / etc. .. was the lack of support for AI/EPS/PDF file uploads that customers often provide. In some cases I found that these apps would simply convert the vector file to a pixel-based file type (JPG/TIFF/etc) I tested out wp2print just now... same issue (it won't accept AI/PDF). Based on this quick test, I suspect that wp2print is expecting bitmaps only (JPG/TIF/etc)... which... in wide format vector-based printing introduces a whole new set of production / quality problems. Can you confirm that wp2print has these limitations? (mostly just curious).

Converting to bitmap would probably be fine for many printing businesses (or at least that is probably the thinking of the design team) and a lot easier to develop the program.

 

[GB2]

I've been trying to check out Onprintshop but I must say I'm having a great deal of trouble trying to figure out their own website. Their presentation is not very clear, which leaves me a little concerned about working with them. Their is a testimonial there from FireSprint, I wonder if they are currently using them and if anyone else on here has any actual experience with Onprintshop.

 

[Pauly]

I've been trying to check out Onprintshop but I must say I'm having a great deal of trouble trying to figure out their own website. Their presentation is not very clear, which leaves me a little concerned about working with them. Their is a testimonial there from FireSprint, I wonder if they are currently using them and if anyone else on here has any actual experience with Onprintshop.

What are you having trouble with?

We're currently looking at Onprintshop and i'm really liking it. i have been looking though the backend,
Firesprint are still using it.
It is a lot of stuff to get your head around with onprintshop.

Checkout https://www.inksoft.com/
i believe they offer a 1 time licence too.
Its more for promotional, customisable products but it does look good.

 

[Chuck7772]

Once it's set up, you generally leave it.
Only time you need to update price is if the price of material changes or you've changed printers.

Depending on the complexity of your products too.
Say you sell simple products like posters and they're all set sizes only. A3, A2, A1, A0. and other similar products. You can just export the product data to a CSV file Change the prices and import it back in.

If you have a site like wordpress, you'll have more maintaining to do as plugins and themes have updates etc.

As for the "designers" or "sign builders" i think they're great.
1. your customers don't need to bother you to design their sign.
2. your customers what to add or change a phone number. they can easily do that.
3. your customers will probably never follow artwork guidelines, so having a cropbox that will show crop/bleed & safezones are helpfull.
4. everything that comes out from it will bwho do you use

It’s obviously not for everyone as everyone has different business models.

But there are tools out there that are relatively simple enough for most people to use to create an e-commerce web 2 print website.
And they’re not all designed for wholesalers.

There are solutions available for those who do DTG. or Canvas prints (Designers that can put out PDF files with the right bleeds, folds etc for the frames you use. )
I’ve even seen some solutions for personalised products like photo mugs, pens, notepads, stationary etc.

who do you use for you designs studio?

 

[Graphic Extremes]

I tried InkSoft and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Lots of wasted time and money, never had it work correctly. Had assistance from them and they would say, our software doesn't do that.

I am looking at OnPrintShop right now and it looks great, the monthly cost is a bit expensive, have to have a lot of order through it to cover the cost, but the back end features seem well worth the cost..

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

I tried InkSoft and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Lots of wasted time and money, never had it work correctly. Had assistance from them and they would say, our software doesn't do that.

I am looking at OnPrintShop right now and it looks great, the monthly cost is a bit expensive, have to have a lot of order through it to cover the cost, but the back end features seem well worth the cost..

We use OPS and it is fully integrated with our automation now... we are on an enterprise plan with lots of custom development but, it is one of the best solutions out there currently.

 

[Pauly]

I tried InkSoft and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Lots of wasted time and money, never had it work correctly. Had assistance from them and they would say, our software doesn't do that.

I am looking at OnPrintShop right now and it looks great, the monthly cost is a bit expensive, have to have a lot of order through it to cover the cost, but the back end features seem well worth the cost..

Worth the costs, we run it, we started on the basic plan and just kept moving up.
Great thing with OPS, if it doesn't work, they'll make it work.
Or if it's a feature you want, they'll either add it to the list for the next update, or you can pay for them to create it for yours (if they can)

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Worth the costs, we run it, we started on the basic plan and just kept moving up.
Great thing with OPS, if it doesn't work, they'll make it work.
Or if it's a feature you want, they'll either add it to the list for the next update, or you can pay for them to create it for yours (if they can)

I'd love to connect with you to see how you solved some problems for your customers with OPS, and the way you did things.