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3 Real-World Applications Where a Web-to-Print Platform Creates More Cost-Effective Print

Written by Bob Baldridge | Mar 26, 2024 4:36:51 PM

Successfully managing a large library of sales and marketing collateral can be a significant challenge for B2B companies, especially for brands with large sales teams or an extremely diverse customer base or product portfolio. 

Maintaining a bank of high-quality collateral in the face of variables like design or content updates, versioning for specific audiences, or proper branding across a wide range of collateral types is a time-intensive process, and it’s also one that can result in costly errors — particularly when there are a large number of brand stakeholders that have specific content needs. 

This is where a web-to-print solution can simplify the process of creating and versioning custom print sales and marketing pieces that are properly branded, up-to-date, and accurate. And, if that’s not enough, a web-to-print solution can also help optimize print communications in a way that drives meaningful ROI. 

With this in mind, let’s first define what a web-to-print solution is, and then we’ll look at three real-world applications where a web-to-print platform can help create more effective print collateral. 

What is a web-to-print solution and how does it work?

A web-to-print solution uses digital print-on-demand (POD) technology to help brands print the exact quantities of print collateral they need the moment they need them. Not only does this help control print costs by reducing waste and making a more strategic use of resources, it also helps brands print sales and marketing collateral with a greater level of flexibility.  

A web-to-print solution also helps create more cohesive, on-point branding and a more consistent communication strategy. Using a centralized online storefront, brands can upload on-brand, pre-approved templates for a variety of documents, including sell sheets, brochures, or flyers. 

Plus, the ability to upload and edit templates, logos, or messaging in real-time streamlines the print process and helps ensure brands are not printing inaccurate or outdated documents. This also helps reduce waste by virtually eliminating the likelihood of printing inaccurate materials.

What are some examples of how web-to-print helps create more effective sales and marketing collateral?

Whether it’s meeting consumer expectations for personalized messaging or taking a more sustainable approach to print, web-to-print can help brands streamline their print communications strategy without sacrificing quality. In fact, here are some real-world applications for a web-to-print solution to help illustrate how this type of print platform can help brands create more effective sales and marketing collateral.=

Web-to-print for franchise owners

Franchise owners can have anxiety over whether corporate branding guidelines and campaign initiatives are being faithfully and successfully executed at the local level. With a web-to-print online portal, franchise owners can better oversee and manage template versioning. 

Plus, a web-to-print solution helps empower your franchisees by allowing them to update and print the documents they need without lengthy or complicated approval processes. This also allows your franchisees to quickly seize sales opportunities that may have small windows of time for your franchisees to act.

Web-to-print for custom, personalized holiday mailers

For sales teams with a large client base, personalized holiday mailers can be a source of frustration, especially when it comes to ensuring mailers are properly branded across a wide spectrum of potential postcard sizes. 

A web-to-print solution utilizes variable data printing (VDP) and images to create custom messaging with your customer’s first name and last name, but you can also take things one step further by including products or services they’ve purchased or other customer lifecycle milestones, as long as the data lives in your CRM. 

Plus, your sales team can also get creative and add their headshots, contact information, or personalized greetings to create more targeted mailers that connect with customers on a deeper level and provide a little extra holiday cheer.  

Web-to-print for high-value offers for ABM campaigns

Yes, the potential of a web-to-print solution goes beyond the printing of traditional sales and marketing collateral to include more high-value items that your sales team can use to entice customers to take a desired action. For example, a web-to-print solution that uses a digital storefront makes it easy to create properly branded, personalized merchandise like coffee mugs, t-shirts and more for high-value accounts that are more likely to book a meeting with your sales team. 

These kinds of high-value offers can be extremely effective in account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns, an approach that engages key accounts with premium offers and personalized content that’s designed to drive increased conversions.   

For brands that rely on high-quality sales and marketing collateral, a web-to-print solution makes it easy for your teams to print the kind of high-quality pieces necessary to create productive, long-term business relationships. 

With a web-to-print solution like OnSpark, your sales and marketing teams can better align on a simplified, accelerated set of best practices for executing print with an eye toward process efficiency and ROI. Curious if OnSpark is the right web-to-print solution for you? Request a demo to learn more.