With tremendous buzz behind “web-to-print” software, many marketers are turning to these platforms as a means to streamline marketing workflows. It’s important to look at this automation strategy as more than just an e-storefront software that allows users to order customized printed collateral on demand. Rather, view this strategy as a provider-based solution capable of automating the management of several key program areas.
Below are some areas of marketing management that you can automate with web to print solutions.
- Brand Compliance: Protect and build brand equity by providing access to approved marketing materials and pre-approved customization options. Reduce the need to create un-approved “local” marketing collateral.
- Promotional Products Distribution: E-storefronts with web-to-print solutions may also be used as a portal to manage the fulfillment of pre-approved, branded promotional products and apparel. Expand your web-to-print system to streamline all marketing orders into one portal.
- Business Forms & Tools: Think beyond marketing to include training and financial products on the web-to-print portal.
- Budget Management: One demand and up-to-date reports are available to track expenses, leverage the tools to control spending by user or region, and reduce manual labor for this task.
- Activity Tracking: Product usage reports provide a great platform to gauge the activity levels of users and regions for specific programs.
These are key areas that you can automate through expanding your definition of web-to-print. With that, it is also important to evaluate the strategy as a solution and not a product and thus scrutinize the provider as such. See below for steps to how the RJ Young “Web-to-Print & Promotional Products” solution works.