8 Benefits of Print on Demand

Brandon Nilsson - Author

Brandon has worked in the marketing, software, and e-commerce industry since 2015 before founding OrderMerch. He has helped many companies improve or launch online and locally.

Print on demand also known as order on demand is by far one of the quickest ways to start an e-commerce business. Unlike your normal dropshipping fulfillment models, with print on demand, you no longer need to scour the internet looking for your next product to sell. It makes it easy for individuals and businesses of all sizes to get selling their own customized products.

A lot of individuals and businesses are now printing on demand because they don't have the money to invest in large quantities or because they want to test out different designs before committing to a large order.

Whatever your reason may be, here are 8 benefits of print on demand for all types of industries.

Easy Set-Up

Setting up print-on-demand for use with dropshipping and e-commerce is a breeze. It’s what makes it such a great choice for anyone. You just have to create an account with your POD provider. You’re able to upload your designs to the products you want to customize or sometimes ask the provider to set things up for you. Once your design is uploaded you’re able to order the customized product anytime.

The best part in my opinion is the automation. Instead of contacting your provider every time you get an order, you can place it yourself or automate it with an API that they provide. Better yet, some companies provide integration into platforms such as Shopify, and Etsy to make this even easier.

Low Cost of Entry

The low cost of entry for POD is one of the most attractive features of the industry. The only upfront cost is the initial order, which can be as simple as one shirt or hoodie. Right now, print-on-demand is the latest buzz in the world. The reasons as to why are totally understandable.

The costs have made it possible for anyone to enter any industry with their own custom products. There is no need for warehouses, monthly storage fees, or even a high-interest loan. All you need to start your own business is a quality product and a way to sell it.

Quick Turnaround

With print on demand, you no longer have to question when you’ll be getting your products. Print-on-demand always gives a quick turnaround time. Sometimes products can be fulfilled on the same day! Let's say you want to order a t-shirt before your upcoming festival. With print-on-demand, printing is quick and easy. You could have your t-shirt in hand within a couple of days if you ordered it during business hours! Because print-on-demand is digital, no stacks of inventory are necessary for storage or shipping costs.

This is possible because warehouses are used to keep stock, process orders, and ship orders to customers. These warehouses usually have the technology and labor to get products out the door quickly. All while providing high-quality prints for everyone!

Customer Service

Print-on-demand companies provide many benefits compared to suppliers on Alibaba or Aliexpress. They provide awesome customer service no matter the time. With chat, email, and even a phone call - they can help you deliver your products and services to your clients no matter when they need them.

Printing smaller quantities of promotional materials such as shirts and posters allow print-on-demand providers to catch any small mistakes before they become big problems. When a product is made in bulk, it's difficult to catch these tiny mistakes. When you print smaller quantities, it is much easier to spot and fix them in the early stages of production.

Inventory

The inventory is one of the many advantages of print-on-demand and dropshipping. Providers have a large warehouse that stores the inventory for a number of different products and can fulfill orders for multiple customers quickly and easily. Whenever one warehouse runs out of an item, the POD provider is able to get it in stock and ship it to the customer very quickly.

This helps prevent the loss of sales due to being unable to fulfill orders and helps prevent back-order situations.

Customization

Customization is a way to make products more personal and special. With print-on-demand, customization becomes easier as it doesn't require any upfront cost. There are many ways of customizing products with print on demand, such as customizing the product's design or adding images to the product.

This allows you to produce multiple different variations of a product quickly and find out if it’s something that customers are interested in. Depending on the print-on-demand supplier you might even be able to automate this process, making your life that much easier!

Faster Shipping Times And Lower Costs

Print-on-demand is a process that allows you to create products close to or in the same area as the target destination. This is because it's cheaper to create a product close to its destination than it is to transport a product from across the globe.

Having these items created close to the target location saves time, money, and resources. These innovations have allowed for the creation of sustainable, customized products at a lower cost.

Better For The Environment

In the past, it was common for companies to produce products in bulk and then store them until they were sold. Print-on-demand is often considered better for the environment because it avoids unnecessary waste that can be caused by producing things that will never be used.

It also offers faster shipping times, lower costs, and more products than traditional retailers. This means that you can have the best of both worlds - saving the environment while having more products to sell at a lower cost.

Wrapping Up

All in all, print-on-demand is a technology and service that has several benefits. It allows anyone to create their own custom products without needing capital or running into tons of problems. Thankfully there are companies like OrderMerch that offer this service for businesses.

While it may start off as a small experiment, print-on-demand could well be one of your best investments. It lets you see what will take off and allows you to expand your business at a natural pace.

What are you waiting for? Give it a try today!