Businesses and individuals that need printing services have a variety of options to choose from, including online, digital printers, and traditional printing companies. As businesses have increasingly moved to online platforms to provide a larger and larger portion of their products and services, consumers have learned to adapt their buying habits quickly to the convenience of an online printing company.
And printing companies have shifted their models to include a robust array of online services for those who need printing jobs completed. But choosing the right company to fulfill your printing needs can be difficult, so we have created a short list of things to consider when deciding on an online printing company.
Online Printing Company vs. Traditional Printers
Traditional, storefront printing companies used to be the gold standard for completing business and personal printing needs. But with the rise of digital printing, companies like Dazzle Printing that provide convenient, high-quality printing services for anyone who has online access, consumers are turning to them more and more.
Traditional printing companies have higher business overhead than online companies due to maintaining a physical business. Online printing companies can pass those savings on to their customers as well as be able to pivot towards new or updated technologies more quickly without having to upgrade or change their physical locations.
In addition, online printers focus on creating a dynamic, user-friendly digital storefront that is convenient and accessible at all times for customers who can access their services from anywhere. With all of these advantageous attributes, it’s no wonder that customers are turning to an online printing company service more frequently than ever before.
How to Choose an Online Printing Company: 6 Key Considerations
When selecting an online company, consumers should think about what their experience working with the company will be like. Many times cost is one of the primary considerations for consumers, but overall cost shouldn’t be the only decision-maker. Let’s look at the six key areas that we think can provide you with an accurate picture of an online printing company so you can choose the right one for your needs.
1. Company Communication
Sitting behind a computer screen is by nature an impersonal experience. So working with a fully online printing company should come with excellent company communication practices so you can feel confident bringing them your business and responding to questions or concerns you have while working together.
Working with a company that provides email and phone contact information in addition to a Contact page to quickly connect with the company to find answers is important for consumers. A brief scan of the company’s website as well as reading customer reviews can indicate how responsive a company is and will help you determine if the company is a good fit for your printing needs.
2. Customer Reviews
One of the gold standards of choosing a business to work with is looking over their consumer reviews. While unhappy consumers sometimes are quick to leave a negative review, a good way to understand a company’s practices and services is to read current customer reviews.
Online reviews can provide the unvarnished truth about working with an online printing company and give you the opportunity to hear details about the business and its practices from customers just like you. Be wary of companies that do not have any reviews or only have a small handful of reviews but also remember that reviews are only one of several indicators to think about when choosing an online printing company. Check out Dazzle Printing’s 5-star Google reviews.
3. Excellent Service
Online companies sometimes feel impersonal since there is no ‘face” of the company to smile at in person. But online printers should be just as easy to work with and provide just as good service as a traditional printing company. One way to judge this is to comb reviews for references to how quickly a company responds to questions and concerns.
You can also look at their site and determine how easy it is to find the information you need there as well as what the steps or requirements are to complete the task you need the online printing company to do. In addition to providing excellent service on a user-friendly platform, an online printing company should offer services that complement their printing services to make working with the company convenient.
4. Modern Equipment and Supplies
Utilizing the most up-to-date equipment and offering modern papers, binding options, and ink choices are all indicators of an excellent online printing company. Online printers should have a wide range of options to choose from for your printing project.
And competitive digital printers will use efficient, accurate equipment to complete your job in a reasonable timeframe. Look for an online printing company that gives creators an array of options while still guaranteeing quality and a realistic turnaround time for print jobs.
5. Resources for Creators
Online businesses should help you make your best possible product by providing plenty of online resources for you to access. Look for an online printing company that provides links to informational articles explaining how to create or improve your printing project and help pages that give tips and hints on creating a great-looking project while making the most of working with the business.
Excellent printing companies will be a treasure trove for creators to use when seeking resources to help them print flyers, self-published books, business cards or any other printing projects.
6. Upfront Pricing
Creators want to choose an online printing company that has transparent, upfront pricing. Working with a company that promises low-cost printing could come with surprise fees or additional costs tacked on to the bill if pricing is not clearly outlined before the printing project has begun.
Your digital printing company should provide a price calculator so you can see every detail of your printing project pricing clearly so you won’t be stuck with unexpected costs to complete your job the way you want it. Knowing how much each aspect of a printing job will cost, minimum orders, shipping, and other critical details can make using an online printer simple and easy when using a price calculator and providing upfront pricing is part of a company’s standard practices.
A Word About Websites
Another way to narrow down your decision about using a company for your printing project is to take a look at their website. Online companies also should maintain a website that is easy to navigate and clearly organized to help potential customers find the information they need. Is it comprehensive?
Is the site full of easily accessible information? You should be able to find out the information quickly and easily that you will need to know to complete the printing process. Websites should provide upload requirements for sending your project to the online printer in a logical, easy-to-find location. Since many, if not all of the interactions you will have with an online printer will be through their website, make sure that you choose a company that presents its information to customers in a comprehensive, clear, and organized way.
An excellent website will make the printing process much easier since you will be able to access a company’s information quickly while you are making decisions or looking for answers or support while you finalize and set up the printing details for your project or book.
Getting Started
Selecting the best company to complete your online printing service considers all six factors: communication, reviews, if they provide good service, their equipment and supplies, transparency in pricing, and what resources they offer creators or authors.
While no company is perfect, positive reviews from real customers can provide a good indication of how well a company works with its customers (especially relating to problem resolution), the way the company communicates with customers, and the quality of the products and services they provide.
In the end, choosing an online printing service from a respected company like Dazzle Printing will guarantee that your project will be printed exactly how you want it to look, with clear pricing expectations ahead of time.
