E-commerce has been widely accepted as a form of a business platform especially in today’s age of internet technology. There are a lot of ways where one can start selling online and do marketing of their products and services. Print on Demand (POD) is a type of drop shipping service wherein a seller can eradicate or minimize its physical inventory—products are only made when sold. It is the all in one tool for your designs to be printed on products with ease and comfort in order to start building your own brand, or not, based on your end goal.
There are two types of POD platforms to choose from depending on your need and preference. The first type is POD fulfillment services and the second one is POD marketplaces. The former is suitable if you already have an e-commerce website, so when one places an order it automatically redirects the order to your service provider for fulfillment. Whereas POD fulfillment services serve as a back-end for print and fulfillment of the product sold, POD marketplace is the front and back-end. It is like giving permission for your designs to be printed and sold on products through common sites which offer this kind of service.
In choosing the best type of POD service in order to achieve your company’s mission and vision, you have to bear in mind its pros and cons. You can have the overall control of how your product is sold and marketed when using POD fulfilment services, but you can also reach this target with POD marketplace by sharing your profile and product link. Wanting your own brand to be known, cost effectiveness and workload may be factors to put into consideration too.
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The question as to how POD works remains. Is the process tedious or relatively easy for non-computer savvy people? Knowing how to set up and start your POD business is the first factor to take into consideration. Below is a list of the few and easy steps in order for you to start with POD:
1. Build up your store- This setting up depends on the type of POD you will use, whether you go to the marketplace and create your profile, or choose a fulfillment partner for your back-end printing and product fulfilment.
2. Upload your designs and have a selection of products to sell with those designs- This is simply putting up your designs online and having differentiated products where your designs can be printed, e.g. mugs, shirts, canvases, etc. Choices of products that can be sold with POD will be further discussed later.
3. Sell your product- This is generally just selling your product online. A customer will have to purchase your product in order for the next step to commence.
4. POD platform will fulfill the order- Once a product is sold, the POD service provider you chose will fulfill the order on your behalf, and you only get to pay after the sale is made. This definitely involves printing and shipping those products to your customers directly.
It is but a simple process and definitely involves straightforward steps for you to start with your print on demand.
After knowing what POD is like and the steps necessary to make it, we also have to know what websites offer these kinds of services that can be both beneficial to you and your company as a whole. To name a few, here are the top websites you can browse and visit when considering your POD platform:
1. Printful
2. Printify
3. Redbubble
4. Zazzle
5 Gooten
6. Custom Cat
7. Treelaunch
8. Design by Humans
9. TeePublic
10. Threadless
Choosing the right POD provider for your needs is the ultimate deal breaker, apart from your designs. It is best to order product samples for yourself to know its print quality and its particulars. Some POD providers give discounts for orders of product samples too.
As there are many POD websites one can choose from, let’s have a brief overview of PODs number one website—Printful. Printful is the commonly used and widely known POD website. You can have your idea and let Printful be your partner for its printing and fulfillment process. You may start to build your own art for your personal brand with Printful, as it has been known to have quality products and the best kind of service available. Printful also gives you the freedom to connect to a platform or marketplace, whichever you deem fit. Examples of these are Etsy Print on Demand, Shopify Print on Demand, Amazon Print on Demand and so much more. One important benefit of these POD providers and platforms is there is no need for minimum order quantities, since products are only made when a sale has been completed. Printful has been one the many print on demand websites that is trusted by large companies such as Coca- Cola and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Now what products can you really sell using the POD platform? Are there any restrictions as to the choice of products or can there really be a variety of options to choose from? Below is the list of the top ten (10) products that you may consider for your POD:
1. Clothing- Men and women apparel is one of the very common products for POD platforms. Variety of styles and sizes may be chosen from a list of options for your clothing wherein you can print your design.
2. Housewares- Customized mugs, plates, teacups and other housewares have been common nowadays. You may consider adding these products for your designs. It has been very apparent that celebrations such as birthdays and weddings or anniversaries use these as souvenirs for guests.
3. Gadgets Accessories- We all know someone who has tried or is using a custom- made phone case. With this new trend, it is very likely that your designs may be printed on these products. Pop sockets for phones can also be a really good addition for your product options.
4. Accessories- Girl things never go out of buyers. Women have this tendency to purchase products that are unique and let them stand out, putting your designs in accessories like earrings may level up your POD.
5. Bags- Tote bags most especially the eco- friendly ones have been known due to the wide and endless variety of design to choose from that one can put on canvas. This in-the-market trend may be a big hit for your POD dreams.
6. Wall Art- Paintings are nice, but they can be a bit pricey. Being able to give your customers the option for a wall art may pave your designs to be displayed in frames for home and office décor.
7. Books- Who said that one cannot sell one’s poetry, novel, or lifestyle tips? With the right marketing and promotion, you might be the next sought after author only with POD.
8. Stickers-Stickers regained its popularity with the new generation, not only putting these collections in albums but showing these off to tumblers and on other personal effects. Having your own design printed in stickers will most likely be the next hot item on the list.
9. Yoga Mats- Fitness has never lost its part in our daily routine. A yoga mat is no longer a question of a need or want when talking about physical exercise. Giving your art the chance to be printed on yoga mats will surely give those mats a new level of uniqueness.
10. Invitations- Having your own unique design for invitations may be given credit using POD. You not only give your customers cheaper alternatives than going to shops for customization, but you also ease their burden of having to formulate each and every detail from scratch.
With POD you not only reduce your inventory or minimize it, but you also can be spared from the burden of having to worry about lead times and minimum order quantity for checkout. Since POD lets you put your design to your customers’ product of choice, is it better to outsource image designers or simply stick to creating your own art?
The answer really matters on your target goal. Do you want to build your own brand? Have the luxury of time to design and create your line and have your own personal touch with your designs? Then in this case it is better for you to create your own work of art.
Wanting to get fresh ideas? Approach the art from a different angle? Don’t have enough time and resources to satisfy the designs you have in mind? Or you simply just want to see how others may approach your project at a different angle, then it is better for you to outsource an image designer.
Having a variety of products to choose from, POD is a considerably profitable e-commerce business. With the quality prints with zero to a minimum order quantity, it has helped many start-up businesses build their own brands and sell their products conveniently online.