HOW TO MAKE MONEY CONTINUOUSLY ONLINE
The question “how can I get started to earn money online?” is undoubtedly one of the most common inquiries that my clients and students ask me. They never fail to ask me this question. The first thing you need to be aware of is that there are really only two methods for you to earn money online, and those are either selling your own product or selling the goods of other people. In your opinion, the most advantageous course of action would be to market the product that you have created, right? But it is not even close to being accurate, and it is also something that the majority of people fail to comprehend! As you can see, in order for you to be able to sell your own goods, you must first resolve these two issues: 1. The quality of your product must be very remarkable. In light of the fact that there are hundreds or even thousands of items that are comparable to yours that a customer may pick from, it is imperative that your product has its own “secret formula” in order to differentiate itself from the rest of the competition. In any other case, it will not be able to attract the attention. 2. You need to become an expert in making money online! What is important to remember is that having an amazing product is just one component of the equation. The second component is the ability to sell it online in a profitable manner, which necessitates the fulfillment of the following requirements: Assuming you have a website that is properly built and has the ability to convert visitors into customers, as well as a web text or a video sales letter that is capable of doing the selling work for you, what about product fulfillment, follow-up marketing, and the development of your brand? All of it requires attention and care. As someone who is just starting out, you run the risk of losing a significant amount of money by attempting to sell your own product, and even worse, you can wind up feeling emotionally exhausted since you have not seen any results for many months! What exactly is the key to getting started and generating some money via the use of the internet? It lays in advertising the items of another person and receiving a commission for doing so… Affiliate marketing is the term for this practice. It is recommended that you promote affiliate programs if you want to get started soon, even if you want to start generating money online by the next week. This is because affiliate programs have already been determined to convert effectively. An incredible product has already been established by the inventors of the product, and they have shown that their website is capable of converting visitors into customers, often known as converting traffic into sales. What kinds of things should you continue to market from this point forward? I would immediately respond with information goods such as courses, software, ebooks, and other such items, simply due to the fact that these three factors are significant: In most cases, you have the opportunity to earn a substantial commission, which can reach as high as fifty percent. This is due to the fact that the product creator or owner incurs almost no costs for his business. Additionally, it is very simple to get started with it (I will disclose the process to you in a moment). Furthermore, it is typically more effective when it is presented to the appropriate prospects. This is because information products solve a “how to” problem, wherein individuals are willing to pay for the information that they require. Here is still another fantastic advantage of advertising affiliate programs: in addition to earning an affiliate commission that may reach up to fifty percent, you will also have the opportunity to determine which strategies are most successful. In the event that you want to offer your own information product in the future, wouldn’t it be a good idea to “test” the waters by marketing a product that is comparable to yours, in order to determine whether or not it is successful in terms of sales? In the event that it works, you will launch your very own product to sell, and you will be the only one selling it! That is a really astute approach to evaluating the market, isn’t it? Additionally, you will get the opportunity to understand the essential marketing secrets that are associated with the affiliate program. First, let’s go over the basics: We are now aware that if we want to earn money online quickly, within a week or two, we may promote affiliate programs that offer information items. This is something that should be considered. The good thing is that getting started with this is quite simple since all you have to do is go to clickbank.com and sign up to become an affiliate of the company. This is completely free of charge. When it comes to information items, there are hundreds of different options available for you to promote in order to earn a commission. I would suggest ClickBank for the following three reasons, in no particular order: At ClickBank, you are instantly “authorized” to promote the affiliate programs that are listed there. This eliminates the need for you to worry about receiving permission from the merchant. Additionally, you are guaranteed to get payment on time, every time. In the event that you earn commissions as an affiliate, clickbank will dispatch your checks twice a month. Clickbank is quite stringent when it comes to approving the goods that are shown on the website. This manner, you can be sure that you are marketing affiliate programs that are of high quality and provide cheap refunds. Furthermore, it goes without saying that ClickBank is a highly trustworthy business. For the most recent time that I looked, ClickBank brings in more than $300 million in sales annually! It is essential to deal with reputable
TELESEMINARS ARE A GREAT WAY TO TURN CONTENT INTO REPORTS THAT CAN MAKE YOU MONEY.
Teleseminars provide a multitude of advantages to those who host them. The addition of value for your market, various sources of income, improved exposure, and expanded market reach are just few of the numerous benefits that may be gained from this. This post will discuss a fantastic method that can be used to make cash on the backend of a website. This indicates that you may continue to generate money even after you have finished presenting a teleseminar after it has been completed. This may be accomplished in a variety of methods, including selling the recording, upselling into an ongoing course, incorporating the material into a membership program, and/or selling translations of the recordings. When it comes to monetizing your teleseminars, one of the simplest ways to do it is by producing reports that are inexpensive. Many individuals would never do this, despite the fact that it is a pretty straightforward operation, for a few straightforward reasons. to begin, they are clueless on how to accomplish it. The second issue is that they are unsure of how to promote the final product. there is a temporal lag involved. One other prevalent reason why individuals do not participate in this kind of monetization is that they feel it requires a significant amount of research. Are you required to do research? absolutely! However, due to the fact that you were the one who first conceived of the teleseminar, you will discover that you have already completed all of the necessary preparations right from the beginning. In the event that you do not do any research prior to conducting a teleseminar, this is something that has to be changed quickly. Through research, you may get valuable insights that can have an effect on sales. Before you start, you need to have a solid understanding of what the market requires, what it desires, and what it is willing to pay for. You will be in a better position to give a teleseminar that will be attended by a large number of people after you have a better understanding of what that market needs. I am a supporter of the idea of providing free teleseminars that have the potential to be converted into sources of money. The reason for this is because doing free teleseminars allows you to establish an opt-in list of prospective and recurring customers. To be honest, the process of generating a report that makes money is really rather straightforward. here are some of the primary steps: * host a complimentary teleseminar * market the free event * record the teleseminar * have the recording transcribed * either you or someone else edit and format the transcripts * either you or someone else design a cover (there are plenty of templates available for the non-designer) * from there, develop a landing page for your paid report, set up your shopping cart and payment method and market the fee based report. * price the report low in order to generate fast sales. However, you must be aware that the target audience is interested in the subject matter in order to be successful in selling it. You have the potential to actually create hundreds or even thousands of dollars in a matter of days if you do the task correctly. It is important to keep in mind that everything revolves around understanding what your target audience wants and presenting it in a manner that is attractive to them. A great number of professionals generate thousands to the monthly money stream by using this straightforward strategy. Isn’t it about time that you did as well?
IN ORDER TO CUT THROUGH THE DIN OF THE COMPETITION, TELESEMINARS ARE A NECESSARY TOOL.
When it comes to providing teleseminars, the reality of the matter is that there is an extraordinarily high level of competition. In many years gone by, this was not the situation. There was a small group of individuals who were providing their instruction via the medium of a teleseminar. These days, things are not like that at all. There are a myriad of teleseminars available. Is it a reason why you shouldn’t make them available? without a doubt not! To put it another way, you need to increase the standard for what you are giving inside your own company. Additionally, you need to be aware of what differentiates you from the other competitors. You also need to be aware of what your rivals are delivering to the market in order to be successful. It is quite possible that you will experience a great deal of dissatisfaction if you decide to give teleseminars without first doing research on what your target audience want, what your rivals are doing, and what the most important solution to a problem is. Building a devoted following is one of the most crucial things to undertake in order to be in a position to announce the numerous programs that you have available. It is amazing how many people who consider themselves to be “newbies” immediately begin selling things before they have established their knowledge and position in the market. You should first construct your opt-in list before attempting to sell anything. Creating free gifts that attract visitors to your landing page to sign up for your mailing list is one method that may be used to accomplish this goal. On the other hand, with the abundance of free offerings that are now accessible, it is imperative that you provide something of really high value. In addition to providing something of great value to the recipient, there are a few other things you may do to boost the likelihood of your success. Set up a landing page that is basic and easy to read. Keep things straightforward. Ensure that you have a call to action that is crystal obvious. Make advantage of big purchase now buttons. Whenever a visitor arrives at the website, they should not be presented with many options. If it is a free offering, the only alternatives you need to provide them are to either give them the option to opt in or to exit the website. Providing an excessive number of options runs the danger of losing them to other diversions. Maintaining a close watch on the actions taken by your rivals is yet another option available to you. If you sign up for their ezines, tips, and other online content, you will be included in any email campaigns that they run and you will be able to see what they are sending out. Experts are known to engage in this activity rather often. That some of the experts, who are also my rivals, would choose to be on my list is something that never ceases to astound me. This is a commendable trait. After all, they are aware of what I am doing, and this often results in a partnership with some of the most highly qualified specialists. If you approach what you are doing with a great deal of strategic thinking, you will see incredible possibilities.
SUSTAINABLE INCOME MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING OF ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
By having the option to contact with people from all over the world, owning an internet company may be one of the most gratifying aspects of business ownership. The use of straightforward email messages, ezines, teleseminars, blogging, social marketing, and, of course, a variety of e-products are all examples of techniques that may be used to accomplish this goal. Each and every one of these approaches has to be included into your entire company strategy. You will achieve more success if you work together to achieve your goals. However, one of my favorite things to do is to build electronic products, and e-reports are at the top of my list of favorites. There are many reasons why e-products are useful, but some of the most significant advantages include establishing credibility, establishing expert status, and increasing income. Nevertheless, in order to transform a product into a useful asset for your company, it is not enough to just build the product. “Get the word out” to your market is another thing that you need to do. The time has come to reconsider this notion if you are one of those individuals who believe that “build it and they will come.” You are correct in saying that you need to construct it; nevertheless, the phrase “they will come” is not always accurate, unless, of course, they are aware of it. Consider the possibility that you have a fantastic report, one that will unquestionably provide a remedy to the issues that your clients are experiencing. Now we get to the exciting phase, which is spreading the news. The following are some of the methods in which you might inform your audience about the report: • your very own list of people who have opted in. This is something that you should instantly modify if you are not paying a lot of care into expanding your subscriber list. I strongly urge that you do so. Customers are more likely to make purchases from you as they get familiar with, like, and trust you. When individuals are first starting out in the realm of internet marketing, they may not understand the significance of having other people sell their information. Affiliate partners are a good example of this. With the alliances that we have formed, those of us who have been doing this for any length of time would not even consider the possibility of doing business without them. A win-win situation is created via affiliate sales. • Blog: compose a post for your blog that focuses on one or two areas of your report and provides specific examples. A link to the landing page should be included at the very end of the content. • Social media marketing: make use of the potential of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other places where your target audience “hangs out.” You should compose a brief statement that includes a link that leads back to a blog post that discusses your study or the actual landing page that people may visit in order to view the report. • Article marketing, which entails writing articles that highlight a certain aspect of the solution. Towards the conclusion, provide a link that will take the reader to a landing page where they may either sign up for your report or buy it. you should submit the article to five to ten primary directories. Websites like ezine articles.com are among my favorites. • Signature files For the purpose of promoting your report, you may make use of both your email signature and your forum signature. This is a procedure that is employed relatively seldom. If done correctly, you have the potential to generate a significant amount of attention from readers. • Media releases are a really efficient method of promoting your study, despite the fact that they are not employed nearly as often as they should be. When it comes to producing and disseminating press releases, there is a delicate art involved. One of the most significant advantages of having e-products is that they enable you to continue to create continuing money even when you are unable to be completely present in your company. This is because you already have your processes in place.
THE MARKETING OF ARTICLES IS VERY IMPORTANT
Since many years ago, article marketing has been used. It has moved away from publishing in the media and onto the internet, which many experts believe to be ageless, making it incredibly essential in this day and age of digital technology. Not only will article marketing improve the material that is available on your website, but it will also help your website climb higher in the rankings of major search engines, which ultimately results in more quality visitors. This is the reason why article marketing is very significant. In light of this, the likelihood of individuals purchasing your products on the internet has significantly increased, and it is possible that some of these clients may even originate from a different state or even a foreign country. a. Selecting the appropriate keywords that the search engines will pick up on when someone chooses to seek for it is all that is required to make this happen. b. Another alternative is to deliver your content to just those individuals who are interested in them. All that is required to do this is to post the article to the internet network of your choice. Additionally, there are many well-known article submission websites, which are sometimes referred to as directories, as well as article search engines, to which you are able to publish your work at no cost. There is also the possibility of obtaining assistance from friends who also have websites and posting your content on such websites. It is to your advantage to advertise on as many websites as possible, since this will allow you to reach a greater number of people. On the other hand, if you have already created a significant number of articles, it is time to organize them into categories. Alternatively, you could compile all of these into an electronic book and provide it for free to anybody who is interested. There is also the possibility of submitting the content to ezine websites. If you want to promote your website on the internet, article marketing is simply one of the strategies you may use. Additionally, there are meta-tags and pop-up tags, both of which possess a high level of popularity. The one and only difference is that in order to get them placed on other websites, you will need to pay a few bucks. Therefore, how significant is article marketing? In response to your question, the answer is yes. This is due to the fact that with 300 to 500 words, you are able to communicate with the reader on a more personal level than what a banner can do. Due to the fact that many individuals believe that just enjoying a banner is a waste of time, the majority of people do not even pay attention to it and instead simply shut it. The fact that you do not need to be a skilled writer in order to convey to the reader what your product is all about is likely the most advantageous aspect. One of the most important things is that you are able to express it in a straightforward manner, making it simple for almost everyone to comprehend. It is recommended that you create many drafts and check your work before submitting it online if you are having difficulty putting the words together. If you are someone who does not have a strong writing ability, you may want to consider hiring someone to do it for you. All you need to do is provide them with some instructions about the message that you are attempting to portray. People who wish to look for anything using the internet are required to enter certain terms into one of the most popular search engines. To increase the likelihood that people will visit your website, you must first put yourself in their position and then provide content that is based on facts in order to establish credibility. This is the core of what article marketing is all about, and it is the reason why it is so crucial for everyone who wants to do business online. Learn more about earning money by working from home here.
THE SECRETS TO GOING VIRAL (FOR SOCIAL CURRENCY)
Would you kindly join my free traffic club? One of the many advantages of word of mouth is that it is automatically focused toward an audience that is interested in what is being said. You are not going to tell your friend who is obsessed with sports about the new restaurant that your girlfriend like, but you will most certainly tell him about a new season ticket package that his favorite sports team has offered. If you want to know all there is to know about the restaurant in Boston that goes by the name “please don’t tell,” you may read the book “contagious.” The only way to enter this eatery is via an ancient phone booth that is located in the rear of a restaurant that serves hot dogs. In order to make a reservation, you are required to pick up the phone and call the number “2.” In addition to the fact that they only accept fifty bookings each day, they are booked months in advance! When it comes to secrets, they don’t remain hidden for very long. It is clear that the proprietors were highly astute when they came up with this concept. A basic business card that reads “please don’t tell” and has a contact number printed on the reverse is given to you before you leave the restaurant if you are fortunate enough to have a reservation. If you tell a buddy about this location, you will acquire a lot of social currency since you will seem to be someone who is in the know. This will make you look cool, and people are always seeking for ways to fulfill this need. The challenge with social currency is that you have to provide them with a means by which they may improve their appearance. It is possible to do this in a few different ways: a remarkable quality within: Blendtec is a company that manufactures blenders, and when the owner of the company wanted to do something out of the ordinary, they were having trouble coming up with a strong promotion and marketing strategy. Youtube videos were created by him using a handheld camera and the blender. In these videos, he mixes a variety of objects, ranging from marbles to mobile phones. There were millions of hits, which indicates that it was a success. There are some strange facts that are hidden inside the caps of Snapple’s beverages. Every every day, individuals talk about these facts, and they tell other people that they read it beneath the top of the Snapple bottle. Take use of game mechanics: the airlines that provide frequent flyer programs are the undisputed leaders in this area. It is a kind of social currency to have a black or platinum card, and you boast to your friends about the free flights you received or how you were able to fly business class owing to all of your points. It transforms into a game that is enjoyable, which is the key to success when it comes to using game mechanics; the game must be enjoyable. Who among you has ever heard of fantasy teams? a sense of being insiders: rue la la is a website that sells apparel and offers flash sales exclusively to its members. During these sales, members get significant savings. Due to the fact that they are the only ones who can acquire these deals due of their membership, individuals tell their friends about the deals they have obtained, which gives them the impression that they are insiders. For example, the same idea is at play with exclusive lounges that are reserved for airline passengers. You may get someone to spread the word about your product or service by making them feel like they are a part of the inner circle. Despite the fact that the mcrib is essentially tripe, it has gained a lot of popularity due to the fact that McDonald’s does not always supply it. It is possible to find websites that provide information on where you can purchase a mcrib burger and how long they will be available for purchase. There is a lot of activity on the Facebook page for Mcrib, and people are looking for these burgers as if they were some kind of gourmet delicacy. all of this simply due to the fact that McDonald’s intentionally made it rare, and people desire what they are unable to obtain. Therefore, if you want anything to become viral and bring to your website or company a large amount of free targeted traffic, you may try with the things that have been mentioned above. All of these techniques have been tried and tested, and they will not let you down. Enjoy yourself and give them a shot. the report is free here!
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY AND PROFIT, IT IS NECESSARY TO INTEGRATE WEB-TO-PRINT INTO BUSINESS SYSTEMS.
It is possible to automate the transmission of job information by linking online print sales portals to the mis/erp, production, finance, or customer relationship management (CRM) systems of printers. There are three primary techniques to this integration. The process of developing bespoke software involves the creation of a one-of-a-kind, customized system that, in theory, should provide the best possible match to the specific requirements of a printer. However, this process typically requires skills that are not typically found in printing companies of a smaller or medium size. APIs, which stand for application programming interfaces, are offered by a great number of w2p and mis solutions; nonetheless, having specialized understanding of programming is necessary in order to utilize them. Outsourcing the development is one option that may be considered. It is possible that this will be costly, and the budget will also need to cover continuing maintenance and development. This is a hidden expense that may amount to more than fifty percent of the original budget for development over a period of three to five years. Regardless of where the development is carried out, it will be essential to maintain documentation that is up to date in the event that the duties for system maintenance are shifted. There is a constant evolution of web browsers and support for new platforms such as tablets and smartphones to take into consideration. In addition to adding functionality as required to the w2p system in order to keep up with customer requirements and new print or related products, there is also the additional consideration of the constant evolution of web browsers. In the case of single-vendor solutions, certain vendors provide comprehensive solutions that include everything from the software for the W2P portal to the mis/ERP and prepress/production systems for digital, offset, or wide-format presses. In some instances, these vendors are also able to supply the presses themselves. Despite the fact that there is a small but growing category of integration solution providers that specifically aim to address this issue, they may use proprietary technology in order to provide the necessary communications and integration. This may limit future integration with products from third-party vendors. It is possible that solutions such as this one will command a higher price due to the additional value that the integration provides. Additionally, it is possible that these solutions will not always be the first to implement novel new features or capabilities; however, having a single point of support may more than compensate for this. connecting multi-vendor systems through open standards: in the same way that PDF offered a standard format for job hand-off, it was envisioned that jdf (job definition format) would offer a standardized method of communicating job details, initially between prepress, press, and finishing systems. This was the case. Despite the fact that there is support for JDF among providers of prepress systems, litho presses, and finishing equipment, it is not extensively utilized in digital print and is almost unheard of in wide-format work. One of the criticisms that can be leveled against JDF is that its specification is not as stringent as it should be. Additionally, JDF-compliant files from various vendors may contain quite different levels and types of information, including proprietary vendor-specific tags, and as a result, they do not interoperate as well as they should. An other concern, which is contradictory, is that it is too print-specific and, as a result, does not expressly support the information kinds that are required for the administrative and financial components of work-from-home (W2P) opportunities. This format is much less production-specific than jdf, which means that it requires more development work and is even more open to different implementations. However, generic xml, which is an extensible markup language and also serves as the foundation for jdf, is a popular choice for managing metadata in the community of web developers. The vast majority of work-to-play projects in the real world are a blend of these many techniques. The current state of standards is such that there is no “plug-and-play” solution that can combine the products of multiple vendors without additional integration work that requires the expertise of specialists in both information technology and print production. However, single-vendor systems do generally use existing standards to the extent that they are appropriate. It is important to approach the decision of which path to pursue in the same manner as one would any other significant long-term financial strategy. Printers need to consider which suppliers will have the experience, resources, and longevity to provide ongoing support and development. In the case of bespoke development projects, printers should also consider bringing those skills in-house over time in order to control costs. This is in addition to calculating the return on investment. No matter whether path is chosen, it is essential to take into account the fact that the printer will need to exert consistent effort in order to complete the task. When it comes to integrating work-to-play, it is not as simple as carrying on with business as normal while someone else manages the web site. Every member of the management, production, and sales personnel will be required to demonstrate understanding, support, and dedication. To address the technical and organizational challenges, it may be appropriate to form a work-to-play team that is charged with responsibility for the success of the project as a whole. This team should have representatives from each discipline or access to each discipline in order to address the challenges. An appropriate minimum roster might include a sales specialist who would concentrate on the customer experience and its connection into production, thereby assisting in the identification of the integration requirements, as well as a member of the technical staff who is familiar with both the production processes and it, and who would be able to suggest solutions or frame the requirements in technical terms for suppliers or consultants. Based on previous experiences, it seems that the potential advantages of integration are not often readily evident until after it has been accomplished.
FREQUENTLY MADE ERRORS THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED WHEN IMPLEMENTING WEB-TO-PRINT
Several of the financial and technological constraints that may have prevented smaller print service providers have been addressed as a result of the introduction of hosted or’software as a service’ solutions for web-to-print (w2p) printing. However, there are still a number of business-related factors that might cause w2p deployments to fail, and these reasons have nothing to do with the technology or the price of the system. With the passage of time, the experience of early adopters who attempted to use w2p but were unsuccessful may be used to your benefit. This is because w2p has been operating for a number of years. When it comes to those individuals who have sought to add w2p but have not been successful in doing so, the failure can often be traced back to one or more frequent faults or oversights. a lack of proper marketing and development: The proverb “fail to plan, plan to fail” is perfectly applicable to the process of web-to-print conversion. Implementing w2p is done for three reasons: to acquire new consumers, to keep the clients you already have, and to enhance the efficiency of the manufacturing process inside the company. As a result of the fact that the first two of these are directly related to clients, the sales function within the organization of the print service provider is required to be involved. It is consequently necessary to manage more than just the technical features of an online job creation or file reception site in order to successfully deploy work-to-project. Due to the fact that it is able to transfer the work directly into the production system, work-to-product (w2p) is qualitatively distinct from any other sales tool. As a result, its preparation demands input and commitment from management, sales staff, and production staff and employees. Nevertheless, management can consider the installation of W2P to be a purely technical or software problem, whilst sales personnel would consider it to be a danger to their careers, and as a result, they might not market it to their clients or even mention it to them. A web-to-print (W2P) service must not only be “sold” within the organization of the print service provider, but it must also be marketed to customers, both new and existing. The phrase “build it and they will come” does not work because the internet is crowded, and customers will need a good reason to even look at a W2P portal, let alone buy from it. Not the right kind of customer: the majority of print service providers work in a business-to-business setting, and their clients are repeat customers at regular intervals. One of the early allures of work-to-pay was the promise of luring consumer business. This would need a reorientation of the printer’s business toward consumer sales, which is an area that the majority of printers are not acquainted with. Business-to-business print service providers need to be aware of the fact that customers typically make one-time impulse purchases and will typically base their purchases solely on price or the speed of turnaround, despite the fact that there have been some spectacular success stories in that sector. When there is little to no understanding of manufacturing, it is quite probable that any files that customers supply will need to be manually corrected for production reasons. This may rapidly erode the small margins that are essential for competitive pricing. For the same reason, customers are very impatient of printers that raise questions, ask for artwork to be fixed, or seek to charge additional fees for modifications. Wrong kind of work: even in a business-to-business setting and with quite experienced print purchasers, basic stock items and template-based tasks are the simplest to handle effectively via w2p. This is because they are the most straightforward. Customers that upload files on an ad hoc basis are the ones who are most likely to need additional human intervention. This results in a loss of margin for the printer since the additional effort is often not properly accounted for. Even template-based work-to-product (W2P) with fixed format and production specifications and only text or image content that can vary may require careful setup and possibly integration with pre-flighting tools or digital asset management (dam) systems that are already in place. This is done to ensure that jobs created through a W2P portal can be put into production with minimal manual intervention. “web to nowhere”: if there is no integration between the w2p portal, the printer’s mis/erp, and the production process, then manual procedures will be necessary to get jobs, record and schedule them, and then push them through the pre-flighting, proofing, and production stages. The inability to automatically pass this information into the management and production systems of the printer may result in delays and errors, as well as an increase in the costs associated with manual order processing and job progression. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to establish all of the key production parameters of a job at the point of ordering. There are some wholly-owned-and-operated products that just provide the consumer-facing online “store,” leaving the back-office connectivity up to the customer. A great number of small to medium-sized printers do not have the internal information technology capabilities to deal with unique integration of this sort, and they often do not have the financial means or the self-assurance to invest in consultants. In addition, the experience that has been gained has shown that the do-it-yourself approach imposes a significant load of ongoing maintenance and development. The integration of work-to-play (W2P) with production and management information systems will be covered in more depth in subsequent articles in this series. However, before delving into that topic in more depth, it is important to spend some time evaluating how and where an online sales portal might be integrated into a current or projected firm. This will allow for the avoidance of the kind of strategic blunders that are detailed in this article. This article is an excerpt from “making web-to-print work,”
WHY IS IT THAT FEWER PRINTERS ARE USING THE WEB-TO-PRINT FEATURE?
The advantages of work-to-pay, as it was first presented, mostly centered on the vast extension of the sales possibility via the use of an online print shop that was always available for business from any location in the globe. Because of the success of online-only print services that are aimed at consumers, such as vistaprint, photobox, and moonpig, it was suggested that printers could tap into a vast new consumer market. This market could not only fill any spare capacity on their presses, but it could also provide a route for significant expansion. Because of this, many printers came to the conclusion that w2p was not appropriate for business-to-business sales or for usage with current customers. These are two groups that, when combined, encompass the majority of printers’ client bases. As a matter of fact, the current web-to-print (W2P) solutions are very well-suited to the task of catering to already established business-to-business clients, which is really the most ideal starting point for the majority of printers. In light of the fact that all types of sales transactions have been moved online, it is a natural evolution for printers to provide their clients with the choice to engage in e-commerce. The continuation of this trend will make it seem more strange for a printer to not have some form of online sales page, even if it is just for clients who have already purchased from them. When it comes to transactions involving basic repeat and stock items, clients may find that placing their orders online is more convenient than having to call, fax, or email the company. Additionally, w2p offers a controlled or guided environment for placing orders, which eliminates the possibility of omissions or ambiguities that may occur as a result of telephone, fax, or email orders that are not organized. W2P that is based on templates also guarantees that the task may be printed without the need for further checks. Printers are being pushed toward the implementation of w2p by a number of causes, including competitive incentives. It is possible for incumbent print service providers to experience pricing pressure from new entrants to the print market sectors who are using technologies that are either more sophisticated, more productive, or more flexible. The only option for the latter to react is to either reduce their pricing and search for methods to recuperate the money they have lost, or they may invest in the technologies that are competing with them. Some offset printers, for instance, have also made investments in large-format print services, often beginning with the inkjet printers that they use for proofing. This is done with the intention of capturing a bigger portion of the print spending that their clients make. This trend has resulted in litho printers offering prices that are based on offset printing cost models that did not allow for the more complex finishing and shipping/installation that are frequently required with large-format work. In addition to generally increasing the level of competition for specialist large-format print service providers, this trend has also led to them being undercut by litho printers. Once prices have been dropped, it is difficult for print service providers who are still in business to increase them again. This is true even if the litho printers that were under-pricing the large-format industry eventually left the market. In light of these motivations for implementing work-to-print, it could be realistic to anticipate that the majority of printers currently provide this service. A quarter of printers are still not receiving any work at all through this route, and more than half of them are receiving less than 15 percent of their work through this route. Despite the fact that figures from infotrends’ 2012 european production software investment outlook predict a healthy 71% growth in the volume of work submitted via website or dedicated portal between 2011 and 2014, the average percentage of work that they estimate will be submitted online in 2014 will still be just under 18 percent. Printers have not attempted to incorporate w2p for a variety of reasons, for which there are many explanations. Despite the fact that this may just be a reflection of the consumers’ lack of knowledge, insufficient customer demand is often mentioned as the reason. There are some consumers who are hesitant to move from their usual behavior. This might be because they are uneasy with the technology, they feel as though they are losing personal connections, or they are afraid that the change is intended to lock them in. Additionally, obstacles include the perceived expense as well as the complexity of implementation. Some prospective users are under the impression that even though the software is “rented,” they are still responsible for providing and maintaining the hardware and network infrastructure on which to run it. This is because the pricing models for “software as a service” (saas) are not always well understood. Providing support for a diverse range of job kinds via the use of w2p is considered to be challenging, especially in wide-format work. In connection with this, there are many who continue to believe that there is no specific software that can fulfill these requirements, that it is not flexible enough, or that it is excessively costly. A potential user of w2p may believe, on the basis of previous experience or anecdotal evidence, that the only way to successfully implement the software is through the use of bespoke software development. This is because the majority of print companies are unable to develop software in-house, and it would be costly to commission and maintain software that is developed by an outside party. These interpretations, on the other hand, are not accurate. w2p is a practical and important addition to the traditional sales channels of the majority of printers, provided that it is developed and marketed in the appropriate manner that is appropriate. Subsequent articles in this series will provide an overview of the dangers that should be avoided, as well as advice on how to accomplish the
THE REASONS WHY INTEGRATION AND AUTOMATION ARE NECESSARY FOR THE SUCCESS OF WEB-TO-PRINT
It is necessary to specify the majority of the critical production and management information that pertains to every print job at the ordering stage, regardless of the fact that the order is being executed. This covers the pagination or size, the amount of inks, the kind of inks, the substrate, the finishing, the quantity, the shipping and/or installation addresses, and any pre-payment alternatives that would be available. A way-to-pay system that is properly set and integrated may guarantee that all of this information is gathered at the point of order and then sent to the appropriate parties. Depending on the nature of the task, the client can be required to manually input a significant portion of it, or they might be limited to a few straightforward options via the use of drop-down menus; When it comes to the planning of a web-to-person portal, one of the most important tasks is the creation of a customer interface that will ensure that all of the production information that are required are recorded. It is vital to have pre-flighting that is both strong and automated, and further soft-proofing will be required for anything more than stock call-off needs. Establishing business-to-business ties may make it feasible to reach an agreement with customers over the submission of files that are “fit-for-purpose” and eliminate the need for approval. This may be accomplished, for instance, by adhering to the criteria of pdf/x. Additionally, this method may be used for work that is performed on a regular basis, such as wide-format franchise or retail point-of-sale displays, in which the format, inks, substrates, and finishing procedures are all standardized according to pre-defined templates. Regardless of the manner in which the work parameters are created, it is necessary for them to be sent to other systems within the printing industry. In the event that the required information is already there in digital format and has been verified by the w2p program, it is the most effective method to transmit it automatically. If you do this manually, your productivity will decrease. It is possible that jobs that have the potential to be problematic, such as because of the customer’s credit history, for example, and not just for production-related reasons, may not be identified and addressed in a timely manner. Additionally, errors or additional delays may occur if production and management data are entered incorrectly or omitted. Several distinct pieces of information need to be sent to a number of different locations. It is recommended that artwork files be included into the production process, and task information should be sent to either management information systems (MIS) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. It is possible that it would be beneficial to record the order in a customer relationship management (CRM) system as well. Not only does the software for the W2P network need to be able to transmit information to other systems, but it also has to be able to receive information from other systems. In particular, this pertains to the scheduling and progress reporting activities; but, it may also include pricing, pre-flighting, soft-proofing review, and approval services, in the event that the w2p software does not have these features. In the context of business-to-business transactions, it is highly probable that the printer will already possess the customer’s shipping and billing information in a management information system (MIS), customer relationship management (CRM), or finance system. As a result, these details can be automatically filled in, and the only thing that is required is confirmation that they are still up to date. The w2p portal, in many instances, becomes the dam system for template-based work. However, in order to support template-based job creation, there may also need to be links into existing digital asset management (dam) software. These links would allow for the retrieval of templates as well as high resolution versions of stored images or other graphical elements. An additional facet of this, which is becoming increasingly significant, is the capability of a web-to-print (W2P) portal to establish connections with cloud-based storage services that are free of charge, such as Dropbox, SkyDrive, or Google Drive, or with paid services, such as Box.net, which provide more organized storage and transfer facilities. It is also necessary for a work-to-product portal to have the capability of transmitting digital data to other systems. This includes the capacity to transmit artwork as well as manufacturing requirements. It is possible that one-way communication is sufficient for work such as simple reprinting or stock call-offs; however, in an ideal scenario, a work-to-pay system will be able to communicate in both directions in order to provide ‘live’ pricing and quoting, production turnaround times, job and shipping status information, as well as access to customers’ order history and other account information. Additional possibilities might include the capability to send clients notifications via email or text message to inform them of certain milestones that have been met, such as the completion of work and the readiness of the product to be sent. The w2p portal should also have the capability to generate or access digital “job bags.” This will ensure that there is a consistent reference for each job across all systems within the printer’s business, as well as possibly beyond it, in the event that third-party shipping or installation services are utilized, for instance. In a forthcoming article in this series, the technical issues and practicality of how the integration and communication between print portals, mis, and production systems is done are described. This article is part of the series. This article is an excerpt from “making web-to-print work,” a free white paper from efi written by a technology writer from the United Kingdom named Michael Walker. The paper outlines the mistakes that were made by early users of web-to-print technology and explains how this experience can be used to ensure that current implementations maximize the potential of online sales and job capture through automation and integration.