Sometimes its been frustrating having a website where print-on-demand products are my main sales line. I have to rely on someone else, far away usually, to not only print high quality images that best show my work, but also have a high quality product that people find value in.
I am a thrifty shopper. I love sales and I really love online shopping for the majority of items. I don’t buy many clothes online, however, because sizes, fit, feel of the fabric, etc. all matter. I really hate returning things. I want to try on clothes in real life.
The clothing line I was having printed when I first started caused me too much grief. I don’t offer returns but I felt that if someone was unsatisfied with the fit or print, or worse… that the leggings were see-through!… that I owed it to the customer to make it right. That was usually a refund outside of my stated policy.
It is also difficult to find high quality products that integrate with websites and Etsy. If I find a company I see value in, but they don’t integrate, that means I have to spend a lot of extra time putting information here for customers to get all the details from, pricing, shipping, and descriptions. All by my own data entry. It’s time consuming and tedious. Things don’t always look like I want. There is a lot of grabbing images, editing, SEO, and so many other little time-suckers.
The beauty of print-on-demand, however, far outweighs the downside of selling my art this way. It is valuable to me as a business owner, it is a blessing to the environment, and it is extremely convenient for both me and the customer.
I can switch vendors in a day. If I find a certain product not meeting a standard because a customer complained legitimately about the product, I can find another supplier. There are no contracts. There is no quota. There is just me deciding on a moment’s notice that I want to switch production.
Today was one of those days. I have had face masks online since the beginning of Covid-19. I was having them printed in England but they only came in packs of four and shipping costs drove up the price. Then I had a customer complain that after she bought one set she loved, she ordered another set and it was totally different material and the sizing was completely wrong. So today I switched to another vendor I’ve used routinely over the years. They just happened to open a line of face masks this week. They come one at a time. The features are better. The pricing is about the same but with more choices on designs this is a much better choice for customers.
I don’t have inventory to manage so there is no waste. I always feel that if I buy some of my products in bulk and they don’t sell, I will end up resenting that design or product. I end up giving it away, donating it to charity, or just keeping it in a box. Wasteful and discouraging. With print-on-demand, there is no product to waste. It does not get made until someone orders and pays for it.
Convenience for the customer and for me is a huge incentive to use print-on-demand, drop ship services. It cuts down on shipping costs when a product goes directly to the customer from the printer. All I have to do is design it using templates provided by the company and when orders come in it is nearly 90% automated. Payment is processed to me directly from the customer or through Etsy. I pay the printer. It all works beautifully and allows me to be able to ship around the world. I’ve sold products in Holland, Germany, Australia, and all over America. This would not happen without the services of print-on-demand vendors.
It is so wonderful to hear from customers who love the designs and products. Some days it’s frustrating when things don’t arrive quickly or there is a mis-understanding.
One lady thought when I said a phone cover had seaglass on it that it had actual sea glass… not realizing it is a printed image of real sea glass! I learned that my descriptions are extremely important, that communicating with the customers is very valuable, and that honest feedback makes my products better.
Today I spent extra time with a lady who wanted less green and more purple and pink from the hydrangea blossoms. If I had pre-printed the product, it would not have been possible to adjust the flower design to make her happy. Print-on-demand makes it all possible!
