How to Sell Web-to-Print as a Commercial Printer

The widespread use of the Internet and the continued digitization of life have permanently reshaped the way businesses and people operate. Today’s consumer is already shopping, ordering, and managing major aspects of their lives online. When it comes to commercial printers, leading your customers to online ordering is critical to keeping pace with the demands of the modern consumer. 

At PageDNA, we’re dedicated to ensuring our customers achieve success not only in using our solutions, but also in driving user adoption within their customer base. For this blog, we’re drawing inspiration from our sales team to create a quick guide on how to sell web-to-print as a commercial printer. 

A Quickstart Guide to Selling Web-to-Print as a Commercial Printer

Step 1: Know Your Key Markets

Understanding what industries and customers will benefit most from web-to-print is a great place to start when building your sales strategy. The simple fact is that some markets will see better outcomes when using web-to-print, and your goal is to focus on them. 

We recommend centering your outreach around industries that reorder print frequently, such as schools, retail and eCommerce companies, and healthcare providers. These key markets will lead to a faster return on investment because they have recurring, standardized needs that lend well to a long-term client-to-commercial printer relationship with a higher lifetime value, especially once a customer has integrated your system into their workflows. 

• High frequency of orders. Businesses and organizations operating in your key markets repeatedly purchase the same or similar materials, such as business cards, signage, brochures, branded materials, forms, and packaging.
• Custom branding needs. PageDNA’s software allows companies to centralize their brand control, ensuring compliance and consistent quality oversight. 
• Administrative efficiency. Many of these industries have complex approval chains and need streamlined, automated processes—two areas where PageDNA excels.

Examples of Key Markets

• Construction
• Education 
• Finance and Insurance
• Healthcare and Hospitals
• Hotels, Resorts, and Hospitality
• Logistics, Warehousing, and Transportation
• Manufacturing
• Real Estate
• Restaurants and Food Services
• Retail and eCommerce
• Technology and Software Firms
• Venues, Events, and Convention Centers
• Wholesale Trade
  

Step 2: Identify Pain Points

Before meeting with any customer, take some time to gather information about their existing workflow – as far as you know it. Once you have a baseline understanding of their processes, prepare a set of questions that will guide potential customers into describing their frustrations and goals. 

Using this strategic framework, known as the Pain Funnel, guides customers to explain what they’re looking for in their own words. It also allows you to connect their current challenges directly to the advantages of web-to-print, demonstrating not just what can be printed, but how their processes can be faster, simpler, and more reliable.

Examples of Guided Questions

• If you need to reorder something you’ve purchased before, how easy is that process?
• Do you typically know your costs upfront when placing an order?
• When uploading files, do you expect the system to convert them automatically, or are you accustomed to a back-and-forth process before they’re ready to print?
• Would it be valuable to you to see a live proof or preview instantly, instead of exchanging drafts?
• Do your orders typically need approval before being printed? Do you need different approval rules for different teams, departments, or product types?
• Do different groups within your company order different types of products? 
• Do you need invoices at the order level, or consolidated across multiple orders?

Sell Simplicity

Both in and out of the print world, the most successful salespeople are selling more than just a product – they’re selling ease, speed, and control. Focus on these factors when selling your customers on web-to-print by highlighting all the ways web-to-print is beneficial to them.

Highlighting the Benefits

• Order anywhere, anytime. Customers can order outside of business hours or request callbacks, making printing flexible and easy.  Use any size digital screen – desktop, tablet, or mobile.
• Instant proofs and previews. Provide quick confidence to your users before they commit to an order.
• Fewer touchers. More automated processes mean less back-and-forth for your customers and more time to focus on their priorities.  Time is money for them, too!
• Built-in approvals. Customers can automatically route orders for sign-off, ensuring compliance without slowing things down.
• Real-time and scheduled reporting. Customers can customize and automate reports, allowing them to view spend, usage, and trends without needing to create a manual report.
• Consistent branding. Locked templates protect brand standards across locations and users.

Partnering in Your Success: Guided Sales Support with PageDNA 

Selling online ordering is about changing the conversation. You’re not just a printer selling products. You’re a solutions partner making your customers’ lives easier. Focus on industries where repeat orders are the norm, uncovering hidden inefficiencies, and letting your PageDNA demo show value.

We sell a stellar product, but we also have a stellar team that supports you in driving adoption and strategizing sales. Our sales professionals and customer support team are available to partner with you on strategizing the best way to present web-to-print to a specific customer. We can even join you in the field, support RFPs, and more – either at arm’s length – or in customer-facing presentations! Reach out to our sales team at sales@PageDNA.com to learn more.