Page 39 - Print21 Nov-Dec 2020

Marketing
W2P in the
new normal
Aaron Tavakoli at EFI says web-to-print marketing delivers strategies for enhancing value, and driving revenue growth.
One of many lessons the Covid-19 pandemic has taught printers is that communicating with customers, establishing
relationships, and being viewed as a true partner, are critical elements to long-term business success.
According to research conducted
by Bain & Company, and published in Harvard Business Review, acquiring new customers is anywhere between five and 25 times more expensive
than retaining and growing existing customers. In times like these when marketing budgets are tight, and optimising conversion rates are
more important than ever, it is the existing customer-base that should
be getting most of the focus. For printers with a web-to-print service offering, customers using web-to-print technology are the perfect audience for results-driven marketing campaigns.
Customers with a web-to-print presence are likely to be larger, more profitable accounts, wouldn’t it be best to ensure these customers are getting as much value and driving as many orders as possible? Remember, the more the customer pushes through the storefront, the more you, as the printer, are producing and invoicing.
So, when assembling your marketing plan and overarching strategy it is critical to consider how
to generate more revenue from web- to-print customers. These tactics
could come in many forms, including regularly sharing new features and functionalities within the web-to- print product, clearly and proactively communicating new print products and services that could be offered through the storefront, as well as campaigns for optimising web-to-print conversion rates.
Understand customers
Web-to-print solutions facilitate
a diverse range of use cases and workflows, from B2C eCommerce to B2B customer portals and in-plant
ordering systems. Because your print shop and the customers that you serve may use web-to-print in a variety of ways, it’s important that you segment web-to-print customers and fully understand how they use the product.
Why are they using web-to-print? What is most important to them? What types of print products are sold? How is demand generated?
This type of knowledge can only be achieved through a strategic effort
to entwine the marketing, account management, and sales teams and create synergy that not only leads
to a deeper understanding of the customer, but results in tactics for enhancing customer-specific web-to- print value and production output.
Engagement and
automation
On a tactical level, there are some simple marketing activities that
can be implemented and automated across your web-to-print customers. These activities are typically rooted in digital and email marketing, and when done correctly, can have a significant return on investment.
In May this year EFI released AutoEngage for MarketDirect StoreFront. AutoEngage aims to raise the bar for web-to-print marketing automation and provides customers with a simple marketing toolset for increasing customer engagement and optimising conversions. Learn more at efi.com.
Promotional codes
Ever wonder why you receive so many promo codes and discount offers? Because they work. People love feeling like they received a great deal, and will more easily spend unplanned funds if the offer is right.
While communicating promo codes through traditional print sales channels can be difficult and time- consuming, web-to-print allows
Above
marketers to easily configure and communicate special incentives with just a few clicks. Through the use of email marketing, marketers can use any promo code created within the web-to-print platform and distribute personalised emails to targeted audiences with little effort.
Product marketing
General product marketing through targeted email blasts might seem relatively simple, but with a little creativity and strategic thinking, there are endless opportunities for generating web-to-print engagement. Depending on the customer,
you will want to tailor your
product marketing email strategy accordingly. Ideas and triggers that might warrant a product marketing email include a new product has been added to the storefront; a Top 10
list of the most popular print items purchased; a newly ordered paper substrate is perfect for high-end business cards; and the Christmas holidays are around the corner and seasonal products have been added to the storefront.
Track your results
While there is no shortage of marketing ideas, it is critical to understand which ideas produce the best return on investment. Blindly implementing marketing tactics without knowing how the customer is responding is a recipe for disaster.
Most web-to-print solutions, including MarketDirect StoreFront, provide standard reports on
orders, revenue, and production. Marketers should regularly review these reports to understand buying trends, frequently purchased items, customer volume, and how buyers are utilising the tools within the web-to-print product. Additionally, marketers can gauge what marketing strategies and tactics are contributing the best results. 21
W2P: maintain relationships in th Covid era
Print21 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 39