How to set up print-on-demand with Shopify

“E-retail” revenues are set to grow to US $4.88 trillion, according to this report compiled by Statista. You’ve heard it before – the digital sphere is the site of the new gold rush. Both old and new players are looking to capitalise on this market growth.
If you are looking for an avenue for entry, heed this advice: look into print-on-demand (POD).
Here’s the quickest crash-course in why:

• Easy setup on Shopify
• Almost zero risk to you
• No major start up costs
• Minimal-hassle revenue generator
• Opportunity for creatives to monetise their work

If you’re convinced, read on to find out the steps to setting up your POD store on Shopify. If you’re not convinced, read on to find out why you should be.
A brief introduction to print-on-demand (POD)
First of all, what is this POD thing I speak of? I’ll tell you…
POD is a workflow pipeline that allows you to print products only after they have been ordered. This means that there is no stale stock on the shelves, no hard-to-stomach upfront costs, and more freedom to try out different products for your business.
POD had its genesis in the publishing industry. As the digital world began to eclipse the profitability of print media, the publishing industry fought back with a solution that took the risk out of the book publishing process. Reversing the workflow by printing books only after they have been ordered has been a game-changer for the publishing industry.
But the disruptive force that is POD didn’t stop with publishing. Now a major eCommerce solution, it has allowed entrepreneurs to re-envision the manufacturing process.
Here is how it works:

 
Whether you’re a YouTuber or band looking for merchandising avenues, a t-shirt business, an artist, or an entrepreneur filled with ideas, POD can provide business avenues that were previously too risky to tackle.
The 3 Steps to Setting up a POD store

1. Set up your Shopify store

You might be asking, “why Shopify over other platforms?” When it comes to POD, the choice is a no-brainer. You’ve probably heard of the big guns – Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce. Different platforms are appropriate for different businesses.
WooCommerce, for example, is a WordPress plugin and may be the ideal choice for someone who already has an established WordPress site up and running. It does mean, however, that site hosting and maintenance is up to you to manage.
Shopify, on the other hand, is an exemplary option for someone looking for the quickest, easiest route to get their shop up and running. While platforms such as Magento may be better for large-scale operations (like multinational corporations), when it comes to small businesses and startups, Shopify wins out every time.
Some of the key deciding factors are:

• Degree of technical know-how needed
• Hosted or non-hosted site options
• Availability of plugins and add-ons
• Pricing
• Customer service
• Scalability

For a full comparison between the main players, have a look at this infographic on the Trellis blog. The Google Trends graph below illustrates Shopify’s obvious popularity.
In my view, the core of this is that the platform allows you to focus on what makes up your business – your products and services, and your customers – rather than on the technical elements of setting up an eCommerce shop.

 
Let’s get back to POD…
POD is all about providing hacks that allow both entrepreneurs and customers the path of least resistance, and this is something that Shopify has down.
Shopify’s popularity comes down to the platform taking the hassle out of being a digital entrepreneur. You do not need to be a developer (or hire one) to start a store. Whilst the capabilities of sites such as Magento are truly impressive, a beginner wouldn’t stand a chance. My theory is that the less time you have to spend on launching, hosting, and maintaining your site – the more time (and budget) you can spend on designing and marketing your products.

2. Choose a POD solution

Whilst this is listed as a separate step on the journey, I have some news for you – if you’re looking to set up a POD store, you should be choosing your eCommerce platform alongside your POD integration. But with all the available options out there, how in print’s name do you choose? It comes down to one golden rule for me:
What platform would I trust enough so that I feel safe delegating core business operations over to them?
Selecting a POD solution is akin to employing an operations manager who has to take on the responsibility of the manufacturing and shipping workflow. Some criteria to consider are:

• What eCommerce platforms does the POD solution integrate with?
• Is the POD solution global?
• What does their product catalogue look like?
• What customer support do they offer? (After all, you’re handing over your operations to them. You want to ensure that you can get in touch.)

When I set up Kite, I wanted to create a solution that would alleviate stress and boost the accessibility of print-on-demand. These mechanics have allowed entrepreneurs to focus on the creative side of their business, removing themselves from the pain of logistical admin and stock storage. At the heart of my pride is what we enable other people to achieve, which brings us to the next point…

3. Choose your unique products and upload your designs

There are two types of people in the world: those who hear the word “design,” and feel immediately inspired, and those who hear the same word and go and hide in their cupboards. I’m not here to judge. What I am here to tell you is that regardless of the side of the fence that you sit on, POD can work for you.
If you’re a creative and already have a line of work that needs printing, POD can offer you a cost effective way to get your work printed on traditional media like canvas or photo-books, or move into the merchandising world by printing your work on a tote bag or tablet cover.

 
If you would rather someone else took care of the design for your business, the good news is that is now easier than ever. Hop over to freelance platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr and you’ll quickly find a queue of people waiting to do this job for you. One tip – ensure that your brief is as detailed as possible to avoid getting stuck in revision loops.
But what is an awesome product if nobody knows about it? Next step…

4. Market your store

Lucky for you, you live in an age when we have more information about customers than ever before. This is a marketer’s dream. Unlucky for you, customers are also more demanding than they’ve ever been in history – which has the potential to turn the dream into a nightmare.
By entering the eCommerce world, you have to embrace digital marketing in a form that suits your needs. Using a mixed combination of paid and organic methods will likely be the most optimal use of your resources.
When it comes to POD, I would offer these key tips:

• Don’t underestimate organic traffic and the influence it can have on your eCommerce business.  In this article for Entrepreneur, Charu Mitra Dubey explains the necessity of embracing SEO strategy for your eCommerce store. Don’t shy away from high-quality content that moves the right audience in your direction – you know, the audience that might purchase something!

 

• Use social and influencer marketing. The best way to make sure that the right customers are arriving is to ensure that they are following the right people. While all popular social media platforms are useful, I’ve found that two of the most effective channels when it comes to using influencer marketing for your POD store are Instagram and Pinterest.

 
Instagram has become such a force that in a 2016 study, 60% of users said they learnt about a product or service through Instagram.
Pinterest should also be taken very seriously. After Facebook, it is the Number #2 driver of social media traffic to Shopify. Think of it this way. Pinterest is essentially a mobile search engine. Users will pop in the item they are so desperately seeking and a picture of your product will be revealed.
Parting thoughts…
Whilst the eCommerce world has opened a plethora of opportunities for the business-minded and creative alike, it also has its share of snake oil salesmen peddling quick-fix solutions. What is different about POD is that it genuinely removes the risk from starting up a new operation.
I’ll leave you with the three things that are great about this POD eCommerce development:

1. It has removed barriers between entrepreneurial ideas and the actualisation of them.
2. It is an ideal avenue for adding to current revenue streams with custom merchandise.
3. It has levelled the playing field and opened up huge markets for small businesses.

Shopify has made it easy to achieve the above already, and this is just the start of a new and exciting era in eCommerce.