One of the few industries to experience substantial growth from the COVID-19 pandemic is e-commerce. Everyone is spending a lot more time online, be it for work, content streaming or shopping. The increase in screen time has also directly increased consumer spending on e-commerce sites.
The South African e-commerce sector has seen massive growth since the start of 2020. Business Insider cites FNB reporting a 30% growth rate in the first half of the year compared to 2019.
Online retail giants have also reported massive increases in sales and revenue. Takealot had a revenue growth of 28%, while OneDayOnly recorded a 128% increase in sales!
According to research conducted by Mobicred, SA’s largest digital credit facility, the growth was in adoption rates and product selection. The study revealed some interesting trends. Consumers over 60, who have been traditionally hesitant to shop online, showed an increase in Mobicred applications of 90%.
Using print on demand to attain your objectives
With so many people turning to online shopping, many South African companies have had to reinvent themselves and get their online houses in order. This has meant that entrepreneurs and individuals who want to monetise their skills, or e-commerce businesses looking to add personalised products to their catalogues, are using print on demand to attain their objectives.
Focus on developing your brand
Most e-commerce stores that you see today have started out as something that offers custom-made designs on clothes, but the industry has evolved a lot since then. By using print on demand, you’ll be able to spend the majority of your focus on actually developing your brand and following your creativity.
Print on demand technology makes it easy to get orders out the door
Print on demand services have great products to choose from, including commercial printing, at prices that allow a business owner to make money. Not only that, print on demand technology has made it simple to create new designs and get orders out the door.
There are different kinds of commercial printing but the one that adds the most value by far is digital. Digital commercial printing is ideal for businesses seeking short-runs and personalisation.
Enables brand owners to get creative with print
It enables brand owners to get creative with print and get personal with their customers. This drives increased engagement and response rates by an order of magnitude. The opportunities are countless in terms of making a lasting impression on clients in a way that is tactile, relevant and valuable.
By partnering with South African leading digital print company, Print on Demand, you are able to leverage our ability to produce personalised marketing materials one-by-one or at scale with quick turnaround time and in full colour.
Get your own customised online store
Print on Demand provides clients with the opportunity to have their own, customised online store where customers can view, manage and order all of the client’s marketing assets at the click of a button.
Digital commercial printing is for innovative brands that want to be customer-demand-led, build unique customer relationships and run lean to optimise margins.
There is nothing better than being able to sell products without having to buy inventory. If you are a new business with limited capital, selling your products without having a storage space filled with unsold inventory is a boost to your confidence and helps you test the market to see what your customers really love.
Lower the risk of starting a new business
While there are slightly better profit margins for print on demand products compared to having a full run of the product, the reduced overhead is what really lowers the risk. You can always do a separate run later of your most popular items when you are able to fund that expenditure without significant financial risk.
Print on demand rarely has an issue with backorders on inventory because they are stocking such high volumes of popular products to fulfil among thousands of vendors. This is another differentiator for an e-commerce platform.
Without a doubt, the print on demand business model is one of the best for green entrepreneurs with a creative flair. The low cost to get started and low overhead for this particular e-commerce model will allow you to get your business off the ground without putting your financial future at risk — either through a loan or personal assets.
At the end of the day, print on demand remains one of the best e-commerce business solutions a new website owner can do that won’t break the bank. Get started, see what products leap off the page, and expand from there.
