Thinking of Switching to POD? Here’s How to Get Started

While it can be manageable, dealing with out-of-stock products or figuring out how to ship your products can be a pain. And if it’s a problem you no longer want to encounter, switching to the POD (print on demand) model may be for you.

As mentioned, POD takes away the hassle of inventory management and storage. Your print on demand partner will only fulfill an order once you or your customer place it, which means you don’t have to worry about overstocking or selling out. Plus, you won’t need to worry about not having enough capital to make changes in your operations as a print-on-demand requires little to zero upfront costs.

If you’re thinking of making the switch to print-on-demand, here are a few tips to begin:

Find and Pick a Fulfillment Partner You Can Trust

The key to a successful POD-powered e-commerce business is working with a fulfillment provider you can rely on. They will be responsible for handling your inventory, printing, and shipping, so you must pick one that can deliver quality services consistently.

What to Look for in a POD Partner?

Okay, but how exactly do you know if it’s the right POD partner for you? Well, here are some things you should look for:

Extensive Product Catalog

If you have plans of scaling your business in the future, it’s important to work with a POD provider that can offer an extensive product catalog. This way, you’ll have options to continue providing your current products, and to create new ones.

Competitive Printing and Shipping Rates

Of course, you’ll also want to consider the printing and shipping rates of your potential POD partner. Pricing can heavily influence the purchase decisions of your customers, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re not being overcharged.

Easy eCommerce Integration

Your print-on-demand partner should be able to cater to your e-commerce platform of choice. They should be able to provide easy integration, so you won’t have a hard time connecting your store to their system. Whether it’s powered by Shopify, Etsy, or WooCommerce, integrating your online shop into your POD provider’s system significantly lightens your workload as you won’t have to enter product information manually and send orders one by one.

Customer Support You Can Count On

Your POD partner should also be able to provide quality customer support, so you can get the assistance you need when something goes wrong. From helping you with product customization to troubleshooting printing and shipping issues, you should be able to reach out to your POD provider anytime you need help.

A Solid Reputation

Last but not least, make sure to pick a POD provider with a good reputation in the industry. You can check out online reviews and compare different providers to see which ones have satisfied customers.

Connect Your Online Store

Once you’ve chosen the right POD partner, the next step is to connect your online store to their system. As mentioned earlier, this should be a seamless process if you’re working with a reputable provider.

For instance, if you’ve chosen Awkward Styles and you have an existing Shopify store, you can simply download and install our app from the Shopify App Store or create a free account on our website and follow the instructions.

Choose the Right Products

Once your store is connected, you can now start adding products to your catalog. But before you do, it’s important to carefully consider the products you want to sell. There are a few things you need to take into accounts such as the interests of your target market, your pricing strategy, and the profitability of the product.

Here’s a quick guide on How to Choose Print on Demand Products for your store!

Start Designing Your Mockups

After carefully choosing the products you want to sell, it’s time to start designing your mockups. Awkward Styles offers a free mockup generator so you can easily upload your designs, test out different products, and see how they’ll look in real life. You can also use these mockups for your listing and marketing materials such as social media posts and ads.

Get the Word Out

Once your products are finally ready to be launched, it’s time to start marketing them to your target audience. There are a number of ways you can do this such as social media marketing, Google Ads, or influencer marketing.

The key is to find the marketing channels that will work best for your business and start promoting your products to as many people as possible.

Final Thoughts

Handling out-of-stock product problems or having to work around MOQ’s can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be. By working with the right POD partner and carefully planning your product selection, you can avoid such issues altogether and manage your e-commerce business with less hassle and stress.

And in case you’re on the lookout for a reliable POD partner, be sure to check out Awkward Styles. We offer a wide range of products, an easy-to-use mockup generator, and quality customer support that you can always count on. Sign up today and see how we can help grow your e-commerce business!