and enjoyable for customers, Rowell says the key is to keep things simple when operating not-so-simple technology. The company has a great team of developers and marketers who work hard on the user experience to maintain this simplicity. “We want to provide an intuitive and user-friendly experience with that easy navigation and well organised menus, search functionality, and good design. I’m looking forward to re-launching our ever-evolving pre-press services to see how that helps and benefits customers. “The tech is one thing, but central to that is providing the best in class team that support that. I’m very proud of our customer success and pre-press team as they work very hard to make sure the customer has a good experience.” A Partnership Platform Another big player in the online printing world is Route1Print (part of the Bluetree Group) with the company describing itself as a “reliable and innovative print partner”. The trade printer produces over 8,500 jobs each week from its state-of-the-art 100,000sq ft factory. “Whether it’s business cards, brochures, flyers, banners, or any other print materials, we have the expertise and resources to produce outstanding results,” explains Phil Tasker, head of Route1Print. Much the same as Tradeprint, Route1Print’s core focus is to provide a user-friendly service that simplifies the print process for its trade print customers, both online and offline. “We understand the importance of convenience and efficiency, and that’s why we’ve developed an intuitive online platform,” Tasker adds. Route1Print’s web-to-print offering serves as a trade buying platform specifically designed for print partners who have registered as businesses. The website showcases a comprehensive range of products and services that you would typically expect from a large-scale print manufacturer. The entire customer service journey starts with an engaging online experience, where customers can explore the website, browse products, and make informed decisions before proceeding with a purchase. This is typical to any online storefront however, and Tasker explains that what sets Route1Print apart is the human involvement that complements the online platform. “Once an order is placed, it undergoes a seamless transition, with jobs passing through to our factory. The entire process is closely overseen by our dedicated studio and service teams, ensuring quality control and attention to detail at every stage. ▲ Tradeprint produces thousands of jobs for thousands of customers each week via litho, inkjet, and digital printing the company went right back to basics as a result. “In sales, we followed everything up in terms of the bespoke products we offer, chased every quote, and spoke to as many customers as we could to drive as much sales as we could through the limitations that Covid caused. “It was a time for us to be more entrepreneurial and we spun up services like warehousing and pick, pack distribution to service specific customer requirements. We noticed the increased demand for signage, vinyl, and the obvious demand for face masks – we flexed, adapted quickly, and introduced new products.” Rowell adds: “We learned a huge amount about ourselves during that time and we like to think we carried over some great habits from that time. There’s nothing like a crisis to help you focus!” With this ethos in mind, Tradeprint’s ambition is to maintain a user-friendly online platform that is easy to navigate and place orders on. This is in the form of providing comprehensive product information and clear pricing and policies, as well as providing a live chat and responsive customer support to assist customers in real time as this makes a big difference to customers’ experiences. “We also place a high value on customer feedback and that is so important for our continuous improvement,” says Rowell. With Tradeprint’s key customer group being print resellers, the company has spent a great deal of time talking to customers to help craft its Tradeprint PRO loyalty program to help support these customers. “We think that by implementing these strategies, we guarantee a high level of customer service and maintain customer satisfaction as more volume moves online. I could go on, but we don’t want to give away all of our secrets!” In terms of practical ways that Tradeprint is making its online storefront easy ◄ Route1Print highlights the importance of investing in highquality technology as well as a good web-to-print offering 67% of consumers say they shop differently now due to Covid-19 Factoid 62 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk July / August 2023 - Issue 343 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES / WEB-TO-PRINT
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