Are you interested in competing with the big web2print sites?

[SignsMadeOnline]

What interest is there in competing with VistaPrint and the other large web2print companies? I am a software developer very interested in web2print technology and all of its uses (including the uses on Zazzle, CafePress, etc). I have been following all of the mergers (such as VistaPrint and Kinkos) and reading about UPS entering the space. However, when I look at most of these websites, I see room for improvement in the technology, usability, and flexibility. I still see great opportunities.

I am interested in perspectives from people in the industry and in communicating with anyone interested in building new solutions. I am particularly interested in speaking with anyone who would consider investing capital in a custom built solution. I plan to expand and improve upon an existing solution I created (SignsMadeOnline) and build several other solutions (with or without investment capital) and generate business one customer at a time. However, it would be nice to get some help, grow more quickly, and dominate by creating a new household name. I have not formally attempted to acquire investment capital and want to gage interest from people in the industry before I do. Feel free to contact me privately, if necessary.

Regard,
Victor Scott

[cymk]

Most W2P sites and sellers of such are marketing people! They will host your w2p site on thier servers along with XXX amount of other printers and offer to share mailing list etc for a price.

When you host on a remote server they can harvest info, view email etc.

They cool thing would be an affordable site hosted on the printers server of choice.

CY MK

[discountprinting]

What interest is there in competing with VistaPrint and the other large web2print companies? I am a software developer very interested in web2print technology and all of its uses (including the uses on Zazzle, CafePress, etc). I have been following all of the mergers (such as VistaPrint and Kinkos) and reading about UPS entering the space. However, when I look at most of these websites, I see room for improvement in the technology, usability, and flexibility. I still see great opportunities.

I am interested in perspectives from people in the industry and in communicating with anyone interested in building new solutions. I am particularly interested in speaking with anyone who would consider investing capital in a custom built solution. I plan to expand and improve upon an existing solution I created (SignsMadeOnline) and build several other solutions (with or without investment capital) and generate business one customer at a time. However, it would be nice to get some help, grow more quickly, and dominate by creating a new household name. I have not formally attempted to acquire investment capital and want to gage interest from people in the industry before I do. Feel free to contact me privately, if necessary.

Regard,
Victor Scott

Victor,
I would like to talk with you about it. Email me your phone number, I would like to call you & talk with you about this topic in depth.
Thanks,
John
Discount Printing Service
CEO

[Morning Flight]

The cool thing would be an affordable site hosted on the printers server of choice.

That would be cool, cymk, with one caveat: How many small to medium size printers would be interested in setting up their own in-house server and SQL database? Even a relatively simple LAMP solution (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) hosted by an independent ISP such as GoDaddy calls for considerable programming skills in JavaScript and PHP.

I'm not saying it couldn't be done. It's fairly easy these days to set up a canned shopping cart without having to write a single line of code. The trick will be to build in a dynamic pricing engine, using the printer's own press rates and paper costs.

Hal Heindel

[onprintshop]

Hi,

We have successfully setup web2print storefront solution which enables online ordering, personalization of print orders and e-commerce.

Service is available as SaaS (fully managed) and licensed version for installing on premise.

In fact entire solution is built on Open Source Technology hence available at fractional cost.

Definitely tool for small printshop owners to compete with Big boys for retaining their customers and expanding their service.

[OutSourceD]

We have tried multiple flavors of Web2Print and wasted thousands of dollars. Some words for you; it doesn't work, you can't compete and don't waste your time and money.

[Coolio]

I don't think anyone could compete right out of the gate.
Our goal is to integrate our W2P solution with our MIS and prepress workflows. The reduction of touch points, gains in effeciency and 24/7 availability to our existing customer base are the short term goals.

At some point when volume dictates we could consider a "VistaPrint" type model of gang running for maximum effeciencies but we are a long way away from that right now.

One step at a time.

Greg

[bprint_tampabay]

I have spent hundreds of hours setting up customer websites...

I think that after the original "WOW" factor wears off, they lose interest.

Not to mention the limitations, and need to go in and manually fix all the lousy input, just because you can't let it go.