The print-on-demand (POD) industry has risen rapidly in demand in the last two years. POD essentially helps entrepreneurs market the products with their brand without even having to hold any stock. It is an online platform where the customers will order their shoes; these products will then be printed and shipped straight to them.
It is now simpler and safer to kick off an online POD business with a low initial investment instead of the usual high investment and risks encountered with traditional ecommerce stores. Although you are required to decide on a platform that will be used for building and hosting your POD store, you are not limited to any specific one. The platform you use is the lifeblood of the business.
In this complete guide for 2024, we’ll compare the best ecommerce platforms for print on demand:
Shopify
Shopify may easily be declared the world’s leading e-commerce platform, with over one million users. The Shopify platform has been built for merchants to sell physical and virtual products on their web storefronts quickly.
Shopify offers you a way of seamlessly adding POD products to your shop. It does not matter how many POD apps and integrations there are for the wide range of suppliers, including Printful, Printify, and Gooten, that are linked to the Shopify store.
You can set up your website with beautiful themes using the Shopify full-fledged package. The latter comes with powerful features that enable you to create an online store of high-class standards.
Key advantages of using Shopify for print on demand include:
- Easy to set up and manage POD store
- Fully customizable themes and designs
- Built-in support for multiple sales channels
- Robust shipping and tax tools for POD fulfillment
- Access to Shopify App Store with POD integrations
- 24/7 customer support
Shopify’s disadvantages include monthly fees and a payment percentage from each transaction, which can significantly influence your profit margin. However, the platform still gets a good rating from its customers all over the world.
The company Startartorez is ready to assist you in running print on demand pre made Shopify stores that you can use to kick-start your new venture.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress that lets you do selling on your WordPress website. It holds the incredible power that transforms over 28% of all online stores.
Being an open-source platform, WooCommerce provides high flexibility and customization for its users. There are a lot of WooCommerce extensions just for integrating print-on-demand services.
Advantages of using WooCommerce for print-on-demand:
- Free, open-source platform
- Highly customizable and flexible
- Easy integration with WordPress themes and features
- Large collection of POD app integrations
- Very affordable compared to other platforms
The drawback of WooCommerce is that this solution requires more technical skills and effort to be developed and maintained. Managing WordPress hosting and upgrades also need to be carried out by yourself. However, it is also fair to state that WooCommerce is free and suitable for print-on-demand.
Etsy
Etsy has a predicating role as the world’s largest marketplace for handmade and vintage goods. It attracts over 60 million shoppers per month, even for the hardest-to-find or exclusive items.
Though Etsy might not be a fully-fledged e-commerce platform, it is widely used more specifically for POD. The bulk of store owners who wish to have custom products done and sold through their Etsy stores do it with the help of POD suppliers.
Benefits of using Etsy for print-on-demand:
- A large built-in audience of buyers
- No listing or subscription fees
- Simple setup and listing process
- Etsy handles payments and shipping labels
- Focus on selling instead of website creation
The drawback is Etsy’s 5% transaction fee, as you can’t personalize your domain. On the contrary, Etsy is a marvelous marketing and sales vehicle for print-on-demand products.
Shopify vs. WooCommerce vs. Etsy for Print on Demand – Which Should You Choose?
So which ecommerce platform is best for starting a print-on-demand business? Here’s a quick recap:
- Shopify is the best all-in-one POD store builder with robust features. Easy to set up but ongoing monthly fees.
- WooCommerce – Flexible and customizable POD store. It is a free platform but requires more technical competence.
- Etsy – Built-in audience for selling unique POD products. Simple setup but has limited features.
The “best” platform to use is entirely up to your business requirements but also is a function of your mastery of technology. Setting up Shopify rapidly is the most convenient, but WooCommerce can be tailored more to one’s needs. Etsy is a dedicated e-commerce platform where buyers can purchase these artisanal products. Amazon delivers products directly to consumers without any middlemen, cutting unnecessary costs.
The best of the print-on-demand sellers most often use more than one platform. Among the many platforms you choose to begin with, you can always grow into them by adding more channels to your marketing strategy.
Take off carving out a print-on-demand business with high-performing StartStorez pre made Shopify stores, which contain out-of-this-world, ready-made Shopify stores in a class of their own.
Summing It Up
We have come a long way from the first days of being stuck with these platforms, and we are better now. In the present, the improvement of print-on-demand technologies and their fulfillment networks allow for an unmatchable turning point for the enterprise of all new entrepreneurs.
Selecting the most appropriate e-commerce platform is where you must start building up or launching your print-on-demand business. Decision-making between Shopify, WooCommerce, or Etsy is personalized depending on the most crucial factor for you. They are focused on high-quality designs, smart marketing, and excellent customer service.
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