{"id":3415,"date":"2018-11-30T09:10:44","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T14:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/?p=3415"},"modified":"2025-05-28T18:26:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T22:26:39","slug":"ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/","title":{"rendered":"eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business: A 4-Minute Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Global eCommerce sales are currently growing at a breakneck pace. According to Shopify, they\u2019re expected to reach $6.5 trillion by 2023.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people are familiar with purchasing goods or services online, especially with the prevalence of online retailing. Most printers have some experience with online shopping for their printing supplies. Many, however, are less familiar with selling products online or running an online store.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buying and selling online will become increasingly prevalent, so if you\u2019re curious about eCommerce and what it can do to help your print business, there\u2019s no better time to find out than now.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is eCommerce?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduced to the simplest terms, eCommerce refers to an online commercial transaction. It stands for \u201celectronic commerce\u201d and includes both business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) business models.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For printers, it requires a website that allows print clients to place their orders and make an online payment.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An example of a print business that has adopted an eCommerce model is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/en_ca\/tools\/index\/redirect?page=home?utm_source%3Dblog%26utm_medium%3Dps%26utm_campaign%3Dprinters%26utm_article%3D061%26utm_content%3DSinaLite\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SinaLite<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Their website allows account holders to quote their job, place their order, and pay for it online, all within minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What can eCommerce do for my print business?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many types of eCommerce models, so their features and benefits vary, but in general a basic model should at least have the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An organized listing of products or services, so that your clients can browse them easily<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shopping carts where clients add orders<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ability for clients to select options, e.g. quantity, shipping, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An online transaction processing system<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ability for clients to create an account to make ordering and viewing previous orders simple<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These features make ordering printing easier, faster, and more convenient for your clients, which can in turn increase sales. Furthermore, it can also help small businesses gain a competitive edge.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, like every other model, it also has its drawbacks, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cost of setting up, testing, and maintenance<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Difficulty of use for less technologically-savvy clients<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The need to reorganize your product listing or even your entire website<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potential security issues<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A less humanized experience for clients<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep in mind that you will still need a <a href=\"\/printersuccess\/what-printers-need-to-know-to-create-a-winning-digital-marketing-strategy\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">strong marketing strategy<\/a> to drive sales to your website.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How much does it cost to set up an eCommerce site?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cost of setting up an eCommerce site can range from $0 (where you download a free template and set it up yourself on your pre-existing website) to well over $10,000 (where you pay professionals to create an entire model specifically for your business).<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequently, always identify your needs, do your cost-benefit analysis, and research your options.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do I set up eCommerce for my business?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve decided that you\u2019re ready to sell online, here are a few basic requirements that you\u2019ll need:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Computer literacy\u2014the more literate you are, the less you\u2019ll need to pay other people to set things up for you<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A set pricing system for your goods or services<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A domain name and web hosting<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legal protection, business registration, and other business requirements indicated by your jurisdiction<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lots of research<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is important to choose a model that is suitable for both your needs and the needs of your customers. Many models target retail sales, so make sure you pick one that works for your printing services. Don\u2019t forget to consider the amount of time and money that will be required to maintain the site long-term and track your progress.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you already have a website created in a website builder and want to add eCommerce to it, you can simply search for compatible templates or add-ons.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some more eCommerce resources.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ecommerceguide.com\/guides\/starting-your-commerce-store\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Build Your First Ecommerce Website Business<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0is a comprehensive guide to getting started. Skip straight to Step 2 if you already have an existing business.<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/ecommerce-platforms.com\/articles\/open-source-ecommerce-platforms\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11 Best Open Source and Free Ecommerce Platforms for 2018<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0is a list of inexpensive eCommerce solutions along with the pros and cons for each.<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.outerboxdesign.com\/ecommerce-website-design\/ecommerce-glossary-terms\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eCommerce Lingo &#8211; A Glossary of Electronic Commerce Terminology<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0helps you understand unfamiliar terms.<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/litextension.com\/blog\/top-5-free-shopping-cart-softwares\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Top 5 Best Free Shopping Cart Softwares in 2020<\/a> is a list of leading software for setting up a shopping cart for your ecommerce site.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guru99.com\/best-ecommerce-platform.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">27 BEST eCommerce Platforms in 2021<\/a> is a list of top ecommerce platforms and their leading features.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to learn more ways to grow your print business?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t miss our weekly articles. <\/span><a href=\"\/printersuccess\/newsletter\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subscribe to Printer Success<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to discover more tips and strategies to take your print business to the next level.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Check this: <a href=\"https:\/\/inkantari.com\/natural-remedies-for-potency-enhance-your-vitality-naturally\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Natural Remedies for Potency: Enhance Your Vitality Naturally<\/a><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sales from eCommerce are expected to reach $6.5 trillion by 2023. Learn how to cash in on it now.<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[170,11],"tags":[144],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business (4-Minute Guide)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what eCommerce is, what it can do for your print business, how much it costs, and how to get started in our quick starter&#039;s guide for beginners.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business (4-Minute Guide)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn what eCommerce is, what it can do for your print business, how much it costs, and how to get started in our quick starter&#039;s guide for beginners.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Printer Success Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-30T14:10:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-28T22:26:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/blog-ecommerce.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1150\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Haidan Dong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sinalite\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@sinalite\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Haidan Dong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/\",\"name\":\"eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business (4-Minute Guide)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-30T14:10:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-28T22:26:39+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#\/schema\/person\/b513ae28ca5e7a2aef078ce44d395b8f\"},\"description\":\"Learn what eCommerce is, what it can do for your print business, how much it costs, and how to get started in our quick starter's guide for beginners.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business: A 4-Minute Guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/\",\"name\":\"Printer Success Center\",\"description\":\"Your source for insight, information, inspiration, and resources to help your print business succeed.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#\/schema\/person\/b513ae28ca5e7a2aef078ce44d395b8f\",\"name\":\"Haidan Dong\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/printbest-profile-Haidan-150x150.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/printbest-profile-Haidan-150x150.png\",\"caption\":\"Haidan Dong\"},\"description\":\"Content Strategist at SinaLite\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/author\/haidan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business (4-Minute Guide)","description":"Learn what eCommerce is, what it can do for your print business, how much it costs, and how to get started in our quick starter's guide for beginners.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business (4-Minute Guide)","og_description":"Learn what eCommerce is, what it can do for your print business, how much it costs, and how to get started in our quick starter's guide for beginners.","og_url":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/","og_site_name":"Printer Success Center","article_published_time":"2018-11-30T14:10:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-28T22:26:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1150,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/blog-ecommerce.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Haidan Dong","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@sinalite","twitter_site":"@sinalite","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Haidan Dong","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/","url":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/","name":"eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business (4-Minute Guide)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#website"},"datePublished":"2018-11-30T14:10:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-28T22:26:39+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#\/schema\/person\/b513ae28ca5e7a2aef078ce44d395b8f"},"description":"Learn what eCommerce is, what it can do for your print business, how much it costs, and how to get started in our quick starter's guide for beginners.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/ecommerce-101-for-your-print-business\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"eCommerce 101 for Your Print Business: A 4-Minute Guide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/","name":"Printer Success Center","description":"Your source for insight, information, inspiration, and resources to help your print business succeed.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#\/schema\/person\/b513ae28ca5e7a2aef078ce44d395b8f","name":"Haidan Dong","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/printbest-profile-Haidan-150x150.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/printbest-profile-Haidan-150x150.png","caption":"Haidan Dong"},"description":"Content Strategist at SinaLite","url":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/author\/haidan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3415"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3415"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5700,"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3415\/revisions\/5700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}