The numbers don’t lie. The global web-to-print market has grown to more than $34 billion in 2024, with projections suggesting it will reach nearly $52 billion by 2033. For small and medium-sized print shop owners watching from the sidelines, this isn’t just a trend to monitor—it’s a revenue opportunity slipping away with each passing quarter.

Yet many print shop owners hesitate. The concerns are understandable: Who has time to set up an online storefront when there are jobs to run, customers to serve, and a business to manage? The reality, however, is that the financial benefits of deploying a web-to-print storefront significantly outweigh the time required to implement one. The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest the time—it’s whether you can afford not to.

The Financial Case for eCommerce

Print shops operating on razor-thin margins—often between 1% and 3% net profit—understand that every efficiency gain matters. A web-to-print storefront doesn’t just add a new sales channel; it fundamentally transforms how revenue flows into your business.

Consider the math. The average print shop generates approximately $667,000 in annual revenue. When customers can place orders around the clock through an online storefront, shops consistently report increases in order volume without proportional increases in labor costs. Orders flow directly into production queues, reducing the manual touchpoints that consume staff time and introduce errors.

The automation benefits compound quickly. Average print order processing time has decreased by 37% among shops that have adopted web-to-print solutions. That’s time your staff can redirect toward higher-value activities—complex jobs that command premium pricing, customer relationship building, or operational improvements that further strengthen margins.

Perhaps most importantly, online storefronts enable you to collect payment at the point of order rather than chasing invoices for 30 days or more. When 75% of print shops struggle with profitability, anything that accelerates cash flow provides immediate financial relief.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

No business decision comes without trade-offs. Understanding both sides of the web-to-print equation helps you plan effectively and set realistic expectations.

Don’t Underestimate Business Disruption

Here’s where many print shop owners stumble: they begin a storefront implementation without accounting for the temporary disruption it creates. Half-finished deployments create more problems than no deployment at all. Customers encounter broken links. Staff toggle between old and new systems. The project stalls, gathering digital dust while daily demands take precedence.

This is precisely why proper change management processes matter so much. Change doesn’t happen by accident—it requires a clear strategy and the commitment to see it through.

The Change Management Formula

Implementing a web-to-print storefront is, at its core, a change management challenge. The technology itself is proven. What determines success or failure is how well you manage the human and operational elements of the transition.

When these elements are in place, change becomes not just possible—but powerful. The shops that succeed don’t treat storefront deployment as a side project. They allocate protected time, assign clear ownership, and communicate consistently about progress and expectations.

Start with Smart Tools

One of the most effective ways to manage change is to start with tools that simplify your operations. For print shops, that means tackling the payment process alongside your storefront implementation.

Think about it: what good is a beautiful online storefront if payments still create friction? Customers expect seamless checkout experiences. They want to pay with credit cards, ACH transfers, or mobile wallets—and they want their receipt instantly. If your payment processing doesn’t match the sophistication of your ordering system, you’ve created a new bottleneck.

This is where integrating payment processing with your MIS system matters. When every invoice automatically includes payment options, when transactions flow directly into your accounting system, and when customers can self-serve their payment needs, you’ve removed one of the biggest remaining sources of manual work in the order-to-cash cycle.

Execute with a Solid Action Plan

Vision without execution is just a dream. Here’s a practical approach to deploying your web-to-print storefront without derailing daily operations:

Phase One: Foundation (Week 1-2)
Audit your current product catalog. Identify your top 20% of products by volume—these should be your initial storefront offerings. Gather pricing rules, standard options, and any templates you already have. Don’t try to launch with everything; start with what your customers order most frequently.

Phase Two: Configuration (Week 3-4)
Set up your storefront platform. Configure products, pricing, and checkout workflows. Integrate payment processing. Test internally before any customer sees the system. This is where protecting dedicated time matters most—half-configured systems create more problems than they solve.

Phase Three: Soft Launch (Week 5-6)
Invite a small group of trusted customers to test the system. Gather feedback. Fix issues. Refine the experience based on real-world usage. These early adopters become advocates when you launch publicly.

Phase Four: Full Deployment (Week 7+)
Announce your online ordering capability to your full customer base. Train all staff on the new workflows. Monitor performance closely in the first weeks. Celebrate small wins and address problems quickly.

Be ready to adapt. No plan survives first contact with reality unchanged. Stay flexible, listen to feedback, and adjust as needed.

Change is hard. But it’s also an opportunity. With the right strategy, the right tools, and the right mindset, your print shop can adapt, grow, and lead in a constantly evolving market. The time you invest in deploying a web-to-print storefront isn’t time lost—it’s the foundation of your business’s next chapter.