The product decoration industry is in many ways a completely different industry than it was just 20 years ago. The biggest reason for this is the massive increase in applicable technology, especially the rise of the internet. It is not just the product decoration industry that is dealing with this shift. Online sales are simply more efficient and cut the tremendous overhead costs involved in brick & mortar retail like labor, inventory, and logistics. Companies like Amazon often even offer the ability to drop-ship, which helps lower overhead costs. Drop-shipping is a sales method through which a store sells a product, and instead of producing it themselves they purchase it from a third party who ships it directly to the customer. The seller never actually handles the product. Considering the clear value of being able to operate online, it is important for product decorators to understand the most valuable websites and software for handling the online aspects of the business.
DecoNetwork is the first need-to-know site on our list. DecoNetwork’s software allows decoration businesses to manage their customers, production, website, and much more. In addition to the fulfillment capabilities, DecoNetwork is a great platform for affiliate marketers. Those are just a few of the vast capabilities of DecoNetwork’s software. With DecoNetwork every part of the online sales process is easier. The different parts of the website integrate seamlessly. However, where there are issues DecoNetwork is willing to listen. Ideas and suggestions from their clients frequently make it into updated versions of DecoNetwork’s site and software. DecoNetwork also has partners in and around the industry, working with suppliers like Sanmar to streamline your business even further.
The next software tool to know about and use is Paypal. Chances are you already know about Paypal. However, you likely do not know the full extent to which Paypal can benefit a product decoration business. Paypal is no longer just a payment gateway. In addition to accepting payments and making purchases, a business can ship orders through Paypal. They may not offer the lowest transaction fees (30 cents plus 2.75% nationally, 3.75% for international), but when you consider Paypal’s omnipresence online, and excellent customer service, they are difficult to beat. Banks will often offer merchant services that seem cheaper at first blush, but when you consider subscriptions and fees they often end up much more expensive than they seem. One last point, in addition to their online presence, Paypal offers Paypal Here. Paypal Here is an in-person payment system. Similar to Square, Paypal Here is a card reader that can plug into a tablet or phone. The difference is that PayPal Here is backed by Paypal, which is a much larger and more powerful comp any.
Amazon.com and Etsy are two of the most recognizable names in online retails sales. A business must pay fees to sell their products on these two sites, but what they are paying for is essentially web traffic. Rather than having a site of its own and figuring out how to drive web traffic to it, a business can list products on Amazon and Etsy. These websites are places where people go looking for their products. Amazon is the retail giant (an online Walmart if you will), while Etsy is a niche marketplace (like a collection of mom-and-pop stores) that caters to entrepreneurs and artists. Amazon will offer a broader and larger customer base, but Etsy possesses a uniquely-motivated customer base that is looking for handmade and/or artistic products. Amazon, naturally not content to let Etsy corner this market, launched Handmade by Amazon in October of 2015.
While Amazon and Etsy are excellent sites for selling decorated products, they are not always the easiest sites to work with. Amazon, for instance, has strict shipping demands. If those demands are not met, then a decorator might lose their ability to sell their products on Amazon.com. Reviews are very important on both Amazon and Etsy. Etsy does not involve themselves in review disputes unless the review violates their site policy. In other words, Etsy will not mediate disputes over the validity of the content of a review. Also, Etsy reviews cannot be deleted, but they can be edited. This is important information because positive reviews are crucial to increasing and maintaining the popularity of an Etsy store. So, while Etsy and Amazon can be excellent resources for product decorators, having your own online store may be the best option if you can drive enough traffic to it.
Lastly there is ShipStation, a subscription shipping website application that is powered by Stamps.com. Shipstation partners with the US Postal Service, Ebay, Etsy, Amazon, UPS, and more to ship orders seamlessly. A business can ship through its desired carrier and import orders from almost any site with ease. Shipstation enables businesses to increase the level of automation in their shipping process, saving time and money. Shipping is more important than ever now that so much business is being done online, and having a simple and dependable shipping method will make a positive impact on your business.
The growth of online shopping has been a boon for the product decoration business. However, if you do not understand the ins and outs of online retail, your business may flounder on the web. Using the right websites and software will save time and money for a business while offering an extremely profitable and efficient method of making sales. It is time to take advantage of the opportunity afforded by online retail and all these sites can help make that opportunity into a reality.
