Print shops going online

Transforming the Online Print Ordering Experience Through Improved Catalog Structure

CMSMART played an integral role in enhancing the online ordering process for a leading print business. By streamlining their product catalog and improving customer journey, the project effectively facilitated better service discoverability and made ordering smoother for customers looking to personalize print products. The solution focused on removing friction points in product selection, leading to quicker order placements and satisfied customers.

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Transforming the Online Print Ordering Experience Through Improved Catalog Structure - project preview

The challenge

Context and Challenges

In the highly competitive print industry, businesses are constantly challenged to deliver a seamless online ordering experience while managing a diverse array of print products, including business cards, flyers, posters, and signage. Many print service providers struggle with managing product catalogs effectively and ensuring customers can easily navigate through options and submit designs.

Goals

The primary goal was to streamline the online ordering workflow, enabling customers to discover services easily, personalize products, and complete their orders quickly. Improving the overall user experience was crucial to increase customer satisfaction and conversion rates.

The solution

Solution Overview

CMSMART collaborated closely with the business to develop an improved digital catalog structure focused on product discoverability and customer engagement. Key changes included better organization of product categories and optimized navigation pathways to facilitate an efficient ordering process.

Implementation Approach

The implementation occurred in several phases:

  • Phase 1: Analysis of existing workflows and user navigational patterns.
  • Phase 2: Restructuring the online catalog, focusing on usability and accessibility.
  • Phase 3: Enhancing customer interaction features, including artwork uploads and product configuration options.

What was built

  • Enhanced online ordering capabilities for personalized print products.
  • Improved product configuration options to allow for customer customization.
  • Streamlined artwork upload processes to minimize manual steps.
  • Reorganized product categories for better accessibility and faster service discovery.
  • Implemented user-centric design enhancements to promote a smoother customer journey.

How it fits the order workflow

The solution integrated seamlessly into the existing quote-to-fulfillment process, allowing customers to easily submit their orders, upload designs, and finalize transactions without delays. This transformation positioned the business for growth in a competitive market while ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction through enhanced service delivery.

Outcome

With the new enhancements, customers reported a smoother journey when ordering printed products. The improved catalog structure enabled quicker access to desired services, leading to a more efficient order completion process. The overall user experience was significantly improved, reducing the friction previously experienced during product selection.

What the workflow covers

  • Faster product discovery

    A clearer catalog structure helps customers find the right print service quickly, reducing time spent browsing and lowering the chance they leave before ordering.

  • Smoother customization journey

    Guides shoppers through product options in a more logical order, making personalization feel simple and reducing confusion around sizes, finishes, and quantities.

  • Fewer artwork-related delays

    Improves the artwork submission flow so files are collected at the right time and tied to the correct order, minimizing missing assets and rework.

  • Reduced manual follow-ups

    Cuts down the need to chase customers for details by making the ordering steps clearer and more consistent from selection to checkout.

  • Better handoffs to production

    Cleaner order details and file handling support a more predictable transition from ordering to prepress/production, helping teams maintain turnaround expectations.

  • Improved customer confidence

    A user-friendly storefront experience builds trust, especially for personalized print orders where customers want reassurance their choices and files are correct.

  • Higher checkout completion

    By removing friction in navigation and selection, more customers complete their orders instead of abandoning due to complexity or uncertainty.

  • Scales with a growing catalog

    A structured category and navigation approach makes it easier to add new product lines without creating a messy storefront that increases support load.

Questions about this project

It’s designed for print businesses offering multiple product types (cards, flyers, posters, signage) that need a clearer catalog structure and a smoother online ordering journey, especially for personalized items with artwork upload.

It reduces confusion in product selection, streamlines customization choices, and cuts down the manual follow-ups often needed to collect correct artwork and order details—helping orders move from checkout to production faster.

Not necessarily. Many teams start by improving category structure and navigation first, then refine configuration and artwork steps. A paid plan helps you roll out changes safely with monitoring and quicker support.

You can start with the template and then request customization for your categories, naming rules, and approval steps. Custom work typically requires a paid plan and becomes non-refundable once delivered.

It can support a B2B-friendly flow by making products easier to locate and reorder. For more advanced needs like customer-specific catalogs and reporting, a paid plan is recommended.

It standardizes the upload moment in the ordering journey and keeps files associated with the correct product and order, reducing missing files, wrong versions, and delays caused by manual coordination.

Prepare your product category map, key product options, artwork requirements (file types, size rules), and your preferred ordering path (browse → configure → upload → approve → produce → fulfill).

You can set up automated confirmations and status updates (like “order received” and “artwork received”). If you want more reliable sending and tracking, consider a paid plan with better stability and support.

Yes. The workflow is intended to support common print configuration needs (size, paper, finish, quantity) and guide customers through a clearer selection path. Exact options depend on how your catalog is set up.

Yes, many print businesses add a proof step after artwork submission. You can align the workflow with your approval policy so production starts only after confirmation, reducing rework and customer disputes.

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