We all know the importance of having a Web to Print Portal. They help you save time and money, protect your brand, and make it much easier to manage and order your sales and marketing materials.

But how much does a Web to Print Portal cost?

No matter how beneficial they are, it’s important to understand that the cost of a Web to Print Portal will be determined by 3 factors, including who your portal provider is, how many products you need to have set up, and the products you order from within your portal.

What is a Web to Print Portal?

A Web to Print Portal—also known as a "Brand Portal," "Ordering Portal," and "Marketing Portal"—is a custom-built online storefront where you and other users you allow access can quickly and easily order all your company's brand-compliant sales and marketing materials. For a complete overview of everything there is to know about portals, check out our blog "All About Web to Print Portals."

Factor 1: Different Web to Print Portal Providers Charge Differently

Web to Print Portal providers all over the country charge differently, and it's important that before you commit to a provider, you find out how their pricing structure works.

When breaking it all down, there are mainly two different types of pricing for Marketing Portals, including the portal that you pay way too much for just to have on top of setup fees, placing orders, and being required to place a certain number of orders a year and then the portal that has minimal fees and you pay as you go, whether you use it monthly or annually.

The Paying for Access Portal

While portals, in general, include a small monthly fee, some Web to Print Portal providers charge extra costs, including an extraordinary amount for the portal environment itself, charging you by the hour for product setup, charging you to give users access, and monthly subscription fees that cost you thousands of dollars. This is all on top of the price of the products themselves.

Disadvantages:

• It’s expensive.
• You may be limited to a certain number of product setups per month.
• These types of printers typically don't have competitive pricing, so the products you order will be overpriced on top of the extra fees.
• These types of portals may also have a limit for how many users can access your portal and/or may charge per user.
• There may be a minimum of how many orders you place a month, forcing you to place orders you may not need.

The Paying as You Go Portal

When you choose a printer specializing in Web to Print Portals for many clients, you choose a provider who understands that one of the main reasons for having a portal is to save you money.

That's why Web to Print Portal providers like Kingston Printing charge minimal fees and then charge you once for the setup or editing of a product. The rest is on a "pay as you go" process where the cost is based on the price of the actual products you order, which are never priced more than those on their public website.

Advantages:

• It's a whole lot cheaper.
• These providers specialize in Web to Print Portals and invest in expanding and improving functionality, which you never have to pay for.
• They consider market prices and strive for competitive pricing, so you never have to worry about being charged a crazy amount on monthly fees, setup, or products themselves.
• There isn't a minimum of how many products you order monthly, so you can order when it's right for your budget and needs.
• They even have flexible payment options to match how your business operates.
• You gain extra free features like a support team and help setting up your account users. They'll even help you create or send a message to inform your company about your portal and how to use it. They even help you optimize your portal to save you even more time and money.

Factor 2: Web to Print Portal Setup Pricing

Setup pricing is determined by online design setup and static product setup.

The price for setting up online design features and static products—or products that don't require any variable changes like information on business cards—depends on how many products must be set up at once and what your design elements require.

The more products you have ready to set up, the cheaper the cost will be because your portal provider can set them all up at once, saving them time.

Pricing for Static Product Setup

Static products are any products you feature within your Web to Print Portal that do not allow for variable changes.

This could include t-shirts, where users can only choose the color, size, and quantity while not being able to modify the design, or flyers, where the information included within the design cannot be customized.

The price for product setup varies and could cost anywhere from $100-$20 per product. To give you an idea, below is an average of what product setup may cost you.

Pricing for Online Design Setup

Products with online design features include anything that the user can customize. This includes addresses on postcards, images on brochures, or business card contact information.

The price of an online design setup varies, just like a static product setup. It will be determined by how many products you have ready for setup on top of the design features you want to include. Products that require online design features will cost slightly more than static products because of the design tools that are built for them and might cost anywhere from $250-$50 per product.

Below is an average of the cost for design setup for Web to Print Portals or Brand Portals so that you can get a better idea.

Please note that pricing for products that require static and online design features is subject to change.

Factor 3: The Cost of Your Web to Print Portal Products

Once your customized Web to Print Portal, or Marketing Portal, is all set up, the main cost—other than any additional product setup needs in the future and the small monthly fee—is the price of the actual products you order.

This means that if you choose a portal designed to save you money, you could go months without paying for a single product. When it's time to order business cards or brochures, you then pay for the products you order.

Also, depending on your portal provider, the print and direct mail pricing is market-based. It matches the competitive prices on your printer's public website. And for any custom products—or anything not listed on their public site—your printer will work with you on your options and a pricing schedule, so everything aligns with your budget and product needs.

So How Much Does a Web to Print Portal Cost?

Overall, if you choose a printer like Kingston Printing, your product setup and small fee will determine the main cost. After that, it just depends on the cost of the items your company orders. Our payment setup can match the way your company operates. We can bill each user at checkout or use purchase orders so you can pay later.

If you choose a Web to Print Portal Provider who charges you for access, hourly rates, and offers overpriced products, you will be paying much more.

It's best to find a printer who understands that Web to Print Portals are meant to save you money and not get every cent they can from you. If you agree, click the button below to schedule a 10-minute demo. Our portal experts are here to answer any questions and help you find the best options for your goals and budget.