Thinking of setting up a "funky pigeon"/"Moonpig"-type card site, need printing

bookguy

I've got a couple of ideas for a personalised, print on demand site that caters to quite niche interests (nothing naughty!)

I can design the website and sort the content/branding myself, but it's the printing/distribution that's stymying me. I'd welcome suggestions for printing services that would operate like this:

1 - Client logs into my site, personalises card and pays
2 - Card data is sent to printer, who prints and sends it to the client. I need never see it.

This all needs to happen in the same timescales as Moonpig, etc (48 hours) would offer. There needs to be no or minimal set-up costs with printer taking a cut or invoicing for their cut of the card cost after each transaction. The printer needs to be in the UK.

Just bluesky at the moment, but thoughts/advice welcome!

Lighthouse_in_the_dark

I imagine moonpig funkypigeon the dogs doodahs etc etc

1. have there own in house printers,
2. have a seriously big marketing budget!

I think the online card market is quite a hard market to gain any market share in because they have to spend a hell of a alot to get their name out there.

bookguy

Lighthouse_in_the_dark wrote: »

I imagine moonpig funkypigeon the dogs doodahs etc etc

1. have there own in house printers,
2. have a seriously big marketing budget!

I think the online card market is quite a hard market to gain any market share in because they have to spend a hell of a alot to get their name out there.

Well, they are trying to appeal to large markets - I'm looking to do it quite small-scale, a niche, as I said. More a corner grocers than a Sainsbury's!

motorguy

bookguy wrote: »

Well, they are trying to appeal to large markets - I'm looking to do it quite small-scale, a niche, as I said. More a corner grocers than a Sainsbury's!

You still have to get your name out there to attract people to your site.

I take it you are offering a different type of card to moonpig, etc?

If moonpig arent doing it, then why not?

If you are successful at it, whats to stop moonpig doing it, and crushing you?

bookguy

Well, I'm not going to go into the detail, but I know that it's not something they would do.

Look, I said I've got the marketing and content sorted, I'm a content professional, I'm not looking for speculation about that or whether or not this is something Moonpig themselves might do in competition. I'm looking for advice about fast turnaround printers that will print a single thing and post it.

Does anyone have any actual knowledge of this sort of thing?

chalkie99

Although you won't want to hear this either ....

You are looking for someone who can provide bespoke production and despatch for a cut of a very low price item and yet "do it quite small-scale, a niche"

Printers are already struggling to make a profit on large orders. I, frankly, can't see anyone being interested.

Mistral001

Its seems a shame that when OP decided to go into the card-printing business he did not think about one small detail: HOW TO PRINT CARDS!!!

bookguy

Mistral001 wrote: »

Its seems a shame that when OP decided to go into the card-printing business he did not think about one small detail: HOW TO PRINT CARDS!!!

Very droll.

I don't know why everyone is getting so chippy about this. I know plenty about printing - I could print these myself - but I thought I'd ask if there was a better way.

It's not a traditional card-selling structure, the market is clogged with those already, it's a different model, and I thought I could get some sensible advice here.

pleasedelete

Why I dont use moonpig etc is that you dont sign the card. Something that let my own handwriting go into a sent card would be good.

Tomby1

pleasedelete wrote: »

Why I dont use moonpig etc is that you dont sign the card. Something that let my own handwriting go into a sent card would be good.

I can't help with the printing issue, but I agree with the above. Might be worth considering this if you haven't already.

paddyrg

How about talking to Touchnote about white labelling their service? They have just launched a 'cards' as well as postcards digital press and fulfilment service, so if they could give you access to their API's and a merchant account you'd be golden.