When Will Web-to-Print Cross the Chasm?

In his blog, Howie wonders when Web-to-Print will cross the chasm and become the "hot" new trend.

When we look at Web-to-Print software today, we still have not seen the momentum build to mass-market adoption but there are some predictions that it will occur soon. According to the latest InfoTrends research, the share of web-purchased commercial print volume will double from 15% in 2009 to 30% in 2014. When compared to data from a decade ago (2000), the percentage has grown over 5x, where only less than 3% of print volumes were e-enabled.

But let's look closely at this, because sometimes there are hurdles that slow the adoption of new technology. They include: cost of entry, ease of use, integration into existing systems, ROI and perceived value. In my experience, there is about 30% adoption of web-to-print in the companies I visit and only about 50% have it working well and are successful in making it a profitable part of their business.

Howie goes on to describe two issues that are slowing the success of Web-to-Print, and looks at the missing critical success factors. If you're involved in Web-to-Print or hoping to become involved, it's worth a look.