In recent years, Online Stores, often referred to as, Print on Demand (POD) has revolutionized the way businesses, organizations, and brands approach selling custom merchandise. Whether you're a small business, a church group, or a large organization, the allure of POD is clear: you can run an online store and sell as little as one custom-designed product without the overhead of managing inventory, production, or shipping.

But, as is sometimes the case, the reality of POD isn’t always as smooth as it seems. So, what’s the deal? Why do so many people find themselves dissatisfied with their online store and POD service, despite the potential it holds?

Let’s break it down.

What is Print on Demand?

Before diving into the issues, it’s important to understand exactly how POD works. In simple terms, POD is a business model where companies only produce products after an order is placed, meaning there’s no need for bulk inventory or upfront investment. This system has allowed a wide variety of businesses and brands to offer custom apparel, accessories, and other products with minimal risk.

When a customer makes a purchase from an online store, the POD provider (like us, or another player in the industry) prints the custom design on a product and ships it directly to the customer. This means you can run an eCommerce store without ever having to touch the product yourself. It’s a fantastic model for those looking to sell branded merch or unique designs without managing physical goods.

The Benefits: Why Print on Demand is a Game-Changer

On the surface, the advantages of POD are undeniable:

• Low Startup Costs: No need for bulk orders or upfront investment in inventory.
• Scalability: You can start small and scale up more products as you grow.
• No Inventory Management: The POD provider handles printing, packing, and shipping directly to the customer.
• Customization Made Easy: You can offer a wide range of products, each customizable with your own designs.

This ease of entry has made POD a go-to solution for organizations of all sizes. Whether you're a local business or an international brand, POD gives you the ability to sell personalized merch without the headache.

So, Why Aren’t All POD Services Created Equal?

It sounds great, right? But here’s the problem: not all POD services are built the same way. While some large POD companies have mastered the process, they lack the personal experience and fail at offering a high quality level of service. The reality is, to run a successful POD operation and ensure timely, accurate fulfillment, you need a strong team, top-notch software, and smooth processes. This is where many smaller POD providers fall short.

1. Lack of Proper Systems and Software

The backbone of any successful POD service is technology. Without the right systems in place, it’s difficult to track orders, monitor inventory, and manage fulfillment efficiently. Many smaller POD providers simply don’t have the resources to invest in high-quality software that can streamline the entire process. As a result, this often leads to errors in order fulfillment, incorrect items being shipped, and delays that leave customers frustrated.

2. Inconsistent Quality Control

A smooth process doesn’t just involve quick turnaround times—it’s about delivering a quality product every single time. With POD, the product is printed, packed, and shipped by the POD provider. If the provider doesn’t have the right quality controls in place, the results can vary, leading to inconsistent products and unhappy customers.

3. Delayed Fulfillment

Many POD providers simply don’t have the staff or systems in place to fulfill orders quickly and efficiently. This means delays in production or shipping, which can leave customers waiting longer than expected to receive their order. For large POD companies with plenty of resources, fulfillment is a streamlined, high-priority process, but for smaller companies, delays are all too common.

The Big Players vs. Smaller Businesses: What’s the Difference?

You’ve probably noticed that large POD companies, like Teespring, Printful, and others, have their processes down to a science. They have massive teams and state-of-the-art software systems that allow them to process orders quickly and efficiently. For them, POD is their core business, and everything from design submission to fulfillment has been optimized for speed and accuracy.

Smaller businesses, on the other hand, may lack the infrastructure to scale their operations. Many of them are trying to juggle POD alongside other services, which can lead to inefficiencies. Whether it’s trouble managing orders, dealing with unhappy customers, or fulfilling orders on time, the growing pains of smaller POD providers are all too real.

Why We’re Different: A Decade of Experience

At our company, we’ve been offering online stores and Print on Demand services since before it was the trend it is today. In fact, we were handling POD the hard way a decade ago—long before the technology was as advanced as it is now. Over the years, we’ve refined our systems, adopted cutting-edge software, and built a dedicated team that focuses solely on ensuring our POD operations run smoothly.

This long-term commitment to the POD model has given us a unique advantage: we’ve been able to continually improve and optimize our processes, ensuring that our clients and their customers have the best possible experience. From design submission to order fulfillment, we take pride in getting it right every time.

Deuce Shirts gives you all the benefits of the Big Players but with a small business feel. We have set up our services to be fully customizable for our clients specific needs. We don't force you into a cookie cutter - one size fits all type of store.

Quality of Decoration: What Sets us Apart

The main complaint we often hear as it relates to other POD services is the the quality of the decoration just is not what they thought it would be. Here's why: They think they are getting a screen printed shirt like they are used to. The simple fact is that most POD providers are going to be decorating using DTG or Direct to Garment printing. This is a great method to knock out single order shirts quickly and easily. However, DTG is not screen print. The images are often grainy and not vibrant. DTG is also very finicky on how it reacts to different shirt brands even making consistancy nearly impossible. DTG will also not be as durable. Where screen print often outlast the shirt, the opposite is true of DTG. Where we are different is that we use actually screen print for the majority of our POD prints. When not using screen print we utilize a method called Direct to Film. Either way our deocrations come out more vibrant, more sharp, and will last. This allows us to be confident that when a client receives their order they are very pleased with the final outcome and the product is exactly what they expected.

CONCLUSION

While Online Stores and Print on Demand are fantastic solutions for businesses of all sizes, it’s important to remember that not all POD services are created equal. The key to success lies in finding a provider with the right systems, experience, and dedication to getting orders out the door quickly and accurately.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to improve your current online store, take the time to choose a POD provider that has the infrastructure and track record to support your needs. After all, your brand's reputation—and customer satisfaction—depend on it.