The SPOD print-on-demand option is relatively new to the eCommerce industry, but it has quickly gained traction among the community. Customized products can be an excellent path for online store owners and dropshippers alike.
SPOD not only handles the actual printing of the designs on the products but it also takes care of the inventory warehouse, order fulfillment, and shipping. This all-in-one service makes running a custom printing business almost downright easy.
In this SPOD print-on-demand review, we will cover some of the key features of this app, the pricing structure and touch on some of the alternatives just in case you aren’t sold by the end of this post.
SPOD Print-On-Demand Services
SPOD is dedicated to quality. Their all-inclusive print-on-demand services help make easy sales for your store and guarantee happy customers. While they are considered “new” to the eCommerce industry, yet they have been in business for over 20 years.
In addition, their extensive integrations make it easy to start a print-on-demand dropshipping business on any of the well-known eCommerce platforms.
Not only are they dedicated to their merchants and products, but SPOD also places a focus on sustainability in all that they do. These are some of our favorite features of this impressive eCommerce tool.
Key Features
Extensive Product Options
SPOD is constantly adding to its available product options to keep up with the demand. At the moment, they have products in over seven categories and 53+ subcategories. Here is just a shortlist to give you an idea of the 200+ products that they offer:
- T-Shirts
- Tank Tops
- Long Sleeve Shirts
- Hoodies & Sweatshirts
- Kids’ Shirts
- Baby & Toddler Shirts
- Baby Bodysuits
- Sweatshirts
- Face Coverings
- Bags & Backpacks
- Pillows
- Caps
- Stickers
- Posters
- Phone Cases
User-Friendly Design Tool
One of the most important aspects of a print-on-demand service is how easy it is to actually make what you want to sell. The design tool is straightforward, user-friendly and SPOD offers plenty of guidance along the way.
High Product Quality
SPOD uses cutting-edge printing equipment to offer the highest quality for its customers. As a result, they boast a 99.3% customer satisfaction rate, which is impressive considering that they’ve shipped over 5,000,000 orders.
Quick Production Time
The SPOD print-on-demand claim to fame is their “under 48 hour” production time. It’s a pretty impressive feature seeing that 95% of orders are, in fact, fulfilled in under 48 hours!
SPOD Print-On-Demand Factories in the United States and Europe
Global factory locations aid in their ability to get your orders sent out quickly and efficiently. It also helps in lowering shipping costs for international customers!
SPOD has five production facilities across the world in Henderson (United States), Greensburg (United States), Leipzig (Germany), Krupka (Czech Republic), and Legnica (Poland).
Pricing
The pricing structure of SPOD print-on-demand makes it enticing for new business owners and dropshippers. In addition, they do not have any installment fees, which makes this a very low-risk business venture.
They have a base price for their products which you will see at the design stage to help you determine the sales prices. Compared to other print-on-demand services, SPOD product prices are pretty average on the scale.
So, all in all, SPOD print-on-demand is low risk and affordable when considering the quality of produced products.
Getting Started with SPOD
It is simple to get started with SPOD print-on-demand services.
Step 1: Create an Account
The first step is to create an account and register with SPOD. This is also where you’ll determine the best production site for your store.
Step 2: Create Your First Product
Then comes the fun part – creating products! SPOD offers 200+ products that you can customize with your own artwork or using one of their 50,000 free designs. In this step, you will also want to determine pricing for your products factoring in the costs, markups, and taxes.
Step 3: Market Your Store
Whether you’re using your own store or dropshipping through an online marketplace such as Amazon, eBay, Walmart, or elsewhere, this is where you start marketing your products. As we mentioned, SPOD offers everything to fulfill your orders, but it’s on you to bring those orders in. (Hint, that’s where smart eCommerce product research comes in!)
Step 4: Make the Sales
Then comes the best part, making the sales. Once your marketing efforts start to pay off, the sales should start rolling in. Of course, this process will differ depending on the platform you’re using.
Step 5: Sit Back and Watch
With SPOD print-on-demand, after an order is placed, they take care of the rest. SPOD handles the product printing, fulfillment, and shipping to ensure that your customer receives their order in a timely manner. SPOD also offers extensive customer service to take care of any issues that may arise at any point during the process.
Alternatives to SPOD Print-On-Demand
Of course, there are a plethora of print-on-demand services that you can choose from, so here’s a quick overview of some of the competitors.
Printify
Printify is another one of the all-in-one apps that handles not only production but also storage and shipping. Similar to SPOD print-on-demand, Printify features a design tool that’s user-friendly and international shipping partners. The main difference between Printify and SPOD is that Printify has a tiered pricing structure of three levels which dictate the number of stores you can use the tool for and offer product discounts for the higher levels.
Printful
Printful is not only free to all users, but it’s also one of the top printing software in the industry. While their inventory is not as extensive as some of the other alternatives, they maintain a high-quality standard for all of their products.
The big difference between Printful and SPOD is that Printful is a separate website versus an app that you can add to your store. However, they easily integrate with many big-name eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Big Commerce, and many others. This feature makes them an excellent alternative for those who are running stores on a platform other than Shopify.
Gooten
Gooten is another company that provides print-on-demand services to the global sector. Similar to Printful, Gooten is a third-party website. That means that to connect this tool to your store, you will need to link it to your platform (except for Shopify, where they do have an app that you can download). However, Gooten is free to add to your store and only charges for sold products, so this is also a good option for new store owners.
Final Thoughts
While still relatively new, SPOD print-on-demand is quickly becoming the top competitor to these other brands. The high-quality products and lightning-quick fulfillment guarantees are just a few of the key features that they offer.
On top of that, since you only pay when a product is purchased, this is an extremely low-risk business model, which is great for any new drop shipper who is just dipping their toes in the industry.
So is this the #1 print-on-demand app for Shopify users? We say yes!
However, adding this app to your store is just the first step. The next crucial step? Determining those winning products that will SELL!
Finding the Right Products for SPOD Print-On Demand
While SPOD print-on-demand pricing offers a no-risk business model, you still want to SELL products. The key to making sales is finding those winning products through eCommerce product research.
The BeyondSixFigures Product Research Accelerator Course from BeyondSixFigures is the best option on the market for eCommerce beginners and professionals alike to develop a tried and true strategy for effective and powerful eCommerce product research.
In this course, you’ll discover how to discover (and avoid!) bad products, how to identify a profitable niche and products, and how to understand proper fund allocation. PLUS, Justin Woll (eCommerce expert and multi Two Comma Club award recipient) shares his secret Winning Product Index Criteria in this course, so you never have to “guess” a winning product ever again! Even better, currently, they are offering this course (originally $97) for FREE, but not for long!
Remember, profitable products are the backbone of a successful eCommerce store. So, what are you waiting for?
Learn more about the Product Research Accelerator Course
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SPOD only for Shopify?
Yes, since SPOD is an app, you will need a living, breathing Shopify app to use it. If you are looking for a print-on-demand service but aren’t necessarily tied to Shopify, you can always use Spreadshirt, which is the platform that powers SPOD but doesn’t require Shopify to use.
Is print-on-demand business still profitable?
Yes! Especially when you use a print-on-demand app such as SPOD, you only pay for what you sell. So, in that case, there is very low risk involved which can turn into a highly profitable business decision.
Is print on demand profitable in 2021?
Yes, with the right products, fulfillment partners, platform, and marketing assets, print-on-demand services can be highly profitable for online stores in 2021.
Does Spreadshirt connect to Shopify?
Spreadshirt connects with Shopify through SPOD, the Shopify app powered by Spreadshirt.