Printed and e-catalogues: the most cost-effective boost for eCommerce?
A published catalogue was once the shop window for manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and distributors. However, since online marketing has become widely adopted for both B2B and B2C businesses, the number of companies choosing to publish printed catalogues for their product sales has declined. But does a market still exist for printed catalogues?
Whether or not businesses had chosen to manage their catalogue production inhouse – or to outsource – it’s clear that the decision to switch to a fully online strategy would have been largely financial.
Fast forward to 2023 and many businesses now have the slick and easy-to-use website. However as this has become expected – it is no longer delivering the same stand-out impact it once did.
Businesses are seeking new and alternative solutions to develop brand recognition, and drive sales.
The catalogue vs. the e-catalogue
Catalogues produced professionally, using well managed product data, clever publishing technologies, and importantly with clever targeting strategies and a greater relevance and relatability for its audience – are once again becoming more widely adopted.
Helping your brand become better established across your target markets, catalogues still have a well deserved place in the sales tool hierarchy. They are widely popular for their tactile and browsing qualities, and are particularly valued by contractors and installers as reference tools whilst both on and off-site – resulting in companies and their brands becoming inherently established with their target markets.
An online version of the printed catalogue, the E-catalogue, can be incredibly relevant too, particularly when product data requires regular updates. Utilising the same artwork as that created for the printed catalogue, the E-catalogue will visually mirror the printed catalogue page by page and can be easily published on a company’s website, or any other suitable digital space.
The E-catalogue delivers an alternative channel of brand interaction with customers, and is a good middle-ground between a printed catalogue and a webshop – offering instant access for purchasing whilst also remaining tactile and engaging. Customers can browse for longer. Additionally, with the right software behind your product data, an auto-pagination tool makes this task incredibly valuable.
Catalogues – what you might want to consider
Start with the basics...
Producing good quality catalogues might at first seem costly – when compared with some online publishing – but catalogues are a tried and tested formula that are widely known to deliver results when part of a well planned and targeted marketing strategy.
We recommend a well-organised and maintained product information solution, to keep costs down – aiding catalogue production and in turn reducing costs.
Our partners at Channel Studios are experienced users of both our Proplanet PIM solution and our AutoPub Print module. Offering advice towards dataset completeness and organisation, Channel Studios combines years of expertise alongside a modern approach to catalogue production.
If you’re looking to produce a catalogue for your product line, get in touch with Channel Studios to discover why printed and digital catalogue formats still deliver the highest conversion from impression to sale of any marketing channel.