The objective behind any catalog is information. To communicate information on product models, illustrate their features, specification and provide useful illustrative imagery. Representatives have always used catalogs to guide customers as to best-suited products for their needs. Speed provided by digital access is vital today getting product information to our customers to allow them to complete their task at hand.
As the Internet has evolved since the late 90’s, practically every company has moved over to housing their products within an ‘online’ digital catalog on their website. Using an online catalog also has great advantages over paper for the customer with search functionality and the ability to share. Also, online catalogs ultimately provide greater product visibility to end users, with 24/7 Worldwide access from any device.
Digital has no restriction in size and isn’t limited by the amount of pages. There are no logistics involved around distribution, as with traditional printed mediums. Producing printed catalogs can involve production and printing costs in the tens of thousands of dollars. They can have large fixed costs for a small number of products. Along with this also comes storage and these can become can be outdated and wasted in a very short time period. Wasting catalogs means wasting paper and this isn’t very green. When printed catalogs run out it is increasingly difficult to share the information, however with digital sharing is endless. Mistakes in printing can be costly after a print run, but with digital errors, these can be instantly corrected. Digital also has the possibility of linking to other media, for example, installation videos or relevant codes and authority.
It is worth remembering that printed catalogs still function without batteries or Wi-Fi signal. Many people still find them extremely convenient, however, the days of us mailing mass quantities to everyone isn’t the case anymore. We still respect customer requirements and are happy to deliver a catalog in whatever form needed at their request.
Keith Glasch's Blog 