We can probably all recall the time we spent flipping through a printed catalog. Nothing will ever quite replace the tangibility of a printed catalog but digital versions are increasing in popularity.
There are many benefits to using a digital publishing platform versus printing catalogs. Printed catalogs are becoming harder to create, print, and distribute worldwide. Over the last couple of years, due to supply chain issues and production delays stemming from the pandemic, there has been a steady decline in available materials. In this article, we will talk about benefits that come specifically with using DCatalog’s digital publishing platform versus solely printing catalogs.
- Connect to your audience: Treat your digital catalog as an extension of your print catalog. Utilizing digital catalogs enables you to quickly and seamlessly get your content onto your readers’ phones, tablets, or desktops” to showcase the versatility of the eCatalog. Digital catalogs facilitate your ability to share your content with a larger audience pool. Make the catalogs immersive and engaging with sound effects that replicate flipping through printed catalogs. Add video and audio clips to help you speak directly to your customers. Add pop ups and links to increase interactivity and connect your readers to sources inside or outside the catalog.
- Link your catalog to your eCommerce platform: Another huge benefit of going digital is linking your catalog to your eCommerce platform. Customers can shop and browse in the digital catalog, add items to a wishlist, or add them directly to a cart. When satisfied with their selections, your customers can checkout at any time of day or night. Users can also crop and share products from the catalog pages by sending those items through email, or social media. The ability to browse and shop in the catalog, as well as virtually share products, is a big plus for sales, ROI, and marketing.
- Integrate your catalog with analytics data: Analytics data will give you detailed information about the items, content, or events in which your customers are highly interested. The data from analytics will showcase metrics such as the number of visitors, page views, how long customers stay on each page, conversion rates, what links they click on, the keywords they search, and more. You can also get an enhanced eCommerce view that will explain shopping and purchasing behavior. This analysis will give you insight into your customers’ shopping activity. Analytics will help your sales and marketing team focus in their efforts to assist your customers and generate more leads and sales.
- Save time and money: Print catalogs carry costs. This includes creation, distribution and shipping, not to mention the costs of printing the catalog. When you choose to publish digital catalogs, your print and distribution costs will decrease. Additionally, save time on production processes and printing by converting your PDF directly to a digital catalog. If you take into consideration the investment it takes a graphic designer to create your catalogs manually, you’ll find that DCatalog comes out to be a fraction of the cost- especially if you plan on making monthly, weekly, or daily generations of your publication.
- Provide a cohesive brand experience: If you are mixing print and digital catalogs, a great way to connect them is by utilizing a QR code. A QR code is a machine-scannable image that can be accessed with a smartphone. You can supplement the printed catalog with digital catalogs by sending out a print catalog with a QR code. When scanned, the QR code will direct the user to the digital catalog version. This enables you to send out fewer print catalogs but keep a cohesive brand and user experience in your digital content.
Of course, print catalogs are tangible objects that digital catalogs will not quite replace. But, with a digital publishing platform like DCatalog’s, you can design amazing digital catalogs that nearly match the depth of your printed ones.
Sign up for a free trial with DCatalog and learn all about creating immersive digital catalogs to boost user engagement and increase sales and reach!