Traditionally, a B2b catalog is a printed piece that groups many items together with the aim of
hoping to sell at least one item to the recipient. It’s proven way to display your products and
services to new and returning customers alike. But printed catalogs have become too static for
the information age.
As prices change, models get updated and the business evolves, your catalog can quickly
become outdated. Besides, the B2B world is changing fast with 94% of buyers searching for
information online, and 68% regularly purchasing goods online. With this in mind there’s never
been a better time to go digital. An online B2B catalog can be instrumental in generating more
leads and providing an easier purchasing experience for your customers.
Here are 13 ways online B2B catalogs outperform their printed counterpart:
#1 THEY ARE COST EFFECTIVE
The obvious benefit of using online catalogs is that you don’t have to pay printing or physical
distribution costs to get your publications in front of your target audience. Printing a new catalog
every season can be a significant financial commitment for a business, so switching to online
catalogs could be a way to bring down your operating costs.
#2 CUSTOMERS CAN FIND YOU ANYWHERE
With the world constantly on the move like never before it really does pay to stay connected. A
B2B catalog allows your customers to search your offerings anywhere, anytime. Ideal if you
want to be able to reach a whole new range of customers that no longer rely on bulky and
outdated printed catalogs!
#3 YOU CAN UPDATE B2B CATALOGS INSTANTLY
There’s no one more frustrated than a customer when you have to clarify outdated prices listed
in a catalog. As a business this can be a real issue because it means you either have to keep
your prices static, or employ an entire team to constantly print new versions of your material.
By going electronic you can start promotions, end sales, and adjust your prices instantly. Ideal
for making your to-do list that little bit shorter.
#4 THEY INCREASE YOUR REACH
Printed catalogs only reach customers via the mail or through face-to-face meetings.The
advantage with going digital is that you can reach new customers via a whole host of new
approaches. Email campaigns, social media outreach, and your own website all offer easy ways
to instantly distribute your latest B2B catalog.
#5 THEY CAN HALVE YOUR ORDER TIME
There is not a customer alive who wishes it took them longer to order something.The great thing
about an online catalog is that you can cut out the middleman by allowing people to order
without any human interaction.
#6 THEY’RE SO MUCH EASIER TO SEARCH
Scouring the index of a print catalog can easily take several minutes when you’re looking for a
couple different products. When you decide to transition to a B2B catalog on the other hand,
you’ll be able to integrate instant search functionality as standard. This not only allows your
customers to find what they need far more efficiently, it also keeps them in the positive frame of
mind that maximizes their likelihood of buying from you.
#7 THEY’RE IMPOSSIBLE TO LOSE
Every customer will tell you how frustrating it is when they can’t find your catalog among their
mountain of paperwork. By having an digital binder that houses all of your various catalogs
you’ll be able to save them a whole host of headaches with little effort on your part.
#8 THEY’LL DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR SITE
Something many businesses overlook is that an online catalog is actually great SEO! By using
long-tail keywords and optimizing against that specific phrase, your e-catalogs can help you
gain higher SEO rankings.
#9 THEY’LL HELP YOU CONNECT
Every customer likes to think that they’re special, and if you treat them that way they’re far more
likely to remain customers for years to come. You can utilize B2B catalogs to target the exact
people and businesses you want to connect with, tailoring the catalogs to suit language,
currency and logo. If you’ve been looking for a way to take your outreach to the next level then
customized material could be the perfect way to connect with the businesses you want to speak
to.
#10 THEY ARE PERFECT FOR ENGAGEMENT
The great thing about going digital is that it allows you to connect through a variety of different
mediums. Whether you want to embed animations, explainer videos, or order buttons you can
do it all. And fast!
#11 THEY MAKE CROSS-SELLING EASIER
Most customers hate a hardcore sales pitch.If you want to really drive up sales you’re going to
need to cross-sell other products and services. Matching or complimentary products are
presented in smarter ways than in printed catalogs. For instance, you can include animations or
pop-up boxes with matching products to show a coordinated set of products.
#12 DIGITAL B2B CATALOGS ARE TRACKABLE
When you send out a print catalog, you have no idea how long your business customers spend
looking at each page, or whether they even open the catalog at all. Online catalogs track every
aspect of how they’re used and read.
This information helps to give you a deeper understanding of which products most interest your
target audience and how the design of your catalog influences the way readers interact with it.
You can then use this knowledge to adjust your marketing efforts, so they better align with your
customers’ needs and expectations.
#13 THEY GENERATE LEADS
For many businesses, the main purpose of catalogs is to inspire interested customers in order
to generate leads. When using online B2B catalogs, you can add interactive features that would
never be possible in a print catalog.
For example, you can enable pop-ups that prompt your customers to give you their contact
information, so you can contact them with offers that might interest them in the future.