Create customers, revenue streams with high-quality catalogs

If you have a mailbox, you’ve probably come across your fair share of catalogs. And if you’re like most of us, a good chunk of those catalogs hits the recycle bin before anyone has had the chance (or the urge) to break the binding. But every once in a while, as you sift through the bills, a glossy cover grabs your eye. You peel it open, scanning the photos and headlines. Before you know it, you’ve got your pen in hand, circling away.

Chances are this is either a catalog from a company you’ve patronized in the past or one that caters directly to your personal behaviors, preferences and lifestyle. This is precisely why the printed catalog has survived as a common element of the marketing mix, even while many companies have moved their catalog-style listings and ordering to the World Wide Web.

Conventional wisdom would lead you to believe that selling by catalog is only suitable for retail businesses that market clothing, appliances or household goods. The truth is that catalogs can work for almost any type of business, even those that sell services. For example, pest control companies can develop year-round catalogs divided up by season, which list prices and details for each service. Auto mechanics can do the same thing for common repairs, and can even include a helpful guide that matches suspicious sounds and symptoms to the most likely causes. This kind of marketing will help you appeal to new customers and earn more repeat business from your established ones.

That is also why it’s so important to collect and maintain accurate contact information from your customers, because mailing your catalogs to only pre-qualified candidates is the best possible way to maximize profitability and reduce waste. If the customers were pleased with your products and service, they’ll hang on to these catalogs for a long time.

Many of the most successful printed catalogs offer three ways to order products — mailing in a tear-out form, calling a 1-800 number or ordering online. And if you guessed that online ordering is the most popular option, even when the customer decides to buy while flipping through a print catalog, you’re right. For most customers, it’s the fastest and easiest way to buy. Your best bet is to construct an online catalog that closely matches the design and feel of your printed version so that your mailbox checkers can order with ease.

If you already have online ordering and you don’t think it’s the right time to launch a full-sized catalog, consider a smaller, brochure-style “teaser” catalog. You can feature your hottest items or services while promoting “all this and more” on your Web site. These smaller, partial catalogs probably won’t be kept as long by your customers, but they’re easy to pass along to a friend and they can aggressively drive short-term traffic to your site.

Let me emphasize how vital it is to ensure a high-quality final product. Catalogs, regardless of their size, are meant to be retained, and you don’t want a crummy-looking catalog sitting on someone’s end table for six months.

This is a visual medium, so photo quality is crucial. Use only professional photography. In some instances, especially if you are exclusively selling services, you might be able to squeeze your budget by purchasing quality stock photography. However, utilizing professional shots of your own products is usually preferable. Your cover image is critical, because this is how most customers will decide whether or not to open your catalog. Select an image that your target audience is going to find compelling, attractive and exciting.

Your copywriting is just as important, particularly when it comes to luring in a customer to look more closely at a product. Each listing should have a headline that demands to be read. If the product photo doesn’t attract the reader’s attention, then the headline is your last hope. Your descriptions should be creative and tell a story about the product, but they must also give a clear and complete profile of what the product is.

If you’ve always wanted a catalog for your company but just haven’t gotten around to it, you might want to reflect on what kind of repeat business you’re missing out on. Likewise, if you’ve always assumed that a catalog isn’t right for your business model, you should consider how it could help differentiate your brand. A catalog that has been planned and designed well reads to your ideal target audience like a captivating comic book, and with the right mailing list, it can yield a massive return on your investment.