About fifteen years ago, it seemed it was all about the mail-order catalog. Many people started out in home-based mail order businesses that were focused on catalogs that were shipped out to prospects and customers. With the onset and obvious popularity of the internet, more and more catalogs have given way to web sites and online ordering. Is it still worth it to use catalogs for marketing and sales?
Judging by my mail box on a weekly basis—there must be some reason for companies to continue to print and distribute catalogs. However, I don’t get the plethora of small and specialty interest catalogs that I did a couple decades ago—it is more the large, established retail companies that are sending me glossy catalogs. The catalogs have also gotten a bit smaller from my estimation since the bulk of the ordering seems to be done on line.
Still, catalogs can be handy and portable (but so can lap tops) and from my research, it seems that those companies who do use catalogs, use them to supplement a strong web presence and, as mentioned before, customers are being directed to the web site to order and discover more products and services.
The fact that there are less catalogs in the mailboxes may make one stand out more and be more likely to be read, or it could indicate a strong shift in consumer preferences and people just aren’t reading them. What do you think? Have you considered printing or using catalogs as part of your home business or do you already? Do they work for you and how can you tell? I do believe there is still a place for catalogs in marketing products, but it has to be in addition to a web site and presence and probably can no longer stand alone as the sole means of marketing.
Also: Shopping Online or Ordering Through Catalogs