Online Shopping Catalog vs Paper Catalog – Which One Works Best?

Gorgeous images. Slick, shiny paper.

From newest fashion collections to a regular offer from SEAR’s. Catalogs have always been driving attention. They have been “out there” long before the internet and many years later are still going strong. They are part of a reason why shopping is so exciting.

Do you run a business that needs to be seen by others? Not a problem! Grab your camera and take a few shots that will show the best features of your products. After all, a good catalog is all about a visual. But, how should you publish your catalog? Is digital catalog better than traditional? This article will try to answer that.

Publuu – an online shopping catalog maker (recommended)

If you decide that it’s time for your catalog to make an appearance online, then you’re in luck. Publuu offers the easiest publishing process on the market. How easy is it exactly?

As easy as posting a link on a Facebook page. And so, with just a flip of a switch, every single person with access to the internet can see what your shop has to offer. And if your business has a website as well, then you’ll be happy to know that showing your catalog on a website is just as easy as posting it on your social media. Every flipbook and every web kiosk has a built-in embedding feature .

What is “embedding”? It’s incorporating content to your website.

It’s easy. Elegant. No rigid WordPress frameworks. No CSS coding. And with just a simple blog post you can publish your entire shopping catalog – and make it look like you built your website just for this one purpose.

And the best part? Your catalog will look amazing. Like an example below:

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MAKE YOUR OWN

Even if all you did was to scan a traditional, paper catalog that you used for years Publuu can make it look like it was made to be digital. With Publuu’s flipbook feature, your digital catalog will flip pages, make sounds and behave like a fully animated customer experience.

But that’s not all!

Every flipbook published with Publuu comes with a dedicated tracking system. This way you’ll know exactly how your shopping catalog is performing. It’s just as good as Google Analytics!

Benefits of a catalog

But if you are still wondering IF creating a shopping catalog can attract customers to your shopping cart, then look no further.

First, and foremost, shopping catalogs are comfortable. Whether you want people to order by phone (yes, it’s still a thing) or just to let them know what you have to offer, nothing beats the comfort of one’s own home. Your (soon to be) customers can sit comfortably in their favorite chair, listening to their favourite Spotify playlist while looking at your catalog. This experience can form a positive correlation between your products and their mood. And from there it’s not too far for them filling in a shopping cart.

Paper catalogs – who is using them in 2021?

It’s easy to fall under the impression that everything is done online now. In reality, it’s not quite like that.

Sure, every shop seems to have its online counterpart. Shopping can be done on your mobile and Google Analytics tracks your every move. While in some cases this could be true, there are still those who prefer a quiet stroll with their shopping cart on a Wednesday afternoon.

Senior citizens.

Or, as marketers like to call them: silver tsunami. Our society is aging and businesses need to pay attention to who their customers really are. Sure, every business owner would love to see a member of every demographic shopping in their store. But, in reality, every business caters to a different niche.

So, while posting your products online is a good idea for reaching customers that are comfortable with technology, it may not be enough to reach everyone.

What’s the solution? Paper catalogs that everyone can use. Sure, you won’t be able to use Google Analytics to see who is reading them. But instead, you will see customers walking around with a copy of your catalog in their shopping cart.

Digital shopping catalog for seniors

At the same time it’s not like every senior citizen is avoiding technology.

In fact, more and more seniors are using Facebook, own smartphones or even do their shopping online. If you’ve been in the game long enough, your Google Analytics reports are telling you this: customers who are over 60 years old are more likely to do their shopping via the internet now, than they were 10 years ago. This is a good opportunity for your business – all you need to do is to invite them to start filling up their shopping cart in your shop. You need to create a series of catalogs for seniors

Before you post one, you need to remember a few things.

Catalogs for seniors will need to be accessible for people with decaying eyesight. Big fonts, bright colors on dark backgrounds. Simple navigation with keyboard arrows and mouse clicks. If there’s anything that you can do to improve their shopping experience – you should do it. You can even go as far as making sure that there will be an animation of a turning page.

Paper catalog vs digital – conclusion

So while we cannot pull a definite Google Analytics report to tell which is better, we can make few assumptions. Popularity of Shopping on the internet has created a need for online catalogs. And in that sense, if your shop is looking for customers online then you should definitely focus on digital catalog.

But, if your shop has a physical location as well, then you should not ignore it. Those of your customers, who believe that shopping should be done in person will appreciate a catalog that they can take home.

Overall, neither is better than the other. It all depends on the context and niche that you are trying to address.

Do you agree?

How else would you use a shopping catalog in your business?

You may be also interested in:

How to Make a Catalog ?
Catalog Design Ideas