Common Problems with Catalogs

If used properly, catalogs can greatly help your business. A catalog is a multi-platform tool designed to make your business known. It can give detailed descriptions of products and services so that people will get to read about them. Many companies invest in the paper materials and design used for their catalog printing because of the returns that they experience. Their products become really fast-selling. However, if you think that your catalog is not driving the sales up, then there probably is a problem with either the campaign or the brochure itself. And this happens even with the most nicely made catalogs. So let us take a look at some of the reasons why catalogs do not seem to rake in the expected sales.

a.    Poor Promotion or Unreasonable Offers. The cover of the catalog itself should already present the whole thing to the reader. It should be attractive enough and should speak what the promotion is about. If the cover does not promote your offers, then surely it will fail to attract potential customers to pick up the catalog and read the contents. You have to use attractive images combined with powerful text messages in the cover. These elements put together should not only urge the consumers to read but also to make a decision, either to purchase or to pick up the phone and make the order. That is why your message should be direct to the point.

On the other hand, if you think that the catalog design is alright, then you may also consider that your offers are not that worth it. Sometimes, no matter how attractive your catalog is, but if the reader realizes that your offers are not worth buying then they will not buy no matter what. So review the offers that you put in there.

b.    Wrong Target Audience. It could also be that the recipients of your catalog are the wrong people. It might be that the profiles of the people who received the catalog do not match up with the products. That will be a real disaster. For example, you are selling motorbikes and accessories. But somehow along the way, the catalog finds its way in the home of an elderly couple who do not have children. Then most likely, they would not need a motorbike and would not be interested to buy one. Random offers just do not work. Find out who your target audience is, where they live, and how you can get your catalogs to them. Your products and demographics should always match in order to derive sales. So while you invest in the production of your catalogs, also invest in research.

c.    Confusing Contact Details. It could also probably be that you did not give clear instructions on how to order. They might be interested but if they do not know who to call; then chances are, you will never get orders. So be clear with your instructions and contact information. And make sure that your catalog is free from contact information errors. .

d.    Poor Materials. Assembling a catalog takes a lot of effort. So make sure that you invest in good quality materials. Full color printing is almost always the best solution. And also, have matching envelopes so that clients will not dump your catalog in the trash right after they receive the envelope.

It takes a lot to prepare catalogs but the efforts will be worth it if you have properly given thought on every aspect. Then you can just expect catalog printing to work positively for your business.

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