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Online catalogs have become a popular option for shoppers who are interested in purchasing all kinds of goods and services. Here are five ways creating your own online catalog can help you reach your marketing goals.
Use Online Catalogs to Cater to a Unique Buyer Persona
Expanding your business digitally means reaching every type of buyer persona. Moreover, you need to give each customer the opportunities regular retailers don’t provide.
For example, retailers that offer online credit catalogs allow even the most financially vulnerable customers to purchase from them. These are buyers who have bad or no credit history. But online retailers can provide them with opportunities to shop for any product or service they need, gaining loyal customers in the process.
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In fact, the best online shopping catalogues provide their customers with multiple payment options. For instance, some allow customers to purchase a product or service now and pay for it in weekly and monthly installments.
You can help your customers who find themselves in less fortunate financial situations with online credit catalogs. This is one of the main reasons online catalogs appeal to some customers.
Use Online Catalogs to Showcase Your Latest Products and Services
With online catalogs you can easily present your latest products and services to your target audience as soon as they’re available. Also, whenever you want to introduce a new product or a service or inform customers about a sale, you can do so with little effort. Just add items or announcements to your catalog and make them visible to your customers.
Compare this method with using printed catalogs, which are limited to unalterable text and image until the next time you lay out a catalog for your print shop. Meanwhile, online catalogs let you incorporate multiple elements that you can change when you need to. Actually, some elements are impossible to use in print versions.
For example, you can embed animations and videos into online catalogs. These can help to explain your products and services and illustrate how they can benefit customers. Videos can highlight how customers can use your product and show people how to install them, moving potential customers closer to making a purchase. Also, various interactive tools and great visuals will strengthen your brand’s image and increase your revenue at the same time.
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Catalogs Influence Purchase Decisions
According to one survey, roughly 84% of people said they were interested in buying a product after seeing it in a print catalog. Just imagine how many more people will be influenced by the power of an online catalog.
In general, when people shop they think about where and how they are going to use a particular product before they actually purchase it. For this reason, it’s smart to add supplementary content to your online catalog that includes images of how customers can use a particular product. Additionally, testimonials from happy customers can help potential buyers make a decision to purchase that item.
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As an online retailer, you will be better able to connect with your customers by way of your online catalog, providing them with additional information about your products and their uses. All of these factors will further influence your customers’ purchase decisions.
Simply put, an having online catalog gives your business an advantage over businesses that do not have them.
Increase Orders and Sales by Incorporating Relevant SEO Elements
Don’t fail to incorporate elements of search engine optimization, or SEO, into your online catalogs. SEO is a critical piece of digital marketing and you should be using it to increase your orders and sales.
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A smart SEO strategy will drive more traffic to your site and increase your business’s visibility. One of the most powerful ways to build a smart SEO strategy is to include engaging and relevant content in your online catalogs. In this way, you will attract more people to your site. Simply put, more visitors to your site equates to more potential customers.
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So be sure to include your site’s unique keywords in the copy for your online catalog to increase your site’s visibility online.
But attracting more customers isn’t the only benefit of incorporating good SEO practices in your online catalogs. You’ll also be connecting with potential customers on a deeper level and building trust. People who trust your company are much more likely to place orders and sales with you.
Online Catalogs Make Your Website Convenient and Easy to Use
When people shop, they don’t want to be rushed. Instead, they like the opportunity of browsing through images and videos to discover new items and services at their own speed.
With online catalogs, they no longer need to worry about spending too much time in actual stores and waiting in long lines. They can have a better experience by shopping from the comfort of their home.
Plus, online catalogs are easy to access anytime and anywhere. This means your customers can also make purchases long after working hours. This will naturally lead to more orders and more sales.
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Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that online shopping catalogs are a powerful addition to your marketing strategy. Just always make sure to keep your content engaging and provide your buyers with excellent service.
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Then you’ll find that going the digital route as a retailer will allow you to expand your customer base and increase your sales in a big way.
