Catalogues are extremely important for both sales and marketing. The traditional catalogue is treated as a proven source of information by many people. However, with changing technology, many businesses are weighing whether to stick with the traditional catalogue or go for the digital version. Both types of catalogues have their pros and cons. Therefore, carefully analyze them and decide, whether you will hire the services of a digital catalogue design company or stick with the traditional catalogue for your business.
In this article, we will share with you some important pros and cons of both styles of catalogs so that you can make an informed decision.
Advantages of traditional catalogue
Here is a list of advantages that a traditional catalogue provides.
1) It is something that people can hold
A traditional catalogue is something that people can hold and look for information. Turning the pages gives you a tangible experience that a digital catalogue cannot compete with. If you have the resources, then you can make your catalogue truly outstanding. You can use high-quality paper, scented pages, and even shades that can change color when it is seen under different light and temperatures.
2). We are accustomed to trusting information
People find it easy to trust printed promotions much more than digital ones. Research has shown that print promotion can lead to more positive action compared to digital print.
3). There are not bound by the Internet
One of the big advantages of a traditional catalogue is that you can take it with you anywhere. Furthermore, sometimes digital content can be viewed differently on multiple gadgets. For example, a catalogue that is optimized for your smartphone viewing may not look the same on the iPad. There is no such issue with the traditional catalogue.
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Disadvantages of traditional catalogue
While there are numerous advantages associated with traditional catalogs, any digital catalogue design company will point out that it also has numerous disadvantages.
1). Once printed, you cannot make changes
Once you have printed the traditional catalogue, then you cannot make any changes. If there are serious mistakes, then you have to reprint the catalogue after making the requisite changes. Therefore, even small mistakes can be very costly.
2). Restricted space
There is limited space available in a print catalogue. Therefore, you have to carefully consider which image or text is truly significant so that it finds a place on the catalogue pages. This is not true for a digital catalogue.
3). Limitations of market research
It becomes harder to analyze the effectiveness of your traditional catalogue in communicating important information. This statistical limitation makes it difficult to optimize the content in the future as you don’t know which part you have to optimize.
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Advantages of a digital catalogue
Digital catalogs are preferred by companies as they offer numerous advantages, some of which include the following.
1). You can do frequent updates
According to the digital catalogue design company, one of the biggest USPs of the digital catalogue is that you can update it as per the latest information and design. Therefore, your catalogue always remains up-to-date and fresh even after a few years.
2). They are easily available
You don’t have to carry the huge bulk of the catalogue with you for your clients. Your catalogs can be easily sent to your target audience through email, and they can view them on any device.
3). Easy to analyze the success of digital catalogue
As you can link the number of offers or traffic from the source where you have sent your digital catalogue, you can easily analyze its success. This analytical data can be used to make requisite changes in the digital catalogue to make it more attractive and effective.
Disadvantages of digital catalogue
While digital catalogs have several benefits, a digital catalogue design company will agree that it also has a few disadvantages.
1). Each catalogue is not ideal for digital
Certain catalogues are more effective when they are printed in the traditional model. For example, catalogs of dresses look far better in the traditional print on high-quality pages compared to the digital catalogue. Here the potential client can enjoy viewing beautiful attires, amazing shades, and superior textures more than on the digital catalogs.
2). You will need Internet
To access a digital catalogue, your client will need Internet access. Therefore, if the Wi-Fi connection to your office is not good, then you will find it hard to send a digital catalogue to your potential client.
If for your company, catalogs are essential, then we suggest that you should create both printed and digital versions of them. Having both these versions will give you the added advantages which you will not find if you work with only one of the formats. Furthermore, each type of catalogue has its niche audience, and it serves them optimally.
Therefore, hire a digital catalogue design company to create a beautiful-looking catalogue with all the relevant information. You should also make a printed version of it and keep it for those clients who are looking for a traditional touch.