Buyers Seek Print
Everything Goes Better with Print
Use Business Printing to Jump Ahead of the Pack
The success of retail websites means printed catalogs can be relegated to buggy whip. Or so says the conventional wisdom. But, recent research indicates otherwise. Online consumers who received a printed catalog from any given retailer were nearly twice as likely to make an online purchase at that retailer’s website. The finding comes from a comScore survey based on 6,400 responses from online shoppers.
I know this is true for me. One online retailer that I buy from sends me catalogs. I do my shopping in the catalog and then when I am ready to order I go online. The site is a good one but there are so many items I might not find what I want just searching online. It is faster and gives me better results sorting through choices before I go online.
The Direct Marketing Association conducted a field study in 2005, scoring the primary channels for generating orders, the research found that 60% came from printed catalogs, 24% were inspired by retail settings and only 9% arrived via Internet. The percent of sales by channel also showed print’s pulling power. Paper catalogs accounted for 42% of sales, retail 20%, websites 26% and other channels 12%. In a 2006 study of newspaper readers sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America, 78% reported that they use newspaper inserts to plan shopping and 76% say that these inserts have helped them save money.
What can be seen from this is that if you’re not using print, you’re missing out on big numbers. In today’s business climate you certainly don’t want to ignore the Internet and what a website can do for your business. Just don’t ignore print. You could be throwing away sales.
It could be similar to a salesman making a call on a client and not leaving behind any printed materials. The time and energy of the sales call could be lost. By leaving behind a presentation folder with a well presented cover letter on company letterhead and a full color brochure, a more lasting and professional impression is made.
It is always wise to have printed materials on hand when meeting with prospective clients and this means offering something even if they are coming to you in cyberspace. It is very common when visiting websites to be offered the opportunity to get an e-book, which can of course be printed out, or even to receive a printed sample in the mail. Experienced Internet sellers have discovered that offering something beyond pixels pays off.
Written by David Walrath
Ajalon Printing & Design
