Balancing Online and Print Catalogs

Balancing Online & Print Catalogs

The challenge of moving distributor catalogs and sales online

Here is an excerpt from an informative article in the current issue of Modern Distribution Management about distributors’ efforts to bring their catalogs online:

According to a recent survey conducted by Robert W. Baird & Co. and MDM, about two-thirds of distributors and manufacturers have some sort of online catalog already on their Web sites. Half of the remaining companies plan on posting an online catalog within the next two years.

Many distributors have separated the content component from the selling component. Just 49 percent of MDM-Baird survey respondents said they actually sell products online, significantly less than those already offering online catalogs.

…even without the inclusion of prices or the option to actually purchase products online, having an online catalog available for customers can help streamline the purchasing process for customers by allowing them to do research on the items they need and want.

"There's a misconception that small businesses need a complete Amazon-like experience, 100 percent real-time, and 100 percent integrated with their backend," says Jason Hatfield, e-commerce product manager at Activant. "These Cadillacs are expensive and not always necessary. The elite retail businesses need and should invest in systems like that; the rest should treat the Web like their best outside sales rep and invest in it rationally."

"Companies that provide that comprehensive product description online are going to have a significant advantage over those with just price lists," says David Jacobs, president of Sam's Custom Catalog Services in Carmel, IL

But how do you translate the offerings your company has into an efficient online catalog? One of the most significant expenses related to creating a product catalog is content acquisition. And several survey respondents admitted to not having the technical expertise they thought necessary for doing so.

After the Web site's purpose has been identified, it is important it have the correct platform for storing the compiled data, and that is not in a spreadsheet, Jacobs cautions. Instead, he suggests exploring database options that can not only feed your catalog, but can tie to your order systems and inventory management systems.

"A good catalog provides good, accurate, consistent data that your customers can use to make the decisions about what they need to buy regardless of how the order is purchased and what the final price is," Jacobs says.

Here’s a link to the full article (subscription required):

http://www.mdm.com/balancing-online-print-catalogs/PARAMS/article/25901