Whether you are an old pro at printing catalogs for your business, or you are a catalog printing rookie, there are some things you need to know. Here are five essential items for your mental toolkit.
Catalog Success Key Number One: Ask for Action!
There are far too many catalogs out there that do not include a call to action. The best catalogs in the world will not be very effective if it does not tell the customer what he needs to do next to buy your product. Always include several calls to action in your catalogs. Whenever a customer sees a product he likes, you want him to know exactly how he can buy that product. So make it easy for him to do just that. Include your phone number or email address and the specific way to make an order.
Catalog Success Key Number Two: Contact Information
This pretty much goes hand in hand with key number one. If the customer does not know how to contact you, she can’t order your products. And if she can’t order your products, she can’t give you her money. And if she can’t give you her money, your business is going to fail. Make sure you clearly display your contact information (phone numbers, website addresses, email addresses) in several prominent areas in your catalog.
Catalog Success Key Number Three: Emphasize Your Company
You often hear about your “brand”. Your brand is (or should be) incorporated into all of your marketing materials, including your catalogs. Once you design an effective brand, and blend that into an attractive logo, use them! Put it on the front of your catalog, and find a way to mix it into the contents of your catalog in an appealing way. The more times a customer sees your logo and the “brand” that you are presenting, the better the chances that it will stick in his brain.
Catalog Success Key Number Four: Consistent Design
Your catalog should have a concept behind it, and that concept should permeate the entire catalog. If you are going with a holiday theme, stick with it throughout the catalog. Do not confuse the reader by switching up the catalog’s concept halfway through. Come up with a theme or an idea that will drive your catalog, and use it all the way through the entire campaign.
Catalog Success Key Number Five: It’s Still About Quality
The word “quality” is thrown around a lot, and it may feel stale. But when it comes to your catalog printing, it is still vital. You absolutely must use quality products in the design and production of your catalog. Anything less than quality will be noticeable to your readers, and will give them the impression that you are cheap. It is far better to spend more money on a quality catalog than to offend potential customers with a cheap one. Even if your products are of the highest quality, your customers won’t know it if you hand them a cheap catalog.
