For many businesses, well designed web sites have eliminated the need for elaborate printed catalogs but not for all businesses. More and more, purchasers are turning to the web to research solutions to their needs. More than 60% of new equipment or new source decisions are made after research on the web. That also means that almost 40% of those decisions are not.

There is little doubt that your web site is, or should be, an effective marketing tool just like your printed catalog. You should provide your visitors with the same information they would get from your printed catalog. You can even give them the ability to print out the page as an off-line reference for presentations. With a good navigation system, it should be easier to get to the right information much faster than it would be with a printed catalog.

But, you can not hand out a web site at a trade show, or can you? If your customers are one of the few diehard groups of people that absolutely insist on a printed paper catalog, you certainly can’t ignore them. The good news is that most printers readily accept PDF files of your catalog artwork. The programs used by your graphic designer can all generate those same PDF files. They can also generate web ready PDF files by changing a couple of settings. PDF files can include links to your site for special information or special forms. You can make the web ready version available on your web site with a simple link, or you can put it on a CD as a trade show handout. CD's are usually cheaper to produce today than elaborate printed catalogs.

With a good web site, prospects who are not already aware of your business can find you. With a good printed catalog, you can accommodate those diehards who continue to kick and scream into the new century, you just will not have to print as many.

Technorati Tags: Communications