The 2020 holiday season has thrown a curveball at the way many small businesses buy and sell. But while the shift to e-commerce this year has been remarkably swift for consumers, some manufacturers, vendors, resellers, reps and rep agencies are still struggling to adapt to today’s largely remote sales landscape. For many SMBs, the shoppable online catalog can be a cost-effective tool for sellers looking to level up their remote sales game, fast.
Why shoppable online catalogs?
Shoppable online catalogs work by using HTML5 to instantly transform a static PDF catalog file into a responsive, clickable e-commerce site with integrated payment processing. This gives you the aesthetic advantages of using a designed catalog with rich product details already developed, but adds the convenience of a clickable, digital shopping experience (for a fraction of the time and expense you’d spend on a website build).
Shoppable online catalogs save customers time
While consumers value price and quality, an overwhelming number of them prize convenience above all. A whopping 97% of consumers surveyed in a recent NRF report say they have backed out of a purchase because it wasn’t convenient enough; and another 52% say convenience influences more than half of their purchase decisions. Shoppable online catalogs can be easily shared with customers and used across devices, so they can research, browse, purchase (and you can fulfill orders) all in one place.
Shoppable online catalogs help customers discover new brands and products
Today, the research phase of making a purchase decision is done almost exclusively online, especially when it comes to B2B buyers. Browsing an online catalog better preserves and mirrors the curated experience of browsing a catalog in real life, where you can discover products you didn’t necessarily know you were looking for.
Shoppable online catalogs give you real-time insights into your customers
B2B and B2C shoppers are an increasingly demanding lot and they want shopping experiences that feel detailed, relevant and streamlined. Shoppable online catalogs allow you to measure your customers interest and behavior in a way print catalogs do not. From tracking visit duration to page views, real-time insights into user behavior can help you sell more effectively.
With the holidays fast approaching, we know SMBs are looking to create fast, affordable and secure digital shopping experiences for their customers. With our instant catalog creation tool, Publishop, you can upload a PDF catalog or product list and transform it into a shoppable e-commerce site in minutes. See for yourself how easy it is to share, shop and sell with Publishop — start a free 7-day trial today!
Follow Aleran on LinkedIn.
