It’s true that the printed catalog has been on a decline, but it’s by no means out. Even as the industry as a whole moves towards online catalogs accessible via computers and smartphones, there are a lot of cases where a printed catalog still makes sense. While Vertical Development offers ShowMeTheParts, the largest online public parts database on the market, we also have decades of expertise in developing printer-ready catalogs. We can turn your data into a wide range of industry standard formats and even help you build your listings so that you can serve customers who still need a physical copy of your catalog.
Why paper? It may seem pretty obvious to say, but a paper catalog doesn’t require a computer. If there is a power outage or system outage, customers can still look up what they need in the catalog. This is especially true during natural disasters. In this case, it may be days before a shop has power after a hurricane or tornado, printed catalogs help businesses to continue as normal.
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Anyone who can read can use a printed catalog. No special equipment is needed, making printed catalogs a great choice for small shops. Sometimes it’s the preferred choice because a shop won’t need to refer to a catalog that often, and the only computer it has is the POS system. In other cases, parts are such a small part of the overall business that it doesn’t make sense to dedicate time to training on a computer-based catalog. It also makes it easy for customers to look up items for themselves: by having printed catalogs handy for fast moving items like oil and air filters, they can find what they need without waiting to talk to an employee.
Unlike a digital catalog, you can put a paper catalog in someone’s hand. That means salespeople can leave a physical reminder of what your business carries with far more information than a simple business card. It also gives customers a full view of your product line, whereas search results in an online system may only show what’s in stock locally.
No matter how good your online presence may be, having a printed catalog opens your business up to more sales opportunities. Thanks to vCatalog and ShowMeTheParts, Vertical Development is your one-stop solution to get your catalog printer-ready and on the web.
To put vCatalog software to work for your brand or company, call us at (847) 609-9540 or email sales@verticaldev.com.
