Deloitte conducted a 2016 Global Mobile Consumer Survey which found that “during the day, we look at our phones approximately 47 times and that number rises to 82 for 18- to 24-year-olds.” With smartphones allowing a sense of 24 hour a day access and connection to the internet, as well as email, it may surprise some to hear that an Epsilon study found that 70% of people feel mail is more personal than the internet.

With customers opting for a deeper connection by choosing paper over electronics, it’s no surprise that consumers who receive a catalog spend more money than customers who do not.

Catalogs still deliver, promoting a long-term brand loyalty relationship to the catalog companies and the products they sell.

Connecting with Customers

What is the first thing you do when you get home? For many it is checking the mailbox. In fact, 77 percent of people look at their mail right away. So, how can you keep customers from flipping past your catalog? With reviews. Adding reviews to your catalog can come in the form of customer quotes or a rating system with comments.

In a recent BrightLocal study, 74 percent of customers move forward with purchasing an item after looking at product reviews. This piece of additional information is easy to add to your website and can showcase a product or products.

Displayed reviews and ratings should have easy to read fonts, avoiding gray tones and color prints, as these texts have lower viability. Black font is best.

This customization option can be added to the description of a product. For example, ending the product description with a five star rating will attract the attention of customers.

How can ratings and reviews drive catalog sales?

Customer-to-customer recommendations create a deeper sense of connection to the product.

  • Reviews explain why customers want or need this product (or products!)
  • Brand loyalty, more reason to repeat a sale with reviews or rating to back the product quality.
  • If you have an overstock of one particular product, add a review or rating to draw attention to the product.
  • Advertise a product without an actual advertisement. Popular or “hot items” can be featured on the cover page with quotes from previous buyers.

Fall launches the beginning of holiday shopping season.  To learn more about how your catalog can have the most impact this season contact your Dingley representative.