Why it is no longer enough to have just a paper catalog of your components

Even though you may have some die-hard customers who swear by your paper catalog of your components, publishing your catalog of products online is a major strategic priority.

Below are 3 compelling reasons which underline why having just a paper catalog of your components is no longer enough.

1. Paper catalogs do not meet designers’ expectations

Designers’ have stringent requirements just like B2C consumers.

Designers expect component manufacturers to help them to optimize and accelerate their design studies.

This inevitably involves providing 3D models in the CAD formats they need.

If we take the case of our customer RS Components, some 70% of the design studies carried out by their customers are done in 3D.

If your component catalog is only available in paper format, you may well be missing out on a significant part of the market!

2. Paper catalogs are not adapted to buyer behavior

The expectations and purchasing behavior of decision makers in industry have changed radically with the arrival of the Internet and new technologies.

Decision-makers in the industrial sector are increasingly connected and autonomous in their purchasing process.

They want to think about their purchases on their own and at their own rhythm.

As a component manufacturer, your role is to make their job easier.

As such it is essential you provide buyers with all the information and tools they need to make their decision online.

Your component catalog can no longer be only printed in paper format.

You must publish it online and also provide interactive navigation.

Buyers also need to be able to consult and download your components in 3D in the right CAD formats.

3. Paper catalogs have an impact on your brand image

As a component manufacturer, you operate in a technical market, often driven by constant innovation.

If your catalog of components is only available in paper format, it will obviously have a negative impact on your brand image.

Indeed, it would be paradoxical for an innovative company not to exploit Internet and new technologies to satisfy its customers.

In addition, industrial buyers no longer purely purchase according to price or availability.

They attach great importance to the company’s values, including its ecological values.

While also being a costly exercise, printing a catalog in paper format is not really environmentally friendly!

Download our guide “5 reasons why your component catalog is not visible”