We’re in the middle of a recession, so it’s logical to argue that any unnecessary costs should be trimmed to keep your company lean and mean. The marketing sector is no more immune from cutbacks than any other: when money’s tight, the tendency is to ditch anything that doesn’t earn its corn. Take printed brochures and leaflets as an example: why spend on these when potential customers can get all the information they want from your website?
The answer, contrary to what you might think, is that it makes sense. Companies have to speculate to accumulate, even when times are tough. A recent Royal Mail survey threw up some very interesting statistics with regard to the buying habits of consumers. It highlighted what it termed the ‘flick and click’ effect. The survey polled some 30 major online retailers, from mail order companies to grocers.
From the 1800 responses it received Royal Mail concluded that printed catalogues and brochures still have a surprisingly profound effect upon the buying habits of consumers.
- Customers who received a printed catalogue were 76% more likely to subsequently buy online, compared to those who didn’t receive printed brochures.
- These customers spent on average an extra £110.
- Over 70% responded that receiving a brochure/catalogue would definitely prompt them to follow it up and visit the website.
- Retailers who included leaflets and flyers with their brochures increase their online sales by 30%
It’s pretty clear from those statistics that print, whether it be a brochure or a leaflet, is a supremely effective way of building loyalty and driving customers to websites. If you add to that the fact that another survey found that 73% of customers prefer to receive offers in the mail, then it’s pretty clear that the printed medium offers many unique and effective marketing advantages.
Online sales are totally reliant on traffic being directed to websites, whether by emails or online advertisements. Even when customers find the site they have to spend time browsing and building trust before they commit to any purchase. Printed catalogues and brochures land on the doorstep and can be browsed at leisure anytime or anywhere. By the time the customer logs on to the computer, they’ve already made the decision to buy. All thanks to the humble brochure.
These are impressive articles. Keep up the noble be successful.