Straight Talk for Your Digital Catalog Strategy

The right strategy wins, whether you’re talking about business, publications, or an approach to just about anything. With that in mind, it might be time to re-evaluate your strategy to digital catalogs.

If you find yourself asking questions like, "how does my digital catalog work as a profit center?" or "what features are important to customers?" or "how do my results compare to everyone else’s?" then I’d recommend you attend the webinar entitled Straight Talk: Digital Catalog Strategy on September 27, 2:00 EST.

In this webinar, hosted by MultiChannel Merchant and Nxtbook Media, two businesses will explain their approach to digital catalogs. Among other objectives, they’ll touch on different points of strategy, and what has worked for their companies. If you have questions, they’ll give answers. Register now to secure your spot for this event.

Sneak Peek: Social Media and Digital Editions

According to AdWeek, "Nielsen Online found that 73% of U.S. internet users engaged in social media at least once per week." The social media evaluated included blogs, social networks and message boards. Your readers are already using social media networks. It’s time you used that to your advantage.

One business, TechSoup, has stumbled upon some key secrets to effectively using twitter, forums, and discussion groups to promote the brand and the digital edition. (See their website and their digital edition.) TechSoup is a nonprofit organization which provides resources, information, and support for other nonprofit businesses. Their digital edition – a magalog – combines informational content with for-sale software products donated by other companies.

In an extensive interview and subsequent webinar, Senior Marketing Manager Alexis Geslani explained how TechSoup promoted their publication through social media sites. Read a few of Alexis’ ideas here:

"We did a special e-mail to our base with a ‘refer a friend’ angle."
"We did a blog about the digital catalog. They put it in their newsletter." (referring to 3 separate blogs)
"[We] just said, ‘Hey guys, we just got this catalog. Could you retweet it?’ And they did!"
"We’re just tapping what I call the icing on the cake. The potential could be huge."

Look for the full case study on social media and TechSoup soon. Contact your account manager today to get started on your own social media strategy.

Case Study: Digital Editions Driving Technology

Technology never stays the same; to stay in the game, you’ve got to change with it. Sound familiar? Nxtbook Media clients really get it.

"If you’re not moving forward, you’re dying," said Wayne Gale, President of Stokes Seeds. Gale met the challenge of the increased trend for Internet purchasing while also battling an inefficient company Web site. As Stokes Seeds caters to customers in both Canada and the U.S., Gale also faced down additional challenges of currency and language barriers.

You are invited to get a sneak peak into how Gale and Stokes Seeds solved complicated challenges associated with needing to keep up with technology. Read how a digital catalog was the impetus needed to revamp one company’s approach to technology: Click here for the case study!

How This Decade Does Digital Catalogs

It’s not your ’90s version of an e-catalog.
It’s not even your turn-of-the-century version.
Quite frankly, if this is how the new decade is doing digital catalogs, count me in!

Nxtbook Media client John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is taking advantage of the cutting-edge technology to make their catalog user-friendly and intuitive for shoppers. Check out their Fall 2010 Scholarly & Professional Catalog. Not only do they make use of an optimized layout, they also employ a branded loader, custom toolbar buttons, scrollable cover image, shopping cart, and pop-ups.

This digital catalog easily achieves two major objectives: it informs customers about the product (scholarly publications), and makes it easy to purchase teh product. Readers can click either the books’ titles or the little "i" icon to view a pop-up with more information. They can easily add the item to the shopping cart located in the nxtbook platform by clicking "Add Item" in the pop-up, or by simply clicking the shopping cart icon on the catalog page.

With this technology, shoppers do not have to exit the digital catalog to get additional product information or to purchase the item. Everything is handled directly in the nxtbook, keeping your customers in your catalog.

What is one of the best parts? The shopping cart stores items added from session to session. Shoppers can close the nxtbook and their purchases will remain in their shopping cart for their return. At any time, shoppers can click the "Proceed to Checkout" to fill out an order form and purchase the books.

To get this technology into your digital edition, call your account manager. Like Wiley, take advantage of today’s technology to keep your readers in your catalog.

Case Study: Psion Teklogix — Keeping abreast of ever-changing products

Psion Teklogix is a 40-year-old company and a leading global provider of mobile computing solutions designed to improve business efficiency and productivity for major enterprises around the world. The company’s solutions are built around a range of high-quality, innovative mobile computers designed for harsh and demanding environments. The company manufactures a multitude of products including, but not limited to PDAs, vehicle mount computers, mobile printers and wireless infrastructures.

Toni Condi is the director of marketing at Americas Psion Teklogix Corporation and has more than a decade of experience. Condi has directed marketing campaigns for more than 20 million prospects and has had record success.

 The Challenge

America’s Psion Teklogix Corporation produces a catalog of services and products rolled into one book. The company has many spec sheets and makes it difficult for customers to beep abreast of the ever-changing products it carries. The Nxbook option gave the company a way to update the sections as necessary.

The company decided to convert the printed guide to Nxtbook because it allows the company to print fewer guides and this, in turn, saved money on hard printing.

This was critical because the products are constantly changing and the company didn’t want to have to constantly reprint the guides for reference.

Since the company is global, print distribution is a challenge due to printing nuances and problems with the postal service.

America’s Psion Teklogix Corporation considered other options including prior to using Nxtbook.

First, the company looked into alternative digital formats but found it wasn’t user friendly.

Next, the company considered short run digital printing but found it wasn’t cost effective and the quality wasn’t good.

The company also considered Microsites but learned the sites wouldn’t go into enough details and found the process cost prohibitive.

Then, the company looked into creating individual product sheets but ultimately decided the digital solutions would a better option.

America’s Psion Teklogix Corporation’s internal design team put the copy together in about 12 weeks. The internal deisn team made the product exactly what they wanted it to be. Then the company uploaded the guide to Nxtbook.

Nxtbook returned the product in about a week.

America’s Psion Teklogix Corporation deployed the solutions guide by the Web site and Web distribution through several rental e-mail campaigns. The company also implemented a general distribution through Google. The company also put together e-signatures that have the flipping pages from Nxtbook and draws the eye through any e-mail. The company crated dedicated e-mail blasts that it sends out with the e-newsletter and the company also does field sales and partner distribution.

• Company tracked statistics through Nxtbook and Google Analytics and learned which client clicks on what particular part of the publication. The company found the statistics are robust and concise.
• America’s Psion Teklogix Corporation looks at the pages to get a quick summary.
• Condi said viewers have a tendency to look through more pages on the Nxtbook than on the Web site.

• Nxtbook created customized opening pages with our logo so it appears as if they’re staying with the company for the entire time.
• In the future the company hopes to continue to expand the digital solutions guide and perhaps include video embedded on the book to describe products.
• Company found the product has been critical to lead generations.
• Company learned Nxtbook is an easy way to get the products distributed.
• Condi said the company can hit way more marketing channels online, and
• Product cost effective and it’s also a resource for the sales team.

• After researching at least four other options, Psion Teklogix Corporation found Nxtbook to be the most cost effective option to reprint guides. These guides, in turn, have been critical for lead generations because the guides provide an easy way for the information to be distributed worldwide since the company can hit many more marketing channels online.
• The decision to go digital caused potential buyers look through more pages on the Nxtbook than on the Web site while providing a way to update the ever-changing content.  

Note: This study was excerpted from a 2008 Webinar. Click here to view the Webinar.

Case Study: West — Reducing printing costs increased sales

West, a Thomson Reuters business is a leader in both print and online products for legal professionals. The company helps large law firm librarians obtain a large number of electronic catalogs. These catalogs give libraries an efficient way to share legal and regulatory material.

Cincy Stearns is the Senior Account Executive in the Marketing Services Department at West. She works with response marketing like direct marketing, e-mails to link the sales team with potential clients.

 

West recognized librarians needed a tool to aid in purchasing process of their legal catalogs.  The tool needed to be an efficient, easy-to-update process because the catalogs have a relatively short shelf life due to ever-changing laws.

The company decided to create a resource tool so clients could access the catalogs on the Internet.

The company knew going digital would accomplish three goals: It would save on printing costs, give librarians a unique way to share information to potential clients and aid in the sales process.

 

Though a partnership with Nxtbook Media, the company was able to create online catalogs for librarians and potential clients. The partnership enabled the company to reduce printing costs while creating a more efficient way for clients to view the products within the online catalogs.

Catalogs were prepared the same way as a regular printing process. Instead of sending the .PDFs to the printer, it was uploaded to Nxtbook Media. Within seven to 14 days, an e-mail was sent back to West, A Thomas Reuters so the company could ensure the accuracy of the links. Even with large catalogs with nearly 1,000 listings, Nxtbook Media was able to accomplish the task within two weeks.

Then West tested the links to ensure the accuracy of the links. Once the links were tested, the company was able to e-mail their links to external clients to reveal their catalog.

West not only e-mailed clients but also made the catalog accessible via a custom URL on their Web site and posted it on the company’s Intranet.

 

Results

• The sales team found it was a great tool because they could e-mail the link to potential clients as opposed to bogging down clients’ e-mail with bulk .PDFs.
• National librarian meetings became more efficient because librarians had access to the catalog anywhere and did not need to carry a catalog with them to check for new reference material.
• Sales increased because potential clients were able to page through the catalog, navigate the contents and could purchase products for libraries or individual use.
• The links helped potential clients find information for their services and in turn, they were more apt to purchase products.
• West saved on printing and postage costs.

 

• Check URLs from the start so broken links wouldn’t be distributed to clients.
• Pre-check processes ensure link quality.
• It is best to provide additional support when there are a lot of products within a catalog.
• Educate clients that they’ll need to allow pop-ups on their computer to view the catalog if they’re using a firewall.

 

• The decision to publish an online catalog accomplished six goals.
• It saved on printing costs.
• The decision gave librarians a unique way to share information to potential clients
• It aided in the sales process.
• Additionally, the online catalog caused meetings to become more efficient.
• The decision also eliminated the need to bog down clients’ e-mail with bulk .PDFs and brought in more clients because the catalog was simple to use.
• Even with larger catalog requests, Nxtbook Media ensured a rapid turn around which means the catalog could be distributed to potential clients quickly.

 

Editor’s Note: This study was excerpted from a 2008 Webinar featuring digital catalogs success stories. Click here to view the Webinar.