Consider this: Distributors who say they have an effective catalog are nearly twice as likely to have complete data and more than four times as likely to have accurate data than companies with ineffective catalogs, according to a recent survey by MDM and Real Results Marketing. Good product data is crucial for any successful distributor catalog or e-commerce website; in this article, Jonathan Bein explains approaches to improving your product data.

A joint MDM-Real Results Marketing survey revealed that for distributors who have successful catalog operations and e-commerce channels, a majority believe their catalogs help drive online sales. They recognize that using the Web in concert with print efforts can provide benefits on both fronts. In this article, the authors examine the synergies between e-commerce and catalogs.

Is print dead? Do distributors need to stop producing paper catalogs? Not so according to research conducted by Real Results Marketing with Modern Distribution Management. Our research reveals that over 65 percent of distributors who produce a catalog for their customers find that catalogs are an effective channel.

There is a wide variety of marketing practices within the wholesale distribution sector. Real Results Marketing in partnership with Modern Distribution Management conducted an online survey of more than 175 distributors to better understand these marketing practices. The survey provided data that allows distributors to benchmark their practices against other distributors. In general, distributors that appear on MDM's Market Leaders lists — most larger than $100 million in annual sales — more broadly embrace marketing as evidenced by resources they apply. Not surprisingly, they obtain better marketing results than other distributors.

There is a wide variety of marketing practices within the wholesale distribution sector. Real Results Marketing in partnership with Modern Distribution Management conducted an online survey of more than 175 distributors to better understand these marketing practices. The survey provided data that allows distributors to benchmark their practices against other distributors. In general, distributors that appear on MDM's Market Leaders lists — most larger than $100 million in annual sales — more broadly embrace marketing as evidenced by resources they apply. Not surprisingly, they obtain better marketing results than other distributors.

For the vast majority of distributors, e-commerce is still in its infancy. Our recent research reveals that more than 40 percent of distributors have no revenue from e-commerce and 25 percent have less than 5 percent as shown below. Half of the distributors without e-commerce-enabled websites are implementing them now and in the next year. Still, nearly 10 percent have no plans to ever enable e-commerce.

A joint MDM-Real Results Marketing survey revealed that for distributors who have successful catalog operations and e-commerce channels, a majority believe their catalogs help drive online sales. They recognize that using the Web in concert with print efforts can provide benefits on both fronts. In this article, the authors examine the synergies between e-commerce and catalogs.