Digital catalogs - a great lead generator?

What do house and building projects, kitchen companies and automotive sellers have in common?

For both B2B and B2C, the purchasing decision for these industries often involves great consideration, extended timelines and multiple decision-makers.

And often, the first thing the prospect reaches for in the research-phase - when evaluating different vendors and options - is an overview of the products or services in an inspirational format:

The catalog.

From inspiring to generating leads

For those industries with project-based sales or long sales cycles, digital catalogs can be more than just a list of products.

They can be strategic tools that engage prospects and drive action – You should use them as such.

Below you can see examples of how to do so, and some results of doing it.

Inspiration – Engagement increases the chance of generating leads

When exploring their options, buyers often turn to catalogs for inspiration. A kitchen design catalog, for instance, doesn’t just list products - it helps prospects envision their dream spaces using inspirational content.

You can do so - and keep the prospect in the catalog for longer - by extra adding videos, images and product descriptions to your digital catalog:
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Features shown:

• Table of Contents
• Pop-up images
• Pop-up videos

Real-world results of adding inspirational content:

• A well-known B2B kitchen and interior design company averages 63 pages seen per session, more than 1000% more than the average ecommerce.
• A B2B window and construction company averages 4.5 minutes spent per session, which would be considered very good for, for example, a retail ecommerce site.

Conversion – The functionality to generate leads

More inspiration leads to a higher chance of the reader converting in one way or another.

With clear calls-to-action like “Request a Quote” or “Book a Meeting,” digital catalogs can make it easy for prospects to take the next step – whatever that may be.
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Features shown:

• Request quote
• Book a meeting pop-up
• Form for requesting more information

Real-world results of adding conversion points:

• A B2B Kitchen company from Denmark has booked 150 meetings with a book-a-meeting popup in a single catalog.
• A B2B home rental company has a 15% click rate on their popup for informational in-person meetings - more than 3x higher than average for popups.

Bonus: Re-Targeting – Activating cold prospects

With longer sales cycles and project-based sales, re-targeting is important. If someone leaves your website without converting, a catalog can re-engage them, and show more options or products in a different format than what they’ve already seen.

Conclusion

Prospects want to envision their ideal kitchen or house or car before buying.

If you can provide inspirational content that makes those dreams materialize within your company and its products, then you’re well on your way to becoming their favored supplier.

Digital catalogs are more than just a showcase of your offerings—they’re a bridge between inspiration and action.

By providing engaging content and integrating conversion-focused features, they can be a great lead generator.

When done right, digital catalogs don’t just inform; they generate leads.

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