SmallBusinessNewz

The U.S. Postal Service is reaching out to ecommerce retailers with a campaign focusing on the power of catalogs with potential to double online transactions and boost revenue 100 percent by creating print extensions of their shopping websites.

"Getting Started in Catalogs" is a USPS promotional campaign featuring a "Catalogs and e-tailing" instructional DVD and a live webinar series. The DVD features testimonials from widely recognized companies such as Dell and Zappo's, who built their businesses into market leaders within their respective industries by adding catalogs to the marketing mix.

The free webinars will be held July 28 and August 4. Follow-up support from sales personnel with the Postal Service is also available.

"Putting a focused, attractive catalog in the hands of your customers has a unique ability to engage their attention, and prompts them to browse your site and place orders," said Steve Hernandez, acting vice president, Sales.

"For e-tailers looking to push their sales to the next level, catalogs are a proven medium for delivering transactions and enhancing customer loyalty."

A market study by comScore shows that among visitors to retail websites, twice as many catalog recipients made a purchase as those who did not receive a catalog - more than doubling the online conversion rate. A revenue increase of 163 percent resulted from a comparison of purchases and money spent by catalog recipients versus those who did not receive a catalog in the comScore study, and 28 percent more items were ordered by catalog recipients.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.