The Printing Press:

The printing press was invented somewhere around 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg. Ever since its inception, it revolutionized the way people viewed reading. A book or a document or a detailed manuscript became something that could be distributed. An idea could be read; it could be marketed.

If I say that ideas weren’t shared before the invention of the press, I would be wrong, because ‘ideas’ in the form of painting have been found embossed on the caves of ancient civilizations such as the Indus Valley. But this art represented a frozen idea which could not be shared or sold. It remained hidden from the world until recent exploration and excavation brought it to light.

However, a form of written idea that can be passed from manuscript to manuscript and from one generation to another was an innovation and this ‘innovativeness’ persisted for decades.

The Computer & The Internet:

Then someone invented something called a computer and the internet, and life as we know it was never the same again. The ideas we saw expressed in the form of paper could now be expressed in the form of web pages, glossary accounts, and saved to The Cloud.

It has several advantages. It is:

• Cheaper.
• Information can be transferred faster.
• Reports can be easily accessible and saved.
• Compilation is quicker and arrangement is neater.

However it has several cons too:

• It is complex. It requires professionals possessing computer skill.
• Understanding and accessing reports or documents that are available online becomes a hurdle for older people who aren’t very tech savvy or people who do not have access to the mobile or the internet.

The printed report on the other hand:

• Is ideal for people who aren’t very tech savvy.
• Has an aesthetic appeal.

However it comes packed with disadvantages:

• The data cannot be as easily manipulated as web data.
• The size of the text is fixed, i.e. the font size cannot be increased or decreased for easy readability.
• The cost of correcting errors is huge.
• Reprint, republication and storage & maintenance of inventory are tedious tasks.

Conclusion:

All in all, a web report wins hands down. Although it may not have the visual appeal of a printed report, it makes for easy readability, is easily transferable and easily corrected for flaws in the existing document.

Even though printed reports loom large (especially medical reports and magazine publications), web reports are the chosen domain for businesses and industries today.

Ready to explore the benefits of our virtual business solutions for your company? Get in touch with us at contact@marketquotient.com or ring us at +1 201.285.2024. Sign up now for our 10-hour no-strings-attached FREE trial!

Read More: Basic Guidelines To Help Compile A Business Research Report