Here are 10 ways product catalogs can help you increase sales

The Value of Product Catalog and product catalogs development

A business's goal is to increase sales, regardless of its size. It is important for businesses to show off their products to potential customers. Cataloging your company's products is an excellent way to increase sales. Catalogs allow your brand to be discovered by customers who may have never heard of it before. A product catalog is not only an affordable marketing tool, but can also be used to attract new customers and establish brand awareness. A higher lead flow automatically translates into a higher sales volume. Your customers can view your product catalog to learn more about the products and services you provide.

These are a few steps to consider when creating a product catalog for your business. To ensure your catalog helps your business maximize sales, follow these tips. Check it out!

1. Decide the catalog size

Prior to designing your catalog or estimating the cost of printing, you must establish the catalog size. A catalog's size depends on the products your business sells. Having a small catalog is not necessary for jewelry and watches since they are small enough. Small catalogs are also unable to handle large home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. Here are some suggestions for keeping track of catalog sizes:

· 5.5” x 8.5” — These catalogues are thin and tall, which is ideal for displaying product images and short descriptions. Catalogs of this size are usually used for small products such as cameras and bracelets.

· 6” x 6” or 6” x 9” — These catalogs come in rectangles or squares, and their product lines often feature a small selection of features.

· 8.5" x 11" or 9" x 12" - These sizes are ideal for fashion and accessories catalogs.

· 12" x 12" - This is the largest available size for catalogs, which are suitable for displaying larger appliances such as televisions and electric washers.

2. Plan the Structure for your Catalog 

In terms of catalog design, there isn't much to explore. A catalog is almost always designed the same way no matter what niche it belongs to.

Catalogs are designed to increase sales for your business. While organizing your catalog, you should also consider many other aspects, in addition to establishing a cover page and content index. Before catalog printing can begin, you will need the following items:

•  Front cover and back cover

•  Introduction pages

• An alphabetical or photographic table of contents can be arranged in accordance with the page number

• Include a header, footer, page columns, thumbnail index, as well as many other elements

• Section separators

• Product layouts with descriptions

3. Proper Product Descriptions 

Each product in your printed catalog must have an accurate and appropriate description. The requirement applies to all products in your catalog, regardless of category. You must explain to a potential customer why they should buy a product. Besides describing the product features, the description should also include the value proposition. A good product description will generate sales. Before you begin writing your product descriptions, make sure all the key specifications are in place.

4. Apt Product Information 

After you have written all the product descriptions, you can move on to the product information. Descriptions of products are crucial to a catalog. Details about the product should be included in the product information. Product details should include a product name, the item number, a category, a price, and features.

5. Work on the Cover 

Catalog covers are usually the first thing customers notice about your catalog. Thus, it's crucial that the cover of your catalog tells the customer what they can expect to find inside. You can simplify the process by including a cover image containing images of the featured products. Be careful not to overcrowd your cover image with images of your products. Catalog cover design should make it easy to read and understand. Be sure to include the name of your company on the cover. Customers will feel more confident about purchasing from you when they have a better grasp of your business.

6. Add an Order Form 

Adding a product catalog to your business will increase sales. Without an order form, a catalog does not serve its purpose. Your customers will be able to order directly from your catalog if you include an order form. When creating an order form, you should keep these things in mind:

• Provide sections for customers to place multiple orders

• Include a section for the shipping address

• Give a large choice for payment options

• Lastly, there must be a page that contains the number and name of the customer 

7. Proofread the Catalog

The printing company needs your catalogue design for this step. Once the design is complete, proofread and check it. Make sure you haven't made any spelling or grammatical mistakes in your essay. Additionally, make sure that all pictures, product numbers, descriptions, and prices are correct after you've finished printing. As soon as all errors have been corrected, you should send your catalog to be printed.

8. Approach the Right Print Company 

You need to find the right printing company that will deliver quality work after your business designs the perfect product catalog. Find a professional company that can deliver what you're looking for, instead of worrying about the catalog printing cost. A printing company should deliver bulk catalog printing within the timeframe you expect. Once you have found the right print company, you should send over the correct design layout. Organize your catalog in the correct order to minimize confusion and errors when printing so that all of the pages print correctly. Send the printing company a single PDF with the catalog design in order to complete the printing process.

To help you create your catalog, here are a few tips:

• Don't overuse bold or italics, don't use more than two typefaces.

• Keep it standard size or smaller - anything too large will cost more to ship.

• Make it pop - the cover should be eye-catching with colorful fonts and clear product photos.

• Place the best-selling items in the upper right corner of each page.

Here are a few additional tips to help you create a product catalog that will increase sales:

• Include a frequently asked questions section to address common questions.

• Please include product details, product photos, policies, contact information, and a link to your website.

• Offer cross-selling by using product copy, callouts, or by combining companion products.

• Ensure your company logo and corporate colors are consistent throughout all printed materials, website, etc.

• Insert call-to-action inserts that can be easily updated for seasonal sales and offers.

• Use a mix of customer testimonials to provide readers with a customer-centric perspective on your products.

• Think about creating a mini-catalog with attractive photos of your products if your line of products is constantly changing.

Last but not least, here are two advanced tips to maximize your investment:

• Ensure every catalog you send gets delivered by deduplicating contacts and using the change of address database (NCOA).

• Promote across channels. Follow up your printed catalog with an email or online version. Include a coupon for a discount on the next purchase or a free shipping promotion!

Catalogs still mail in the billions in our digital world, though it is clear from a marketers' perspective that catalogs do work! Customers and prospects more than compensate for the costs of getting them in their hands.

Are you considering using a catalog for your business? Get in touch with our printing, mailing, and marketing experts. Your brand and sales can be boosted with us from conception to completion!

How to increase sales with a product catalog

In the end, all brands and businesses want the same thing: sales. Everyone wants to sell as much as possible. Your goal, if you're reading this article, is probably to learn more about how to increase sales. In this part of my blog post we will focus on how product catalogs can help you sell more online and offline today. Stay tuned!

Catalogue era 

In the days before the internet and the history of catalogs was just beginning, companies used printed catalogs to present their products to customers. Sending the catalog, ordering, and shipping all took place through the mail.

Catalogs were delivered to customers' mailboxes, they picked the items they wanted and sent their mail order along with payment for the items and shipping. In the following days or even weeks, the products were delivered by post.

Catalogs like these aren't much different from those we have today. Although some brands still use mail orders successfully, the buyers usually place their orders by telephone or online. 

Retail product catalogs: why publish them 

Catalogs work mostly because they make marketing messages and offers more effective by reaching a broader audience. Brands are able to sell more products this way. More leads equals more customers. That's what happened in the golden age of catalog shopping, and it still happens today. Nowadays, it's even easier and cheaper to share your digital catalogs with your social media followers and subscribers.

You can reach people at home, at work, anywhere. You don't need to wait for them to enter your store. Your products will sell themselves if you provide all the relevant details. You don't even have to have a physical store where people can purchase the product. Orders can be placed by mail or through your website.

E-commerce thrives because people love to shop from their homes because it's faster, more convenient, and often cheaper. When your entire business is online, you still need to make sure people find your online store. This is where your retail product catalog comes in handy: it's your e-shop's virtual window display, and it can entice people to visit. Make sure it looks beautiful and enticing.

How? Just read on.

Here are six tips for increasing sales of a product catalog:

1. Create a professional-looking cover

2. Layout your page attractively

3. Make your headlines, fonts, and colors catchy

4. Provide relevant product descriptions 

5. Include stunning visuals

6. Utilize the interactive features 

Let's take a closer look at these tips one by one

1. Create a professional cover

In order to create a great sales catalog, you have to make sure that the front cover is visually appealing. This is the first thing your audience sees. 

For that, try to put yourself in the buyer's shoes for a moment. How do you instantly grab a product catalog? Does it have to do with the bold headings, the bright colors, or the professionally photographed products? In my opinion, it’s a combination of mixed elements. 

Let's take a closer look at what the front cover of a selling product catalog should look like. 

Reflect your brand's identity at all times 

• You should start by designing the front cover based on the branding kit your company already has. If the catalog's front cover easily reflects your brand identity, people will immediately associate it with your company. 

• Make sure to use your brand's logo, custom colors, fonts, and photography style throughout the entire design. 

• Make sure to place your logo in the left or right corner of the front cover. Keep it big and don't cram it with other information. It should be noticed right away without any difficulty. 

Pick only professional photos 

Second, always use professional images instead of boring stock photos. People love to see actual things on product catalog covers, especially the front cover. Thus, for any image that you wish to use, be sure to relate it to the products you wish to promote. You will not only get the most attention, but people will also know what products they can expect in the following pages of your retail product catalog.

Don't stop there. It's not enough to display some product images on your front cover and hope to sell out within a couple weeks. Describe the image of that product in their home or what will happen to their complexion if they use it like the examples shown below. 

2. Choose an attractive page layout 

Aesthetics are really important, as I mentioned before. Therefore, when you want to learn how to increase sales with product catalogs, you also need to think about an attractive page layout. 

Catalogs usually contain too much unnecessary product information and too many unrelated products. As a result, potential buyers are rather confused instead of being helped in their decision-making.

You're probably well aware of the impact design has on the retail industry if you've been in it for quite a while. While an impressive page layout will immediately grab the customers' attention, a crammed product catalog will make them leave in just a few seconds. 

Tip: Organize your product catalogs by type of product. Create a catalog for the interior home items, and another for the exterior items. You won't stuff too many products into one catalog, and your products will complement one another beautifully.

If you sell products, you can choose an elegant, minimalist page layout with just the relevant text or a bold color scheme. You can choose from many different page layouts. Take a look at our wide range of product catalog templates and you will be able to finish the design process in no time. 

You can use this automated product catalog template as a part of the product catalogs engineering process. 

Isn't it just fun to look at? Page layout is well-designed and has a clean, professional look. There are images of the products, descriptions, and interior design ideas that incorporate them.   

3. Make your headlines, fonts, and colors catchy

When you want to increase sales with product catalogs, you need appealing headlines, fonts, and colors. Brand identity is built through these elements, which make a company recognizable.

Headlines provide context, separate different categories of products, and can promote limited offers. Keep them short, on point, and attractive. If you're creating a catalog of make-up products, you can write something like "Beauty tips for every lady". You can trust our kitchen expertise if you're referring to merchandise catalogs. But do you know what will really make your headlines stand out? 

Here are the fonts you'll be using. 

There are many font styles to choose from, and you can combine them however you like. You can use Serif or Sans Serif fonts in your product catalogs, based on the category of products you want to display. After a few tries, you'll find your best font pairing.

Nonetheless, color combinations will help you create a theme and offer a vibe to your product catalogs. To ensure consistency of the colors all the way through the catalog design, establish them from the beginning. I advise choosing at least two colors and combining them in a natural way. Don't create a product catalog that looks like a rainbow.

With catchy headlines, powerful colors, and playful fonts, this cosmetic product catalog template has it all. I'm sure you agree with me that its design has the potential to increase sales.  

4. Give relevant descriptions

The next most important thing is the product description. Their purpose is to present the best features and benefits of the product. Therefore, you need to describe the benefits of purchasing your products in your product descriptions. 

You can increase sales with product catalogs if you use the information smartly and make people even more determined to purchase. How? Accurately describe products. Provide the information people need to know about the products you're selling.

Don't add too much information that could confuse the reader or that doesn't interest him. Instead of telling them how or where to use the product, include an image that makes it more appealing. As they say: "A picture tells a thousand words". 

Easy-to-read product descriptions are equally important. It is a good idea to use product information on your website, even if it is detailed. It is common to find little text in product catalogs.

5. Include astonishing visuals 

Use of professional photos is another important aspect of increasing sales with product catalogs. However, you can always hire a photographer who will know how to capture and highlight your products.

It is difficult to determine which customers to buy without visuals. If most of your sales take place online, you must compete with physical products available in your stores with your visual representations. Imagine the product experience offered by in-store products: touching the product, feeling the texture, trying it on, etc. I would recommend investing in high-quality, authentic images because it's hard to beat those.

The goal is to help your customers visualize how the product would look on them, or in their homes, for example, through stunning visuals. The gap between online and physical products is also closing. 

Tip: Don't confuse the clean, minimalistic style with hurried photography. A professional product catalog is considered simple and aesthetically pleasing as well as relaxing to look at.

It's all about the experience your products can provide to your customers. However, I have a better piece of advice. Get close to your audience by creating an engaging product catalog.

Do you know how? 

6. Utilize the interactive elements 

Engaging your customers through online product catalogs is a great way to get closer to them. 

Add interactive elements like product tags, captions, social media buttons, links, and even embed videos. These features are great if you are looking to boost your sales through retail marketing. But wait, we've also included an automation feature for you to save time.

Interactive elements can make your product catalogs stand out from the crowd. You can integrate 360-degree views of some products or videos featuring models wearing clothing items. 

You can also add external links that redirect your audience to your website so they can see a more detailed description or better pictures from different angles. Shopping buttons placed directly in your catalog can even speed up the buying process. 

Would you like to see how interactive your product catalogs can be? Why not get started right now? Get started with a product catalog today to take advantage of the benefits interactive elements offer. 

Client value of product catalogs 

• Increase online presence of your dealers; 

• Helps to achieve sales increase; 

• Excludes the need for inventory management - instead all product data is inherited from manufacturer;

• Product catalogs can be easily exported based on easy API integration capabilities; 

Having trouble designing a product catalog? Let us help! Bits Orchestra provides you with the best user experience so you can create a top-notch product catalogue of any size and complexity. We have a talented team of designers and .net development experts are ready to serve all your needs and meet your highest expectations.