7 Smart Tips for Creating an Effective Product Catalog

After all, a lack of sales equates to zero income!

And, when revenue’s in short supply, it’s only a matter of time before a business finds itself in trouble. Indeed, 29% of new start-ups fail through lack of capital.

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of effective tools and tactics for driving sales.

Of all the options out there, a high-quality product catalog is a classic method that can be used to great effect. Where products and services are concerned, physical and electronic catalogs constitute a timeless means of both marketing and generating revenue.

Alas, creating one that looks and performs as intended can be easier said than done. Looking for tips to put together the best catalog possible?

Keep reading!

1. Keep Your Audience in Mind

All marketing endeavors must have their audience as a primary concern.

Obviously, you can’t throw out any old advert and expect it to work wonders for business. Instead, it must be applicable and highly targeted to your ideal customer.

The same goes for your product catalog.

Be sure to design it with your audience in mind. Don’t, and you risk creating a catalog that’s irrelevant and unappealing; your efforts will be wasted.

Write copy they’d want to read, use colors and styles they’d like, and so on.

2. Be On Brand

Branding is the cornerstone of your business.

It’s your badge and uniform- the reputation that precedes you and the way people know and think about your business. A strong brand identity is crucial to establishing yourself and excelling in any industry.

The design of your catalog must be on-brand too.

Everything from the colors and copy to the imagery you incorporate must align with your brand.

Failing in this regard would be like wearing clothes that don’t match. You might love that bright orange sweatshirt! However, it’s bound to look bizarre if it doesn’t go with the rest of the outfit.

The same goes with your catalog! Keeping it on brand ensures you cater to your audience’s expectations.

3. Copy is Key

The content of the catalog is just as important as the design elements.

Make sure that the copy is on point.

It should be clear, concise, error-free, and, again, on-brand! If copy-writing isn’t your strong suit, then think about outsourcing the task.

Hire a quality copywriter who knows how to put together an intro, product/service description, and so on. This will ensure your copy’s well-written and will save you a task in the process.

4. Include Quality Imagery

A picture says a thousand words, right?

There’s nothing worse than a wall of text! People are visual by nature, which means your catalog must include images throughout.

It goes without saying that you need quality photos of your products (if that’s what you’re promoting). However, you might want photography on the front and rear covers as well, as well as in additional sections you include.

Oh, and only use high-quality photos. There’s nothing like pixelated pictures to send all the wrong messages about your business. Remember, you’re trying to sell your products/services!

Give yourself the best shot at success by aiming for quality at every turn.

5. Size Matters

It’s hard to emphasize the importance of getting your sizes right in the catalog.

The text and images must be appropriately proportioned. You’re looking for a balance: too big and you’ll waste space; too small and the catalog becomes impractical and annoying to browse through.

Just as a website must be designed to maximize the user experience, so too should your product catalog. The size of your copy and photos is a key element in that endeavour.

Get it wrong and you can guarantee people won’t spend long looking at it.

Find some examples of catalogs that your competitors have created. Consider the sizes they’ve used as a guide to your own.

6. Verify Design Prior to Printing

Never rush your catalog through to print.

It’s a recipe for disaster; you can expect countless mistakes in the final product. Everything from spelling to formatting errors could be present. Imagine printing thousands of copies, only to discover some egregious errors throughout!

Treat your catalog like a college thesis. It needs to be perfect! Take your time and ensure you verify it before sending it to print. Don’t assume everything’s okay. Check, edit, check, and edit it again.

And be aware that the printed version may differ slightly from the on-screen catalog. There are often different margins and bleeding space that can alter the overall aesthetic.

When checking your proof, make sure you’re looking at an accurate reflection of what the printed catalog will look like.

Consider printing a trial version of it for the most accurate idea. It’s a sort of prototype that you can use to work out any changes that need making.

7. Testing and Analysis

The job doesn’t stop with the finished product catalog.

Remember, this is like any other marketing effort. And, like your other marketing campaigns, you have to test its effectiveness and measure its ROI.

Thankfully, this is relatively easy with a catalog! After all, your goal, presumably, is to generate new leads and sales. All you need to do is measure the number of sales, phone calls and other inquiries that come following distribution.

One way to be more accurate here is to put unique contact details on the catalog. Create a new phone number and email address that’s specific to it. That way, you’ll be able to ascertain exactly how many leads the catalog generates.

Time to Create the Perfect Product Catalog

Businesses exist to generate sales.

Generate sales and the enterprise thrives; fail, and, eventually, so will the business.

Creating and distributing a quality product catalog is one effective way to do it. Succeed, and you’ll see a significant boost to sales of your product(s) and/or service(s).

The tricky part is creating a catalog that actually works! Unfortunately, it’s easy to miss the mark and waste thousands of dollars on the process.

Hopefully, the tips in this post will ensure you avoid that eventuality, and help you create the best catalog possible.

Looking for more posts like this one? Check out the other articles in the ‘sales’ section of the website now!