Every brand or business runs on a single motto, which is to increase sales. Catalogs play an imperative role for businesses that ship a wide range of products. Even with the world going digital, printed catalogs are great cost-efficient marketing tools for boosting sales and for building brand awareness. A product catalog makes it easier for customers to understand the products and services that you deal in. Additionally, it is also a great way to expand your customer base. The entire purpose of a catalog is to increase sales and reach out to new and potential customers; more leads equal to more customers.
Designing a catalog is not as difficult as it may seem if you understand the right steps to follow. If you are planning on designing a printed catalog, here’s a sure shot way of creating a printed catalog that is definite to make sales.
Table of Contents
Choose the Catalog Size
The first thing that you need to be sure of even before designing a catalog is the size. Basically, the size of your catalog comes down to the products that you want to display. Smaller products like cameras or watches need a small catalog. On the other hand, bigger products like refrigerators or televisions need a bigger catalog. Here are some of the catalog sizes that you can choose from:
1. 5.5” x 8.5” – Catalogs of this size are tall and thin and display product images with short descriptions. This catalog size is ideal for displaying smaller products like watch or cameras.
2. 6” x 6” or 6” x 9” – Catalogs of this size are square or rectangular in shape. They are ideal for products with minimal features.
3. 8.5” x 11” or 9” x 12” – This catalog size is most often used for fashion and apparel businesses.
4. 12” x 12” – This is the biggest size when it comes to catalogs. It is ideal for displaying larger appliances or products such as refrigerators or washing machines.
Get the Structure in Place
Most catalogs that you will come across are pretty much designed in a similar fashion. The entire purpose of a catalog is to help generate the sale of your products. For a printed catalog, the cover page, product pages, and the content indexes are a must. However, that’s not all! Here are the other things that you need to get in place for your catalog:
- Front cover and back cover
- Introduction pages
- A table of contents which can be arranged according to the page number, alphabetically, or photographic TOC
- Page layout which will include the header, footer, page columns, thumb index and much more
- Section separators
- Product layouts with descriptions
Apt Product Descriptions
Write down the apt description for every product as well as every product category. The description should be written in such a manner which will describe the value proposition of the product to a potential customer. Good product descriptions will give the customer an insight into the benefits and features of a particular product. In all, the quality of your product description plays an important role when it comes to generating a sale. So, make sure to provide all the key specifications in your product description.
Accurate Product Information
Apart from the apt product description, another vital part while creating a catalog is the product information. Your catalog should give the customer all the necessary information about a product. Some of the important product information includes – the name of the product, item number, category, price, features, and barcodes.
Design the Cover
The cover of your catalog is the first thing that the customer will look at. Your cover should give a brief glimpse of what a customer will find after digging through the catalog pages. The cover image can include images of featured products. However, make sure that your catalog cover does not end up looking too cluttered. The cover of your catalog should be easy to read and understand. Additionally, make sure that the name of your company is clearly visible on the cover. Overall, the cover of your catalog should give a clear understanding of what your business is all about and what you have to offer to potential customers.
Make it Easy to Order
The whole purpose of a catalog is to help increase the sales of your business, which is why it is imperative to make sure that all the necessary information is listed down or is easy to find. Adding an order form makes it easier for customers to directly place an order for your products. An order form usually consists of sections for placing multiple orders, a section for the shipping address, payment options, and a number. Without an order form, the whole purpose of printing a catalog to improve your business is incomplete.
Proofread the Catalog
Before you send off your catalog for printing, make sure that you proofread it. This is one of the most crucial steps that take place before printing a catalog. While proofreading, ensure that your catalog does not have any spelling errors or pricing mistakes. Cross check the product image, product description, product number, and product price. Once you have a proofread catalog, move ahead to printing.
Look for the Right Print Company
After spending so much time on designing a catalog, the final and probably the most important step is to find the right printing company. Before you think of the catalog printing cost, make sure that the printing company that you choose produces the print quality that you are looking for.
Additionally, the catalog printing company that you choose should be able to deliver the printed copies of your catalog within the expected deadline. Similarly, after you have picked a printing company, make sure to deliver the correct layout. Check if all the pages are arranged in the right order. Send the catalog design in a single PDF file to make the printing processor easier.
