How do you organize a catalog?

The information we want to insert must be organized taking into account the way in which the customer will consult the catalog. You have to think about a lot of things: will the customer search for the products by category or will he leaf through the whole document? Would the client prefer a printed or digital version?

In the majority of cases, if it is a business catalog, it is useful to organize the elements according to the category or according to an attribute of the product, such as price, color, instructions for use etc.

Online Product catalogue with different uses have a different structure: for example, think of medical catalogs, where the articles are listed in alphabetical order. Sometimes it is useful to organize the products intuitively, or using less stringent criteria, possibly mixing the rules. In this way, customers will be more engaged in viewing each page.

Why is a catalog important?

A catalog, such as a logo or a business card, is used to identify and reinforce brand awareness. Marketers know the precision needed to create a catalog and the difference a good catalog can make from a sales perspective.

It is essential to create a document that is as much as possible:

• functional: easy to consult and with an intuitive design;
• attractive: good thick cover, high quality paper, clear and modern layout, etc.

In what formats can a catalog be created?

we will start with the catalog formats. A catalog is always created digitally, but the final product can be of two types:

• Printed catalog (e.g. office catalog, IKEA catalog *)
• Digital catalog (PDF, flipbook, app, etc.)

* the most widely distributed publication worldwide, 211 million copies were sent in 2017 with the aim of promoting the activities of 328 stores in 28 countries.

Printed catalogs

As IKEA has shown, the printed catalog remains one of the best selling tools. These paper publications have many advantages:

• Constant brand exposure
  The catalog is a physical object that is usually placed on a table or desk so that it is close at hand. Its “bulky / bulky presence” makes your brand visible to your customers at all times (indeed, one of the basic principles of advertising is brand visibility).
• Ease of use
  A printed catalog is always available and easy to consult by people of all ages. To facilitate understanding, it must be compared with its digital alternative. Consider how you look for a product in an online catalog. First, we need a good internet connection. Then you have to look for the document you need. If you are lucky, there is a navigable table of contents which allows you to go to the desired page in one click. Otherwise, you have to search manually until you find the desired product.
• Readability
  Have you ever tried to consult a catalog with an iPad while you are talking to a customer? If you click in the wrong place, you may end up on the wrong page. If you show a detail, you have to zoom in with the risk of clicking an unwanted button.
• Quick search
  A printed catalog allows you to insert a bookmark wherever you want. So you can easily return to the page you need to view it in a few moments.

Digital catalogs

We will now talk about digital catalogs. Catalogs are created using digital tools and today, the majority of companies only use digital to distribute and promote their products.

A digital catalog is usually created in PDF format to be sent quickly and easily to customers. It is also possible to create flipbooks with dedicated software. Flipbooks are interactive online publications that mimic the paper press. To create a flipbook, you generally need to have a complete PDF of the document ready to be transformed into interactive format.

Digital catalogs have a number of savings when you consider printing and distribution costs, which are close to zero. Plus, sharing and promoting your document is more immediate, because you only have to upload it to your website and share it. 

We do not find the advantages of the printed catalog for the digital catalog on the other hand… These are in summary better readability, ease of use and a general feeling of commitment and professionalism.

Which parts make up a catalog?

A catalog is a document made up of several different parts. Some are still present like the cover, the table of contents and the back cover. The other parties may or may not be present depending on the type of project and if they are necessary:

• Cover (front cover)
• Introductory pages: descriptions, advertisements 
• Table of contents: chapters / sections, sub-chapters, page number indicators
• Catalog: chapter dividers
• Table of contents: alphabetical order or by code
• End pages: description, advertisements, notes

About This Author

faizan hassan Joined: February 14th, 2020