In a world of digital, printed marketing is still needed. One of it is Catalog. What is a catalog? In general, a catalog is a list, either in the form of a card or a book.
This list contains the names of certain objects or information to be conveyed. The information is arranged sequentially, regularly, and alphabetically.
Catalogs are used for a variety of purposes. Starting from making it easier for people to find books in the library, loading product lists, to being used as a database information directory term in the computer world.
In the business world, the catalog serves to contain a list of products. Especially for companies that offer more than one product or service.
Catalogs are often also a promotional tool. You will often find sheets like tabloids in department stores that offer a number of products that are on discount. That’s an example of the simplest catalog.
What is a catalog and how it functions and examples, will all be discussed in this article. Read carefully, yes!
What is Catalog?
Catalog or Catalogue. What is a catalog, especially a product catalog in the business world? It is a type of marketing that includes important product details to help potential buyers make purchasing decisions.
Product details displayed, about product features, description, dimensions, weight, color, price, stock, customer reviews, and others. Catalogs are quite commonly used by B2C (business to consumer) or B2B (business to business) businesses.
Both the B2C and B2C industries make use of product catalogs. The use of catalogs is not limited to service-based businesses and offline stores, but also e-commerce.
Storefront displays on e-commerce and marketplace sites can already be said to be catalogs. Products are entered by category, then there is complete product information, such as product descriptions, prices, dimensions, and so on.
Then, what is the purpose of a product catalog? Who will use it? At least there are some parties who need a catalog in their business activities.
The sales force is one of the parties who need a catalog. They use it to convey important information about a product or service to customers. Catalogs become a reference when prospecting customers.
The customers themselves use the catalog as a reference for making purchasing decisions. Especially customers or clients in B2B, they compare the products or services of various vendors through the catalogs provided.
There are also special catalogs used by store and warehouse managers. The catalog serves as detailed information on inventory items in the warehouse.
External parties such as reseller partners, retailers, and other realtors, also need catalogs to obtain information about products and services. They convey this information to the final customer.
Advantages of Catalog
After knowing what a catalog is, we have got an idea of its function for a number of related parties in the business. This also shows that product catalogs have a number of benefits in business.
What are these benefits? Here’s the list:
To Get Information
This is the main benefit of a catalog. Technical information about product features, dimensions, colors, and prices, is impossible to remember, especially if there are many product variants.
Recording all this information in an easy-to-read format, both physically and online, can help users to know all the products in detail.
Minimizing Customer Inquiries
If the customer is given a product catalog with very complete information, of course it will minimize the discussion about the product. Not only descriptions and prices, but catalogs can also explain how to use the product and other detailed information.
Imagine if without a catalog, you have to go back and forth to answer customer questions that are just the same. This of course will waste time and cannot focus on other business processes.
Improve Branding
Product catalogs are a useful instrument for promoting a company’s brand. You can play with the catalog design, so that it is eye-catching and attracts the interest of potential customers.
In addition to making a product list, you can also include a business history to establish an emotional bond with customers. Customers can easily remember the brand after browsing the product catalog.
Improve Customer Experience
This is if you provide a product catalog in various forms. Starting from the most conventional, namely print catalogs, to catalogs in PDF form or web pages. There are various catalogs, will certainly improve the customer experience.
Especially if all information is consistent across different product categories, it can have a positive effect on purchasing decisions.
In cataloging, it is necessary to anticipate buyer needs and create a catalog that suits the customer rather than presenting general information.