Running a small business includes a lot of major and minor things that need to be done to make your life as well as your client's life easier. One of these things is creating a catalogue for your business.

Be it products or services a catalogue is a must.

Why is that so?

Suppose you go to a restaurant the first thing you ask for is the menu. If the waiter verbally tells you the menu you will get confused and might leave the place. But if he gives you a physical copy or an online menu you will get clarity about the food and will order instantly.

This is because in a menu your visual senses get activated as you read about the dishes and see the pictures, your interest in food increases while reading about it. It gives you clarity about what the restaurant has to offer.

The same logic applies to catalogue for small businesses.

What is a catalogue?

A catalogue lists out all the products and services that a company has to offer to its customers. Many times, small businesses overlook this as they keep adding new items or removing them.

Especially during the initial phase many businesses avoid making a catalogue as they are unsure about the products and services. This is a very big mistake.

Before commercializing your skills via a business, you should trial and error and finalize a catalogue for it. This shows your professionalism.

Traditional vs modern ways of making a catalogue

The traditional way of making a catalogue was to print it on paper and make a pamphlet or book out of it.

It would include company vision, product description as well as pictures to make it look attractive.

Even today traditional catalogues play a huge role in getting customers to buy products. It gives customers something to hold and interact with. The different textured papers, finishing, and smell of it provides a complete sensory experience.

It is more reliable and according to a study in 2017 printed catalogues influence customers to purchase more than social media does!

These are some of the pros of traditional cataloguing.

But with the advancement of technology, online cataloguing has increasingly gained popularity. Especially during the pandemic where people were scared to exchange anything, digital catalogues played a huge role in running a business.  

Perks of digital catalogue

Digital catalogues are cheaper than printed ones. As you don't have to make various copies of it you save a lot of printing cost.

Designing a digital catalogue is way easier than designing a traditional one. You can do it yourself too or else hire a graphic designer. It saves a lot of your time too!

You can edit the catalogue at any time. Say you want to change a price of a few items. All you have to do is edit your software. But in a printed one you'll have to print a new set of catalogues. All your previous ones will be a waste.

It is easier to send digital catalogues to all your customers as well as to new ones. You can upload it on Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms and reach out to your customer base.

You can make several specific catalogues and keep uploading them online to grab your customer's attention.

They are not limited by geographical restrictions unlike a printed one. People sitting in different states or even countries can get access to it.

You can measure the success of a digital catalogue. Many tools especially on Instagram show how many people have viewed, liked, saved and shared your post. This way you can measure your target audience and reach.

How can I make a catalogue?

If you have an idea about graphic designing and know your way around software such as Adobe then you can easily make a digital catalogue.

Do not know graphic designing but have a creative mind?

No need to worry. There are various websites and apps such as Canva that help you in making a catalogue. Canva has millions of ready-made templates in which you just need to put in your details and make your catalogue.

If you'd like to customize your own then it also has millions of elements and tools that help you in doing that.

If you sell or advertise via WhatsApp then you should create a WhatsApp catalogue too. It is simple to make and requires you to put in details and pictures of your product. You can share the link to this catalogue to your clients.

Where can one use digital catalogues?

Apart from sending digital catalogues to your clients on WhatsApp you can upload them on your brand's social media account on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.

You can send them via email too when you're doing email marketing.

If you have a website or website store for your brand then it is a must to upload your catalogue over there. It will make it 10x times easier for the customer to find all the details about what they are looking for if you upload your catalogue.  

Don't have a website for your brand yet?

Website for your small business is a must. If you don't have one yet do not worry Shimbi Labs BUDO and NINJIN are here to help you out. 

BUDO helps in creating websites for your brand in minutes. It is cost-effective, powerful, and has many tools with which you can express your creativity.

NINJIN helps in creating website stores for your business. It makes creating and managing an online store super easy for you.

For further details click here=>