A virtual catalog o online catalog is the adaptation of a traditional commercial catalog to a virtual format. Namely, It is a collection or relationship that groups the merchandise, products or services offered by a brand so that consumers can easily observe what they want to acquire.as well as its characteristics, description and price.
In this content you will find all the information related to a virtual catalogue. From what it is and how it works, to the basic tips —and others not so much— for make a virtual catalog for your business. At the end of this article you will know which is the best tool to create and distribute your commercial catalog virtually. Stay until the end! 🤓
What is a commercial catalog?
A commercial catalog is a publication or document that contains a list or relationship of products, merchandise or services in an orderly manner. exist different types of commercial catalogs and can be classified as follows:
- Product catalog
- Service catalog
- Retail Catalog
- Catalog for wholesalers
- Catalog of discounts or promotions
- alphabetical catalog
- Category Catalog
Now that you know the main types of commercial catalogues, it is important to mention that you must know your clients to choose the one that is ideal for your business.
Generally, for businesses, the product catalog is used that offers photographs or some graphic reference of the object with data such as price, description and characteristics.
However, there are also catalogs in list form. Widely used for wholesale or business, where customers know the product and do not need to see it in detail, but they do need to know certain characteristics or variants that are detailed in this type of catalogue.
What is a catalog for?
A commercial catalog is used to share information in an organized and orderly manner about products or services. Catalogs are valuable tools for closing sales because they practically sell themselves.
Before they functioned as a sideboard or he emerged; catalog sales were very popular and facilitated sales during the last decades of the 20th century. We could say that catalog sales were the idea that seeded the success of electronic commerce.
Currently, printed catalogs are less and less used and have been replaced by virtual catalogs. In some cases the physical version is preserved, but the virtual one is also promoted.
Virtual catalogs are used in events, exhibitions, congresses, launches or as a guerrilla advertising strategy, they are also broadcast on digital channels.
What is a virtual catalog?
A virtual catalog is a publication that is stored or distributed virtually to promote merchandise or services that a brand or person offers to their customers. There are different formats of virtual catalogs.
Digital or virtual catalog formats
- Catalog in PDF
- Catalog in PowerPoint
- Catalog in Word
- Catalog in Publisher
- Catalog in JPG
- Catalog on WhatsApp
- Animated or video catalog
- Product catalog on website
- Catalog on Facebook and Instagram Shopping
- Magazine-style virtual catalog
Now I will describe each type to facilitate your choice. Ahead!
Catalog in PDF
The catalog in PDF format is one of the most used because it is very easy to share, in addition to the fact that this format does not allow the document to be edited and its size adjusts to the reading device without affecting the design of the original document.
In addition, a PDF catalog allows the insertion of internal links that help navigation in files with many products and categories, as well as external links that take you to facilitate the purchase.
Catalog in PowerPoint
That’s how it is! You can use that tool with which you carried out your projects or school exhibitions to make your virtual catalog and export it in PDF format or include videos. Take advantage of pre-designed templates and save time.
Catalog in Word
Just like with PowerPoint, you can . Adding links to your social networks and online store will not be complicated. Also, if you are a person who is not so familiar with design programs, you can easily achieve it with Word.
Catalog in Publisher
Publisher is a program designed to work with brochures or articles for printing, but you also have the possibility of exporting your projects in PDF. You’ll find more templates here than in Word or PowerPoint, you just need to spend a little time and explore the tool to get familiar with it.
Catalog in JPG
The JPG format is an image that can be compressed as much as possible without losing quality. Which allows very light file sharing for fast download; in this way you optimize the storage of your clients and yours.
Another great advantage of using this format is that users can view the file without having to open it with another program, such as a PDF. That is, if you send it by email or WhatsApp, people only need to click to view the information.
One of the disadvantages is that you cannot add links and if your catalog is very extensive, you will not offer a good user experience.
🚨 Avoid sending catalogs of more than three images in this format! In case there are many images, it is better to group and order them in a single file, for example a PDF.
Catalog on WhatsApp
WhatsApp Business is an application that allows businesses to offer customer service and now a shopping experience within the reach of a message. It’s a great tool because it allows you to automate many processes and now integrate those automations into the shopping experience.
Be sure to implement a catalog in your WhatsApp Business account. To review the step by step of how to create a catalog on WhatsApp, visit the following content:
Learn with this tutorial
Article
Animated or video catalog
Creativity has no limits, so video catalogs or video catalogs are also an option to attract those people who are more audiovisual and prefer this type of content.
You can share it on social networks or on YouTube and take advantage of the best products of the season to generate content on your social networks and receive purchase-focused interactions.
Product catalog on website
You can use a landing page to create a virtual catalog. You will need programming and design knowledge or the help of a professional. This site will work exclusively to display the products or services you want and is also used for advertising campaigns on social networks or search engines.
As you can imagine, online stores and marketplaces work as virtual catalogs as well. In addition, you can add different photos that match the size or variant that the user is analyzing.
Did you know that you can add an augmented reality experience to your online store? With apps like . Your clients will love it!
Catalog on Facebook and Instagram Shopping
The Facebook and Instagram Shopping product catalog is a necessary piece for your business to be omnichannel and sell more. By creating the catalogs in these social networks; You will be able to make effective advertisements and put at the hand of your users the necessary information for them to make a purchase.
But not only that, you can also connect these catalogs with your online store and be just a few clicks away from selling. That’s how it is! Your networks will become a means of attracting customers.
💡Tip: Learn more about how to add catalogs on Facebook and Instagram store.
Magazine-style virtual catalog
Although they are less and less popular due to the amount of time and effort that must be devoted to their creation; magazine-type digital catalogs are a very striking type of catalogue. The idea of these is to recreate the reading experience of a real catalog.
For this reason, the help of designers who have knowledge of editorial design and HTML code is also necessary or create a virtual catalog in PDF and use a tool like or to help you convert your file.
💡 Tip: If you are going to use Flipsnack create a free account and use it when you have the final version. In this way, you will take advantage of the free version and if you like it, then you can choose your paid version.
8 advantages of having a virtual catalog in your business
- You expand your brand exposure.
- You increase the possibilities of sale.
- You support the closing of sales.
- You encourage word-of-mouth distribution.
- You increase the traffic in your online store.
- You support the environment.
- You reduce advertising costs.
- You take advantage of the diffusion and publicity by different means.
Now that you know what it is, how it works and the main advantages of a virtual catalog, we can move on to the fun part so you can start working on your own catalog. Let’s go!
Tips for creating a virtual catalog
- Choose good quality photos.
- Set correct prices.
- Check with your inventory.
- Write useful descriptions.
- Do not forget the technical characteristics of the products.
- Add links to your online store.
- Compress the PDF file for easy download.
How to make a virtual catalog in PDF?
To create a virtual PDF catalog you need to create a project in a tool like Word, PowerPoint, Canva, InDesign, Illustrator, etc., and follow these steps:
- Create your blank project in your favorite program or use a template.
- Group by categories for easy reading.
- Add photos of your products, cut and arrange as needed.
- Include clear descriptions and product features.
- Specify colors, sizes and models available.
- Decorate or modify the look and feel of your catalog.
- Share with your customers, spread on social networks, email, WhatsApp, etc.
If you want to learn more about these tips, don’t miss the content of the blog about .
Create a QR code to share your virtual catalog
QR codes are a very simple and free way to spread content. They are more and more everyday in our lives; so users are also familiar with these codes. In addition, it is extremely simple.
You don’t need to be an expert to create one, there are free QR code generators that allow you to create a code for your catalog. There are several ways but I will share the simplest.
- Create your catalog in digital format, preferably in PDF.
- Upload it to the cloud — Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, etc. — or your website.
- Select the option to share with anyone using the URL.
- Copy the URL and enter it into the .
- Click generate code and download your code.
- Print it and spread it on your different communication channels.
In conclusion
Virtual catalogs are digital versions of catalogs that allow their dissemination in the digital and face-to-face world —through…
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