Before you start creating a catalog, you must have answers to the following questions.
What are you trying to accomplish with your catalogs?
- Think about what you want to do with catalogs. Come up with goals.
- This will shape the strategy, and make it easier to stay on target.
Who is the target audience?
For an engineer or technical user, part numbers may be the most important information – for an office worker, a description an image might be the most relevant.
Once you know the objectives and target audience, you can create your own catalog.
Here are some of the strategies that you must follow while creating a catalog.
Know what is "Catalogable"?
Anything can be cataloged, including services or a single SKU, if it makes it easier for your users and supports your catalog strategy.
Think creatively about what you might have in a catalog. Work with your suppliers to help.
Catalog everything you can!
Train your users!
Give your users every chance to be successful. While catalogs are inherently intuitive there are so many features that can make your users more productive.
Train them on everything that is available including searching/saved searches, favorites and more.
Make it Simple and Keep it Current!
Use images, rich descriptions, links; use your company's language and terminology.
Catalogs are meant to be easy to use, quick and hassle-free for your users.
If your content is outdated, your users may never come back, and they will complain to everyone.
Use the Tools!
CIF catalogs can do partial items, requiring user input.
You can create kits from multiple items, and from multiple suppliers.
Create custom views for your users. Depending on your software, catalogs can support volume discounts/tiered pricing.
Highlight certain items in your catalog with icons for recycled, MWBE, preferred suppliers, and more.
Use PunchOut catalogs to search and select items directly from your suppliers website.
