In an increasingly dynamic market, automating product catalogs is no longer just an option—it’s a key and essential tool for companies striving to stay competitive. With solutions like the ones we offer at Nousmedis, transforming a traditionally manual and error-prone process into an agile, efficient, and synchronized system can make all the difference.
Why is automating product catalogs essential?
Before understanding why automating product catalogs is a crucial decision for your commercial strategy, your marketing and communication team might have some other initial questions. Is having a well-designed e-commerce site enough? If we decide to produce a catalog this year, should we choose a print format, digital format, or both? Is the production effort really worth it in terms of sales and brand positioning?
Product catalogs are essential tools for increasing sales, attracting customers, and solidifying brand image. They’re not just informative documents—they are the bridge between your business and your customers. Whether in printed format, digital, or integrated into your website, their accuracy and visual quality directly influence purchasing decisions.
The advantages of printed and digital product catalogs
Contrary to what some sectors suggest about their obsolescence, printed catalogs still offer notable benefits. A study by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) revealed that printed catalogs generate 12% more sales compared to other promotional materials and that consumers tend to consult them three times longer than digital ones.
Printed catalogs often stay longer in households, increasing their chances of being noticed and consulted. They enhance consumers’ ability to imagine the use of experiential products.
Digital catalogs allow global distribution, breaking geographical barriers as they can be shared online with ease. They’re more cost-effective and easier to update compared to print formats. They enable the inclusion of direct purchase links, explanatory videos, or social media sharing features. They provide analytics on metrics like consultation time, downloads, and popular products. Additionally, they reduce carbon footprints and reinforce corporate social responsibility commitments.
Key principles for an effective automated product catalog
Whether you choose to automate a product catalog for print, digital, or both, it’s essential to ensure it adheres to the following principles:
- Clear product sheets: Organized by relevance, highlighting popular or seasonal products.
- Concise and effective text: Clear language and optimized for SEO in the case of digital catalogs.
- High-quality visual resources: Eye-catching images and videos to capture consumer attention.
- Brand-aligned design: Reflect your corporate identity through consistent colors, typography, and style.
Manually creating and updating catalogs demands considerable time and resources, limiting your ability to respond swiftly to market changes.
This is where automation makes a significant difference, acting as a strategic game-changer. Adopting an automated system not only optimizes your internal processes but also allows you to focus on what truly matters: adding value for your customers and maintaining a competitive edge.
Automated digital catalogs, in particular, offer businesses the flexibility to adapt quickly to an ever-changing global environment and respond effectively to consumer demands.
In 2023, more than 1.92 billion people shopped online, and e-commerce accounted for 13.7% of global retail sales, according to Statista. These figures emphasize the importance of dynamic, adaptable tools to capture this growing market segment.
By automating product catalogs, companies save time and resources while creating a significant competitive advantage in the market.
5 business advantages of automating catalogs with Nousmedis
- Reduced time-to-market
Accelerate processes and respond to the market at record speed. Catalog automation eliminates repetitive, manual tasks, enabling the creation and updating of catalogs with agility and precision. In today’s fast-paced environment, where time is invaluable, an automated system can be updated in hours instead of days or weeks. This not only speeds up product launches but also facilitates real-time price adjustments and swift responses to market needs. With automated catalogs, your company can stay competitive and lead innovation in its sector. - Greater trust in commercial communication
By working with a single data source, consistency and accuracy improve, eliminating errors and duplications. Last-minute changes to prices, products, or images are quick and significantly reduce the chance of mistakes. This not only enhances your company’s image but also builds trust with your customers—essential for closing sales. - Personalization for different audiences
An automated system allows you to create multiple versions of the same catalog quickly and efficiently. Need one catalog for wholesalers and another for end customers? Or a version in multiple languages? All of this can be managed seamlessly without duplicating efforts. Generating catalogs tailored to various audiences and languages becomes simple with automated tools. - Cost and resource savings
Marketing and design teams can dedicate their time to more strategic tasks. This translates into significant savings in human and financial resources, boosting overall productivity. - Enhanced visual and communicative quality
With more time to focus on design and key messages, your catalogs become true ambassadors of your brand. Tools like EasyCatalog allow data to integrate directly into Adobe InDesign, ensuring professional, high-impact visual results.
Nousmedis’ role in your digital transformation
At Nousmedis, we’ve been helping companies overcome commercial communication challenges for over 25 years. We specialize in integrating or configuring your data sources (Excel, XML, databases, PIMs like Sales Layer, etc.) to optimize and leverage them with tools like EasyCatalog, ensuring each client gets a tailor-made catalog solution.
Our team guides you through the entire process of automating the production of your catalog, from data auditing to training, base catalog design, and automated re-editions—delivering top-quality results every step of the way.
If you choose to automate your product catalog with us, we’ll guide you through a process that’s simpler than you might imagine:
- We audit and integrate your data.
- We review your design and automate your catalog production processes.
- We train you to use the automation tools and offer ongoing support.
Remember: automating your product catalog not only streamlines internal processes but also boosts your competitive advantage. At Nousmedis, we have the expertise and tools to take your commercial communication to the next level.
Ready to beat the competition and save time and resources?
Contact us today and discover how automating your catalog can transform your business!