If you’re a manufacturer or distributor with a burgeoning line of products to keep track of, chances are you’ve considered adding online catalog software to your technology arsenal. Since it allows you to aggregate, manage, and catalog all your product content online, the business-to-business benefits of online catalog software are numerous. There’s the obvious reduction in overhead costs related to marketing. And publishing your product information online gives you access to a significantly broader audience—and greater revenue potential.
Because it allows you to provide all your pre-sales support on the web, online catalog software can enhance collaboration with both your internal and external customers. After logging into their account, dealers can easily view detailed information about your products, check inventory levels, make inquiries about specific items, and place orders. Salespeople can produce data sheets, seasonal catalogs, and price lists while they’re out in the field, enabling them to respond to customer requests quickly and on demand.
Furthermore, a mobile-friendly online catalog software tool lets you expand your products to today’s fast-growing population of smartphone and tablet users. Employees, sales reps, and customers can access detailed product information anytime, no matter where they are. This streamlines communication, simplifies ordering, and speeds the sales process.
But with the variety of options available today, choosing the most appropriate online catalog software can feel like an arduous task. For example, what kinds of features and capabilities will yield the most value for your company? Below are some of the key attributes to look for when searching for a digital catalog technology partner:
- Ease of use. Look for an intuitive interface and simple functionality so that employees, salespeople, and dealers of any technical skill level can use the software.
- Seamless integration with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and other applications such as accounting, inventory management, sales and marketing, and payment and shipping. This ensures that data across all systems is uniform and 100% accurate.
- Compatibility with Adobe InDesign and templates that make it easier to create seasonal catalogs, price lists, and data sheets on the fly.
- Functionality for dealers/distributors that allows them to customize catalogs with their own branding elements.
- Password-protected security that enables you to restrict information based on the type of user account.
- A product information management system that works hand in hand with your online catalog software, allowing your product data to be stored and managed across your entire organization in one centralized place.
The online catalog software you choose should also integrate with a scalable ecommerce platform that lets you optimize the user experience while sharing your product content across a myriad of channels, including print, websites, e-campaigns, social media, dealer portals, and more.
In today’s rapid-paced digital age, catalog management software has become an essential tool for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers. Choosing a solution that addresses multiple pieces of the ecommerce puzzle will empower you to save time and money, expand your market reach, and boost sales and revenue to unprecedented levels.