Skyrocketing paper and postage costs plus the rise of internet shopping have changed the face of shopping. Web catalogs have replaced paper catalogs, but the page design process remains similar, so if you're asked to tackle this project, your graphic design skills and education will serve you well. Make it your priority to produce unique catalog pages that are coordinated, easy to navigate and designed for easy ordering.
Instructions
1. Identify your audience and their buying behaviors, dividing your product offerings into niches (family, kids only, working women).
2. Purchase design software or use your favorite page layout program to create the template from which your page designs will emerge. Design for the monitor (landscape rather than portrait orientation) and select several colors that will be used to coordinate all of the catalog pages. Try to confine product on each page to fit within the boundaries of a single screen, so shoppers can avoid scrolling or drilling down to find information they need to make a purchase decision.
3. Write copy and choose products for your web catalog pages. Adopt a writing style that's pithy, audience-focused and entertaining. Salt pages with keywords likely to be used by your demographic when searching for merchandise. Compose call-outs to highlight discounted merchandise or to call attention to features and additional information about the product on the page (e.g., one size fits all, no batteries required, limited number in stock).
4. Photograph product selected for each page and save each as a low-resolution jpeg. Use an image manipulation software program to clean up images. Place each photo on a predetermined page. Transfer page copy (Step 3), making certain your website address and call to action appears on every screen.
5. Add one page each for ordering instructions, return policies and company-specific marketing copy.
6. Test every page before it goes live to work out bugs overlooked during the conception and development stages of your web catalog.
