What Is The History of Digital Catalog Publishing

Since many decades the coming of such a huge, glossy catalog was the household event. Family members would sit around, and pass stuff with pens and fold the corners of pages. Retail marketing was a touchy, relaxed experience that characterized the pre-modern era of marketing to the better part of a century. But with the emergence of the internet this all changed. This was a new reality whereby printing and postage of millions of hardcopies in books was economically unsustainable and ecologically irresponsible. Digitizing was to happen but not in a straight line. The digital catalog publishing has had its ups and downs, its highs and lows, its technological successes and failures, as it transforms into a cumbersome, inactive item into the robust, interactive, buy-able options that we currently experience.

Knowing this history has much more than a memory lane. It gives important revelation on the evolution of consumer expectations and how the brands have been forced to change the way they tell their stories to accommodate screens of every size.

The Early Years: The PDF Problem

Retailers were aware in the late 90s and early 2000s when e-commerce made its half-stunted steps that they had to be digital. The simplest and most direct answer was to upload the print file, yet not elegant.

The standard was the Portable Document Format (PDF). The publishers had it easy since they were already making PDFs of their print editions. The process of loading the file on a site did not involve much effort or additional time in designing. The experience to the consumer, though, was frustrating most of the time.

The speed of the Internet was low, and it might take several minutes to get a high-resolution 100-page PDF. After the file had finally loaded there was virtually no user interface. There was no interactivity. Customers were forced to keep scrolling through images. In case they liked something, they were obliged to memorize the product code, close the PDF, and manually search the item in the site.

The lack of connection between inspiration and buying was enormous. Although PDF addressed the distribution issue, postage and printing fees were eliminated, it could not be used to recreate the magic of browsing. It was more of an online library than an advertising instrument.

The HTML5 and the Mobile Revolution

Flash was on its knees and this compelled the industry to be innovative. The substitute was HTML5 which is a web standard that enabled rich multimedia experience without the use of external painters.

This was a change in digital design. Designers started to think like digital-first instead of attempting to impose a print layout on a screen. The HTML5 also facilitated the responsive design where a catalog was able to change its design depending on the device it was viewed on.

As a catalog on a desktop, one may see a two-page spread. On a table, it can display one page. It might rearrange the text and images on a mobile phone in a vertical scroll, similar to a social media stream. This sensitivity meant that there was no longer a need to pinch and zoom to read the text and photos were always clear.

The rich media were also integrated during this period. Categories no longer offered blank space. They contained background videos, GIFs and audio clips. An example of a fashion catalog may have a model walking down a run way and not simply standing. Tutorial video could be placed in the same place as the power drill on sale, in a hardware catalog. The catalog was changed into a multimedia content hub rather than a pivotal point of products.

The Modern Age: malleability and information

We are in the age of the shoppable content today. The current digital catalog publishing is an advanced software application which combines well with the e-commerce sites.

The major aim of the contemporary catalog is to minimize friction. Previously, the process of viewing a product and making a purchase required several clicks and loads. In its current form, the site offers options such as “Quick View” that enable customers to preview the product details, choose the size, and add them to the cart without leaving the catalog experience all together.

Moreover, the information potential of contemporary digital catalogues is much greater than print could provide. During the olden times, a retailer could not know which pages of a mailed catalog were read and which were tossed into the recycling bin. Granular analytics is offered by digital publishing. Marketers can track:

• Time on page: Determining what content is attention grabbing.
• Click-through rates: Which products are of interest.
• Heatmaps: It is important to know where users are peeking and clicking.

This data cycle can be optimized on a continual basis. In case one particular spread is not working, it can be replaced immediately in real time, which cannot be done with print.

The Next Frontier: personalization

Hyper-personalization is the direction that digital publishing is taking. The idea of the existence of a fixed version that is identical to all users is dying out.

With the help of AI and browsing history, retailers are now able to create dynamic catalogs that are specific to the individual. Granted, the chosen customer who regularly purchases hiking equipment may be on the first page of an online outdoor clothes shop and see tents and boots, whereas a customer who likes yoga may see mats and other clothes.

This degree of personalization is a throwback to the very reason why the catalog was created, discovery. Through the editing of the choice according to the preferences of a particular user, the brands may replicate the experience of a personalized shopper, which will boost the interest and subsequent purchasing patterns.

Conclusion

Human beings continue to desire curated experiences. We are also desirous to be led through a collection by a masterly voice. We are still enjoying the aesthetic spectacle of quality photography and design. Digital catalog publishing has survived the clunky PDF years and the shortcomings of Flash to find a solution that respects that want and accepts the expediency and convenience of the internet.

Since the mailbox to the inbox, and now to the customized feed, the catalog is an indispensable storytelling tool in business. It is the linking point between the vision of the brand with the lifestyle of the customer, which teaches that the media can be different, yet the necessity of being inspired cannot be reduced.

If you are looking to create your digital catalog for your products and services, look no further than PageTurnPro digital catalog software.