Which materials, specifications, and inquiry scenarios to prepare before developing a catalog website.
A catalog is useful when customers need to understand the range before speaking with a manager. An order does not necessarily have to end with payment on the website. For equipment, materials, or custom-made products, the next step may be selection, an availability check, or a quote request.
Good preparation starts with three questions: what does the buyer already know about their task, which criteria do they use to choose a product, and what information does an employee need to respond? These determine page structure, specifications, and the inquiry form. Below is a process you can use to discuss a website even without a technical brief.
Define the main action
Write down one main goal for the catalogue. For example: “The visitor finds the right category and sends an enquiry with the selected product.” This is more precise than “we need a modern website”, because it lets you test the finished result.
If selection requires advice, provide a clear route to an employee. Customers should see what is included in the enquiry and what happens next. Do not make them retype the name of a product already open on screen.
Put together a small but representative set of products
To begin, prepare items with different structures: a simple product, a product with several variants and a complex solution requiring selection advice. This helps reveal differences before filling the entire catalogue.
For each item, gather:
- the name and internal SKU, if used;
- the category and purpose;
- specifications with units of measurement;
- photographs and available documents;
- available variants;
- information on how to confirm price and availability.
Mark unknown values separately. It is better to find a gap in the source spreadsheet early than replace it with arbitrary text in a product card. If photographs are temporary, record that too.
Separate categories and filters
A category answers “where should I go?”, while a filter narrows the choices within it. In a hypothetical lighting catalogue, categories might depend on purpose, while filters cover power, dimensions or installation method. This is an example structure, not a mandatory scheme for every product range.
Test names with someone unfamiliar with your internal labels. If a product can only be found by its factory code, a new buyer will need additional explanation. A professional customer, however, may need a quick search specifically by item code.
Plan the product card and inquiry together
After the specifications, visitors need a clear next step: request a quote, discuss selection or clarify an option. Choose the form fields to suit the manager’s work. If the product, quantity and contact details are enough for an initial response, other information can be clarified in conversation.
Test the whole journey with a sample case: a person opens a category, chooses a product and submits an enquiry, which the employee receives with the item name. Also check what happens when the required option cannot be found: where should the visitor turn then?
Decide who updates the information
Before development, identify who owns the catalogue within the company. Who adds products, changes descriptions and checks documents? Where is the current source: a spreadsheet, an accounting system or another service?
Import and integration require checking the data format and system capabilities. Do not choose them based only on product count: update frequency and source quality also influence the decision.
What to prepare for the first discussion
Gather a link to the current website, a sample product range, the responsible person's contact details, and a description of the desired inquiry. Add materials that are already usable. Record limitations separately: what cannot be shown publicly, what requires approval, and which data changes regularly.
For an example of presenting complex products, see the NeoDrain case study. It shows the project's structure and screens; choose your own catalog's features based on your assortment and workflow.
If you are planning a business website in Kazakhstan, start with the task and available materials. On the page GIFS website development you can review the scope of work and start discussing the project. Send a catalogue example and explain what visitors should do after selecting a product.