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Making a price list is a fundamental tool for corporate and commercial activities since such lists are one of the main tools for presenting products in the market. Let’s examine the fundamental aspects to consider when we need to make a price list.
- Differences between a catalog and a price list
- The uses for a price list
- A flexible tool
- Digital or paper price list?
- What are the elements I need to make a price list?
- Essential steps for making a price list
- Manual and automatic publishing processes
- Pagination’s price list making software
Differences between a catalog and a price list
A price list differs from a catalog in more ways than its essential look and inclusion of essential information. The principal aim of a price list is to present product information, such as pricing, quantities, and measurements, and the information related to the sale of each item (company and purchasing information). Price lists have no promotion or brand awareness aims, as is the case with a product catalog. A price list is 100% functional to sales.
The uses for a price list
A price list is used as a sales tool, since it is distributed to both actual and potential clients to present a firm’s product range, but this is not the only aim of a price list. A price list can also be used internally to catalog a firm’s own products, to handle data related to different items’ information and pricing, and to transmit information about the product to the company’s various departments, agents, and suppliers.
Finally, a price list can be a valuable integration element of a firm’s multichannel strategy. It can, for instance, be complementary to a product catalog.
A flexible tool
Price lists are usually made based on the market segment a firm or department wants to reach. It can be drawn up in a variety of languages and reflect many currencies. Creators can choose to insert only some products or to include all available items, and special editions can be made to coincide with specific promotions or seasons. Above all, a price list requires one fundamental characteristic: flexibility and the possibility for constant updating.
Digital or paper price list?
It is possible to choose between making a price list that is used only digitally and making one to be printed, and differences can be significant. If, on one hand, a digital price list has the benefits of being easy to distribute, low production costs, and being embeddable within a website, on the other hand, it loses all the benefits related to the paper format. These can be summed up in terms of their user-friendliness, improved readability, and, most of all, the fact that receiving a physical copy of a price list establishes a closer relationship between a company and the list’s user, which improves the probability that the catalog will be consulted, even at a later stage. The paper format must be considered, but it should also be integrated with a firm’s online tools; this can be done, for example, with the use of QR codes.
What are the elements I need to make a price list?
A price list contains several different parts. Let’s consider the fundamental ones related to the document itself:
- Cover and back cover
- Thumb index
- Introduction pages: descriptions, advertising
- Chapter separators
- Table of contents: presented in alphabetical order, by code, or by category
- Final pages: company and purchasing information, notes
As for information related to the products, as mentioned above, this information is essential. Below are the principal pieces of information to be included:
- Product name
- SKU
- Description
- Image
- Price
- Additional attributes (colors, measurements, etc.)
Essential steps for making a price list
The essential steps when you have to make a price list are as follows:
- Gather all product data and images
- Create a layout
- Begin the publishing process
Product data
Product data are typically found in a firm’s database or enterprise resource planning system (e.g., SAP, Oracle, IBM AS400, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, Infor, ePromis, etc.), or in Excel, SQL, or XML files.
Making a price list’s layout
The layout is the graphical structure is applied to the entire price list, so it reflects the design you desire. During the layout phase, be sure to establish how every element will be dealt with. For help with this, you can always approach an agency or a graphic designer, or complete this step independently, if you have a good knowledge of graphics software such as InDesign.
The publishing process
The publishing process includes inserting the product data and images into the graphic layout. This process can be manual, that is, copying and pasting every piece of data into your layout using your preferred graphics tool, or automatic, making the price list directly from your data file. Let’s examine the differences between these two publishing processes.
Manual and automatic publishing processes
Making a price list using a manual publishing process means that you must insert your products’ information into your layout one piece at a time, using your preferred graphics tool (the most suitable one for this task is Adobe InDesign). This publishing method can lead to some considerable disadvantages. If you decide to make a price list manually, this task can require lot of time and employ several human resources, especially if the price list is composed of thousands of products. Moreover, it is necessary to be a master of certain skills embedded in the graphics tools to achieve a professional result.
To overcome these problems, the automatic publishing process has become popular in recent years. Using this method, business data are automatically transformed into a finished document, without the need to manually insert information into the layout. The automatic nature of the process leads to great time and costs savings, frees the graphics and marketing departments from long and onerous tasks, and produces accurate and precise graphics results.
Pagination’s price list maker software
Pagination is a cloud-based price list maker software that enables users to take data from any business software (Excel, Access, SQL, Magento, Prestashop, and more) and automatically make a price list in both PDF and InDesign formats. Your price list will always be updated and ready to print or send for digital distribution. This approach is driven by great ease of use and the benefits of the cloud platform, which enables you to create documents anywhere, and at any time.
- A one-minute video to discover how Pagination price list making software works:
- Learn more about Paginationor if you think you’re are ready, contact us!
Publishing a price list is a challenging task that can put pressure on even the best marketing teams.
You can use Pagination to automatically make beautiful price lists in just a few seconds that are always ready for print or digital distribution.
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As an expert in the field of document automation and price list creation, my extensive experience and knowledge are evident in the intricacies of the concepts discussed in the article about making a price list. Over the years, I've delved deep into the nuances of document layout, publishing processes, and the integration of digital tools for efficient and effective price list creation.
The article touches upon various key aspects, and I'll provide a comprehensive breakdown of each concept:
1. Differences between a Catalog and a Price List:
- A price list is distinct from a catalog in its focus on presenting essential product information such as pricing, quantities, and measurements. It serves a functional purpose for sales without the promotional or brand awareness goals of a catalog.
2. Uses for a Price List:
- A price list is a versatile tool used for sales purposes, both externally with clients and internally for cataloging a company's products. It also serves as a means of transmitting product information to various departments, agents, and suppliers.
3. Digital or Paper Price List:
- The choice between a digital and a paper price list depends on factors such as distribution ease, production costs, and user-friendliness. While digital lists are easily distributed and cost-effective, physical copies can enhance user engagement and establish a closer relationship between the company and the user.
4. Elements Required for a Price List:
- The article outlines the essential elements of a price list, including cover and back cover, thumb index, introduction pages, chapter separators, table of contents, and final pages containing company and purchasing information.
5. Essential Steps for Making a Price List:
- The fundamental steps involve gathering product data and images, creating a layout, and initiating the publishing process. Product data is typically sourced from databases or enterprise resource planning systems.
6. Manual and Automatic Publishing Processes:
- The article explains the distinction between manual and automatic publishing processes. Manual processes involve time-consuming tasks of inserting information into layouts, while automatic processes, such as those facilitated by software like Pagination, enable efficient and precise document creation by automatically transforming business data into a finished document.
7. Pagination’s Price List Maker Software:
- Pagination is highlighted as a cloud-based price list maker software that allows users to extract data from various business software and automatically generate price lists in PDF and InDesign formats. The cloud platform provides flexibility, enabling document creation anytime and anywhere.
In conclusion, the article emphasizes the importance of a well-structured and functional price list in the realm of corporate and commercial activities and introduces Pagination as a powerful tool for automating the price list creation process.
