THE CATALOGUE OPTIMISER

This month's top catalogue conversion tips

Author

James Wheele
July 22, 2025

👋 Welcome to The Catalogue Optimiser

If you're new here — welcome! This monthly newsletter is your shortcut to higher-performing print catalogues.
Whether you're a marketer, ecom brand, or catalogue veteran, you'll get:

  • Real insights from redesign projects

  • Tactical tips to increase response

  • Inspiration from brands doing it right

Feature Story

REMEMBER SQUINCH ANALYSIS?

Here’s Why It Still Matters for Your Catalogue Sales

Consider your catalogue page just like a store retailer would consider their floor space

If you’ve been in catalogue marketing for a while, you’ve probably heard of Squinch Analysis (Square Inch Analysis)—but are you still using it? We believe this old-school methodology holds huge value today, especially when it comes to prioritising your key products across both catalogue design and advertising. Think of your catalogue like a retail store: every square inch of space has a cost. Are you making every inch count?

What Squinch Analysis Helps You Uncover: 

  • ✅Are your top-performing products getting the space they deserve?

  • ✅ Are lower-selling products stealing premium real estate?

  • ✅ Is your catalogue layout optimised to maximise response and revenue?

The 80/20 Rule in Catalogue Design
80% of your revenue likely comes from just 20% of your products. Yet many catalogues spread space equally, diluting impact rather than doubling down on bestsellers.

The Bottom Line? Optimising Space = Optimising Sales

The Catalogue Optimiser

OPTIMISATION TIPS OF THE MONTH

Use Testimonials That Truly Sell

Don’t settle for generic praise like “great service” — it doesn’t move the needle. Take the time to collect testimonials that highlight specific strengths: “Our order of 500 units arrived next day, perfectly packed” or “Their catalogue made it easy to choose bestsellers for our shop window”. These bespoke, detailed endorsements help prospects picture themselves enjoying the same benefits — and that’s what builds trust.

Make a Hero of Your Page

Avoid the template trap and make page heros — that one standout product or image that draws the eye, anchors the layout, and sets the pace for the rest of the spread. Creating a clear hero not only adds dynamic energy to your catalogue but also guides the reader’s journey through the page. Whether it’s a proven bestseller or a high-margin line, giving priority space to the right item helps focus attention where it matters. Science backs this up: page designs with a hero product consistently outperform crowded layouts, generating stronger overall sales and engagement.

Demo of the Month - Nemo Office Club

B2B CATALOGUES CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A REFERENCE TOOL!

Many B2B catalogues fall into the trap of looking more like reference books — packed with data but missing the chance to truly sell off the page. For Nemo Office Club, we transformed their catalogue with clearer product hierarchy, smarter use of space, and copy that drives action, not just information.

Yes, B2B buyers are more rational and practical with their decision making, but they’re still human—they still respond to persuasion, clarity, and confidence just like a B2C customer would.

With B2B, it’s unlikely you’re attracting customers new to your product category. Your growth will depend on grabbing market share from your competitors. If you have a catalogue, why not use it to stand out and do exactly that?

With catalogues having the longest dwell times of any marketing channel, they are a huge opportunity to sell—not just list products.

❝

"If you are thinking about taking the catalogue review from Paper & Pixels, I would say 100% go ahead! At the very least you get sight of some brilliant new page designs for free, these will really get you thinking about your catalogue and how effective it can be. James and his team clearly know their stuff, the presentation is excellent and the insights they give are so valuable.” 
Tim Beaumont - MD @ Nemo Office Club

P&P UPDATES

DON’T MISS OUR NEW DEMO VIDEO

Discover what’s new in our latest Catalogue Demo Offer. In this quick video, I walk you through all the benefits — and explain why now’s the perfect time to book your catalogue in for a smart, sales-boosting upgrade.

A Final Note

NEXT MONTH - QUICK WINS AND SMART STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR CATALOGUE WORK EVEN HARDER

Thanks for reading this month’s edition of The Catalogue Optimiser.

If you’re considering a refresh — or just want to see what’s working best in 2025 — now’s a great time to explore our free demo offer and discover what a redesign could do for your catalogue.

Next month, I’ll be sharing more before-and-afters from our demo vault, quick wins to boost your response, and tips to make your catalogue work harder.

Until then, feel free to reach out or book a demo — always happy to talk catalogues.

James Wheele
Founder, Paper & Pixels

Until next time,

Optimising Catalogues to Drive More Sales