How to Create a Print Catalog for Your Photography Niche

aving countless options available to sell to clients through your online Storefront can feel overwhelming. Let’s make it simple to decide what to offer to your clients by creating a print catalog for your photography niche! Creating a curated list of prints and products to sell through your Client Galleries will not only increase client satisfaction but will also encourage sales as your clients will be less likely to experience decision fatigue and overwhelm. By speaking directly to your client’s needs through product offerings and intentional store setup, you’ll see your print sales skyrocket. 

Taking time to dive into creating an intentional Print Catalog is worth it, so grab a notebook and a pen and settle in to scroll through this post! We’ve intentionally designed this blog to be thought-provoking, guiding you through your decision-making process as everyone’s business, clients, and specific offerings are different. There is no one-size-fits-all approach! To do so, we’re taking it back to grade school English Class… talking about the 5Ws of creating a print catalog that serves you and your clients. 

You’re ready to start fulfilling print orders… but where do you start?! Selling prints through CloudSpot is one of the easiest ways to fulfill print orders while making 100% of the commission on each sale! CloudSpot is connected with some of the photography industry’s top print labs to provide your clients with quality prints through an ordering process built directly into their online gallery. By creating your Print Catalog within CloudSpot, you’ll be able to automate your entire print fulfillment process, delighting your clients with how easy it is to order prints while freeing up time to pursue more of what matters most to you as a photographer! 

To learn more about creating your first print catalog, click here! We recommend walking through this brainstorming and research process with your print catalog open on your screen to help clarify your decision-making process. For simplicity, today’s blog post will walk you through questions to ask as you work to determine which products to sell through CloudSpot’s Auto Fulfillment option.

Ready to demystify the Print Catalog creation process? Keep reading and be sure to answer these questions for yourself. This process is sure to set you on the right path as you curate your Print Catalog. 

Who is your client? 

Who do you have in front of your camera and what do you know about them? What are their interests, what season of life are they in, what might their budget for prints look like, and what are their priorities? It’s important to have an understanding of who you are serving and what their interests are as you work to curate options for your print catalog. Whether you’re a wedding and portrait photographer, brand photographer, family photographer, or otherwise, knowing who your client is first will help to inform and guide your product curation process. You should keep your current clients and future ideal clients in mind as you craft your product offering Catalogs. 

What is your typical photography session type?

The type of work you photograph regularly will dictate the types of products you choose to incorporate into your catalogs as the needs of clients will vary between session types. 

Do you specialize in newborn photography? You may want to consider adding newborn Cards to your Catalog for client baby announcements! 

Are you photographing more weddings and engagement sessions? Adding Albums to your Catalog may be incredibly valuable! 

You can create different Catalogs for your different session types, so if your product offerings may differ between niches, we recommend creating unique Product Catalogs for each.

When is your client buying prints?

While this may not be completely true for everyone, it’s often true that a lot of photographers work within a degree of seasonality, photographing sessions/events for clients during particular times of the year or seasons of clients’ lives. When are you typically photographing your clients? What events may surround their session on the calendar and during that particular season of life? Do either raise the needs of your clients? Picking print and product options that speak to these needs is an incredible way to serve and delight your clients while closing on print sales.

If you are a family photographer with a huge focus on fall mini sessions, it may make sense to add Holiday Cards to your Print Catalog! If you photograph engagement sessions for your clients before their wedding day, adding Albums to your Catalogs would be a great way to encourage clients to print their engagement session photos in an album to use for a guest book at their reception. 

As a senior portrait photographer, it may make sense to add wallet sized images or Graduation Cards to your Print Catalog as these are often used to thank friends and family for graduation gifts. 

Look for opportunities to anticipate your client needs and add options to cater to these needs to best serve your clients.

Where will prints and products be used?

As you decide on product options, it’s necessary to consider where your clients will be displaying their prints and products. While this point can speak to the seasonality of session timing and print ordering, it’s also important to think about this in a literal sense. Where will the prints and products be displayed by your clients once they arrive on their doorstep? In their home, as gifts for family and friends, in an office, somewhere else? What size are the walls or frames where prints will be displayed? If it helps, walk through a frame aisle in Target or Michaels and take note of the most common sizes you see. Will clients be mailing images or Custom Printed Cards to family and friends during the holidays? All of these are opportunities to serve your clients with prints and products to be used in each location.

This is where you must know and understand who your clients are! By understanding and anticipating client needs for wall art, framed gifts, printed cards, and more, and by understanding where these items will be displayed by your clients, you will be able to make more purposeful and informed product decisions.

Why is your client having their photo taken? 

Understanding your clients is key when it comes to making print and product decisions! Knowing and understanding why your clients have decided to step in front of your camera will go a long way in helping you determine what prints and products to make available in your online Storefront. Are your family clients looking for a large print to display over their mantle? 

Maybe you’re a food photographer with clients who often need canvases of menu items printed for restaurant openings? 

Or perhaps your boudoir photography clients are looking to have their images printed in an album? 

By using your clients’ “why” to guide your product decisions, you’ll ensure that you have products ready for purchase that strategically speak to their needs.

Knowing and understanding who your clients are is KEY to determining what prints and products to include in your Online Storefront. Good luck— we are cheering you on!

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If you were hoping to start your very own CloudSpot client gallery experience for easy, purposeful, and profitable print sales, sign up today! 

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