A common question: should your catalog be a PDF or online? Short answer: both, because each serves a different purpose.

Advantages of a PDF catalog

• Easy to send: works over WhatsApp, Telegram and email.
• Printable: essential for trade fairs and in-person meetings.
• Works offline: customers can view it without internet.
• Fixed: the version you sent doesn't change — useful for formal quotations.

Advantages of an online catalog

• Searchable: customers can search across hundreds of products.
• Instant updates: change a price and everyone with the link sees the new version.
• Direct ordering: can link straight to WhatsApp for fast orders.
• Lightweight: you send a link instead of a 20 MB file.

Which should you choose?

Have both. Send the online link to new prospects and for advertising; send the PDF to serious buyers and during price negotiations.

An important note on file size

A common mistake is producing an enormous PDF. If your file exceeds 10 MB, many customers simply won't download it. Optimise your images to keep the size reasonable.