Quick answer
Manufacturers and wholesalers should put their full catalogue online with proper specifications, photos and downloadable details, then choose per product whether to show a price, quantity price breaks or “price on request”. Add WhatsApp enquiry buttons, clear minimum order quantities and dealer information, and make each product page findable on Google by the terms buyers search.
A manufacturer or wholesaler should put its catalogue online as a proper website where every product has its own page with specifications, photos, minimum order quantity and either a price, quantity price breaks or a “price on request” button that opens an enquiry on WhatsApp. That turns a PDF catalogue that sits in someone's inbox into pages that buyers find on Google, share with their purchase team and come back to when they need to reorder.
Why put a B2B catalogue online at all?
Many MSMEs still sell through a sales team, trade fairs, a PDF catalogue and phone calls. That works, but it has limits. A PDF is out of date the day a price changes. Buyers searching on Google for “SS 304 hose clamp manufacturer Coimbatore” cannot find a PDF. And when a dealer asks for the spec sheet of one item, someone has to stop work to send it.
A web catalogue fixes these problems:
- Findable: each product page can rank for the exact terms buyers type.
- Current: update a price or stock status once and every buyer sees it.
- Shareable: your sales team sends a link instead of attachments.
- Enquiries with context: a buyer's message already says which product, size and quantity they want.
- Credibility: a buyer checking a new supplier expects to find a proper website.
Should you show prices or use “price on request”?
This is the first decision for most B2B sellers. There is no single right answer; many businesses mix approaches.
| Approach | Works well for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Show a fixed price, buyers order online | Standard items, spares, consumables, small trade buyers | Competitors see your prices |
| Show quantity price breaks | Items sold by the carton or hundred, where bigger orders get lower prices | Needs clear minimums |
| Price on request, enquiry by WhatsApp | Custom sizes, made-to-order goods, prices tied to raw material rates | Every sale needs a conversation |
A common pattern: standard catalogue items with quantity prices for small buyers, and “Ask for a quote” on large or custom orders.
How can UpMinutes handle a B2B catalogue?
UpMinutes has a kind of store called quote: catalogue themes with an “Ask on WhatsApp” button and price on request. When a buyer taps it, the WhatsApp message includes the product, the options they chose and the quantity, so your team knows exactly what is being asked. There are Industrial & B2B themes among the 150 on the themes page, and you can switch themes later without losing products.
Other features that matter for B2B:
- Quantity prices: set price breaks so the unit price drops at, say, 100 and 500 pieces.
- Options: up to three per product (for example size, grade and finish), each with its own price, stock and photo.
- CSV import with preview to bring in a large catalogue from a spreadsheet, and bulk edits for price revisions.
- Payment links: once a quote is agreed on WhatsApp or the phone, create the order and send a Razorpay payment link in one tap; stock, GST and invoices are worked out.
- GST invoices with your GSTIN, HSN code per product, and CGST plus SGST or IGST based on the buyer's state.
- Team roles (manager, orders, catalogue, view only) so your sales and catalogue staff each have the right access; Pro allows up to 15 people.
Pro covers up to 1,000 products. If your catalogue is far larger, focus the website on your main product families and keep long-tail variants as options.
What should a B2B product page include?
Trade buyers want facts, not adjectives. A good page has:
- A clear product name using the industry term (and common alternatives)
- Specifications in a table: material, grade, dimensions, tolerances, standards it meets
- Photos on a plain background, plus a close-up of finish and markings
- Available sizes or variants
- Minimum order quantity and packing (per box, per carton)
- Lead time for stock and made-to-order items
- Applications: where it is used
- HSN code, so buyers' accountants are happy
Only state certifications and test standards you actually hold, and keep certificates ready to share. Our guide to product descriptions that sell covers structure; organising your catalogue into collections helps with large ranges.
How do B2B buyers find suppliers online?
Buyers search Google with specific terms: product, material, size, “manufacturer” or “supplier”, and often a city. To show up:
- Use exact product terms in titles, the way a buyer would type them.
- Create collection pages for each product family, with a short intro.
- Set up a Google Business Profile for your factory or office, with your website link.
- List products on Google's free listings where prices are shown; UpMinutes builds a product feed for Merchant Center.
- Write a few helpful pages: how to choose a grade, size charts, care and installation.
UpMinutes sets up titles, descriptions, sitemaps with photos and structured data automatically, and you can edit how each page appears in search. Read SEO for a new store for a 90-day plan.
What about dealers and distributors?
If you sell through dealers, your website should support them rather than compete with them. Ideas:
- A “Dealers” page listing authorised dealers by city or state, so end buyers are sent to the right place.
- A “Become a dealer” page with your requirements and a WhatsApp or email contact.
- Coupons limited to a collection, or quantity prices, for trade buyers ordering online.
- Product pages your dealers can link to from their own WhatsApp catalogues.
Can you sell to buyers outside India?
Yes, for enquiries and quotes. Overseas buyers can browse your catalogue and see guide prices in up to 12 currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP and AED, and your delivery zones can include other countries. Online payment is always charged in rupees through your Razorpay account, so many exporters keep large overseas orders on quotes and handle payment and export paperwork through their bank and freight partners. Our guide to international shipping from India has more.
How do you keep a large catalogue up to date?
The biggest risk with any catalogue is that it slowly goes stale. Give one person ownership of it, with the catalogue role, and set a routine: prices reviewed when raw material rates move, new products added the week they launch, discontinued items marked sold out rather than deleted (so old links still work). When a product is replaced, mention and link the new model in the old page's description. Use scheduled publishing to put a new range live on the day of a trade fair or price revision, and check the stock log when numbers look wrong. A short monthly review of your top 20 pages does more than a big clean-up once a year.
A B2B catalogue launch checklist
- Decide: price shown, quantity prices or price on request, per product family
- Product spreadsheet with specs, HSN codes, MOQ and photos named by SKU
- Import by CSV and check a sample of pages
- WhatsApp enquiry button tested from a phone
- Dealer and contact pages published
- Google Business Profile linked to the website
- Sales team trained to send links, not PDFs
Frequently asked questions
Should a manufacturer show prices on its website?
Show prices for standard items and consumables, use quantity price breaks for bulk, and keep custom or volatile items on price on request. Many businesses mix all three.
Can buyers place bulk orders online and pay later?
You can agree terms on WhatsApp or by phone, then create the order and send a payment link when the buyer is ready to pay. Credit terms themselves are between you and the buyer.
How many products can I list on UpMinutes?
Up to 100 on Starter, 300 on Growth and 1,000 on Pro. Use options for sizes and grades so one product page covers many variants.
Will my catalogue show up on Google?
It can, if each product has its own page with clear, specific titles. Sitemaps and structured data are set up automatically, and a Google Business Profile helps local buyers find you.
