No online retail without high-quality product data
Customers feel uncomfortable with a shopping experience that lacks product information and are less likely to make a purchase. If they buy anyway and the product does not meet their expectations due to missing data, dissatisfaction quickly arises. But the potential of products that cannot be found in the store's search function also remains unused for no reason. To prevent this from happening, it is worth maintaining, controlling and automating product data.
As most companies generate large amounts of data in e-commerce, special systems are required to manage this information. These systems can be PIM systems, ERP systems or MDM systems, for example, and ensure the quality and completeness of product data within the company.
PIM as the optimal system for product data
A PIM system automatically manages the quality, accuracy and completeness of product data. If a PIM is set up and implemented correctly, it provides reliable support for work relating to product descriptions and information. If the basic data quality is not sufficient, the missing product data must be updated manually. In this case, we have several specialists on site who can also take on this task for you.
The information stored in the PIM significantly shortens the time-to-market and increases the customer experience, as high-quality product data reduces the number of returns and incorrect purchases by providing customers with the desired result. However, online retailers and manufacturers also benefit immensely from the optimization of product data, as it increases the clarity of their own warehouse and improves coordination with retailers.
When it comes to media data in particular, such as large quantities of photos and videos, MAM systems that specialize in this type of product information come into question. An ERP system is an option for contact data in particular. Together with a PIM system, they form a digital ecosystem in the right coordination, which relieves you of large amounts of work. These systems must therefore be precisely coordinated in order to work together optimally and provide the right data at the right time in the various channels.
Reasons for problems with product data
Many companies have incorrect or incomplete product data. A common reason in larger companies is silo thinking in the individual departments, meaning that data is sometimes maintained multiple times in different systems, which leads to unnecessary duplicate maintenance or product information not being taken into account.
One of the biggest challenges for store operators is the rapid expansion of the product range, for example in the course of an expansion, so that product data is no longer completed in time or is sometimes already out of date.
In addition, there is often no person responsible, meaning that this work is only done on demand and lacks professional accuracy. In other cases, there is no overview of the data supplied by manufacturers and suppliers, sometimes in very different qualities. The result is the above-mentioned problems, which quickly put potential customers off buying.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that the quality of product data has an immensely positive influence on conversions in an online store, leads to fewer returns and, in the long term, to less work if the right management tool is used for this. This saves resources of all kinds and lays the foundation for further automation processes, which also increase the efficiency of online retail. Furthermore, product information systems that are subject to continuous improvement through good product data can adapt more quickly to the new requirements of the market, customers and the digital world.