7 Guidelines For Improved eCommerce Product Data Management

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7 Guidelines For Improved eCommerce Product Data
Management
Product data management is vital to keep the
eCommerce site running smoothly. In fact,
product data management (PDM) is one of the
essential pillars of online merchants' business.
It helps companies connect with their customers
and expand their business. But enterprises must
take their product data management up a notch if
they are to run a successful eCommerce site
with many products. Research shows that a lot
of data feed errors creep in to hinder eCommerce
campaigns. These could include shipping issues,
GTIN, price, availability, etc. After all,
there's so much to look at, including managing
product attributes, creating custom fields, and
more. To that end, it's essential to improve
product data management for eCommerce success.
Here's a rundown of the tips to help realize
that
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• Leverage Advanced Software To Streamline
  Operations
• One of the key aspects of product data management
  is ensuring that your eCommerce platform is
  up-to-date and easily accessible. For example, if
  you're using an old-fashioned spreadsheet or
  manual system to track your inventory and
  orders, it will become a hassle when you get more
  than a few hundred products in your catalog.
• Instead, leverage advanced software to
  automatically pull data from your eCommerce
  platform into an easy-to-read format. It will
  help you keep track of all your products with
  just a few clicks.
• Centralized Management
• Product data management should be centralized so
  that all teams (suppliers, distributors,
  retailers, marketing teams, and more) can benefit
  from it. By centralizing your PIM (product
  information management) system, you'll ensure
  that each team has access to the latest updates,
  whether managing customer support or creating new
  product listings.
• A centralized platform helps reduce the time
  spent searching for product details because
  everyone has easy access. It's also essential to
  ensure all departments use the same terminology
  when writing product descriptions and titles.
  Using different terms across your organization
  can lead to confusion among shoppers who might
  pick up different versions of your products in
  search results.
• Automate Manual Processes
• PDM is not just about creating and updating
  product data - it's also about ensuring that
  this data is consistent across all systems so
  that customers have an authentic experience when
  browsing or searching for products. However,
  it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the data you
  need to manage, especially if you've hundreds or
  thousands of products.

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• That's why it's crucial to automate as much as
  possible and let the software do the heavy
  lifting. This will reduce the amount of time
  spent manually adding details to each product
  and eliminate the risk of human errors.
• Establish A Standardized Format For Product Data
• Using a standardized format when listing the
  products helps ensure that the feeds can be
  easily accessed and imported by other channels
  and eCommerce platforms. Customarily, you'll
  need to stick to their rules using an EDI
  service. But if you're not using an EDI service,
  then there are still some best practices that
  you can follow
• Use consistent terminology across all of your
  channels (e.g., if one channel calls a product
  attribute "size," then use the same term
  everywhere else too).
• Be consistent with how much information is
  included in the description field (e.g., don't
  include details about size and color on one
  channel but leave them out on another).
• Share Product Data Across Channels
• The key to better eCommerce product data
  management is to share data across all channels.
  This means that the same information about a
  product should be used on multiple websites,
  social media platforms, and marketplaces.
• For example, use the same product data for your
  Facebook store, eCommerce website, and Amazon
  marketplace. But this is not always easy.
  Different systems will have different
  requirements for receiving and storing this
  information.

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• For example, Amazon requires SKUs, while Etsy
  does not. Your website might need UPCs, but your
  other channels may not accept them. The solution
  is to ensure that all channels are talking to one
  another somehow - even if it's through a
  third-party software service.
• Embrace Product Content Syndication
• Product data management is a complex process.
  Keeping all the different factors in mind while
  working on your site design can be difficult.
  Thankfully, some approaches can help you out. One
  such method is product content syndication,
  which allows you to pull data from trusted
  sources like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay so that
  you don't have to spend time entering it all
  yourself.
• With this, you can create a single "master" file
  containing the product information for all your
  products and then automatically add those items
  to your website. This makes it easy for customers
  to find what they're looking for when they visit
  your site or search for it online - without
  having to wait for you to manually enter all the
  information into each product page on your site.
• Work with a Strategic Partner
• When considering eCommerce product data
  management, it's essential to envision the big
  picture. This means working with a strategic
  partner who has the experience, resources, and
  expertise to help you get the most out of your
  product data management system.
• This can include a team of specialists who can
  act as your product data experts, advising you
  on all the aspects of eCommerce PIM, catalog
  management, digital asset management (DAM), etc.
  Plus, working with a strategic partner makes it
  easier to maintain the platform and integrate it
  with other systems, if required.

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Wrapping Up All in all, there are several ways
to ensure that your eCommerce product data is as
organized and efficient as possible. The tips
above should give you an excellent roadmap to
follow when it comes to improving your workflow.
Contact EnFuse Solutions for more information on
how to streamline and manage your product
data. Related Blog Want To Grow Your eCommerce
Business? Focus On Product Content