Overcoming Common eCommerce Obstacles with Product Data

1. Correct invalid or missing product information

Whether information is missing or incorrect on one or all of your channels, it can greatly disrupt your customers’ shopping experience and present a formidable eCommerce obstacle. Considering the volume of information needed to sell products effectively, it is far too easy to miss something. This can:

• Create a customer service nightmare with an onslaught of calls and complaints
• Generate more returns when customers order the wrong product
• Cause issues with marketplaces that block you from uploading products due to formatting issues

A PIM enables you to create and manage a single source of truth for all your product information. From SKUs to technical specifications and from images to marketplace-specific languages and formats, you eliminate the risk of displaying inaccurate product information.

2. Gain a presence on the right sales channels

Today customers can choose the online platforms that suit their shopping preferences. Customers using one channel in a market where you aren’t selling means you miss out on an entire segment of that market. With a PIM, you can sell everywhere your customers shop. You can remove eCommerce obstacles that make it difficult to expand to new marketplaces and territories.

As a result, you can quickly react to customer demand and tap into new opportunities in emerging marketplaces. Your PIM works in hand with your DAM so that you can access the varied formats required by each channel. Even if you manage thousands of SKUs across multiple categories, your PIM offers speedy uploads accommodating not just formats but also languages and currencies.

3. High-quality images

If you find you lack the ability to visually showcase your items accurately, you are practically handing business over to your competitors. A PIM in hand with your DAM is the only solution to overcome this specific eCommerce obstacle. Efficient product information management enables you to create enriched content with digital assets of the highest quality.

Your online content can include high-quality images, product videos, 360 and 3D views and even leverage Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) functionalities. Combined with detailed PDF documents such as manuals, assembly instructions, sizing charts, etc., you provide all the information your customers need to make confident purchases.

4. Increase supply chain visibility

Little to no supply chain visibility interferes with getting your product from point A to point B as quickly as possible. You need to track goods from the time they arrive in your warehouse (or store) until they reach your customer’s door. You also need a clear view of products in transit. Supply chain visibility also enables you to put cost controls in place through effective management of inventory to limit disruptions.

Using a PIM, you can use your central source of information to ensure top sellers are identified, so you maintain inventory. You also improve product information accuracy to improve operational efficiencies and reduce costly returns that create confusion in product location and inventory counts.

5. Automate product information updates and workflows

Little to no supply chain visibility is a common eCommerce obstacle interferes with getting your product from point A to point B as quickly as possible. You need to track goods from the time they arrive in your warehouse (or store) until they reach your customer’s door. You also need a clear view of products in transit. Supply chain visibility also enables you to put cost controls in place through effective management of inventory to limit disruptions.

Using a PIM, you can use your central source of information to ensure top sellers are identified, so you maintain inventory. You also improve product information accuracy to improve operational efficiencies and reduce costly returns that create confusion in product location and inventory counts.

6. “Do I need a PIM?”

You need a PIM if you:

• Import data and assets from multiple systems
• Find discrepancies, errors, or contradictions in product data
• Make constant product updates and changes
• Manage complex product relationships
• Want to expand to new marketplaces or sell across varied channels
• Provide different layers of product data details to various people
• Operate in different geographies
• Want to maintain data consistency for regulatory or business purposes

A PIM is designed to overcome common eCommerce obstacles you encounter with product data. To learn more about our PIM, click here to take the tour.