How to Efficiently Manage Product Information

The process of creating and managing information related to products that a business market and sells is called product information management. Product-related information is required to market and sell products via various distribution channels.

Previously, product information was managed manually and involved complex and chaotic processes such as collating data, printing brochures and catalogs, and disseminating information across various channels.

Thankfully, product information management (PIM) tools have changed all that and helped businesses to streamline and automate how information related to their products are disseminated and managed.

Let us take a look at how you can efficiently manage product information in an era where everything is automated and technology-dependent.

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‍Invest in top-notch product information management (PIM) solutions

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‍A recent report discovered that 75% of products are not discovered by customers, and they are simply ignored and forgotten. This is mostly because, information related to these products is not available for customer consumption, and if the information is available, it is not easily accessible.

Product Information Management (PIM) automates the process of dissemination of product information across distribution channels and helps your products be more visible. The tool achieves this by ensuring that all relevant information related to your products is regularly updated and reviewed. This includes creating a master product sheet where a product's description, category, quality, shipping policies, unique SKU and UPC, images of the product, manufacturing date, etc. are stored in a central location. This information is regularly verified, collated, and reviewed by automated programs and human experts.
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• If you have a large number of products on your e-commerce, a PIM helps you keep all pro information updated and accurate.

• PIM helps businesses with fewer products to effectively reach their target audience across various distribution channels.

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Invest in a PIM that solves your unique business requirements, and make sure that it has the capacity to scale in the future.

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‍Complement PIM with human assistance

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Surveys show that cloud-based PIM solutions will explode in the near future, and the product information management market is expected to be worth $15.78 billion by 2021.

While this will help automate much of product information management, businesses will continue to struggle with inaccurate information and product descriptions. This is why, writing high-quality product descriptions that are SEO-friendly and customer-centric is important.

A PIM tool can help automate the collation and distribution of information but it cannot write product descriptions the way a skilled copywriter can do. In addition, every aspect of catalogue management cannot be automated.

Choosing images that convert, words that grab the attention of the customer, etc requires skilled catalogue management professionals.

Here are a few reasons why you need human assistance along with a PIM:
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• Your product's features and design may change, requiring you to update content accordingly

• Your customers' buyer personas need to be updated regularly as well, and that warrants rewriting product descriptions regularly

• There will always be inadvertent errors within product descriptions that only a human can notice and rectify.

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Do not rely on PIM entirely. Complement PIM with the human effort to keep your catalog information pitch-perfect.

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‍Audit product information regularly

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‍A number of businesses make the mistake of assuming that once product information is collated, written and published/stored, their responsibility is over. Unfortunately, if you do not regularly audit your product information, you risk making your product irrelevant.

Known to some people as datasheet or product marketing sheet, a product special component of product information management. While product sheets can be updated automatically, it is not always possible to be accurate when it comes to nuances.

Skilled catalog data entry professionals know how to combine automation and human efforts to achieve product sheets that are always up-to-date and accurate.

Here is what you need to keep your product information updated:
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• Regularly add, update and modify information related to product prices and availability.

• List product variants and incorporate new images that showcase your products in a better light.

• Delete information that is no longer necessary, or when products have been discontinued.

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Product information needs to be audited and updated regularly by catalogue data entry professionals.

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‍Automate, write excellent product descriptions, and regularly audit

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‍Managing product information is a complex and time-consuming affair. To make sure that only the latest and most accurate information related to your products are disseminated via distribution channels, you will first need to invest in a good product information management (PIM) solution.

However, you will also need the help of skilled professionals who can write excellent product descriptions and regularly verify that the information collated and disseminated by your PIM is accurate and updated.

To manage your product information successfully, combine PIM with human assistance and you will see that your products are easily discovered by your customers. After all, the goal of product information management is to ensure that your customers know what your product is all about, and where to find it in order to purchase it.

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