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How to Optimize Catalog Management in 10 Easy Steps

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TransForm Solutions

The global catalog management software market was estimated to grow at 13% CAGR between 2017 and 2021, according to a market research conducted by Technavios analysts.

Catalog management ensures that your product data is consistent across all sales channels, helping you deliver an omnichannel experience to your customers. Systematic product catalog optimization leaves enough room for continuous expansion while working with new vendors.

These 10 easy steps teach you how to manage your product catalog to spur your e-commerce business.

1. Upload your product sheet according to software guidelines

Challenges like multiple product data formats, incomplete data handed over by suppliers, category-wise mapping of product data, and creating a customer-ready data can make it very difficult for you to manage your e-commerce store.

Make sure that your product sheet complies with the e-commerce platform's software guidelines to ensure that your product data is accurate, consistent, and accessible across all channels. This whitepaper tells you how to deliver a consistent product view across all channels.

This study conducted by Informatica determines ROI of product data for multichannel commerce.

2. Ensure product tagging to be search-friendly

Product tagging assigns keywords to products so that they are easily searchable within a portal.

It automatically suggests associated items and alternate options to customers helping businesses to improve sales. Visible and clickable product tags, using tag clouds and other methods enhance your e-commerce website SEO.

This article throws light on how to improve your SEO with WooCommerce product tags.

3. Write creative and persuasive product descriptions

Unique and compelling product descriptions play a vital role in persuading customers to go ahead and make a purchase.

Naturally induced keyword phrases in catalog product descriptions improve your search engine ranking. Product description field further enables you to add HTML header tags where you can tag and emphasize on particular lines and phrases.

These seven simple steps tell you how to write persuasive product descriptions.

4. Create a master product sheet

The master product sheet contains product data from every location and situation and puts it in one place.

It includes information on all products including images, SKU and UPC, along with relationships and prices of different items on sale on your store. It is an important practice to implement master product sheets along with master data management.

This case study on Oakley, a sport and lifestyle brand, tells you how master data management in e-commerce improves data quality and data governance.

5. Maintain product sheet

Usually, products go through a number of changes. Features may change, prices may get reduced or increased, functionalities may change, and the description may change too.

Product sheet changes constantly throughout its product cycle, and thus need to be managed on an ongoing basis. A well-maintained product sheet provides accurate information the product, improves customer navigation, and enhances product accessibility by with relevant search keywords while removing obsolete words.

Take a look at these nine essentials when optimizing your product data sheet.

6. Catalog data entry is an ongoing process

Catalog data entry can get complicated with frequent modifications needed in product descriptions, the addition of newer product/product categories, and product images. It also includes catalog data conversion and image editing in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

These are the specific features along with the importance of catalog data entry.

7. Prioritizing specific features for customers

Product pages must be optimized for specific product features that your customers look for while navigating through your store.

Addition of new products or categories should not hamper customer experience. While design and development of your e-commerce website will take care of this aspect to a large extent, you will also need to manage your catalog intelligently so that specific features are prioritized in search functions for enhanced accessibility.

This Kissmetrics blog will enlighten you about what customers want in an e-commerce site.

8. Synchronize product inventory

Synchronizing product inventory on different e-commerce channels helps you to position your brand. Product content must be optimized to improve product positioning in search results on multiple channels.

As e-commerce platforms are growing at an enormous rate, it might become difficult for you to upload inventory details on all these websites manually. You will need to automate or outsource the process of synchronizing product inventory across channels.

Product data synchronization between e-commerce and ERP systems not only helps you to sell on multiple channels but boosts customer confidence, as your products are available on a number of recognizable platforms.

9. Explore digital marketing techniques

Your products attributes and features can be highlighted with novel digital campaigns and engaging product ads. Digital marketing initiatives can indirectly boost product catalog optimization helping you drive up sales.

After all, when your display ads are well-written, your catalog finds itself becoming visible too.Go through these 6 product catalog tips to maximize your Facebook dynamic ads campaign.

10. Integrate catalog management with ERP

Another way to optimize your catalog is to integrate catalog management with your ERP, so that inventory is updated real-time on both frontend and backend. This ensures that orders are placed and processed quickly and promptly.

It is possible to integrate catalog management tools with SAP SRM, Oracle Materials Management, and other software programs.

Optimize catalog management to stay ahead

The catalog management tricks listed above will help you to optimize catalog management. Always make sure to upload your product sheet in accordance with guidelines of catalog management software.

Use SEO-friendly product tags, write persuasive product descriptions, and create a master data sheet to create a central repository. When possible, automate catalog management. If all these steps feel cumbersome to you, consider outsourcing catalog management to a third-party vendor.

After all, product catalog optimization is dynamic that needs continuous evaluation, maintenance, and improvement.

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