Category: Amazon Catalog Management

Table of Contents

Amazon Product Catalog Management - What Is It?

Understanding eCommerce Product Data

What is the Importance of Product Catalog Management in Amazon?

What Are the Challenges of Product Catalog Management (and their Solutions)

1. Product Pricing

Problem: Setting up Prices That Fit the Market Can Be Challenging

Solution: Set up Dynamic Pricing

2. Launching a Product

Problem: Setting up the Launch of a Product

Problem: Setting up the Launch of a Product

3. Tracking your Inventory

Problem: Manual Tracking Is Too Time-Consuming

Solution: Integrate Your Platform with an ERP

4. Not Using Metadata Properly

Problem: Improper Use of Metadata Leads to Poor SEO

Solution: Using the Right Tool for the Job

5. Labeling and Tagging your Products

Problem: Mislabeling Products Leads to Issues

Solution: Using a Tool to Automate the Labeling Process

Conclusion

Amazon has experienced rapid expansion in recent years, much of which has been driven by its core commerce sector. They accounted for an estimated 44% of eCommerce sales in 2017 and approximately 4% of total retail sales in the United States.

While this growth provides terrific opportunities for those of us in the eCommerce industry, it also poses issues for Amazon merchants.

So, you have an Amazon store with a growing catalog, but you need help managing it. You are not the only one in this situation. eCommerce Amazon catalog management is a challenging task. It might have been simple to keep up with your products when you only had a handful, but a growing business will have too many for a person to track and manage effectively.

Customers today are attentive and careful when purchasing at a store. Before buying anything, they want to examine the prices and features of several brands and models. As a result, the accuracy of product data is critical throughout the buyer's journey. That's why you need to be on point with your product catalog.

Amazon Product Catalog Management - What Is It?

A digital product catalog is comparable to a traditional print catalog. Amazon uses this format to define a product or collection of commodities and their attributes. A digital record may contain multiple items that share particular characteristics.

eCommerce organizations like Amazon use strategic product catalog management to facilitate upselling and cross-selling by organizing product data in their eCommerce catalogs.

Even if your product data is stored internally or by a third party, you must implement catalog management solutions for your eCommerce website.

Understanding eCommerce Product Data

Product data quality is a critical determinant of your Amazon store performance. Accurate and up-to-date information improves your product's Google ranking, increases consumer purchasing choices, and allows you to manage your inventory and operations better.

Product data must be optimized for SEO, ease of site search and navigation, tailored product suggestions, warehousing and inventory management, and delivery operations for B2C and B2B eCommerce to prosper.

Here are a few examples of the types of product catalog changes you need to be mindful of:

• For a product: no duplication, updated pricing, proper product type, color, HTML tags, product description information that matches product photos, and so on.
• For SEO: Keywords used in page titles, page URLs, picture titles, image alt tags, headers, navigation, internal links, meta title, and meta description

What is the Importance of Product Catalog Management in Amazon?

87% of online shoppers say detailed product content is extremely important when deciding to buy online. Your product catalog drives your Amazon store's sales strategies, marketing activities, and more.

If your product catalog is accurate and up to date, it can positively affect your customers' online shopping experience and, as a result, your sales. An Amazon catalog management that will cut ice is accurate, up-to-date, and supported by seamless product catalog administration.

Product catalog management serves diverse functions for different industries. Still, the fundamental message stays the same - giving precise information about your items to boost sales and improve the entire client experience.

It's not about a single product, brand, or sector; instead, it's about building a vibrant ecosystem where everyone can readily access what they need. Product catalogs deliver consistent user experiences across a heterogeneous eCommerce ecosystem.

It is critical to have well-designed digital catalogs to connect with customers while increasing brand stickiness. Catalogs can be delivered through a reliable eCommerce platform like Amazon that can adapt to shifting contexts and geographies. The one that can provide real-time visibility into inventories, detect the pulse of your consumers, and provide you with relevant data.

We feel that eCommerce firms must now use product catalogs for:

• Making the purchasing experience more personal
• They are seeking ways to increase consumer loyalty.
• Obtaining greater access to client data
• Going omnichannel and investigating upsell and cross-sell opportunities
• Using a competitive eCommerce platform, you may save money.

With the right eCommerce platform and a solid catalog management approach, you can quickly improve your game in the eCommerce market.

What Are the Challenges of Product Catalog Management (and their Solutions)

Product catalog administration is error-prone and time-consuming.

Here are the top five issues in product Amazon catalog management that eCommerce organizations confront, and solutions to solve them.

1. Product Pricing

Problem: Setting up Prices That Fit the Market Can Be Challenging

You can provide discounts on specific items or recognize and reward your most valuable clients. Furthermore, you must consider rival pricing to ensure that all your items are suitably priced.

Customers have more time to compare your items to those of your competitors when they purchase online, allowing them to choose who has the best offer. Customers are more inclined to choose the company with the lowest pricing. You must make a good decision here.

Solution: Set up Dynamic Pricing

Modern eCommerce systems have pricing automation capabilities that allow you to change prices or adjust them based on market conditions to gain a competitive advantage.

2. Launching a Product

Problem: Setting up the Launch of a Product

Product catalog management takes time, and you must prepare for the launch. This might be due to several factors.

You may have too many goods to offer, insufficient time to update every catalog, or your supplier may have provided you with incomplete or misleading information.

You may also have consumers worldwide and be pressed for time to attend to precise product specifics.

There might be differences in the styles and layouts for your digital catalogs across your site, which could harm your brand identification.

Things might start coming apart quickly after the launch if you need the necessary tools or a strong staff.

Problem: Setting up the Launch of a Product

You may only sometimes require outside assistance. But, when you have a big task, you must do what you must! For example, having an external partner split the job during a sale season or festival is beneficial.

An eCommerce Amazon catalog management services provider can manually or automatically update your product catalog data using catalog management software.

Some SaaS solution providers provide catalog management and automation services to decrease overhead and turnaround time. In addition, you will have a completely personalized, ready-to-sell internet store in 30 days.

It's usually a good idea to verify with your platform provider before looking into individual or third-party service providers since they might not be as safe and dependable as you assume.

3. Tracking your Inventory

Problem: Manual Tracking Is Too Time-Consuming

Keeping track of inventory becomes difficult when you have many SKUs sold across numerous channels - digital, offline, eCommerce marketplaces, and so on. It is also impossible to follow it in real time.

When there is no process to track your inventory regularly, there is typically a gap between demand and availability. This causes many problems, including inefficiencies in the supply chain, bad client purchasing experiences, etc. This is not a good indication.

Solution: Integrate Your Platform with an ERP

The seamless integration of your eCommerce platform and ERP will assist you in keeping track of inventory across numerous locations. This data interchange will occur in real time, and you will always have the most up-to-date inventory information.

4. Not Using Metadata Properly

Problem: Improper Use of Metadata Leads to Poor SEO

Digitization may be complex, and with the assistance of a knowledgeable digital firm, tasks such as metadata development, tagging, and so on may be possible.

Metadata improves search engine rankings, giving buyers a higher chance of finding your items online.

Metadata is keyword-rich and provides search engines with information about your site. The ideal eCommerce platform will use metadata to get you noticed and improve your campaign behind the scenes.

Solution: Using the Right Tool for the Job

SEO is more than simply using keywords. It also needs knowledge and a strategy. So, if you need the correct person to manage this, it's always a good idea to employ an outside digital agency/consultant.

5. Labeling and Tagging your Products

Problem: Mislabeling Products Leads to Issues

What good are superb, top-of-the-line items if your buyers can't locate them? It may be an LED light bulb, an antique brass door knob lock, or a white flower pendant chandelier. How will they discover what they're looking for unless it's appropriately marked to be found?

Solution: Using a Tool to Automate the Labeling Process

Automation solutions for product tagging are available on the finest B2B eCommerce services. Some of these systems employ AI to automate the entire product tagging process using deep learning technology.

These AI-powered systems may propose appropriate product feature tags, titles, and descriptions based on your product photos, allowing for rapid product discovery. An AI-powered product discovery suite may bridge the gap between you and your consumers by recognizing the visual features of the goods.

Conclusion

Properly updating, organizing, and Amazon catalog management will set you apart from your competitors. Thus, the best way to compose an ever-growing roster is to use catalog updates and maintenance services like ours. Vserve's Amazon Listing Service will regularly update the information on your products, keep track of competitor prices, and create SEO-friendly product descriptions. Contact us today and let’s get started!

Problems in Ecommerce Catalog Management

Let's set the stage by first discussing what makes ecommerce catalog management so challenging in the first place. It is not merely the management of products; instead, it is the moving of the minute detail that may contribute to the profile of a product in terms of description, images, prices, and inventory. If all these factors don't fall into place, you will likely lose sales, destroy your brand's reputation, and incur operational inefficiencies.

Here are some of the most common issues I have seen that businesses struggle with:

• Data Consistency: Most businesses find keeping their product data consistent challenging. For instance, an incorrect price on Amazon or a missing picture can lead to lost sales or negative reviews.
• Scaling Issues: The more SKUs you have, the more complicated it gets. What works to manage 100 SKUs may not work for 10,000. I wish more businesses were planning for growth; they'd avoid a lot of inefficiency down the road.
• Manual Processes: I believe most companies don't mind taking their catalogs with too much manual updating. This increases the possibility of errors concerning the company's products. According to Supply Chain Dive, spreadsheets have been found to contain a possibility of error in 88%, thereby causing various problems with product catalog management.

Why Simplifying Catalog Management is Critical for Scalability

Developing a streamlined way to manage your catalogs is not just about making your life easier today but rather about preparing for tomorrow. E-commerce is a dynamic environment in constant flux. Keeping up with your competition and customers requires a system that grows with your business.

Here are the top reasons why simplicity is essential:

• Ease: Simplification will automatically involve more speed and swiftness for updating or changing the data. You will not spend hours updating the product description or prices; you can make quick corrections through a streamlined process.
• Accuracy: When you use automation tools, the data in your product is correct on all platforms. Inconsistency will automatically put your business at risk.
• Cost savings: Proper catalog management can save time and reduce operating costs. Using the right system also prevents you from recruiting excess staff to keep your catalog updated.

An article by Ecommerce Platforms concludes that businesses can save as much as 30% on operational costs by automating catalog management. For companies looking to scale, those savings can be plowed back into further growth initiatives, such as marketing or new product lines.

Catalog Management Simplification Tools for Ecommerce

If you want to make your ecommerce catalog management easy, then the right tool investment cannot be avoided. If you plan to rely on manual processes as your business grows, you have a recipe for disaster. Some tools that can help are as follows:

• Product Information Management (PIM) Systems: PIM refers to centralizing all your product information in one place. This means that any updates you make in your PIM automatically get synced across all channels, creating consistency in data. Whether it be an Amazon product catalog or your website, having a PIM in place is a game-changer.
• Catalog Management Software: Special platforms for catalog management allow companies to manage and update product information. These might also be linked to other software, such as inventory management or e-commerce platforms, for streamlined workflow.
• Automation Tools: Tools like Zapier can automate specific tasks, such as syncing new products across multiple channels or automatically updating prices when your system changes.

As mentioned, many businesses use these tools to significantly reduce the time spent managing catalogs. According to McKinsey, with the help of automation tools, an organization can generate 20% more productivity, which is essential as you scale.

Best Practices for Your Amazon Product Catalog

A catalog manager must do one more thing if you sell on Amazon. Though maintaining an extensive catalog on Amazon would not be as easy because of their strict guidelines, here's how to do it correctly.

Here are some of my go-to tips for managing your Amazon catalog:

• Utilize Amazon's Category-Specific Templates: Amazon's category-specific templates will make uploading and managing much more accessible. They are pre-programmed into your information, minimizing the possibility of listing errors.
• Leverage Amazon's bulk upload tools: You cannot manually upload hundreds or thousands of SKUs one product at a time. Using Amazon's Bulk Upload Tools lets you add, update, or remove products in bulk, saving a little time you'd waste on manual uploads.
• Regular Audits: I always recommend regular audits of your Amazon product catalog. This will help catch outdated information, mispriced products, or products that have become delisted by Amazon for unknown reasons.

A recent ChannelAdvisor study found that sellers who used catalog management tools on Amazon had 30% fewer listing errors and 25% faster product uploads, which allows the seller to focus more time on selling rather than sorting out technical issues.

Streamline Product Catalog Management for Long-Term Growth

If you're like me, you always think about the long term. Streamlining your catalog management is not just about solving problems today; it's about building a system that supports future growth. As your lines of products grow, so will the pain associated with your process. Once easy systems are in place, the effort to scale will be much less frustrating and hectic.

Here's what I would recommend for long-term growth:

• Plan for Growth: Think about what your catalog should look like in a year or two. Will you be adding more complex product lines? Your system will need to handle all that new complexity.
• Integrate with Other Systems: Your catalog management should be integrated with other backend systems, including inventory, order management, and fulfillment. This will prevent menial tasks such as manually re-entering data and ensure product information stays the same across all your platforms.
• Prioritize Data Quality: The better the data, the better the ecommerce SEO and the better the customer experience. More importantly, invest in the proper tools for quality, consistent, and complete data.

This means that companies with clean and well-managed product data experience a rise in conversion rates between 15 percent and 25 percent. If you're looking for long-term success, you will want to pay attention to this statistic.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is ecommerce catalog management?

Ecommerce catalog management organizes, maintains, and updates product information for an online store. In other words, it comprises consistently managing product details, images, prices, and categories across all platforms.

2. How does Amazon catalog management differ from general ecommerce catalog management?

Amazon catalog management has sellers with only a predetermined type of guidelines for the listings, and they have to use Amazon tools alone. Also, Amazon has strict requirements for categories, product descriptions, and images, which go beyond the requirements of most traditional ecommerce websites.

3. How can I make the process of managing catalogs even easier?

Catalog management becomes much easier with PIM systems, catalog management software, or automation tools. This pools product data and then automatically updates it on the platforms.

Key Takeaways

Managing an ecommerce catalog can be simple and straightforward. Simplify how you do it and use the right tools in your arsenal, and you will reduce errors and save time to put your business on a trajectory for long-term growth. Here are three key takeaways:

• Invest in the Right Tools: Product Information Management systems and catalog management software can help reduce the hours spent making manual updates.
• Plan for Scalability: Establish systems that will continue to expand with your business, making the experience as painless as possible when your product lines multiply.
• Quality Data Maintenance: You must ensure that your product information is accurate and consistent to optimize SEO and fulfill customer needs, thus generating quality conversions.

We have discussed the benefits of streamlining your catalog management process and how you set up for scalable growth. Are you ready to simplify your ecommerce catalog? Let's discuss how the right tools and strategies can transform your approach.

Want to know more and be updated with more relevant strategies in ecommerce management? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin. Stay in touch, and let's keep ecommerce catalog management simple together!