Jessica Howard, Author at Cluster

Why Marketplaces Need eCommerce Catalog Management

Catalog management is essential for any eCommerce business. It is the process of creating, organizing, and maintaining product information, such as product descriptions, images, and pricing. Catalog management helps customers find the products they are looking for and enables the retailer to drive sales and increase their bottom line. Marketplaces are no exception – they need catalog management to ensure their product listings are accurate, up-to-date, and relevant. This article will outline the challenges faced by product catalog management in eCommerce, the benefits of catalog management for eCommerce retailers, and best practices for eCommerce catalog management.

What is Catalog Management?

Catalog management is the process of organizing, managing, and maintaining a catalog of products for an eCommerce store. It involves tasks such as creating product descriptions, adding and updating product images, categorizing products, and setting pricing. Catalog management can be done manually, but it is often automated with the help of software and tools. A good catalog management system should provide the ability to quickly and easily add, update, and delete products from a catalog. It should also provide the ability to assign product categories, set prices, and manage product images.

Why is eCommerce catalog management important?

Catalog management is an essential part of running a successful eCommerce store. It is important because it allows you to easily manage, organize, and update your product catalog. It also helps to ensure that customers have access to accurate information about the products they are interested in, which can help to increase sales. Furthermore, a well-managed catalog can help to improve customer engagement and create a better shopping experience.

Why does your eCommerce need Catalog Management?

Catalog management is essential for any eCommerce store. It helps to ensure that customers have access to accurate product information, which can help to increase sales. It also helps to create a better shopping experience by making it easier for customers to find the products they are looking for. Additionally, catalog management helps to improve customer engagement by providing customers with relevant product information and images.

Challenges for product catalog management in eCommerce

Catalog management in eCommerce poses a number of challenges, including:

• Data accuracy: Inaccurate product data, such as price and availability, can lead to a poor customer experience and lost sales.

• Data consistency: Customers expect consistent product data across different channels and platforms.

• Data organization: Product data must be organized in a way that makes it easy for customers to find what they are looking for.

• Data integration: Product data must be integrated with other systems, such as inventory management and fulfillment, to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

• Data security: Product data must be protected from unauthorized access and data breaches.

• Data scalability: Product data must be able to scale with the business as it grows.

The Benefits of Catalog Management for eCommerce Marketplace

eCommerce catalog management is a powerful tool that can help eCommerce marketplaces improve their customer experience, increase efficiency, and reduce the amount of manual work required to manage their product data. By utilizing catalog management, eCommerce marketplaces can ensure that their customers have access to accurate and up-to-date information about the products they are interested in. This can result in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as improved search engine optimization and inventory management.

1. Improved Customer Experience

By providing accurate and up-to-date product information, customers can easily find the items they need and make informed decisions about their purchases. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Increased Efficiency

Catalog management makes it easier and faster to add new products to the marketplace, as well as update existing products. This can result in increased efficiency and cost savings in the long run.

3. Enhanced Search Engine Optimization

Having accurate and up-to-date product information can help boost the visibility of the marketplace on search engines. This can result in increased traffic and sales.

4. Improved Data Quality

By using catalog management, eCommerce marketplaces can ensure that their product data is accurate and up-to-date. This can make it easier to identify and fix any errors or inconsistencies in the data, resulting in improved data quality.

5. Better Inventory Management

By having accurate and up-to-date product information, eCommerce marketplaces can better manage their inventory. This can help reduce the risk of running out of stock, as well as improve customer service.

6. Reduced Duplication Of Work

By using catalog management, eCommerce marketplaces can reduce the amount of manual work required to manage their product data. This can save time and resources, resulting in increased efficiency.

7. Improved Reporting

By having accurate and up-to-date product information, eCommerce marketplaces can generate more accurate and detailed reports about their sales and inventory. This can help them better understand customer trends and make more informed decisions.

Best practices for eCommerce catalog management

To maximize the benefits of catalog management for eCommerce retailers, there are a few best practices that should be followed:

• Organize product data: Create a clear and organized structure for product data that makes it easy for customers to find the products they’re looking for.

• Integrate with other systems: Integrate product data with other systems, such as inventory management and fulfillment, to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

• Automate data entry: Automate data entry to reduce manual data entry and eliminate errors.

• Optimize product data: Optimize product data for search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure customers can find the products they’re looking for.

• Monitor data quality: Monitor product data for accuracy and consistency to ensure customers have the best experience possible.

How to Improve your eCommerce Product Catalog Management?

One of the best ways to improve your eCommerce product catalog management is to use automated tools and software, such as Cluster. Automated tools can help to reduce the amount of time needed to manage the catalog, as well as help to ensure that product information and images are kept up to date. Additionally, it is important to make sure that product information is accurate and up to date, and that images are of high quality. Finally, it is important to make sure that product categories are well organized, as this can help to improve the customer experience.

The Role of Product Catalog Management in Business Results Improvement

Product catalog management can play a critical role in improving the results of an eCommerce business. A well-managed catalog can help to increase sales by providing customers with accurate product information and images, which can help to improve the shopping experience. Furthermore, it can help to reduce costs by reducing the need for manual catalog management. Additionally, it can help to improve customer engagement by providing customers with relevant product information and images.

How Can Cluster Help?

Complete solution from catalog integrity and assortment to seller onboarding and more. Cluster’s flagship capabilities and use cases for marketplaces are also effective for adjacent enterprises including aggregators, remarketing and fulfillment. Schedule a demo today.

Seller Onboarding: Steps to Create The Best Onboarding Process for Your Marketplace

Seller Onboarding: Steps to Create Onboarding Process

Onboarding is an essential part of any business. It is a process that ensures the successful integration of new employees, contractors, or vendors into the company. Seller onboarding is the process of introducing a new seller to the company, its culture, and processes.

Seller onboarding involves collecting and verifying data from sellers, setting up accounts, and providing them with the necessary information to start selling on the platform. Additionally, seller onboarding requires collecting information such as contact details, payment information, product catalogs, and more. This guide provides advanced strategies to help sellers through the onboarding process.

What Is Seller Onboarding?

Seller onboarding is the process of introducing and acclimating new sellers to the marketplace. It is a vital part of the onboarding process and is designed to ensure that the new sellers understand the marketplace’s policies, procedures, and expectations. The goal of seller onboarding is to make it easy for sellers to join the marketplace and quickly get up to speed. This can be done through a combination of onboarding materials, tutorials, and training sessions.

What Is Marketplace Seller Onboarding?

Marketplace seller onboarding is a specialized version of seller onboarding that helps new sellers understand the unique dynamics of a marketplace environment. Marketplace sellers are different from traditional retailers because they have to compete with other sellers on the marketplace for the same customers. As a result, they need to understand the marketplace’s rules and regulations and how to best position themselves to be successful.

Why “Seller” is Different from Supplier, Vendor and Merchant

A seller is an individual or business who offers products or services for sale. The term “seller” is often used interchangeably with “supplier”, “vendor”, and “merchant”, however, there is a distinction between the four. A supplier is someone who provides goods or services to a marketplace. A vendor is someone who sells goods or services directly to a customer. A merchant is someone who sells goods or services in a physical location.

Why Is It So Important to Onboard Sellers the Best Way?

Onboarding sellers the right way is important because it is the first impression that new sellers will have of the marketplace. It sets the tone for their experience and can have a major impact on the success of their business. If the onboarding process is confusing, time-consuming, or not tailored to the needs of the seller, it could lead to them abandoning the marketplace before they even get started. On the other hand, if the onboarding process is well-designed and efficient, it can give the seller a great first impression and inspire them to stay and build a successful business on the marketplace.

The 4 Best Seller Onboarding Examples of the Market

1. Amazon

Amazon is a great example of seller onboarding done right. They have a comprehensive set of onboarding materials and tutorials that cover everything the seller needs to know in order to get started. They also offer a wide range of support services, such as customer service and technical support, to ensure the seller’s success.

2. eBay

eBay is another great example of seller onboarding. They have a thorough onboarding process that covers everything from setting up a seller account to listing items and managing transactions. They also offer a wide range of support services, such as eBay University and Seller Support, to help sellers get off to a good start.

3. Etsy

Etsy’s onboarding process is focused on helping new sellers quickly get up to speed. They have a comprehensive set of tutorials and FAQs, as well as a dedicated team of onboarding specialists to answer questions. They also have a Seller Handbook that covers everything the seller needs to know.

4. Shopify

Shopify’s onboarding process is designed to be quick and easy. They have a wide range of tutorials and FAQs, as well as a dedicated team of onboarding specialists to answer questions. They also have a set of onboarding materials that cover topics such as product photography, setting up shop, and more.

Steps to Create a Great Onboarding Process for Your Marketplace

Seller onboarding requires careful planning and preparation. The following steps outline the process for successful seller onboarding:

1. Establish a goal and timeline

The first step in the seller onboarding process is to establish a goal and timeline. This should include an understanding of the seller’s desired outcome and the timeline for achieving it. It is important to be realistic when setting goals and timelines, as they will guide the onboarding process and determine its success.

2. Communicate expectations

It is important to establish clear expectations for the seller, and to communicate these expectations to the seller in a timely manner. This includes providing the seller with detailed information about the company and its products, as well as the policies and procedures they will need to follow.

3. Create an onboarding plan

The next step is to develop an onboarding plan. This plan should include a timeline of events, activities, and milestones that need to be completed by the seller. It should also include a copy of the company’s policies and procedures, as well as information about the products and services offered.

4. Set up a training program

The onboarding plan should also include a training program for the seller. This program should be tailored to the seller’s needs and should include hands-on activities and demonstrations to help the seller gain a better understanding of the company and its products.

5. Provide support

Seller onboarding should also include a plan for providing support to the seller. This can include setting up a support group, providing one-on-one mentoring, or offering online resources. It is important to ensure that the seller has access to the resources they need to be successful.

6. Monitor progress

The final step in the seller onboarding process is to monitor the seller’s progress. This includes tracking the seller’s progress against the timeline, as well as providing feedback on their performance. This will help ensure that the seller is meeting their goals and that the onboarding process is successful.

How Cluster Can Help Sellers Onboarding

Leading marketplaces can fix seller abandonment by building a best-in-class product data catalog that takes the onboarding burden off sellers. With Cluster, marketplaces can offer complete and automatic product listings to create a frictionless onboarding experience.Cluster simplifies the onboarding process, making it easier and faster. Book a meeting now.

5 Ways Power Sellers Can Make Or Break Your eCommerce Marketplace

Ways How Power Sellers Can Make Or Break Your eCommerce Marketplace

eCommerce sales account for nearly $5 trillion in revenue today. Regardless of what industry you specialize in, it’s clear that this is the landscape of business that we all need to capitalize on.

When building your own eCommerce marketplace, it lives and dies by your ability to attract the best sellers. These top performers, known as power sellers, are essential to the growth and success of your platform.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of improving the marketplace seller and buyer experience by encouraging power sellers.

1. Quality Sellers Bring More Shoppers

If you don’t have sellers, you don’t have shoppers. A marketplace power seller has the most volume and a vast inventory of products that people can choose between.

Not only does this attract new buyers, but customers will begin shopping exclusively with these sellers, offering them repeat business. These marketplace power sellers bring you the most revenue when you collect your fees.

Seller intelligence is a solution that can help identify power sellers providing you with the contact information that you need to build a rapport. This relationship can help you grow their conversions and improve your market share.

2. You’ll Increase Brand Awareness and Trust

When you have power sellers, they legitimize your marketplace on a larger level and build trust with consumers.

It typically takes at least 5 impressions for buyers to make a decision to purchase. Your marketplace vendors have a vested interest in getting more attention to their personal stores, which ultimately brings more awareness to your platform.

This is why encouraging power sellers ranks highly among the most important eCommerce tips you can follow. Buyers are more hesitant to shop with vendors that only have a few confirmed sales or reviews. Having more trusted sellers will give you a larger inflow of traffic and revenue for the long haul.

These sellers serve as your foundation, which you can build on the more you attract these power sellers.

3. Shoppers Will Have a Better Experience

Power sellers are full-timers with their online stores that are constantly making improvements. The customer wins most because these improvements reward them with a better shopping experience as a whole.

Power sellers also deal with greater sales volume, are more responsive to customers, offer more payment options, and tend to ship orders faster. They often run full-time businesses offline, such as a brick-and-mortar retail store that sells similar products.

Because of this, these professionals are more likely to stay up-to-date with new eCommerce ideas and trends to consistently accommodate their customer base. They often run blogs and post videos so that their customers are informed.

You’ll build shopper intelligence and attract your ideal customers when you’re always investing in improving their experience.

4. Your Platform Will Attract Different Segments of Business

Power sellers will consistently bring you more eCommerce leads. This is one of the best things to learn when figuring out how to attract sellers to your marketplace.

These power sellers will network with each other and always find new and different ways to improve what they do best. For instance, a power seller that is successfully selling products to consumers might choose to take the private label approach or look into things like dropshipping.

This ultimately expands the reach of your outlet and the type of service that you provide to consumers. When your shoppers have more options for the types of products that they can get on your platform, it’s a net positive for everyone involved.

5. Power Sellers Provide Constant Marketing

You can also count on power sellers to continuously market themselves and their brands. They have a vested interest in building their brand awareness, which will also raise more awareness to your platform.

When you have a relationship with these power sellers, you can use eCommerce marketplace data to study the demographics of their customers and how they get their conversions. This can help you with ad placements and figuring out which customers you’d most likely to target.

Having data at your disposal is best when you’re trying to figure out where to find eCommerce business leads because your goals will be more accurate and measurable.

You’ll be able to scale your platform to achieve the type of growth that you expect, and can collaborate with your power sellers on ideas.

For example, with Seller Intelligence, you’ll have the benefit of:

Taxonomy mapping
Analytics and price benchmarking
Access to seller store analytical tools
Product matching for more accurate categories
Real-time data to help get more sales and traction from seller channels
Product data enhancement
Catalog enhancement tools

It’s best to work deliberately with power sellers so that you can get on the same page with your marketing goals and steer them in the same direction.

The Ultimate Marketplace Seller Experience

The marketplace seller experience that you create means everything when you’re trying to grow your platform. Power sellers are your bread and butter, and will help you get the results that you’re looking for.

If you’re intent to get sellers to your eCommerce marketplace website, you need a helping hand. At Cluster, we have a team of professionals that are skilled and equipped to make all of your goals a reality.

With Seller Intelligence by Cluster, you’ll have the data needed to put it all together.

To book a meeting with us, use our contact form or send us an email at info@datacluster.com.

3 Product Page Data Enhancements to Win More Traffic

The eCommerce market is expected to surpass $52 trillion by 2027. That’s nearly 4 times as large as its 2021 value.

More customers mean more competitors. While eBay and then Amazon long dominated the eCommerce scene, the pandemic created a shift. With more time spent at home, consumers had more time to shop around.

Because of that, smaller eCommerce sites have more opportunities to make their mark. How can an online marketplace stand out amongst the growing competition?

The first step is retaining customers. The number one way to do that is product page enhancements.

That’s right, it’s not all about SEO! There’s no point ranking highly on a search engine if customers abandon or don’t even fill their carts. For long-lasting success, your product pages have to convert browsers through to purchase.

Then your site traffic and search engine rankings will organically increase. And your product pages will be optimized enough to sustain your success.

Here’s our guide to specific product page enhancements every marketplace should be making and why.

Improve Loading Speeds

As basic as it sounds, loading speeds can make or break organic traffic generation. If your site or your product images take a few moments to load, it can put users off completely. In fact, 53% of people expect a web page to load within 3 seconds.

If it loads too slowly, the same survey found that nearly half of customers will be dissatisfied. And if they click away from your site that quickly, it hurts your traffic substantially.

Buyers want a swift, painless experience. Don’t give them time to second-guess their purchase or your professionalism!

Accurate Product Information

The best product page enhancements are all about product information. Product data enhancement is the key to winning more site traffic. Attention to detail at this stage is the number one way to push customers through to purchase.

eCommerce product data includes written information, as well as images and other details. We’ve broken down how to improve each area.

Product Descriptions

Product data is everything. Potential buyers want to know every detail about your products. Data-driven product catalog management should be central to your strategy.

That goes beyond dimensions and delivery dates. An eCommerce product description should be as thorough as seeing it in person.

In a brick-and-mortar store, shoppers can pick up the product. They can feel its weight, gauge its size, and read more information on the package.

eCommerce marketplaces can combat these challenges by providing just as much information.

If any product information is missing, consumers won’t have the confidence to buy. Or they may return the product.

For online purchases, the average return rate is a staggering 20%. The problem is not just lost revenue, it’s a loss of confidence in your marketplace.

If your product descriptions do not accurately represent the product, they won’t just return it – they won’t come back. That is less site traffic from repeat customers, which leads to less organic traffic generation.

Clearly, an accurate product description is key to repeat customers, which drives organic traffic.

Accurate product data also helps your product get identified by search engines. Besides a clear description, search engines respond well to these details:

Global trade item numbers
Manufacturer part numbers
Brand names
Stock keeping unit numbers

Consistently structured product data is also helpful for both search engines and consumers. On every product page, data should appear in the same order and in the same places, so people know where to look.

This is especially important if several stocked products are relatively similar. Their differences and unique identifiers should be clear enough that customers and search engines can distinguish between them.

High-Quality Images

Good images are just as important to consumers as good data. Bad images, or worse, none at all, reflect badly on your business. If you can’t provide several high-quality images from a variety of angles, buyers jump to questioning your authenticity.

Your goal should be to provide enough images that users feel they’ve seen the product in person. That will give them the confidence to buy and come back in the future.

Visible Product Reviews

Reviews add to your site’s verifiability. In fact, nearly 90% of customers surveyed said that they read reviews before purchasing a product online. The same survey found that even more than 90% of people trust reviews as much as recommendations from people they know.

Make sure it’s easy to leave a review so that previous buyers do so.

Include an image option with reviews so that buyers can upload images alongside them. These candid review images add to buyer confidence even more than professional ones.

Buyers are also interested in your responses to reviews. If any customer leaves a negative review with a complaint, you may want to respond to save face.

According to the survey mentioned earlier, these business responses are read by and are important to nearly 60% of customers. Make sure you represent your business well and respond in the most considerate way possible.

Product Page Enhancements for Your Online Marketplace

Putting these enhancement tips into practice will win you more traffic. But working with us gets that number even higher.

Our solutions for marketplaces go beyond product data enhancements. They win more traffic by fixing attribution, removing duplicates, forecasting demand, ensuring accurate taxonomy, and creating an optimal shopper experience.

Don’t struggle through manually improving product pages in-house. Instead, let us go through your marketplace with a fine-toothed comb and find every optimization opportunity.

Book a demo with us today to learn how.