Or Hillel, Author at Cluster

5 Reasons Why Category Level Insights Are Crucial for Your Online Business

When planning your online catalog, you need to take several central factors into consideration: Firstly, your online catalog is your showplace, and as such it must captivate your visitors as soon as they enter your website. Secondly, you must provide the information potential customers are seeking accurately and clearly. Thirdly, the data about products must be easily accessible. And finally, in contrast to physical stores, there is no sales staff to explain the pros and cons of various products or demonstrate how they are used. So your catalog must provide easily understood specifications and descriptions.

Our 5 insights you stand to gain from an optimized Product List Page

1. Learn how to attract your target audience

One of the most important ways to attract your audience is through the use of the right keywords. For example, if you sell rings, make sure to place them all on a single page rather than spread them out. Optimize the category by using different keywords for each type of ring – for example, diamond rings, ruby rings, antique rings, etc. This way, you will bring in the right traffic through search engines. This type of category structure enables you to gain insights regarding the popularity of various items and better ways to promote others.

2. Gather information from your customer

You can acquire valuable insights by consulting with your customers regarding how they feel about your catalog. Ask them for ratings and comments under each product listing. Find out if they would recommend your website/product to a friend, and if not, why. Enable them to share your pages on social media, and take note which media they prefer for future engagement. The category structure enables you to drill down to gain insights about specific products.

3. Manage your inventory wisely

Insights on the category level contribute to intelligent inventory planning. By gathering data about sales volumes in each category and sub-category, you can make accurate predictions about future sales and order stock accordingly. This information prevents costly overstocking and also eliminates the kind of understocking that frustrates potential customers.

4. Test your visual presentation

According to some marketing experts, 93% of consumers consider visual appearance to be the key deciding factor in a purchasing decision. Due to the fact that end customers are unable to feel or try on online products, it is crucial to provide high-quality, enticing visuals that will captivate your buyers. Provide as many views of the product as possible so that potential customers can get a real feel of the item. Some automated catalog platforms provide tools to automatically detect which images are optimal, based on the standards of each retailer or brand. You can check if a certain category is performing poorly because of low-quality images and make the presentation more exciting.

5. Facilitate the customer journey

What are the steps that your potential buyer takes before making a purchase? Whether the customer starts browsing on a smartphone, a tablet or on your online website, you should maintain consistency across channels, enabling you to offer a strong and enjoyable omnichannel experience. Follow your customers’ footsteps across channels and determine which categories were visited at each location. Based on this data, create special personalized offers on products in categories that are the most popular, and provide incentives in categories that are less popular in certain channels.

Want to learn more about how category level insights can boost your sales? Click here.

4 Tips for Online Marketplace Architecture With Extensive Catalog Data

Establishing a successful marketplace model can be challenging. You will obviously need to generate buyer interest in your platform, but a successful marketplace platform also necessitates interconnection between your vendors and users, as well as engagement with the products and content presented within.

Your marketplace’s operation is dependent on a growing user base and a continuously updated catalog. A thriving platform relies on well-designed online marketplace architecture. Actionable data is key to your architecture’s effectiveness.

How rich catalog data boosts the success of your marketplace architecture:

Real-time data to enable growth

For an online marketplace framework to succeed, it must possess the ability to onboard vendors and products continuously while maintaining accuracy and customer trust. You need to provide consistent and complete data about products sold by each of your vendors, even though they fluctuate regularly.

How to go about it:

AI-based marketplace APIs enable you to acquire complete product intelligence on each and every item in real-time. In addition, a Product Identification API gathers a list of products that match a search term, allowing grouping of identical and similar items as well as sorting by demand.

Prevent mismatching and disgruntled customers

Sometimes different vendors provide incomplete data about their items, leading to customer frustration and abandonment. It is crucial to provide all of the most relevant product information consistently in order to enable accurate product identification and easy comparisons.

How to go about it:

Neural network modelling automatically captures both similarities and differences, enabling effective e commerce marketplace management. Regardless of the type of data provided by the vendor, you are able to feature a complete set of information about each product, boosting sales and customer loyalty.

Ensure prices are within range

At times, vendors set product prices outside of the current price range. This kind of overpricing must be avoided as it can put off customers permanently. However, keeping up with fluctuating prices is a difficult task considering the huge inventories handled by marketplaces.

How to go about it:

Smart outlier detection techniques enable the identification of vendor set prices that are outside the current range. Using AI-based price modelling tools, automated pricing can be applied to products as they are being uploaded by vendors.

Display products based on demand

Sometimes, the customer may not have the precise name of the product they are looking for. As a result, they may just search for the name of the brand rather than the exact item they want. In order to boost sales and increase customer satisfaction, items in demand must be displayed prominently on the product page. But how can you tell which products are most relevant at any given time?

How to go about it:

Using specific search criteria, machine learning algorithms enable the ongoing ranking of products based on demand and attractiveness. The items that have the greatest appeal for the buyer will be displayed prominently based on a confidence score. According to research, accurate product assortment leads to a 5% increase in the add-to-cart ratio.

To learn about additional ways extensive catalog data can enhance your online marketplace architecture, schedule a demo now.

How to Facilitate Seller Onboarding on Your Marketplace

Attracting new sellers to your marketplace is a huge challenge, but onboarding is what clinches the deal. In order to effectively incorporate new sellers and ensure ongoing satisfaction, it is crucial to ensure a seamless seller onboarding process, ongoing user support and easy website management.

When building your marketplace, you must first identify your target audience and then locate the best channels to reach them. A deep understanding of your potential vendors, as well as their concerns and interests, will enable you to formulate the right messaging to bring them aboard.

How can you facilitate marketplace onboarding?

Convince vendors that it’s worthwhile

Your first task is to convince online sellers that your marketplace will make life easier for them. Describe how your platform promotes operational control through integration with their existing solutions as well as built-in features such as easy inventory management, order management and an array of payment possibilities. Meet the needs of a variety of vendor types by offering specialized plugins and extensions.

You can also partner with 3rd party product intelligence solutions to quantify the sellers’ opportunity of selling their specific inventory on your marketplace.

Automate your processes

In order to ensure fast scaling of your marketplace, automate as many of your processes as possible. Support should not be dependent only on a manual team. Provide precise explanations for each stage as well as short FAQs to prevent dependency on auxiliary manpower.

Facilitate the seller registration process

When it comes to onboarding, set up a designated, user-friendly page that includes all the required registration steps and specifies the types of documentation needed. Add a link to the page on your website and in the navigation menu to enable easy access.

Provide concise training modules

Rather than grinding out long training guides, prepare short training videos for each of the onboarding stages. You can also prepare an interactive walkthrough, accompanying sellers step-by-step through the process. This makes the training process more palatable and easier to grasp. Short instructional videos can be prepared for each of the back office tasks.

Offer user-friendly templates and DIY tools

While smooth initial registration is important, that is only the first step. Provide your vendors with user-friendly tools to easily upload special offers, ads, images and information. In addition, enable them to easily integrate with your built-in features such as payment and billing systems.

Enable automatic enrichment of catalog data

The prospect of manually uploading hundreds of thousands of products is daunting and susceptible to human error – especially if you require complete item data. An AI-based product intelligence/marketing analysis platform enables automated cataloging of new products, product data enhancement, and accurate product identification in real-time. The ability to provide consistent data about the vendor’s fluctuating range of products is not only crucial during onboarding but also on a daily basis.

Want to effectively facilitate your onboarding process? Contact us today.

Top Product Data APIs eCommerce Marketplaces Can Offer Their Partners

The ability to acquire, manage and utilize product data is crucial to the success of your marketplace. Marketplace operators are currently being offered a wide range of eCommerce APIs. What do the best eCommerce platform APIs have to offer and which of these are most suited to your needs?

Leading enterprises such as Amazon, Walmart and eBay have developed outstanding eCommerce APIs. Let’s take a look at their features and understand how your marketplace can benefit from them.

What are product data APIs?

Product data APIs are a powerful tool for eCommerce businesses that allow them to access product information and other relevant data from a variety of sources. Essentially, an API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of protocols that enable different software applications to communicate with each other. In the context of eCommerce, product data APIs allow businesses to easily access product information, including price, availability, and other relevant data, from a variety of sources, such as suppliers or other eCommerce platforms.

Benefits of product data APIs for eCommerce marketplaces

Improved efficiency

One of the primary benefits of using product data APIs is improved efficiency. By automating the process of accessing and updating product information, businesses can save time and reduce the risk of errors. For example, instead of manually entering product data into your eCommerce platform, you can use a product data API to automatically import product information from a supplier’s database. This can save a significant amount of time and resources, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business.

Enhanced customer experience

In addition to improving efficiency, product data APIs can also help enhance the customer experience. By providing accurate and up-to-date product information, businesses can improve the customer’s online shopping experience, leading to higher conversion rates and increased customer loyalty. For example, if a customer sees that a product is out of stock or has an incorrect price, they may become frustrated and abandon their purchase. By using a product data API, you can ensure that your customers always have access to accurate and up-to-date product information, improving their overall experience with your brand.

Increased profitability

Product data APIs can also help increase profitability by providing businesses with valuable insights into product performance and trends. By analyzing data from a variety of sources, businesses can identify which products are selling well, which products are underperforming, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their product offerings. Additionally, by automating the process of accessing and updating product data, businesses can save time and resources, allowing them to focus on other areas of their business, such as marketing and customer service.

Amazon’s Product Advertising and MWS API

With 310 million monthly users, Amazon has massive appeal for sellers and buyers alike. Free Amazon MWS data can be used to create listings, fetch orders, get payments, produce reports, and more. MWS API data enables sellers to increase selling efficiency, reduce manpower expenses, and improve response time. By studying eCommerce data attributes, applications can be developed to list products for sale, set product prices, retrieve information for order fulfillment, generate reports, and more.

The Amazon Advertising API automates scales for affiliates, and optimizes advertising results. This API yields campaign and performance data for sponsored products, brands, and display, with programmatic access for campaign management. Advertisers have the ability to manage ads or ad groups based on predefined conditions.

Walmart’s Open API

The Walmart Open API provides access to the marketplace’s extensive product catalog, thereby enabling digital distribution partners to earn affiliate revenues from customer referrals. Walmart is very restrictive in providing access to that API and it’s nothing but open.

Developers can utilize a variety of APIs to acquire crucial Walmart API data, promote sales, and improve the user experience:

Lookup API – This product price API features the price and availability of each item.

Search API – This product lookup API enables a text search to be conducted on the Walmart.com catalogue, which returns matching products on sale.

Taxonomy API – This API reveals Walmart.com’s category taxonomy which is used to categorize items.

Trending API – This eCommerce API features trending items on Walmart.com.

Reviews API – This API provides user reviews of products.

eBay’s Buy and Sell APIs

eBay currently has 177 million active monthly users. Its free Sell APIs provide sellers and third-party developers with all the capabilities needed to manage the vendor’s end-to-end eBay business. Sell APIs are focused on product catalogs (structured data), inventory on-boarding, and management capabilities. It employs a SKU-driven approach to manage purchase orders, fulfillment and returns.

eBay’s Buy APIs enable vendors to create buying experiences outside of the eBay.com site. Users can search for, select, and buy eBay items based on eBay API data. Sellers can mirror and display the contents of the items in an eBay category, provide marketing data to drive conversions, and track orders, all from within the seller’s own website. eBay’s Buy APIs offer shoppers the option to buy eBay sellers’ items at any location including social sites.

Optimal Data Synergy with the Cluster Platform

Our AI-based marketing analysis platform enables online vendors to achieve superlative marketplace performance by integrating seamlessly with a wide range of product data APIs. The platform constantly draws crucial data related to products, prices and competitive markets, enabling sellers to dynamically build automated product catalogs and display their wares to the best advantage.

Cluster is a platform for eCommerce marketplaces, brands, retailers, and sellers. We leverage ML & AI technology that provides the Retail/eCommerce community with demand forecasting, competitive market share information across multiple platforms, improved product matching capabilities, catalog data enhancement, optimized catalog rankings based on demand analysis and data-driven pricing.

The core competency of our technology is the ability to identify every product available online based on user-generated content (for example, users on Facebook Marketplace listing their used products), build a complete and structured product entity with up to 300 attributes as well as its regional GTINs, identify the product offerings in various websites across countries and channels and extract market price, estimate and predict sales volume per channel and even provide accurate sales-related costs such as shipping, marketing, tax and VAT, etc.

To learn more about marketplace optimization through seamless integration with Data APIs, book a demo now.

Who Needs Market Price Benchmarking?

Before we discuss WHO needs market price benchmarking, let’s first address WHY it is so pivotal. No retail business, whether online or in-store, is an island. In order to gain the traction to succeed, it is crucial to understand where your products’ prices stand in relationship to your competitors’.

Market price benchmarking provides invaluable insight into several key issues: Where do your prices fall – are they above or below the average market price? What are your customers looking for and what kind of experience do they undergo in your shop? What makes your direct and indirect competitors’ offering appealing? Where can you fill in gaps that your competitors are missing?

Now that we understand why price benchmarking is vital, let’s see who can best profit from using this type of analysis:

Price Benchmarking for Online Enterprises

Online enterprises must constantly gauge the competition in order to gain an edge and boost sales. This process sounds easier than it actually is. Product prices are constantly fluctuating. New products are introduced to your inventory and other products are removed. Special sales are offered on competitive items. If you handle a large volume of products, keeping up with changing prices across the web is a formidable task.

While this type of task may have been handled manually in the past, businesses can now use dynamic AI-based marketing analysis platforms to gain dynamic insights into product prices across the web in real time. Online retailers can instantly add or withdraw products, or make special offers on certain items, thereby outperforming the competition and attracting customers.

Price Benchmarking for Brands

The main objective of most brands is to build a name and reputation for themselves. In order to do so, they need to offer a memorable and seamless customer experience that makes them stand out. Some brands operate their own websites, while others join a marketplace sales model.

Market price benchmarking provides insights into direct and indirect competitors, i.e, companies that sell identical or very similar products to a brand. After carefully analyzing your target audience, make your brand conspicuous by launching special offers to certain buyers on products they have purchased in the past. Use market price benchmarking to personalize your offerings and create a lasting connection with your brand.

Price Benchmarking for Marketplaces

Many marketplace owners use the commission model to claim fees from the businesses they work with. The fee may depend on whether the provider distributes products only through the marketplace or through other channels as well. Marketplaces do not want to price themselves out of the market, so in exchange for a sales spot, they should either offer lower fees or greater value to enterprises. Marketplaces also need to consider the different types of providers they host and if fees should be identical for all.

Market price benchmarking provides clear insight into all of these dilemmas: Actionable data analysis enables marketplaces to compare prices across the board, gauge the competition’s offerings, and offer top value to providers. Through price benchmarking, marketplaces can create a sustainable business model with affordable fees and mutually acceptable profit margins.

The Ultimate Winner – The Customer

Whether you are an enterprise, a brand or a marketplace, your primary goal is to engage new and veteran customers, and generate loyalty. Market price benchmarking can be combined with online catalog optimization to significantly increase traffic and streamline customer experiences.

Interested in learning more about how market price benchmarking can work for you? Book a demo.

5 Common Challenges of eCommerce Catalog Management

It’s no secret that eCommerce is growing in profitability now that more and more buyers are shopping online. Stores must adopt eCommerce if they want to increase visibility and accessibility for their products. Today, an online presence isn’t optional—it’s essential.

But eCommerce doesn’t come without its own challenges. Companies must deal with large catalogs of hundreds or even thousands of products (SKUs). Every product must be identified and shipped quickly, and sometimes requires a bit of customization before it reaches the hands of the buyer. Businesses in this sector usually sell in multiple sales channels and marketplaces as well, further complicating the process.

This complexity ensures the importance of a consistent and efficient cataloging system. Without one, you risk incorrect or incomplete information leaking into your listings, frustrating customers and wasting company time that’s used to reorganize it. It’s time to look for a product identification solution, but what are some potential challenges you might face in doing so?

What Is Catalog Management in eCommerce and Why Does It Matter?

Catalog management occurs when suppliers must generate quality product data to describe accurately what a company is selling. This information must not only be accurate but also in the correct format for the target marketplace.

Having excellent catalog management results in:

More positive customer experiences since they can more easily find the items they want or search for what they need easily. The company can also make more accurate product recommendations this way.
Search engine optimization, as it helps streamline site navigation and product searching. More potential buyers will find your website this way.
Better product suggestions for cross-selling and upselling
Faster time-to-market since your business can update and expand the catalog more quickly. Reaching the customer in a timely fashion means more attention to your brand.
More accurate financial reporting, which also includes better inventory management and better timing for ordering new stock

Catalog management might be a feature of your business’s current enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. But let’s talk about some challenges of catalog management first.

The Most Common eCommerce Product Catalog Management Challenges

What causes some managers to become frustrated with eCommerce product catalog management?

Updating Product Listings

Poor product catalog management makes updating your catalog a pain. The time you waste working with a badly organized catalog means a less efficient workflow. How do you tweak your management protocol to accept product or price changes in a timely manner?

Handling Multiple Sales Channels

Catalog management must efficiently support multiple online stores, such as Amazon and eBay. Each channel likely has a different system for accepting product specifications and categories. Tailoring your catalog data to each can take a long time, especially if the information is incomplete or messy.

Incorporating Third-Party Data

Your business often doesn’t write its own product data. It’s occasionally provided by a third-party supplier and thus may be in a different format or be missing certain attributes. Catalog management must involve cleaning up this data for your own use.

Expanding Your Offerings

When it comes to adding new products to your store, it’s more difficult to do so with a badly organized catalog. Developing businesses will find this issue especially worrying, as it caps how quickly the company can grow.

Complicated Structures of Products

Not all items “function” the same way. For instance, serialized items require an individual identifier for each unit. Company vehicles are an example.

You also may deal with different variations of the same product, such as offering multiple colors and sizes. Ensure your management can deal with special catalog items.

Addressing the Problem

How well a business handles eCommerce content management hinges on how it manages its data centrally. Smaller stores may use Excel, but this solution fails when dealing with larger catalogs. It also relies on human input, opening up the possibility for error.

There are eCommerce platforms available that offer either basic or advanced SKU management. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms are popular amongst larger companies, as they work closely with your financial reporting sector. Such a solution handles updating prices, publishing to new markets, and working with inventory.

Another solution for eCommerce product catalogs is the PIM, or product information management platform. These services are specifically for handling product data, including uploading and publishing it to multiple sales channels. However, PIM can be expensive for enterprises, so it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth the investment.

Regardless of what solution you choose, make sure it serves your needs. For instance, can you import and publish the data to all the marketplaces you use? Can the tool be used for inventory fulfillment? And does it automate the process effectively. Using artificial intelligence to streamline catalog management is one of the leading trends in eCommerce.

Are you trying to identify and enhance your product catalog, but only have basic information from your supplier? Algopix helps online brands validate and enhance their catalog data to fill in the gaps.

Learn more about how eCommerce catalog management can improve your catalog data and improve your conversion rates. Boom a demo now.

Uncovering Insights: How to Get the Most Out of Your Amazon Data

Amazon is a powerhouse in the online retail world. With its vast array of products and services, it is no surprise that Amazon is the go-to platform for many businesses to get their products or services in front of the right customers. However, it can be challenging to understand how to effectively use Amazon to its fullest potential when it comes to leveraging data and gaining insights about customer behavior.

At Cluster, we understand that as a business owner, you want to make the most of your online presence. In order to do so, it’s important to have a deep understanding of how your competitors are performing on platforms like Amazon. That’s where our Amazon Insights tool comes in.

Why Analyzing Amazon Data is Important

Analyzing Amazon data provides valuable insights that can be used to optimize your Amazon business. It can help identify areas of opportunity, uncover customer preferences, and inform strategic decisions. By understanding your data, you can make informed decisions on how to best grow and optimize your business.

For example, analyzing your Amazon data can help you identify products that are underperforming, as well as identify which products are most popular with customers. This knowledge can help you make decisions on which products to prioritize, as well as which products to discontinue or improve.

Analyzing Amazon data can also help you understand customer behavior, such as which products customers are searching for, how often they are returning to your store, and how long they are staying on your website. This information can help you tailor your marketing and promotional campaigns to best suit the needs of your target audience.

In addition, analyzing Amazon data can help you identify trends in customer behavior, such as which products are most popular in different demographic groups or in different locations. This information can help you target the right segments of customers and better cater to their needs.

Best Practices for Analyzing Amazon Data

Now that we’ve discussed why analyzing Amazon data is important, let’s go over some best practices for data analysis.

1. Start with the Basics

Before diving deep into your data, it’s important to start with the basics. Begin by gathering data on key metrics and trends, such as sales, revenue, customer engagement, and customer reviews. This will give you a good starting point and provide you with an overview of your performance and customer behavior.

2. Identify Your Goals

Once you have an understanding of your data, it’s important to identify your goals. What do you want to achieve with your data analysis? What insight do you hope to gain? Knowing your goals will help ensure you are focusing your analysis on the right areas.

3. Clean and Organize Your Data

Once you have identified your goals, the next step is to clean and organize your data. Data can be messy and difficult to interpret, so it’s important to make sure it is organized and easy to understand.

4. Analyze Your Data

Once your data is organized, it’s time to start analyzing it. Begin by looking for patterns and trends that can help you understand customer behavior and identify opportunities for improvement.

5. Visualize Your Data

Data visualization is an important step in data analysis. Visualizing your data can help you identify patterns and trends more quickly and easily. There are many tools available to help you visualize your data, such as Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, and Google Data Studio.

6. Take Action

Once you have identified insights from your data, it’s time to take action. Use the insights you’ve gained to inform your decisions and optimize your Amazon business.

How to Use Insights Gained From Your Amazon Data

Now that we’ve discussed best practices for analyzing Amazon data, let’s talk about how to use the insights gained from your data.

1. Optimize Your Product Listing

Analyzing your Amazon data can help you optimize your product listings. You can use the insights gained from your data to determine which products are most popular with customers and which products are underperforming. This information can help you make decisions on which products to prioritize and which products to discontinue or improve.

2. Tailor Your Marketing and Promotional Campaigns

Analyzing your Amazon data can also help you tailor your marketing and promotional campaigns. You can use the insights gained from your data to understand customer behavior and target the right segments of customers. For example, you can use the data to identify which products are most popular with different demographic groups or in different locations.

3. Improve Your Customer Service

Analyzing your Amazon data can also help you improve your customer service. You can use the insights gained from your data to understand customer preferences and identify areas of improvement. For example, you can use the data to determine which products customers are searching for and how often they are returning to your store.

4. Sales Performance Analysis

One of the most important factors in your Amazon strategy is sales performance. With an Amazon Insights tool, you can gain a deep understanding of how your competitors are performing in terms of sales volume and revenue. This information can help you identify areas where you can improve your own sales strategy, and stay ahead of the competition.

5. Product Pricing Analysis

A variety of Amazon Insights tools can provide you with detailed data on product pricing for your competitors’ products. This information can help you identify areas where you can improve your own pricing strategy, and stay ahead of the competition.

6. Competitor Analysis

Analyzing your competitors’ data can also provide valuable insights. By analyzing their sales data, pricing, and customer reviews, you can identify gaps in the market and opportunities to differentiate your products from theirs.

For example, you might discover that your competitors are offering a similar product at a lower price, which could prompt you to adjust your pricing strategy. Alternatively, you might notice that your competitors are receiving consistently negative reviews for a certain feature or aspect of their product. This can help you identify areas where you can differentiate your product and offer a better customer experience.

In addition to analyzing your direct competitors, you can also look at broader market trends and patterns. For example, you might notice that certain product categories or trends are gaining popularity among customers. This can help you identify new product opportunities or adjust your existing product line to meet changing customer needs.

7. Advertising Campaign Analysis

Amazon offers various advertising options to sellers, including Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display. By analyzing the performance of your advertising campaigns, you can determine which campaigns are generating the most sales and adjust your strategy accordingly.

For example, you might discover that your Sponsored Products campaigns are generating more sales than your Sponsored Brands campaigns, which could prompt you to allocate more of your advertising budget to Sponsored Products. Alternatively, you might notice that certain keywords or ad placements are generating more sales than others. This can help you optimize your ad targeting and improve the ROI of your advertising campaigns. In addition to analyzing the performance of individual advertising campaigns, you can also look at broader trends and patterns.

8. Inventory Management

Analyzing your inventory data can help you make informed decisions about inventory management. By analyzing your inventory levels and sales data, you can identify which products are selling quickly and which ones are not. This information can help you adjust your inventory levels and prevent stockouts.

For example, you might notice that a particular product is selling faster than expected. This can prompt you to order more inventory to avoid running out of stock. Alternatively, you might notice that a certain product is not selling as well as expected. This can prompt you to adjust your pricing or marketing strategy to boost sales.

You can also use data to forecast future demand. By analyzing historical sales data and trends, you can predict how much inventory you’ll need to order in the coming months. This can help you avoid overstocking or understocking, which can lead to lost sales or excess inventory costs.

How Cluster Can Help

To get the most out of your Amazon data, it’s important to have the right tools and resources in place. This might include data analytics software, customer feedback platforms, or inventory management systems. By investing in tools like Cluster, you can ensure that you’re able to collect and analyze data effectively and make informed decisions that drive business growth. Book a demo now.

GTINs 101: How to Use Them to Optimize Your Online Store

GTIN numbers are a crucial part of the product identification process. They help businesses in identifying their products and tracking their movement throughout the supply chain.

What are GTIN codes?

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) codes are unique identifiers that are assigned to products to facilitate their identification and tracking throughout the supply chain. These codes include 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits and can be found on product barcodes. They are used to identify a product’s brand, model, size, and color, making it easier for businesses to manage their inventory and customers to find and purchase products.

Types of GTIN Numbers

GTIN-8

GTIN-8 is an 8-digit number used for small-sized products such as chewing gum or cigarettes. The GTIN-8 number consists of a GS1 prefix, an item reference, and a check digit.

GTIN-12

GTIN-12 is a 12-digit number used for packaged consumer goods. The GTIN-12 number consists of a GS1 prefix, an item reference, and a check digit.

GTIN-13

GTIN-13 is a 13-digit number used for consumer goods sold in retail stores. The GTIN-13 number consists of a GS1 prefix, an item reference, and a check digit.

GTIN-14

GTIN-14 is a 14-digit number used for trade items shipped in logistics. The GTIN-14 number consists of a GS1 prefix, an item reference, and a check digit.

The Importance of Using GTIN Codes

Using GTIN codes on your eCommerce site can have several benefits, including:

1. Improved Product Visibility

By using GTIN codes, your products will be more visible to potential customers. When customers search for products on search engines or marketplaces, the search algorithm will use the GTIN code to identify the product, making it more likely to appear in relevant search results.

2. Better Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Using GTIN codes can improve your site’s SEO by providing search engines with structured data that they can use to understand your products better. This can help improve the accuracy of search results and increase the visibility of your products.

3. Enhanced Product Information

GTIN codes contain valuable product information, including the product’s brand, model, size, and color. By including this information on your product pages, you can provide customers with a more detailed and accurate product description, which can help increase sales.

4. Improved Inventory Management

By using GTIN codes to track your inventory, you can better manage your stock levels and ensure that you never run out of products. This can help prevent backorders, reduce the risk of overselling, and improve your overall customer satisfaction.

How to Use GTIN Codes on Your eCommerce Site

To use GTIN codes on your eCommerce site, you’ll need to follow a few simple steps:

1. Obtain GTIN Codes for Your Products

You can obtain GTIN codes for your products from a variety of sources, including GS1, the organization responsible for managing and distributing GTIN codes. You can also purchase GTIN codes from resellers, but it’s important to ensure that the codes are legitimate and have not been previously used.

2. Include GTIN Codes on Your Product Pages

Once you have obtained GTIN codes for your products, you’ll need to include them on your product pages. This can be done by adding a barcode to your product images or including the code in the product description.

3. Submit GTIN Codes to Search Engines and Marketplaces

To ensure that your products are accurately indexed and displayed on search engines and marketplaces, you’ll need to submit your GTIN codes to these platforms. This can be done using the Google Merchant Center or the marketplace’s product listing process.

The Importance of GTIN Lookup

GTIN lookup is a crucial tool for businesses that sell products online. By using GTIN lookup, businesses can access vital information about their products, including their brand, manufacturer, and product specifications.

GTIN Lookup helps businesses to identify their products accurately and efficiently. By searching for a GTIN number, businesses can retrieve detailed information about the product, such as its name, description, and attributes. This information is crucial for maintaining accurate and up-to-date product records, which is essential for supply chain and inventory management.

Using GTIN lookup can benefit businesses in several ways. First, it can help them ensure that the products they sell are authentic and legitimate. Second, it can help them improve their product listings and increase their sales. Finally, it can help them comply with regulations and avoid legal issues.

The importance of GTIN Lookup can be understood from the following points:

1. Product Identification

2. Supply Chain Management

GTIN Lookup is also useful for supply chain management. By using GTIN Lookup, businesses can track the movement of their products throughout the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the end consumer. This helps businesses to monitor the flow of products, detect any delays or errors, and take corrective actions if necessary.

3. Customer Experience

GTIN Lookup can also improve the customer experience. By providing accurate and detailed product information to customers, businesses can enhance their brand reputation, increase customer loyalty, and drive sales. Customers can use GTIN Lookup to verify the authenticity of products, check their features and specifications, and make informed purchasing decisions.

4. Regulatory Compliance

GTIN Lookup can help businesses to comply with regulatory requirements. Many countries and industries have specific regulations and standards for product identification and labeling. By using GTIN Lookup, businesses can ensure that their products meet the required standards and avoid penalties or fines for non-compliance.

How to Use GTIN Lookup

To use GTIN lookup, businesses need to have access to a database of GTINs. There are several ways to access this database, including using a third-party service like Cluster GTIN Lookup Tool or using a barcode scanner app. A GTIN number lookup can be accomplished quickly, and without wasted resources.

Once you have access to the GTIN database, you can simply enter the GTIN of the product you want to look up. The database will provide you with information about the product, including its brand, manufacturer, and product specifications.

Best Practices for Using GTIN Codes

When using GTIN codes on your eCommerce site, it’s important to follow best practices to ensure maximum effectiveness. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Use Legitimate GTIN Codes

When obtaining GTIN codes, it’s important to ensure that they are legitimate and have not been previously used. Using invalid or duplicate GTIN codes can result in penalties and damage your site’s credibility.

2. Include GTIN Codes on All Products

To ensure maximum visibility and accuracy, include GTIN codes on all your products, even if they are not required. This can improve the accuracy of search results and make it easier for customers to find and purchase your products.

3. Ensure Consistency Across Platforms

Ensure that your GTIN codes are consistent across all platforms, including your eCommerce site, marketplaces, and search engines. This can help improve the accuracy of search results and prevent confusion among customers.

4. Update GTIN Codes Regularly

Update your GTIN codes regularly to ensure that they remain accurate and up to date. This can help prevent errors and inaccuracies that can negatively impact your site’s credibility and customer satisfaction.

How Cluster Can Help

In eCommerce, if you cannot identify a product, then nothing else works, and no one will buy it. Not having accurate GTINs for all products impacts the likelihood of Google returning your product as a natural search term. Cluster offers two service models (full-service and self-service) that address this fundamental issue for marketplaces. Book a demo now!

The Complete Guide to ASIN Product Numbers

We understand the importance of Amazon ASIN numbers and how they can impact your success as a seller. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss everything you need to know about ASIN numbers, including how to get them and why they matter.

What is an ASIN?

Amazon Standard Identification Number, or ASIN, is a unique identifier assigned to each product in the Amazon marketplace. It is a 10-character alphanumeric code that is used to identify and track products on the platform. Each product listed on Amazon has its own unique ASIN. This helps Amazon manage product data and ensure that each product is correctly identified, sorted, and displayed in the right categories and search results.

When a seller lists a product on Amazon, they either match it to an existing product detail page or create a new product detail page. If the product already exists in the catalog, the seller will use the existing ASIN. If not, Amazon will assign a new ASIN to the product. ASINs are used by Amazon to organize and classify products in their catalog, and they play an important role in the search and discovery of products on the Amazon platform.

How to Find Your ASIN

To find the ASIN for a product on Amazon, simply navigate to the product detail page and look for the 10-character alphanumeric code in the product information section. If you are a seller and want to list a new product on Amazon, you will need to create a new product detail page and Amazon will assign a new ASIN to the product.

If you are selling a product that is already listed on Amazon, you can simply search for the product on Amazon and locate its ASIN number on the product detail page. However, if you are selling a new product that is not yet listed on Amazon, you will need to create a new listing and obtain a new ASIN product ID.

To create a new listing, you will need to follow these steps:

Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account and navigate to the “Inventory” tab.
Click on “Add a Product” and search for your product in the Amazon catalog.
If your product is not found, click on “Create a new product listing.”
Follow the prompts to enter all of the necessary information about your product, including the product’s title, description, and images.
Once your listing is complete, Amazon will automatically generate a new ASIN number for your product.

Why are ASINs important?

ASINs are important for several reasons. They help to streamline product management on Amazon by making it easy to track and manage products across the platform. They also help to improve the user experience by ensuring that products are correctly classified and listed in the right categories, improving search relevance, and enabling easy product comparison.

ASINs are also important for Amazon sellers as they help them manage their product listings, analyze product performance, and optimize their listings for better search visibility. By tracking ASINs, sellers can monitor product performance, identify areas of improvement, and optimize their listings for better search rankings.

How are ASINs assigned?

ASINs are automatically assigned by Amazon when a product is listed on the platform. Amazon uses a sophisticated algorithm to assign ASINs based on product attributes such as title, description, and category. If a product has unique attributes, such as size or color, Amazon will assign a separate ASIN for each variation.

In some cases, sellers may need to request a new ASIN for a product that does not yet have one. This is typically required for products that are not yet listed on Amazon or for products that have unique attributes that are not covered by existing ASINs.

ASINs and SEO

ASINs play an important role in Amazon’s search algorithm, as they help to classify and categorize products based on their attributes. By optimizing product titles, descriptions, and other attributes, sellers can improve the relevance and visibility of their listings in search results. This can lead to increased traffic, sales, and revenue.

However, it’s important to note that ASINs are not a direct ranking factor for Amazon search results. Instead, Amazon uses a complex algorithm that takes into account various factors such as sales history, customer reviews, and product relevance. Therefore, optimizing your ASINs alone is not enough to guarantee high search rankings on Amazon.

Using ASINs effectively

Now that you understand what ASINs are and how they work, it’s important to use them effectively to optimize your Amazon product listings. One important thing to keep in mind is to make sure that your product is properly matched to the correct ASIN in the Amazon catalog. This means ensuring that the product details match the information on the product detail page, including the product title, description, images, and other attributes.

How to Find a Product With ASIN

ASIN lookup on Amazon is easy. Simply go to Amazon’s website and type the ASIN code into the search bar. If the product is available on Amazon, it should appear in the search results. You can also find the ASIN on the product detail page, located in the product information section. ASIN number lookup to search for products on Amazon is an efficient and effective way to find the specific product you are looking for.

There is no official Amazon ASIN database that is publicly available. ASINs are unique identifiers that are assigned by Amazon to products in their catalog, and are subject to change over time as products are added or removed from the catalog.

However, there are several third-party databases and tools that exist which allow you to search for and obtain ASINs for products on Amazon. These databases are created and maintained by companies that collect and organize data about products on Amazon, and can be used to search for specific products or to perform bulk lookups of product identifiers.

How to Perform a Bulk ASIN Lookup

This can be done through various third-party tools and services that allow you to upload a list of product identifiers, such as UPCs or EANs, and receive the corresponding ASINs for those products.

One popular tool for performing a bulk ASIN lookup is the Amazon ASIN Bulk Lookup Tool, which allows you to upload a CSV file containing your product identifiers and receive a file with the corresponding ASINs. There are also many other similar tools and services available online that offer similar functionality.

Performing a bulk ASIN lookup can be a valuable time-saver for sellers who need to list a large number of products on Amazon. By using a bulk lookup tool, sellers can quickly obtain the ASINs for their products and avoid the time-consuming process of manually searching for each product on Amazon.

How Cluster can Help you with ASIN Lookup

Cluster can offer a variety of features beyond simply looking up ASINs, such as product research and analytics, keyword research, and more. We also have the largest structured SKU-level dataset available with over 1B items with full product level attributes (SKU, UPC, EAN, ASIN, GTIN, Color, Dimensions, etc.). Book a demo now!

ISBN Numbers: The Ultimate Guide

What is ISBN?

ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a unique identifier assigned to books, e-books, and other publications. This system was first introduced in 1967 and has since become the global standard for identifying books. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide everything you need to know about ISBN numbers, including their history, how they are assigned, and their importance in the publishing industry.

History of ISBN

The ISBN system was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the late 1960s to address the growing need for a standardized identification system for books. The first ISBN was assigned to a book titled “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain in 1967. Since then, the system has been widely adopted and expanded to cover other forms of media.

ISBN Format

An ISBN is a 13-digit number that is divided into four parts, each separated by a hyphen. The first part identifies the language or country of origin, the second part identifies the publisher, the third part identifies the title of the publication, and the fourth part is a check digit that ensures the ISBN is valid.

The ISBN Five Parts

The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is composed of five parts, which are:

Prefix Element – This identifies the specific language or geographic location in which the publication was issued. It is represented by either a 978 or 979 prefix.
Registration Group Element – This identifies the country or group of countries participating in the ISBN system. It is a number between 0 and 9.
Registrant Element – This identifies the publisher or the individual responsible for publishing or distributing the book.
Publication Element – This identifies the specific title, edition, and format of the publication.
Check Digit – This is a single digit at the end of the ISBN that is calculated using a mathematical formula to ensure the accuracy of the other digits in the number.

ISBN-10 vs. ISBN-13

In 2007, the ISBN system was updated to a 13-digit format to accommodate the growing number of publications and the need for more unique identifiers. While the ISBN-10 format is still used in some countries, it is gradually being phased out in favor of the ISBN-13 format, which provides more options for identifying publications.

How to Obtain an ISBN

Obtaining an ISBN is a relatively simple process. In most countries, you can apply for an ISBN through your national ISBN agency. The application process typically involves providing information about your book, such as the title, author, and publisher. Once your application is approved, you will be assigned a unique ISBN that can be used to identify your book in the marketplace.

The Importance of ISBN

ISBNs are essential for the publishing industry as they provide a standard method of identifying books and other publications. They are used by booksellers, libraries, and publishers to track inventory and sales, and they enable readers to easily find and purchase books online and in stores. Additionally, many retailers and online marketplaces require books to have an ISBN in order to be sold.

Who needs an ISBN number?

The use of an ISBN is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended for authors, publishers, and distributors who wish to make their books available to a wider audience.

Here are some of the reasons why an ISBN may be required:

Sales: Many booksellers and online retailers require an ISBN in order to sell books. Having an ISBN makes it easier for booksellers to identify, list, and sell books in their inventory.
Libraries: Most libraries use ISBNs to catalog and identify books in their collection. Without an ISBN, it may be difficult for a book to be added to a library’s collection.
Discoverability: Having an ISBN makes it easier for readers to find and purchase books online and in bookstores. This can increase the visibility of a book and make it more accessible to potential readers.
Distribution: Distributors often require an ISBN in order to track inventory and sales of books. Without an ISBN, it may be more difficult to distribute books through various channels.
Credibility: Having an ISBN can lend credibility to a book and its author. It shows that the book has been professionally published and is part of the global publishing industry.
Copyright: In some countries, having an ISBN is a requirement for copyright registration. This can provide legal protection for authors and publishers, as well as help prevent copyright infringement.
International Distribution: If an author or publisher wants to distribute their book internationally, having an ISBN can make the process easier. The ISBN system is used in more than 200 countries, which means that books with an ISBN can be easily identified and sold in multiple markets.

In general, any individual or organization that plans to publish, distribute, or sell books should consider obtaining an ISBN. It is an essential component of the publishing industry that can make it easier to market, distribute, and sell books to a global audience.

The Differences Between an ISBN and a Barcode

While an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and a barcode may appear similar, they serve different purposes.

An ISBN is a unique identifier used to identify books, e-books, and other publications. It consists of a 13-digit number that is divided into five parts, which provide information about the language or geographic location, country or group of countries participating in the ISBN system, publisher, title, and a check digit to ensure accuracy.

On the other hand, a barcode is a graphical representation of a product’s unique identifier, which can be scanned at the point of sale to identify the product and retrieve its price and other details. Barcodes can be used for a variety of products, not just books.

While an ISBN is not always required, it can be beneficial for authors, publishers, and distributors who want to make their books more discoverable and accessible to potential readers. A barcode, on the other hand, is often required by booksellers and retailers to track inventory and sales of books, as well as facilitate the checkout process at the point of sale.

How do I look up an ISBN number?

An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) lookup can be done through a variety of methods. Here are some of the most common ways to do an ISBN lookup:

Online Databases: There are several online databases, such as the ISBN Agency or Bowker Books In Print, that allow you to search for books by their ISBN. These databases can provide information about the book’s title, author, publisher, publication date, and other details.
Library Catalogs: Many libraries use ISBNs to catalog and identify books in their collection. You can search for books using their ISBN in a library’s online catalog or by using the library’s physical card catalog.
Booksellers: Booksellers, both online and in physical stores, often provide an ISBN lookup feature that allows you to search for books by their ISBN. This can be useful if you are looking to purchase a specific book.
Smartphone Apps: There are several smartphone apps, such as Book Crawler or ScanLife, that allow you to scan the ISBN barcode on a book and retrieve information about the book.

Is there an ISBN database?

There are several ISBN (International Standard Book Number) databases that are available online. These databases are designed to provide information about books and other publications by lookup by ISBN.

Here are some of the most commonly used ISBN databases:

International ISBN Agency: The International ISBN Agency maintains a database of all ISBNs assigned to books and other publications. This database can be searched by country, language, or publisher.
Bowker Books In Print: Bowker Books In Print is a database that provides bibliographic information on over 20 million book titles. It can be searched by author, title, or ISBN.
Google Books: Google Books is a database of millions of books that have been scanned and digitized. It can be searched by author, title, or ISBN.
Library of Congress: The Library of Congress maintains a database of books and other publications that have been cataloged by the library. This database can be searched by author, title, or ISBN.
Open Library: Open Library is a free, open-source database of over 20 million books. It can be searched by author, title, or ISBN.

How Cluster Can Help

Looking up an ISBN can be done through an online ISBN database, barcode scanner app, library catalog, or bookseller. These methods allow you to quickly and easily find information about a book, including its title, author, publisher, and publication date. Cluster can identify products from both structured and unstructured data so customers can enhance their product listings with more attributes and robust data. Book a demo now!