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

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

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.

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!

What Are UPC Codes? Definition and Guide

Understanding UPC Codes: a Full Guide

UPC codes, or Universal Product Codes, are used by retailers to identify products for sale and to facilitate the checkout process. UPC codes are found on almost all merchandise in stores, and are usually printed on the product packaging. UPC codes are essential for efficient inventory management, product tracking, and sales tracking. UPC codes are ubiquitous in modern commerce, serving as a means of identifying products and making transactions easier. This guide will explain what UPC codes are, how they are used, and the different types of UPC codes available. 

What is a UPC Code? 

A UPC code is a barcode consisting of 12 digits used to identify a product. UPC codes are a series of numbers that are printed on the packaging of a product. The numbers are composed of two parts: the first part is a unique number that identifies the manufacturer of the product, while the second part is a unique number that identifies the specific product. 

The UPC code was created in the 1970s by the Uniform Code Council, a standards organization that sets industry-wide standards for the retail industry. The universal product code is now used by retailers around the world to track and identify products, because it is a standardized method of identifying products, allowing for easier inventory management, price tracking, and supply chain management.

UPC codes are used for a variety of purposes, including inventory control, pricing, and product identification. UPC codes are a valuable tool for retailers, as they allow them to track product information, inventory levels, and even pricing. UPC codes are also used to identify products for online shopping, as well as for promotional and marketing purposes.

How are UPC codes created?

UPC codes are assigned by GS1, a non-profit organization responsible for maintaining global standards for product identification. The first six digits of a UPC code represent the manufacturer, while the next five digits represent the product itself. The final digit is a check digit used to ensure the code is accurate.

UPCs are created by a process called “assigning” that assigns a unique number to each product. This number is then encoded into a barcode that can be scanned at the checkout. The process of assigning UPCs begins with a company applying for a UPC from a UPC registry. The registry will then assign a unique 12-digit number to the product. 

The first six digits of the UPC are the manufacturer’s identification number (MID). The MID is a unique code assigned to the company by the registry and is used to identify the company and its products. The next five digits are the product code, which is used to identify the specific item in the company’s product line. The last digit is a check digit, which is used to verify the accuracy of the other 11 digits. 

UPC codes are used to identify products for sale. When a customer purchases a product, the UPC code is scanned at the checkout. The information from the UPC code is then sent to the retailer’s inventory system, which is used to track inventory and sales. The UPC code is also used to track sales. When a customer purchases a product, the UPC code is scanned at the checkout, and the information is sent to the retailer’s sales system. This helps the retailer track product sales, identify customer preferences, and adjust inventory levels accordingly. 

Types of UPC Codes 

There are several types of UPC codes available:

12-digit UPC Code

The most common type is the 12-digit UPC code –  UPC-A and UPC-E. UPC-A codes are the standard 12-digit codes used for most products. 

This type of code is used to identify products in most retail stores, It is used to identify individual products and is the most widely used UPC code in retail stores. The 12-digit UPC code consists of a manufacturer’s identification number, a product number, and a check digit. The check digit is used to ensure accuracy when scanning the UPC code. 

8-digit UPC code

The 8-digit UPC code is used to identify a group of products. This type of UPC code is used in retail stores to identify products that are part of a set or bundle. For example, a bundle of DVDs may have an 8-digit UPC code that identifies the bundle as a whole, rather than individual DVDs.

UPC-E codes are a shortened version of UPC-A codes, used for smaller items that don’t have enough space for a full 12-digit code, the 8-digit UPC code is used for smaller items, such as office supplies or accessories.

Other UPC codes

The 7-digit UPC code is used to identify a product, but it is not as detailed as the 12-digit UPC code. This type of UPC code is used to identify items such as food, office supplies, and other general merchandise. The 13-digit UPC code is used for larger items, such as furniture or appliances. 

In addition to the primary types of UPC codes, there are other types of UPC codes that are used in the retail industry. These codes are used to identify and track products that are not typically found in retail stores. For example, there are UPC codes for automotive parts, medical supplies, and even consumer electronics.

Benefits of using UPC codes

UPC codes offer several benefits to both manufacturers and retailers. For manufacturers, look up a UPC code allow for easier tracking of inventory and sales data. They also make it easier to manage the supply chain by ensuring that the right products are being shipped to the right locations.

For retailers, UPC codes allow for easier tracking of sales and inventory, making it easier to restock popular items and manage inventory levels. They also make it easier to manage pricing, as the code can be scanned at the point of sale to automatically update the price.

UPC codes also make it easier for customers to identify products. By scanning the UPC code, customers can quickly and easily find out information about the product, such as the price, availability, and reviews. 

Using UPC codes for e-commerce

UPC codes are essential for e-commerce, as they allow for easier tracking of inventory and sales data. They also make it easier to manage pricing, just by lookup upc codes, as the code can be scanned at the point of sale to automatically update the price.

Once the manufacturer has encoded the UPC into a barcode, they must print it on the product. This is usually done by affixing a label to the product, although some companies have begun to print the barcode directly onto the product. The barcode must be clearly visible and should be placed in an area that can be easily scanned, making barcode upc lookup fast.

Once the UPC has been assigned and printed, the manufacturer must register the UPC with the UPC registry. This allows the registry to track the product and ensure that it is properly identified when scanned at the checkout. The registry will also store product information such as name, price, and quantity so that it can be retrieved when needed.

For e-commerce sellers, UPC codes are necessary for listing products on marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay. These marketplaces require UPC codes to ensure that products are correctly identified and tracked.

How Cluster Can Help

Through a partnership with GS1, Cluster is able to identify and validate barcodes, as well as assign recommended GTINs based on a probability score, by using keywords or product descriptions. Book a demo now!

Competitive Intelligence: Achieving the Right Price Benchmarking

Competitive intelligence: Achieving the Right Price Benchmarking

Are you looking for the best ways to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace? Do you want to make sure you’re setting the right prices for your products and services? Have you been trying to find the right price benchmarking strategies to stay ahead of your rivals? If so, then you need to understand the importance of competitive intelligence and price benchmarking. Why competitive intelligence and price benchmarking are essential tools for any business and will provide strategies for achieving the right price benchmarking. 

What is Competitive Intelligence?

Competitive intelligence (CI) is the process of gathering and analyzing data to gain insights into your competitors’ activities and strategies. The goal of CI is to enable a company to make informed decisions that will give it a competitive edge in the marketplace. It can involve monitoring your competitors’ pricing strategies, marketing campaigns, product launches, customer service initiatives, and other activities. By understanding your competitors’ strategies, you can develop your own strategies that will give you an advantage.

What is Price Benchmarking?

Price benchmarking is the process of comparing the prices of your products or services to those of your competitors. This allows you to identify any pricing discrepancies and make adjustments accordingly. The goal of price benchmarking is to ensure that your prices are in line with industry standards, while still allowing you to remain competitive and profitable.

There are several methods that can be used for price benchmarking, including:

Online research: Utilizing search engines and industry websites to research the prices of similar products or services offered by your competitors.

Surveying customers: Asking customers about their experiences with the prices of similar products or services offered by your competitors.

Directly comparing prices: Visiting your competitors’ physical locations or websites to compare the prices of their products or services to yours.

Why are Competitive Intelligence and Price Benchmarking Important?

Competitive intelligence and price benchmarking are essential tools for any business that wants to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Price benchmarking is a vital process for any business looking to stay competitive in today’s market. By regularly comparing your prices to those of your competitors, you can ensure that you are offering your products or services at a fair and attractive price point. Without these tools, it’s impossible to know how to price your products and services effectively.

Competitive intelligence and price benchmarking give you the information you need to make informed decisions. By understanding your competitors’ strategies, you can develop strategies that will give you an edge in the marketplace. You can also use price benchmarking to make sure you’re offering competitive prices and to identify new opportunities for pricing optimization.

The Advantages of Price Benchmarking

Improved competitiveness

Regularly benchmarking your prices against those of your competitors, you can ensure that your prices remain competitive and attractive to potential customers.

Increased profitability

By identifying any pricing discrepancies and making adjustments accordingly, you can increase your profitability and boost your bottom line.

Better understanding of the market

Through the process of price benchmarking, you can gain a better understanding of the market and the pricing strategies of your competitors.

Improved customer satisfaction

By offering fair and attractive prices, you can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Cost savings

By identifying areas where you can reduce costs, you can ultimately save money and increase your profit margins.

Strategies for Achieving the Right Price Benchmarking

Now that you understand the importance of competitive intelligence and price benchmarking, let’s look at some strategies for achieving the right price benchmarking:

1. Gather and Analyze Data

The first step in achieving the right price benchmarking is to gather and analyze data. You need to collect data on your competitors’ prices, promotions, and other activities. You should also look at industry trends and customer feedback. This data will help you understand your competitors’ strategies and identify opportunities for pricing optimization.

2. Use Automated Tools

There are a number of automated tools available that can help you gather and analyze data. These tools can automate the process of collecting and analyzing data, making it easier and faster to gain insights into your competitors’ activities and pricing strategies.

3. Monitor Your Competitors Regularly

You need to monitor your competitors regularly if you want to stay on top of their strategies and pricing changes. You should set up alerts that will notify you when your competitors make changes to their prices or launch new promotions. This will help you stay up-to-date and make sure you’re always offering competitive prices.

4. Develop a Pricing Strategy

Once you’ve gathered and analyzed data, you need to develop a pricing strategy. This strategy should be based on the data you’ve collected and should take into account factors such as market trends, customer feedback, and your competitors’ strategies.

5. Test and Adjust

It’s important to test and adjust your pricing strategy regularly. This will help you identify any areas where you can optimize your pricing and ensure you’re always offering competitive prices.

The Importance of Setting the Right Price

Setting the right price for your products or services is essential to the success of your business. If you charge too much, you may find that you’re not competitive in your market, and that you’re not able to sell as many products or services as you’d like. On the other hand, if you charge too little, you may find that you’re not able to cover your costs, and that you’re not making a profit.

When it comes to pricing, benchmarks can be incredibly valuable. They can provide a sense of what the market is willing to pay for similar products or services, and can help you to understand what prices are reasonable. Additionally, benchmarks can help you to identify areas where you may be able to charge more, or where you may need to reduce your prices in order to be competitive.

There are a number of different types of benchmarks that you can use to inform your pricing decisions. 

How Can Cluster Help?

Build and enhance product data efficiently to understand insights from channel to channel. Complete solution from catalog integrity and assortment to seller onboarding and more. If you’re ready to start growing your store with the most accurate cross-channel eCommerce data in real-time, book a demo with us today!

How to Use eCommerce Data Analysis for Best Seller Intelligence

ecommerce data analysis for best seller intelligence

The modern-day retailer is no longer just a seller of products, but a data analyst. eCommerce data analysis has become a vital tool for gaining insight into customers, market trends, and competitive intelligence. By leveraging data analysis, retailers can gain a better understanding of their customer base, identify the best sellers in their product categories, and make informed decisions on pricing, marketing, and inventory levels. Best Seller Intelligence is a crucial tool for businesses of all sizes, as it allows them to understand what products and services are in high demand among their target audience. 

What is eCommerce Data Analysis?

eCommerce data analysis is the process of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data from your eCommerce store to draw meaningful insights that can help you better understand your customers, the marketplace, and your competition. By leveraging data analysis, retailers can gain a better understanding of their customer base, identify the best sellers in their product categories, and make informed decisions on pricing, marketing, and inventory levels.

What is Best Seller Intelligence?

Best Seller Intelligence is a data-driven approach to understanding customer behavior and trends. It involves gathering and analyzing data about customer purchases, their responses to marketing campaigns, and their preferences for certain products or services. This data can then be used to create targeted marketing strategies and strategies for product innovation and development. BSI is often used in combination with other data-driven tactics such as predictive analytics and machine learning.

BSI can also be used to identify customer segments and target them with tailored marketing messages. By understanding customer behavior, companies can create more effective campaigns that are tailored to the needs of their target audience. Additionally, BSI can be used to identify new opportunities for product development and innovation. By understanding customer preferences, companies can create products and services that meet the needs of their customers.

The Benefits of Using Best Seller Intelligence

Using BSI can provide companies with several key benefits. It can help companies identify trends in customer behavior and preferences. This can help them create more effective marketing campaigns and improve customer loyalty. By understanding customer behavior and preferences, companies can create better products and services that address customer needs. BSI can help companies measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and determine the return on investment.

BSI can provide companies with valuable insights into their competitors. By understanding the strategies and tactics of their competitors, companies can develop more effective strategies to gain a competitive advantage. Furthermore, BSI can help companies identify new opportunities in the market and develop strategies to capitalize on them.BSI can help companies identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.

The Benefits of eCommerce Data Analysis for Best Seller Intelligence

Data-driven decisions are essential for any successful business. By leveraging eCommerce data analysis, retailers can gain valuable insights into the customer buying process, product performance, and competitor activity. This information can be used to inform pricing, marketing, and product decisions. 

By analyzing customer data, retailers can gain a better understanding of their customer base, including their preferences, buying habits, and shopping patterns. This data can be used to inform product selection and marketing strategies, retailers can identify the best sellers in their product categories. This information can be used to inform pricing strategies and inventory levels.

Another benefit is competitive intelligence, by analyzing customer data and sales patterns, retailers can gain insight into their competition’s pricing, product selection, and marketing strategies. This information can be used to adjust their own strategies to better compete in the marketplace.

Essential Steps for Leveraging eCommerce Data Analysis for Best Seller Intelligence

To leverage eCommerce data analysis for best seller intelligence, there are a few essential steps that retailers should follow:

1. Identify the Data Sources:  internal data sources such as customer data, sales data, and product data, as well as external data sources such as competitor activity and market trends. 

2. Collect and Organize the Data: collecting the data from the various sources, organizing it into meaningful categories, and cleaning it to remove any errors or inconsistencies.

3. Analyze the Data: using data visualization tools to explore the data and identify patterns, trends, and correlations.

4. Generate Insights: using the data to inform decisions on pricing, marketing, and product selection.

When understanding what products are selling well in the marketplace, best seller intelligence is a powerful tool. By analyzing data on top-performing products, businesses can gain valuable insights into what consumers are looking for and adjust their own strategies accordingly.

6 Key Use Cases for Best Seller Intelligence

Identifying Trending Products

One of the most obvious benefits of best seller intelligence is the ability to identify products that are currently trending in the marketplace. By analyzing data on top-performing products, businesses can quickly identify which products are gaining popularity and adjust their own product offerings accordingly. This can help businesses stay ahead of the curve when it comes to consumer demand.

Understanding Consumer Behavior

In addition to identifying trending products, best seller intelligence can also be used to gain insights into consumer behavior. By analyzing data on what products are selling well and why, businesses can better understand what consumers are looking for and tailor their marketing efforts accordingly. This can help businesses create more effective campaigns and increase sales.

Competitive Analysis

Another important use case for best seller intelligence is competitive analysis. By analyzing data on top-performing products from competitors, businesses can gain a better understanding of what strategies are working well in the marketplace and adjust their own strategies accordingly. This can help businesses stay competitive and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Product And Pricing Optimization

Best seller intelligence can also be used to optimize existing products. By analyzing data on top-performing products, businesses can identify which features and attributes are most important to consumers and make adjustments to their own products accordingly. Businesses improve their product offerings and increase sales.

By tracking the prices of top-selling products, businesses can get a better understanding of what consumers are willing to pay for similar products. This can help them set prices that are competitive while still maximizing profits.

Inventory Management

Best seller intelligence can be used to improve inventory management. By analyzing data on top-performing products, businesses can better understand which products are in high demand and adjust their inventory accordingly. This can help businesses avoid stockouts and improve customer satisfaction.

Benchmarking performance

Best seller intelligence can be used to benchmark performance. By tracking the sales of top-selling products, businesses can measure their own performance against the competition. This can help them identify areas where they need to improve and make necessary adjustments to stay competitive.

Using eCommerce data analysis for best seller intelligence can provide valuable insights into your store’s performance and provide businesses with the insights they need to make informed decisions about their best sellers. By gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data, businesses can gain a better understanding of their customers and the products that appeal to them. 

How Cluster Can Help Sellers

Data analysis can be a powerful tool when it comes to best seller intelligence. 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 meeting now.

Private Labeling: What Sellers Need to Know

Private Labeling: What Sellers Need to Know

Are you an e-commerce seller looking to expand your business? Do you want to increase your sales and profits without creating a product from scratch? Private labeling may be the answer you’re looking for. But what exactly is private labeling and what do you need to know to make the most of it? 

The world of private label selling is an exciting and rapidly growing market. As a seller, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of private labeling in order to stay competitive and succeed in this industry. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what sellers need to know about private labeling, including the benefits, risks, and best practices for success.

What is Private Label Selling?

Private label selling refers to selling products manufactured by another company, but are branded and marketed as your own. This allows you to sell products under your own label without having to create them yourself. Private labeling is a great way to quickly and easily expand your product offerings without having to invest in the design, research, and development of a new product. 

Private labeling is popular among e-commerce sellers for a few reasons.It’s an easy and cost-effective way to expand your product offer without investing in design or development. Allows sellers to control the branding and messaging of your products, giving you an edge over competitors who are selling the same products. And it gives the flexibility to choose exactly what products you want to sell and when allowing you to respond quickly to changes in the marketplace.

Benefits of Private Label Selling

There are many benefits to private label selling, including:

Increased profitability: By selling private label products, sellers can often mark up the price of the product and earn a larger profit margin than they would with a traditional retail product.

Increased control over product selection: When selling private label products, sellers have more control over the products they offer to their customers. This allows them to better cater to the needs and preferences of their target market.

Increased brand recognition: Private label products are branded with the seller’s own branding, which can help increase brand recognition and loyalty among customers.

Risks of Private Label Selling

While there are many benefits to private label selling, there are also some risks to consider, including:

Quality control: As a private label seller, you are relying on the manufacturing company to produce a high-quality product. If the product is defective or of poor quality, it can reflect poorly on your brand.

Limited ability to customize: Private label products are typically mass-produced and may not offer the same level of customization as products that are manufactured in-house.

Dependence on the manufacturing company: If the manufacturing company goes out of business or experiences production delays, it can disrupt your ability to sell the product.

How to Get Started With Private Labeling

Now that you know the benefits of private labeling, you may be wondering how to get started. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Research Your Market

The first step in finding the right product for private labeling is to research the market. Take the time to explore what’s already out there and get a feel for the competition. Look at the products that are currently available and try to identify any gaps in the market. Are there products that don’t have a strong presence or don’t seem to be selling well? If so, this could be an opportunity for you to capitalize on.

You should also look at the trends in the industry. What products are gaining popularity and why? Are there any new technologies or materials that could be used to make a product more desirable? By understanding the current market, you’ll be better equipped to find the right product for private labeling.

Identify Your Target Audience

Once you’ve done your research, the next step is to identify your target audience. Who are you catering to? Are you targeting a specific demographic or a certain type of consumer? You should also consider their needs and wants. What do they need that isn’t currently available? What products could you offer that could meet their needs?

Once you’ve identified your target audience, you can start looking for products that they would be interested in. This will enable you to narrow down your options and make it easier to find the right product for private labeling.

Find a Manufacturer and Negotiate the Price

Once you’ve identified a product to private label, you’ll need to find a manufacturer. Visiting the manufacturer is the best way to get a firsthand look at the facility and process. You can get a better sense of the quality of the products and services the manufacturer provides. It’s also a good idea to ask for samples of the products the manufacturer produces, so you can gauge the quality for yourself.

You can also do this by searching online for manufacturers in your area or by contacting a trade association for referrals.

After it, you’ll need to negotiate a price. Make sure you get the best deal possible by negotiating for better terms, lower prices, and bulk discounts.

Evaluate Different Products

Once you’ve identified your target audience and the potential products that could meet their needs, it’s time to start evaluating different products. Take the time to really research each product and consider the pros and cons. Is it something that you can realistically manufacture and supply? Does it have the potential for growth? What kind of customization options are available?

You should also consider the cost of each product. It’s important to find a product that you can produce at a reasonable cost so that you can make a profit. Also, consider the time it takes to manufacture each product. If you’re looking to launch quickly, you may want to look for products that can be produced quickly.

Design Your Brand and Test the Product

Once you’ve negotiated a price, you’ll need to design your brand. This includes creating a logo, designing packaging, and deciding on a name.

Before you launch your product, it’s important to test it. Test the product to make sure it meets your standards and that it will be well received by your customers.

Best Practices for Successful Private Label Selling

To succeed as a private label seller, it’s important to follow a few best practices, including:

Research manufacturers carefully: Before partnering with a manufacturing company, research their reputation and track record for producing high-quality products.

Maintain strong communication with the manufacturer: Maintain open and regular communication with the manufacturer to ensure that all orders are fulfilled on time and that the product meets your quality standards.

Create a strong brand identity: Develop a strong brand identity for your private label products to help them stand out in the marketplace.

Monitor your competition: Stay informed about the competition and their private label offerings to ensure that you’re offering competitive products and prices.

Private label selling is an exciting opportunity for sellers to expand their product offerings and increase profitability. By understanding the benefits and risks of private labeling, as well as following best practices for success, sellers can take advantage of this growing market and build a successful business.

How Can Cluster Help?

Sellers can save time and get a positive ROI by utilizing deep learning to optimize their stores. If you’re ready to start growing your store with the most accurate cross-channel eCommerce data in real-time, book a demo with us today!

Why Marketplaces Need eCommerce Catalog Management

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

CEO Chat on Changing the Product Data Catalog Ownership Story

CEO Chat on Changing the Product Data Catalog Ownership Story - Ori Greenberg

For eCommerce marketplaces, it’s always the same story: they rely on sellers to provide complete and accurate product data, but what if changing ownership were a possibility? What if marketplaces actually owned their own product catalog data and took the reliance off of seller inputs, while still being able to provide accurate product information for consumers? 

There are many roadblocks typically that prevent marketplace enterprises from achieving this outcome, but it is not an impossible feat. That’s why we caught up with Cluster CEO Ori Greenberg, in an interview to talk about the challenges, opportunities, and best practices for driving this industry to change. By transferring ownership of product catalog data from sellers onto marketplaces – success becomes possible for all parties involved, and below we dive into how and why. 

Q: Who owns the product data catalog today in the eCommerce market and why? Is this the standard for most marketplaces? 

GREENBERG: In the eCommerce marketplace landscape it always tends to be the same story. A marketplace starts by relying on sellers or merchants to provide product data, but quickly realizes it is a mess: 

  • The data is insufficient, and not normalized
  • The marketplace catalog experience is bad for consumers.
  • The marketplace catalog is underperforming in SEO and marketing in general.
  • It is actually hard for sellers to list items and causes friction, sending 50% of them to abandon the onboarding process.

However, owning the product data catalog makes so much sense. The sellers can help, but the marketplace must own the process, the guidelines and the standards – to help your sellers comply with those standards.

And if you’re thinking this is not possible, this has been done successfully by enterprises like Amazon’s marketplace, and Google Shopping – and in looking at those examples, the results are clear. That being said, no one has the breadth that Amazon and Google have by themselves – and that’s why Cluster was created.

Q: What does the ideal marketplace product data catalog look like?

GREENBERG: The ideal marketplace product data catalog should be: 

  • Rich with structured product data.
  • Detailed in taxonomy.
  • Inviting, filterable and pleasant in every way.

Q: What is the best practice when it comes to ownership of the product catalog data?

GREENBERG: As mentioned earlier, marketplaces should own the catalog onboarding process, guidelines, and standards – and marketplaces need to help their sellers and merchants comply with those guidelines. 

Q: Why is it so essential to follow these best practices?

GREENBERG: Loosening the rules on product data catalog ownership can cause a mess that spills into other business aspects across the board, and result in poor customer experience, bad seller experience, and poor performance overall.

Q: What are the roadblocks that keep marketplaces from gaining ownership of their product catalog data?

GREENBERG: Gaining ownership of your product catalog data is hard to set up, and taking the first steps can be difficult. You’ll ask yourself why would the sellers go through all the trouble to onboard their product information, and how do I even decide what to ask from them? 

The reality is that it is a lot easier just to tell people, “Here you go – a platform – now just list your products! We’ll use Machine Learning and AI in the future to make sense of what you write!” And then you find out you can’t accomplish this, and the technology just isn’t there – but it’s too late. And, changing your practice becomes even more difficult. 

Q: How can marketplaces work with sellers to create a mutually beneficial catalog onboarding process?

GREENBERG: First, marketplaces need to realize what data they need in order to provide a good customer experience and a frictionless seller experience. Next, help the existing sellers by adjusting their current catalog data. Provide clear guidelines on what is needed moving forward, and proactively help them provide the required catalog data. Examples of how to do this include: 

  1. Pre-build a product data catalog. Start with top-of-mind categories,
  2. Match existing items with the ones in the pre-defined catalog.
  3. Provide matching tools for new products added to the catalog.
  4. Enhance items that are not in that pre-defined catalog on the fly using advanced tools and third-party data providers like Cluster.

Q: How does Cluster help?

GREENBERG: Cluster is an eCommerce data provider that solves for creating a superior online shopping experience through quality catalog and product data for marketplaces and online enterprises (including adjacent markets like eRetail, brands, and financial institutions).

When marketplaces do not have a complete understanding of their product variants, they can oftentimes end up with duplicate listings, which confuses shoppers and in turn, sends them to competitor sites. Building a quality product data catalog is a challenge, but Cluster can identify, validate and enhance product data by matching duplicate products, so inaccurate information doesn’t find its way in front of your shoppers.

Q: What does the future of eCommerce marketplace data look like? 

GREENBERG: No new marketplace can provide an Amazon-like experience, which consumers are now expecting, from the get-go without requiring any help. From the product data catalog to the fulfillment of orders, marketplaces will need to partner with industry-leading vendors to get ahead of the game.

Mutual Marketplace and Merchant Benefits

Changing the script of a story (especially in the middle) is not an easy task, but the results can make for a much happier ending. In this case, restarting can seem daunting but the mutually beneficial results for merchants, marketplaces, and ultimately consumers, can make a major impact on success. Talk with a Cluster expert today and see how our game-changing insights can work for you. 


FUN FACTS

Little-Known Fact: 

When time allows, I love to geek out with customers’ data. Even if the customer didn’t ask for anything, I love finding trends, data gaps, assortment gaps, and insights in general that are intriguing. Usually, I keep it to myself, but sometimes I can’t help but share it with the customer/account owner. 

Quotes to Live By: 

Be kind.

Favorite Marketplace:

For basic purchases, Amazon and Walmart. For fun, spontaneous or emotional purchases: Facebook Marketplace. I love the sustainability aspect, plus the fact I can ‘Uber’ a product my way in 20 minutes!

Favorite Snack:

Coffee.

Describe Cluster in 5 Words: 

  1. Comprehensive
  2. Granular
  3. Accurate
  4. Unique
  5. Insightful