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min read

How to sell online to make a sale - the basics of product information

Have you ever wondered how many times in your life a product you bought online, such as a piece of clothing, was identical to its representation on the store's website and to your expectations, and how many times it was not? Exactly.

Have you ever wondered how many times in your life a product you bought online, such as a piece of clothing, was identical to its representation on the store's website and to your expectations, and how many times it was not? Exactly. We buy a notion of the product or of ourselves. 

In fact, it's the presentation of the product that determines whether we desire the product, need it, and if we will ultimately make the purchase. After that, the smaller the discrepancy between what we ordered from the online store and what was delivered to us in the package, the more satisfied we are and the more often we return to a particular store for future purchases. We are less likely to use the return option. Conversely, what if the purchased item is completely different, not in accordance with the chosen parameterization or photos? 

In this case, cognitive dissonance ensues and... the return option is triggered.

Remedy for returns

An effective remedy for returns is to ensure correct product information. Customers expect complete data to make the right purchase decision. Product information is all descriptions, videos, photos, parameters, features of various kinds that describe the products in your store. We deal with a lot of data that appears at different stages of the product life cycle:

  • Product information / SKUs (names, titles, descriptions)
  • Product specifications (categories, types, varieties, labels)
  • Technical information (measurements, composition, expiration dates, origin)
  • Multimedia resources (photos, videos, graphics)
  • Marketing resources (marketing, promotional data, "keywords")
  • Sales information (prices, testimonials, customer reviews, delivery options)
  • Supplier and manufacturer data (spreadsheets, certificates)
  • Additional files

It is the care taken to ensure that the above-mentioned information (incoming and outgoing) is properly collected, organized and cataloged that is the key to business success. This is what PIM does. 

One might be tempted to say that product information is the basis for selling well, and to doing so without returns.

What is PIM

A PIM (Product Information Management) is an enterprise's only source of truth for product information. It is the center of product management, editing and enrichment in the era of marketplaces and omnichannel. The PIM tool makes your products distributed to all sales channels.
Ergonode PIM

The battle against product information

From a 2019 study, "Polish manufacturers most often manage product information using Excel and various types of databases. Often the information is only in the heads of employees, who know where some data is or how the product should be described. PIM (Product Information Management) systems are used sporadically".1 It's 2023 - how do you manage product information in your company? 

You no longer have to struggle in your organization with the dispersion of information and the tedious and time-consuming process of updating data. You can confidently liberate your employee from holding product data in their head or in a series of separate databases. You already have the easy option of joining the ranks of entrepreneurs who didn't wait as they outgrew their company structure, the amount of data or the markets they explored. Modern companies like yours are choosing to implement professional solutions - PIM systems.

Why do companies implement PIM class solutions? 

Among the most frequently cited reasons for implementing a PIM, in addition to the aforementioned dispersion of information and the time-consuming process of updating data, are:

  • a sense of impending change and the associated need to respond more quickly to market events
  • the need to keep data up-to-date in all locations
  • the desire to maintain control over information
  • managing employee knowledge
  • the need to automate manual processes2

Besides, a PIM (e.g. Ergonode PIM) makes it so that we don't duplicate content in Google (SEO) when we have different Marketplaces, for example. The number of channels automatically determines the number of different types of content versions of our assortment for a single product. On top of that, if you are growing your team, the PIM tool will efficiently embrace the onboarding process. Furthermore, if you have plans to grow your e-business, a PIM is indispensable to support your organization. A PIM can even handle the situation when you want to change your sales platform.

Whether you have a single store with a huge number of products, or you enter more markets with a small number of products - it doesn't matter, PIM software will become the heart of your e-business, the beating source of all product information in which you have full trust and control. 

Remember that e-commerce is constantly developing, and as a result, you need to constantly improve your knowledge and familiarity with tools and technological novelties. Remembering that good product parameterization influences a bigger and better shopping experience and personalized offers - you will support your team and e-business.

1. Source: https://www.portalspozywczy.pl/technologie/wiadomosci/jak-polscy-producenci-zarzadzaja-informacja-produktowa,179833.html
2. Ibidem