The online marketplaces are booming with opportunities. The number of people who prefer to shop online is increasing. As a result, the eCommerce market is growing dramatically.
More eCommerce stores also means more products.
One of the biggest challenges, when you enter the eCommerce market, is catalog management. Almost all the online vendors have tons of products to sell.
Managing those products online and keeping a record of product information, inventory, etc. can be challenging. That is why we have catalog management software that helps in managing the entire product catalog for eCommerce stores.
In this guide, you will understand everything about catalog management software, the challenges in catalog management, and the benefits of catalog management software.
Table of Contents
What is a Product Catalog?
In simple words, a product catalog is a collection of media and data that is essential to the product. A product catalog is what helps users to make a buying decision.
In a product catalog, you will find all the necessary details about a product including its features, descriptions, dimensions, price, weight, availability, color, customer reviews, etc.
For example, when you want to buy something on Amazon, you search for it. When you click on the product you like, you find all the necessary information in just a single click.
Its photos, technical specs, reviews, pricing, availability information, etc. That is what you can call a product catalog in the eCommerce market.
What is Catalog Management Software?
eCommerce stores of all sizes and capacities have multiple products that are always live for sale.
Manual handling of all the product catalogs is impossible. Even if there was a way to handle it manually, there is always a scope of error. That is why people use eCommerce catalog management services. Using an eCommerce catalog management software, all of the product data can be handled from a single platform.
Why Need a Product Catalog?
It is not just your customers who rely on the product catalog. A product catalog is a fundamental part of any eCommerce business and it is required by a lot of parties involved in the business:
- Sales Reps and Office Teams: All of your sales reps and office teams need a product catalog to provide the essential product information to the customers at any given point in time.
- Buyers: The customer who plans to buy your product(s) also needs the product catalog to make decisions.
- Value-Added Resellers(VARs): The VARs need your product catalog to get information about the products and services to integrate it with their eCommerce store.
In addition to that store, warehouse managers, and field marketers also need a product catalog to get product information.
What Are The Challenges in Product Catalog Management?
In the growing era of the eCommerce market when eCommerce stores sell thousands of different products and services online, there are some challenges to product catalog management.
Keeping Product Data Consistent
From a buyer’s perspective, it is quite easy to find a product online. If you are a brand, it is quite challenging to keep the product data consistent across multiple platforms.
It is a big challenge to manage and update every single repository for publishing product data across multiple platforms.
Expanding the Product Catalog
The prime goal for every business is to grow and expand. Expansion of business also means expansion of the product catalog.
One of the big challenges these days for any business is that the majority of the products are short-lived. So there is always a requirement to change these types of products or build a product from scratch. In the next step, expanding the product catalog online is also a big challenge in product catalog management.
Selling on Multiple Platforms
Most of the distributors are not just dependent on only a single platform to sell their products. That is why they sell their products on multiple platforms.
These platforms have different requirements related to attributes, hierarchies, and catalogs. Handling different formats of product data can be a challenging job for any business.
Inconsistent Data from Suppliers
A lot of times, the suppliers send inconsistent product data that can take a lot of time to fix. In case an eCommerce store is working with multiple suppliers, making the product catalog ready for customers can be challenging.
When it comes to catalog management, business owners can face a lot of challenges. That is why they need to get efficient catalog management software that can resolve these issues and challenges.
Benefits of Catalog Management Software
Central Hub for All Product Data
A catalog management software provides you with a central hub for all the product data. Using it you can manage product catalogs for multiple platforms.
Sometimes it becomes hard to manage a product catalog when new products are launched and eCommerce catalog management services help you with managing all of that. The software also helps in reducing redundancy in product data.
Easy to Access Product Data for Business Users
A lot of people who do business online have little knowledge about the backend side of any site. That is why they need to have software that allows them to access the product data simply. With catalog management software, users can easily manage all the product data from one place.
Smooth Classification and Categorization of Products
Online stores handle thousands of products. It is very vital to classify and categorize those products to manage the product data. If the categorization of products is not right, customers will not be able to find the right products on your site and will never return. A catalog management software ensures that all the products are organized correctly in their respective categories.
Provides Ready to Upload Data Sheets for Different Marketplaces
One of the big challenges in selling products across different marketplaces is that they have different formats for accepting product data. In the online world. With catalog management software, users can easily maintain the accuracy of your product database with precise information.
Adaptable Images and Content for Different Marketplaces
In the online world, there are so many choices for users. Providing the best content and relevant images for any product is your best bet to grab their attention.
Customers often match the images with features to compare and look for any abnormalities. If you have great catalog management software, the tool automatically adjusts the images making them relevant for the consumers.
Features of VARStreet Catalog Management Software
If you are looking for catalog management software then VARStreet online catalog management software is going to be the best for you. With modern features that address all of your needs, you can seamlessly manage all the product data from one place.
Handling Big Amounts of Data
With VARStreet’s eCommerce catalog management services, you can handle enormous amounts of data. We realize how much expansion is essential for any online store and it can only be done if the catalog management software can handle large amounts of data. With our software, you can easily handle the product catalog for your online store.
Add Custom Products and Services
Our catalog management services do not keep you bound in a tight environment. With a lot of customization options, you can easily add products outside our distribution network or services like warranty, installation, etc. to your custom. This increases your scope of growth as you are not bound by anything.
Easy Catalog Management
Keeping usability in mind, we have designed our software to be user-friendly so that any business owner and other people involved can use the software with no issues. With a clean UI and an easy learning curve, using our software is just a seamless experience.
Rich Content for Your eCommerce
As mentioned earlier, having rich content on your eCommerce store will attract more users to your store. While a product catalog can provide all the sufficient information, there is always a scope for improvement. That is why we have partnered with Etilize and IceCat to get you rich content like product images, descriptions, tech-specs, etc.
Add Your Own Content
Again, you get a lot of customization options with VARStreet’s catalog management software. You can write or upload unique categorization, product descriptions, tech specs,
marketing collateral, etc for your eCommerce store with no issues.
Cloud-Based Solution
Perhaps the biggest advantage of our catalog management software is that it is cloud-based. So you do not need a dedicated PC to run it. All you need is an active internet connection and a device with a browser and you can handle all of your product data from any device, anytime, anywhere.
Closing Phrase
Having eCommerce catalog management services is more than necessary if you have an eCommerce store and you deal with a lot of different products. A catalog management software acts as a central hub for all the product data that is required for your site. Using this tool, you can manage your products and data related to the products across multiple platforms and also enhance the user experience of your eCommerce store.
