What is eCommerce Catalog Management? Importance of Catalog Management

What is the first thing that your customers see when they stumble upon your business or your website? The products. The services. One of the most important aspects of any business is its catalogue of products. When it comes to eCommerce, it is of extreme importance that the product lists and catalogs are structured, up-to-date and highly organized.

E-commerce Catalog Management is an extremely important function in eCommerce businesses. A good presentation of the website or flashy sales offers will do nothing if the customer has a hard time finding the products that they are looking for.

As of today 71% of customers prefer personalization in their shopping experiences. E-commerce catalog management has evolved with the evolution of shopping experiences. Digital transformation has led to many reforms and changes when it comes to product listings and catalogues. Customers today get the luxury of personalized catalogues with the options of filters and sorting for their convenience.

All of this is done because of a quality e-commerce catalog management system. It is the duty of manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers to accurately organize their product catalogues online. Some of the best eCommerce catalog management systems are provided by Sitecore through its two major products, Sitecore OrderCloud and Sitecore Experience Commerce.

Why is eCommerce Catalog Management important?

In today’s world where online sales continue to grow at a rapid rate, customers are becoming more and more tech-savvy. The onset of the pandemic boosted the online shopping industry due to which any and every business transformed digitally.

Giving your customers convenience is one of the most integral parts of an eCommerce business. You need to make the buying process of your customers as easy as possible. The process has to be very easy to navigate, smooth going and precise.

Customers are impatient and quick to switch to another brand if they find even a minor inconvenience. This is because of the infinite options available in the market. Your product catalogue needs to be clear and easier for the customers to navigate. If they find difficulty, let's say, with the search bar, the filters or with finding the right product, they do not wait or hesitate in scrolling towards another platform.

Sitecore Experience Commerce provides a brilliant way for you to design your eCommerce catalog management along with a dynamic personalization process. You can easily upload your product information and automatically organize everything.

You don’t get a second chance which is why you need brand loyalty from your customers. One of the major aspects of the buying process is searching for the product. This is the reason; eCommerce catalog management is vital to your business.

What are the things to keep in mind for eCommerce catalog management?

Organized, structured and properly categorized:

The products are first and foremost supposed to be neatly organized in a clear, precise manner. When the customer searches for a product, they should get a structured, personalized list that caters to the profile and the buying behavior of that customer.

Associated and alternative products:

When you are creating a catalogue of your products, you need to make sure that your customer gets not only the product that he is searching for but also suggestions, recommendations and paired products. These are all supposed to be products that are related to the product searched for or alternatives from different brands.

Create an exceptional user experience

The user should feel at ease while navigating the website and searching for the products. Sitecore OrderCloud allows you to create dynamic ecommerce platforms to leverage the user data and create extraordinary user experiences. This in turn increases the customers’ brand loyalty for your business.

Make the product catalogs clear

Your eCommerce catalog management should be so strong that when your customers visit your website, they do not even have to switch to a different website once. The product descriptions, the product listings, the details and information, all should be kept at a level where the customer does not feel the need to scroll more or get redirected again and again.

Implement a proper product tagging system

For identification of the products, product tags are used. This is for searching and easily finding the products on the website. It is also very useful for tracking inventory. If there is improper eCommerce catalog management, your customers can be handed over wrong product information which will make them confused.

Major eCommerce platforms such as Sitecore OrderCloud, Sitecore Experience Commerce, Shopify, Salesforce, etc. allow the feature of tagging the products as you are adding them on your online store. Having a centralized structure with all tags in one place, your process can be streamlined which allows your customers to easily find products that they are looking for.

Conclusion

When building an eCommerce platform for any B2X marketplace businesses, the most important feature that makes your customers stay is the eCommerce catalog management. They are visiting the website for products and purchases, which is why it is important to maintain a good management system.

Maulik Dudharejia - Co-Founder & CMO - ADDACT

Sitecore MVP 2021-23 || Digital Transformation Strategist || Marketer

Maulik Dudharejia is a visionary author, co-founder, Chief Marketing Officer, and a digital transformation expert with over 12+ years' of experience. He leverages industry certifications to translate complex tech concepts into engaging writing. His areas of expertise include Sitecore, IoT, and IT Service Management. Maulik offers valuable insights and strategies to help readers navigate the evolving tech landscape.