Product Management For eCommerce Platforms: Ultimate Guide

If you're an eCommerce store owner, eCommerce product management is one of the key responsibilities that you need to get right. It's essential to understand how your customers use your products and what they want from them, but it also helps if you have a plan to manage those needs as they arise. The best way to achieve this goal is by using a tool that automates tasks like maintaining inventory lists, tracking customer data and orders in real time, and organizing everything into manageable categories. This guide will cover what product management software is all about and why it's crucial for any eCommerce platform owner looking to grow their business.

What is eCommerce Product Management?

eCommerce product management is the process of managing products and their attributes for online stores. It includes drafting, shortlisting, organizing, and standardizing data associated with the products. Product management can be enhanced through strategic planning and execution.

The main objective of eCommerce product management is to increase sales through the right promotion and information about products. You can achieve this by analyzing customer preferences and market trends. It also helps in reducing costs by improving inventory management.

What is eCommerce catalog management?

eCommerce catalog management is a system that manages the catalog of products available on an eCommerce platform. A catalog is, by definition, an exhaustive list of objects presented in a predetermined sequence. Data organization of this sort has always been crucial to business success, and that hasn't changed in the age of eCommerce.

eCommerce catalog management refers to organizing catalogs using tools designed for online store administration. The goal is to convey the same information and marketing about the product anywhere it is sold. Retailers' success or failure hinges on how they approach the buying process from the perspective of their customers.

If a customer leaves your website to check out a competitor's, they may never return. In the business-to-consumer world, customer attrition may be devastating. If you lose a business-to-business client, who could be a significant supplier or retailer, you stand to lose much money.

Inaccurate or insufficient data on a product may result from inefficient eCommerce catalog management. The outcome of this is diminished sales and client hesitancy. This may also lead to higher bounce rates, which might impede or even reverse revenue streams and harm consumer loyalty.

It is also necessary to anticipate and account for unforeseen events that may disrupt the industry. Is there a difference in how customers behave because of the pandemic and the variant? Is the internet a preferred medium to buy clothes, makeup, and furniture? In that case, it's crucial to provide buyers with all the information they need before making a purchase.

When managing catalogs for an online store, what are some tried-and-true methods? We'll highlight a handful, that stands out:

Mapping and Managing Process: Dismantling silos is essential to mapping and managing the process. Ensure that everyone involved in managing the catalog, both internally and outside, is aware of the process. You need to define who can make changes to the database and how. Make the procedure publicly available so wholesalers and other interested parties can easily add products.

There must be an internal consensus on how new stock-keeping units (SKUs) will be documented, including product descriptions and images. You can keep tabs on stock levels in real time with the help of SKUs, which will automate the reorder point notifications and administration.

Build a Bond of Trust over time: Customers should feel safe making purchases from your online store. Ensure all relevant details about the product, such as its features, benefits, use, availability, measurement systems, and technical specifications, are included and up-to-date.

Innovative: It's essential to think outside the box when serving clients who may still need to learn what they're looking for, they can also benefit from comparisons which will help them narrow down the options offered by a given retailer. However, online shoppers may need to be more relaxed about stores that demand precise product descriptions. Ingenuity in the form of more intelligent search queries, cleaner drop-down menus, or more communicative robots can solve this problem.

Categorize Properly: Ingenuity in the form of more intelligent search queries, cleaner drop-down menus, or more communicative robots can solve this problem. Customers desire the ability to quickly find what they're looking for using advanced search features and filters. It requires uniformity in using tags for product names, sizes, weights, and measurements.

eCommerce Product Management Statistics

Product management is a critical part of running an eCommerce business. It helps to increase sales and customer satisfaction and reduce costs while also reducing risks.

Product management is essential for any eCommerce business wanting to grow its market share and build long-term customer relationships. The following statistics will give you an idea about the increasing demand for professional product data management in an eCommerce business.

• The average salary for eCommerce product company managers in the US is $92k per year.
• In 2018 alone, 1 million new hires held this position within their organization.
• Product management is a field that’s expected to grow at a rate of 20% throughout the next decade. In 2019 alone, there were over 10,000 job openings for product managers in the US.

Common Challenges in Product Management

Product management requires defined skills, especially when you are managing eCommerce products. To be successful in this role, you will have to understand the basics of online purchasing and how it works with your eCommerce platform.

The role requires leadership and communication skills and a strong understanding of business operations. It also means that the person working on this task cannot do multiple tasks. Product knowledge, analytical skills, punctuality, language fluency, etc, are important virtues that a product manager must have.

In situations where the designation of a product manager is not commercially feasible, the tasks associated with it are handed over to some other person. This results in inappropriate execution of the role. One solution is to hire an experienced freelance product manager to help you manage your inventory and ensure everything runs smoothly.

It is recommended that you outsource crucial tasks like these to experts.

eCommerce Management Strategies

The product management strategy is your eCommerce business's overall direction and approach, including its products, features, and services. Having a clear vision for how your company wants to grow in this area is essential so everyone can work together towards achieving those goals.

Here are some proven strategies that boost online sales

• Work on your Online presence: Online visibility is the key to good conversions. Your product must reach out to potential customers through organic best practices or paid advertisement.
• Multichannel marketing: Determining where your customers are while online is your marketing strategy's stepping stone. Social media, google search results, blogs, or podcasts, are great places to showcase your product. Content marketing should be an inclusive strategy when it comes to marketing.
• Appropriate product descriptions and captions: Associating your product description with customer emotions is an art that pays well. However, ensuring that your product descriptions are clear, comprehensive, and realistic is essential. The product descriptions should instill trust in the buyer's mind. With multiple purchases, the trust will keep building and eventually bring more business.
• Competitor analysis: Competitor analysis is fundamental to understanding multiple parameters that will determine the rest of your overall strategy. Knowing what your competitors are doing is not enough. You need to get to a level where you can predict what their next move will be.
• Knowing your audience: The key to great sales is knowing your audience better than your competitors! You must spend more time knowing your customers' interests and preferences.

Best Practices for Successful Product Management in the eCommerce Industry

The age of eCommerce is only about two decades old. There is more to find out than there is to learn. Amazon and eBay are two of the biggest names in online shopping, and they've both been known to try new things in the industry. Proven paradigms exist and operate because they place customers at the center of their attention, even when the market is far from being saturated.

We must never forget that eCommerce product management aims to maximize the value of all associated products and content. Management should strive to raise the profile and boost sales. Increased exposure is the foundation of all these sales-boosting best practices:

• Ease your customers' minds with helpful details.

  When investigating a purchase, consumers conduct keyword and attribute searches. For example, customers typically opt for a smartphone that supports 4G/5G networks, has a lithium battery, runs on the Android operating system, and receives regular updates from Google. A buyer who discovers all of these qualities in a single product will likely not shop elsewhere. These terms are used in a disproportionately large number of mobile searches.

  It is possible to improve the user experience provided by online shops by drawing attention to features of the product by including them in the product title or by highlighting them in the product description. Enhancing product discoverability and sales through quality highlighting.

• Up-Selling and Cross-Selling

  Nowadays, every product is a perishable commodity, so giving them all the exposure they deserve is crucial. Since the lifespan of a product is unknown and can be shortened by even the most minor innovations or improvements, products must be promoted whenever possible.

  Cross-selling involves displaying related products along with the product the customer is already considering or purchasing. Various accessories associated with a product are great candidates for cross selling. Product descriptions and keywords play an important role here.

  Upselling occurs when customers are willing to pay more for a superior product or service. Up Selling tabs like "Similar Products" or "High-end Products from the Same Category" are great ways to get the word out about a product that may be on the pricier side but offers substantial value to buyers.

• Improve Product Features to Increase Exposure

  As was previously stated, eCommerce product information management should emphasize promoting high-quality products and experiences to boost brand recognition and sales. Benefits of catalog enhancement for eCommerce sites include:

  To lessen the likelihood of brand confusion, it is vital to ensure that only authentic products are included in search results. When counterfeit or knockoff goods appear in search results for legitimate terms, it can only result in frustrated customers and an uptick in returns.

  With theme-based buckets like "Products under $50 Products," or "Home Décor," online retailers may assist shoppers in saving time, viewing more products, and having a memorable experience, all of which can lead to more significant sales.

  SEO's Upsides:

  More sales will be generated, and the product's lifespan will lengthen, all thanks to its increased presence in search results. eCommerce product management might be successful if it helps businesses in eCommerce inventory management before the product becomes obsolete.

• The Customized Experience Is Crucial

  To the tune of 29% of total sales, Amazon may thank its highly reliable product recommendations. An increase in sales and a better user experience are possible for even the tiniest online retailer. As previously discussed, effective catalog administration is the first step toward efficient product management.

  Proper eCommerce inventory management can increase revenue by improving its catalogs so customers can make well-informed purchases. Delivering a tailored experience relies on accurate product recommendations. Facilitate quick discovery of requested items by customers. Let them have a good time while making purchases from your site. Recommend goods, pricing ranges, and brands based on age, location, gender, interests, and previous purchases.

The right product management software will help you grow your business.

The proper eCommerce inventory management will help you grow your business. While it's tempting to pick a tool and start using it, there's more to choosing the right product management software than just finding something that looks good.

Here are some questions you should ask when evaluating your options:

• How do they integrate with other eCommerce platforms? You'll want to ensure that the solution integrates well with other platforms like Magento or Shopify. If not, then what about integrating with those platforms? What kind of customization is available? What does their user interface look like compared with competitors?
• Are they easy to use for both customers and developers? A good product management solution should be easy enough for anyone, whether newbies working from home or experienced developers, to operate correctly. It shouldn't require hours of training before getting started; instead, it should feel like second nature after just a few minutes of setup time!

While the right product management solution can help you with your operations, the best outcomes are achieved when experts handle your tasks. Outsource your eCommerce product management to an experienced team that knows the industry inside out.

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