The product range is the central element of your online store. At the same time, numerous goods constitute a huge set of data that must be efficiently managed. How to do it?
The best solution for this purpose can be PIM software. In this article you will find out what are its greatest advantages in the context of e-commerce.
PIM in e-commerce – what is it?
PIM (Product Information Management) is the process of collecting and managing all the key information about a product in one place. PIM solutions form a single center for consolidating, organizing and enriching product information, creating catalogs, and smoothly distributing data across diverse digital commerce channels.
Some examples of popular PIM systems are JasperPIM, Sales Layer, Widen Collective, Intellimas, Pytlix, eJeeva Central, and inRiver PIM.
PIM solutions should not be confused with systems such as PCM (Product Content Management), PDM (Product Data Management) or PXM (Product Experience Management). While they are all related to product data management as well, they focus on other aspects of the process.
Let’s move on to discussing the most important advantages of such solutions:
# 1 One source of product data
Product information often comes from multiple sources. Instead of having your employees download and organize them manually, it’s much more effective to use the PIM system. It will allow you to combine raw product data, marketing content and other resources into one place. Most importantly, such data can be added to PIM manually or automatically from sources such as ERP systems.
Product data saved in PIM are then exported to online stores, social media stored, marketplaces (like Ebay) or price comparison websites. You do not need to log in to all these channels separately, because any corrections and updates you make on the records contained in PIM will be immediately mapped to them.
# 2 Better sales and fewer returns
Well-organized and useful product data helps you gain customer attention. Additionally, if they are presented contextually at the right time and in the right channel, they contribute significantly to the conversion rate.
PIM systems will help you manage product information, which will allow you to avoid undesirable situations when, for example, information about a given product is out of date or completely inconsistent with the current state. Such situations unnecessarily lead to returns and complaints from customers.
Thanks to PIM, it is easier to present correct information about a product, regardless of the stage in the purchasing process. Such systems also reduce human errors with processes focused on validation and tracking incomplete product descriptions.
# 3 Faster adding of products and sales channels
Regardless of whether you are introducing another product to the market or a completely new sales channel, the speed of their implementation is very important. PIM solutions significantly streamline this process as all the right people have access to the necessary data. Teams related to the marketing and technical service of the store do not have to send countless e-mails to each other in order to be constantly up-to-date with current information.
Automating workflows reduces the need for manual data entry, allowing teams to introduce and maintain new products and sales channels faster.
The Marketing Department works hard to create and improve descriptions of the products that generate sales. Thanks to the PIM system, their work will be less tedious, as many tasks will be automated.
# 4 Better possibilities of using modern technologies
Voice assistants, chatbots, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and other technologies are changing the way e-commerce looks like today. However, well-structured data is a prerequisite for their efficient functioning. PIM systems are perfect solution here, they make it easier for modern technologies to retrieve and present data in such a way that they work well in the context of personalization.
# 5 Potential for implementing of omnichannel
The omnichannel strategy is becoming more and more important in e-commerce. the implementation is not easy, because all sales channels and platforms require a different approach if you want to efficiently present and communicate information about products through them.
The PIM system helps meet the unique requirements of different channels in terms of data format, transformation and mapping data, which proves very useful in the context of omnichannel activities.
Summary: PIM in e-commerce
PIM systems are great tools that will help you improve management of e-commerce business in various aspects. It will be especially beneficial for you if you run You should a large online store that serves multiple products and sells on multiple channels.