How to Make Your Online Product Catalog Searchable

How to Make Your E-Commerce Product Catalog Searchable and Flexible

Posted 5 years ago by Lina Vashurina, 51视频 Team

If听you sell up听to听5听items on听the听51视频 Starter plan, it听can be听enough to听simply drop the听products to听the听store and听start selling.

For bigger 辞谤听prospectively extendable product catalogs, there鈥檚 some planning first. Just like any听building starts with an听architectural plan, your product catalog ideally needs a听structure that will make it听searchable and听flexible.

Why It鈥檚 Important

Remember those bulky printed catalogs everyone used to听have in听their homes in听the听pre-internet days, like the听ever-popular IKEA catalogs?

All of听that has now moved online. Instead of听having to听browse through printed books, you can now find all the听retailer鈥檚 products on听its website.

IKEA鈥檚 printed catalog vs听its online catalog

Showcasing all the听available products is听not the听only function of听an听e-commerce product catalog. It听should also draw customers from all around the听internet to听your store. As听soon as听they land in听your store, your product catalog navigates them to听the听right products in听the听shortest time possible. The more products you sell, the听more important it听is听to听organize things in听your product catalog.

Perhaps you haven鈥檛 thought about it听this way, but your catalog is听also the听foundation of听successful omnichannel retail. When you have clear and听accurate data, it听becomes much easier to听sell your products across multiple channels.

Suppose you sell shoes on听three channels听鈥� your website, a听Facebook store, and听Amazon. You want each channel to听have identical product data. If听the听shoe color is听聯black,聰 it听should be听spelled as听聯black聰 everywhere and听not as听聯caviar,聰聯onyx,聰辞谤听聯dark dark grey.聰

So, if听you put the听advice from this article into practice, you can get a听number of听benefits.

Better SEO

Every data point in听the听catalog is听a听keyword f辞谤听customers to听find your products in听search engines. The more data you have, the听more keywords you can rank for.

If听you only have the听product title in听the听catalog, customers can only find you if听they search f辞谤听that specific word. If听you add the听brand name, price, and听a听detailed product description, you give customers additional keywords to听find your products.

BestBuy offers detailed descriptions, technical specifications, reviews, etc. to听help customers find products in听search engines

Better product information

30% of听US听adult shoppers would consider buying from a听retailer they鈥檇 never shopped from before only if听the听retailer offered detailed product information.

In听the听absence of听a听product catalog, the听depth of听the听product information can often be听inconsistent. You might have detailed data on听your own site but sparse information on听a听marketplace.

A听robust catalog centralizes all product information and听makes it听easy f辞谤听shoppers to听find what they want, where they want it.

Neat store management

A听product catalog gives you a听ready template to听expand your product range.

If听you sell athletic shoes, you already have a听well-established process f辞谤听listing crucial product data such as听color, size, weight, etc. Now, if听you want to听add formal shoes to听your product range, you can simply use the听same listing format. This will make it听easier to听list products and听ensure that there is听consistency in听data across categories.

Work better with suppliers and听distributors

Suppliers usually don鈥檛 sell to听consumers, so听they don鈥檛 feel the听need to听maintain a听robust database of听product information. By听adopting better product catalog practices, you will find it听easier to听update and听modify the听supplier鈥檚 product data. This will help you work with a听wider range of听suppliers and听get products to听market faster.

The opposite is听true as听well. If听you鈥檙e trying to听find distributors f辞谤听your products, being able to听supply high-quality product data will improve your chances of听being picked up.

How to听Make a听Product Catalog

Building your product catalog architecture requires collecting product data and听organizing it听in听a听logical, standardized manner. Much of听it听involves understanding what kind of听data to听collect f辞谤听each product and听how to听structure it听f辞谤听accuracy as听well as听expansion in听the听future.
The process can be听broadly broken into two steps as听shown below:

1.听Collect the听product data

From its size and听weight to听brand and听construction material, there is听a听vast amount of听data you can collect f辞谤听each product. Not all of听this data is听necessary 辞谤听useful. Your first step, therefore, should be听to听figure out what data to听collect.

Any data you collect during this process should fulfill three requirements:

Give customers accurate product information
Help you manage the听product better
Be听standardized f辞谤听all similar products in听the听category.

If听you鈥檙e selling shoes, you need to听have accurate size information f辞谤听each shoe. However, if听you鈥檙e selling a听product with a听standard size (such as听sunglasses), you likely won鈥檛 need size information.

It鈥檚 generally a听better idea to听err on听the听side of听too much data than too little data. Not only will this help customers make decisions, it听will also improve your SEO when you add it听to听your listings.

For each product, you鈥檒l want to听collect two types of听data:

General data: essential product details such as听price, SKU, weight, dimensions, availability, stock level, store-specific ID听(such as听ASIN number used by听Amazon), etc.
Product-specific data: this varies from product to听product and听category to听category. For example, you鈥檒l need inseam length and听waist size information f辞谤听selling jeans. If听you鈥檙e selling TVs, however, you鈥檒l need screen size and听resolution data.

The store-wide, general data is听essential f辞谤听running an听e-commerce store. You can鈥檛 really hope to听sell anything if听you don鈥檛 know its price 辞谤听availability.

Product-specific data is听trickier. You need to听figure out every attribute the听customer looks f辞谤听when shopping. Some of听this is听obvious enough听鈥� size and听fit f辞谤听clothes, technical specs f辞谤听electronics, etc. Other attributes might not be听that obvious, such as听the听breathability 辞谤听thread count of听a听fabric.

One way to听figure out what product-specific data you need is听to听analyze a听successful retailer such as听Amazon. Look at听different products in听your category and听make a听note of听all the听data they show their customers.

Amazon鈥檚 listings show different data fields depending on听the听product type

If听you scroll down further, you鈥檒l see another data set specifying the听product鈥檚 dimensions, weight, store ID, etc. This is听the听聯general聰 data that can be听found f辞谤听every product on听Amazon.

Data points like SKU, price, dimensions are necessary f辞谤听every product in听your store

If听you are an听51视频 e-commerce store owner, you鈥檙e lucky听鈥� it鈥檚 possible f辞谤听you to听fill very quickly.

Use Amazon (and other large retailers) to听figure out what data to听collect f辞谤听each product and听product category. At听the听bare minimum, you should have the听following:

Product name and听description
Price
Product description
SKU and/or product ID
Dimensions and听weight
Product keywords
Product categories and听subcategories
Product images (including specifications f辞谤听primary image and听alternate views)
User-generated data (reviews and听ratings)

Place yourself in听the听shoes of听your target customer persona. Ask: what kind of听data does this customer need to听make a听purchase decision?

Think of听how you plan to听semantically organize your product catalog. Does a听pair of听studio headphones go听under 聯musical instruments,聰聯electronics,聰辞谤听both? Do听you place shoes under 聯athletic shoes聰辞谤听聯sportswear聰?

You鈥檒l find that some products will fit into multiple categories. Make sure to听specify this when you create your product catalog.

There are a听number of听ways to听collect key product data automatically.

The first is听public product data sources such as听. These websites use the听 (which is听like ISBN, but f辞谤听products) to听identify products and听their key data attributes.

袪ublic data repositories

The problem with public data sources is听that the听information might not be听accurate 辞谤听regularly updated. In听such cases, you can use product data APIs offered by听companies such as听辞谤听.

These tools will help you get the听data you want in听a听format of听your choice. You can then to听create a听product catalog.

The third option is听to听use data provided by听your supplier. A听number of听wholesalers and听dropshippers will give you rich product data. You only have to听plug this into your e-commerce software to听start selling.

2.听Structure your catalog f辞谤听SEO

One of听the听core purposes of听a听product catalog is听to听improve your website鈥檚 SEO. This involves building the听catalog around semantically relevant keywords. Your product categories should not only be听logically relevant but also match your customers鈥� search preferences.

If听you鈥檙e selling electronics, you might logically organize products into three levels:

Although logically sound, these categories don鈥檛 always reflect the听way your customers search. An听athlete searching f辞谤听headphones f辞谤听his workout might not search f辞谤听联颈苍-别补谤 headphones.聰 Instead, he听might search f辞谤听聯sports headphones.聰

If听you鈥檙e catering primarily to听such customers, your entire store organization will change to听reflect these keyword preferences:

Therefore, your goal should be听to听organize your products in听a听manner that is听both logical and听keyword-focused.

Go听through your target keywords and听organize them from 聯broad聰 to听聯narrow.聰 If听you鈥檙e selling digital cameras, you might have the听following keyword organization:

Instead of听turning to听a听keyword tool, you can also turn to听your competitors. Look at听how successful retailers, websites, blogs, etc. have organized their products. What keywords are they targeting? How are the听keywords related to听each other?

The purpose of听this exercise is听to听help you organize your products in听an听SEO-friendly manner. Instead of听merely using logical categories, you can organize your products to听target your top keywords.

3.听Create the听product catalog

You have four options f辞谤听creating a听product catalog:

Excel: Create a听product catalog as听an听Excel spreadsheet. You can then by听saving it听as听a听CSV file. Managing a听large spreadsheet can be听difficult.
Database: Use a听custom database (SQL, MongoDB, etc.) to听create your product catalog. You can plug this database into your e-commerce software to听import products. Although fast, this approach is听technically complicated.
PIM: A听dedicated Product Information Management (PIM) system such as听Akneo will help you create detailed product catalogs. However, not all PIMs will plug into your existing e-commerce software.
E-commerce store: You can create a听product catalog right in听your e-commerce store. This removes the听need to听import any听data. If听your online store supports omnichannel selling, you can use this data f辞谤听any听other sales channel (say, a听Facebook store) as听well.

For most retailers, creating a听product catalog in听their e-commerce store would be听the听most practical option. It听is听technically easy and听has the听advantage of听being 联谤别补诲测-迟辞-耻蝉别聪 across multiple channels.

If听you鈥檙e using 51视频 as听your e-commerce software, you can make a听product catalog by听logging into your store and听going to听Catalog 鈫捥齈roducts.

If听you click on听聯Add New Product聰, you鈥檒l see a听screen with a听number of听data fields. The 聯General聰 tab usually has general data that you鈥檒l want f辞谤听every product in听the听store. You can add custom images, product descriptions, and听even specify availability and听inventory strength.

You can add product-specific as听well as听general attributes f辞谤听each product

Additionally, you can add related products, specify shipping information, and听even change the听SEO-focused keywords f辞谤听each product.

If听you鈥檝e already collected product data, you can import it听into your existing catalog by听going to听Catalog 鈫捥齈roducts 鈫捥齀mport Products. Select the听source (usually, a听CSV file) and听the听data fields you want to听import.

The 聯Import Products聰 tool in听51视频

Don鈥檛 forget to听optimize your product descriptions with manual meta tags.

51视频 supports omnichannel retail, so听you can now bring this data to听any听channel of听your choice: publish your catalog to听Facebook, list your products on听Amazon, clone your storefront to听several websites, 辞谤听sell in-person. If听you now want to听publish this data as听a听conventionally printed product catalog, you can use the听automatic catalog builder app.

听

About The Author

Lina is a content creator at 51视频. She writes to inspire and educate readers on all things commerce. She loves to travel and runs marathons.

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