There are lots of background activities that need to be done first. These activities are essential to ensure that the business runs efficiently and profitably. The product Catalog is one such aspect that needs to be thoroughly understood prior to planning an eCommerce website.

How to Start a Successful eCommerce store and steps to build?

You can easily start a Successful Ecommerce Store if you follow simple steps. Online sales are growing due to their convenience feature and time-saving features. A functioning eCommerce store can easily be set up by following these easy steps.

• Find a website builder

Find the suitable eCommerce platform that will help you to build a website on your own terms and according to your requirements. What’s more, these platforms do not require elaborate tech skills or setup to build a website. Many options are available in the market so you need to choose wisely.

• Find the right plan

Different plans of websites have different features. If you do not pay proper attention, you will end up paying more. Find the best possible plan which can accommodate all of your requirements and then you are good to go to the next step.

• Choose an appropriate domain name

A domain name should be catchy and should be in line with the products that you are selling. Once you have narrowed down on a domain name, ensure that you renew it periodically to avoid expiring.

• Pick and customize your template

Website builders provide a lot of templates and you have to select the one which best suits your needs. Once you have done this, you can customize the templates according to your choice. Customization features can be regarding text size, color scheme, font, and app embedding.

• Product Addition

Online stores guarantee that you have better control over your product pages. You need to decide how many products you are going to add on your website. Limitations exist pertaining to the number of products that you can add, the options for each product, and the variants. The things that you can add to products are name, category, price, weight and file.

• Payment methods

Decide your payment methods and mention the same on your website. The payment methods should be hassle-free, safe and secure.

• Shipping optimization

Set up shipping methods, delivery options, and shipping zones. Carry out streamlining of processes so that you can better optimize the whole shipping and delivery process.

Why you need to plan Product Catalog?

To put into simple terms, a product catalog is a detailed document pertaining to the inventory of a store. It is essentially the cornerstone of any eCommerce venture which will include product photographs, product information, SKU details, cost details, delivery schedule and instructions, company name, handling charges, MSRP, dimensions, manufacturer part number, the available quantity, etc. It is directly responsible for influencing the buying behavior of a customer. Hence due to these reasons, one needs to plan for a aggregated product catalog.

How many products are you going to sell, has to be decided beforehand in order to plan a proper product catalog. The answer need not be precise and there is scope for flexibility in it. The number of variants of a particular product, different product categories, and the need to track product levels all need to be decided beforehand. These parameters are particularly important for planning a proper, comprehensive product catalog.

One of the major causes of delay for launching an eCommerce website is the delay in the creation and loading of information of a product catalog. So, this activity needs to be properly assigned to a competent authority. The details that are needed for the creation and loading of catalog include the product name, price, shipping details, photographs, description, SKU, product category, and so on. There are several options to carry out tasks such as by using the widgets and tools provided by the software platform, importing the data from a spreadsheet, and live integration with third-party systems, among others.

Benefits of Product Catalog

• Maintaining the quality of data

Product catalog helps in maintaining quality data, leaving no margin for error. Thus clients get accurate information.

• Broad product portfolio

With product catalog, one can maintain a broad product portfolio, thus facilitating clients with a number of options to choose from.

• Contribute to a greater ROI

Product catalog contributes to greater sales. The catalog can be shared with one click in various formats, vivid and insightful format and descriptive nature are some of the reasons that contribute to this scenario.

• Increased customer reach

Product catalog helps to increase reach as it does not possess the limitations of a physical catalog and hence can be effectively used in email campaigns and other marketing strategies.

VARStreet provides IT & office supplies product catalog/ aggregated catalog

VARStreet’s aggregated product catalog is a medium which plays a crucial role in bringing diverse catalogs together from all major distributors, wholesalers, and other major industry participants. The effect of which is that you get detailed, up to date, structured information from all the sources. It is particularly essential to have all the information which is necessary for different teams such as sales, marketing, etc. to carry out research or comparison of products and to frame their strategies.

In other words, the customers get all the required details at a centrally located place which allows them to decide their next activities and plans faster accordingly. It is crucial in enriching the customer experience. The process also cuts down all the complicated and lengthy procedures of calling or mailing diverse vendors and browsing through multiple websites to obtain the essential product details.

While building an eCommerce store, care should also be taken about the way your product pages look. Product pages should have rich content as well as vivid photographs of the products that you are selling. The product pages should be self-explanatory so that customers seek minimum intervention from the company. There should be no room for error on product pages as a slight discrepancy in information can result in loss of customers.

In conclusion, it can be safely said that the product catalog is the basis of a successful online store website. This process has to be carefully planned and worked out in order to develop a successful business. In the heat of competition, a well-structured product catalog can be a major advantage over peers.

Learn more about eCommerce Product Catalog

• Challenges of E-Commerce Product Catalogue Management
• Benefits of PunchOut Catalog for Resellers
• VARStreet’s Aggregated Catalog
• Advantages of Aggregated Catalog to Your E-Store