PIM Solutions: Boosting Business Performance with Akeneo

In the world of ecommerce, the amount of data and information that businesses and customers have to deal with can be overwhelming. Enter PIM, the Product Information Management system. PIM can help your ecommerce business to manage large volumes of data – centralising, maintaining and ensuring accuracy across your site. Implementing a PIM system can have a number of benefits that greatly enhance overall customer experience, as data collection is made seamless, allowing information to be refined and distributed efficiently. 

Improved Productivity with Automation

Traditionally, databases would be maintained manually. As product information comes from a diverse range of sources, it requires a lot of processing before it can reach the site user. After collection, data has to be standardised, classified and enriched before being distributed across marketing and sales channels. Attempting all of this manually can often lead to inaccuracies and failed databases. With the help of PIM, these processes can be automated to ensure swift data management that will ultimately improve productivity, allowing products to get to market faster.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Customer experience is paramount for ecommerce businesses trying to convert a one-time buyer into a lifelong customer. With the use of PIM, users are able to easily access a wealth of information that ultimately boosts their trust in your brand. Also, because automation allows products to get to market quickly, you can readily offer the products that customers are searching for. Finally, providing the customer with important information like stock levels means that the customer is never left in the dark, giving them the confidence needed to complete a purchase.

Reduced Returns 

As PIM systems allow your business to provide site users with more detailed, accurate information, this can lead to reduced return rates. This is because the customer is able to make more informed purchasing decisions, lowering the chances of a return. Whether it be detailed sizing information, material description or clear images, this extra information could be the thing that leads them to make the right purchase for their needs. To learn more about the ways ecommerce businesses can reduce and handle returns, check out our whitepaper – ‘The Point of No Return: A Retailer’s Guide to Returns’.

Better Data Quality

As an ecommerce business, it’s crucial to be providing customers with accurate and detailed information to secure consumer confidence. Consumers are also wanting that information quicker and more efficiently through all channels. Without a proper information management system, it’s easy for data to get scattered. Using a PIM solution vastly improves data quality because all the information is gathered and validated in one place, meaning no duplication or errors. With higher data quality comes increased confidence in your product and your brand, which ultimately leads to more purchases and higher brand loyalty. Think about it – imagine you’re a customer looking for a specific pair of headphones and you come across two listings on two different ecommerce websites. One listing has clear, good quality images, specifications and descriptions while the other is vague and unclear. The product listing that offers a range of clear, detailed information immediately instils confidence and makes the customer’s decision to purchase from that website rather than its competitor. 

Improved SEO

Boosting your business’s SEO performance can be tricky, especially if your product data is suffering from inaccuracies and inconsistencies. This can be solved easily with PIM, as data is updated across all sales channels simultaneously, meaning meta-fields are always completed correctly. When your product data is managed centrally with PIM, it means the data your customers need is readily available in search engines – ultimately improving SEO results and making it easier for users to find your products.

Is It Right for Your Business?

So, why should your business leverage PIM? PIM solutions can be hugely beneficial for a number of businesses, but we believe it’s especially important for ecommerce businesses. 

You should definitely be considering PIM if any of these apply to your business: 

• You manage large volumes of product data 
• You struggle to manually manage product catalogues and maintain high levels of productivity 
• You operate across multiple sales channels
• You receive data from different sources and suppliers 
• You handle a large number of SKUs (Stock Keeping Units)
• You want to provide regularly updated product offerings

Seamless Integration with Akeneo

One of the best ways that your ecommerce business can successfully implement a PIM solution into your website is with the help of an ecommerce agency like 5874 Commerce. We support integrations with our partner Akeneo, a global leader in Product Experience Management (PXM) and Product Information Management (PIM) solutions that help merchants and brands deliver a compelling customer experience across all sales channels, improve product data quality and simplify product catalogue management. As an Akeneo Gold partner, we have the expertise and knowledge to help your company stand out and are dedicated to providing ongoing support and guidance into leveraging this platform to meet your business goals. 

To learn more about how 5874 can find and implement the right PIM solution for your business, contact us here.