While setting up an eCommerce business digitally, people often get confused between Catalog Management Software and Product Information Management (PIM) software, which ultimately has a blunt impact on the growth of their eCommerce channel.
To begin understanding catalog management software, we must first understand how the two are different individually.
The difference between Catalog Management software and Product Information Management (PIM) software:
Catalog Management software improves the data of products by enabling functionalities like editing, and updating product data, whilst the other software (PIM) focuses on the big picture in a much more concise manner. The administrator is allowed to edit and change product data in a catalog to ensure integration of the product data in Catalog Management Software. This ultimately encourages customers to make accurate buying decisions.
What is Catalog Management Software?
Catalog management software collects and centralizes all the data of e-commerce products with their details digitally in one place, which we refer to as a catalog. Both retailers and consumers can use this digital point of reference (aka catalog) for their benefit. For any eCommerce business, the software helps maintain the product information and retains it, which we can simply refer to as Product Catalog Management. The tool also hinders all the possible errors and discrepancies which occur usually when one creates a manual catalog; when set to the automation process.
By offering information such as names, pricing, description, filters, and supplier and internal codes, the retailer can support their potential customers in making precise decisions before buying. These services are frequently packaged with other eCommerce content marketing tools, amongst which many of them are available as open-source. You can also check out the CatalogsBuilder tool which is the easiest to use among the many in the market. To learn more about how catalog management software is one of the most vital tools in almost every eBusiness application, check out here.
But it is mandatory to check whether your product is eligible to integrate with Catalog Management Software; prior to purchasing it. So here are some of the criteria a product must meet to be considered for the Catalog Management Software category:
- It must be able to create or incorporate a digital catalog
- Do have a filters function that works
- It must be able to categorize products and organize them
- It must be able to revise details of products and services in the catalog
- It should keep track of and save the product and customer data
- It must be able to manage the pricing of products in the domestic as well as international markets
- It must interact with website content management systems, payment gateways, and/or subscription software solution
Using catalog management software, a central database is created to store product data, such as product descriptions, prices, and models. Operating this database, one can categorize information by indexing parts, sizes of products, and other properties. Instead of having to sort through a wide variety of product documents, searching is possible under key file attributes.
It is also mandatory for eCommerce vendors to update product data on multiple marketplaces if they operate data on multiple sites. However, publishing product data after manually retrieving it from suppliers can be cumbersome and tame. You can manage and edit all of your online catalogs using a cataloging tool from a solitary dashboard itself; giving an eCommerce vendor surety about their products being consistent across all the online channels. It also ensures that customers are able to find all the products easily, giving them a pleasant shopping experience.
With CatalogsBuilder, you can count on!
Prior to purchasing any tool, consider how it will improve your business's productivity, efficiency, and scalability. Always make sure to select the most suitable software depending upon your business environment; when you're done with your research of tools.
If you still aren't sure about where to begin, you can always contact one of our specialists to understand how CatalogsBuilder can help you grow.
Gela Moy
What criteria should a product meet to be eligible for integration with Catalog Management Software?