Ensuring your online product list is up to date is key to successful e-commerce retailing. Out-of-stock products and outdated information can lead to customer confusion.
You’ve worked hard preparing your products, so you want to be sure they’re set up for success. Here’s what to look out for to keep your product list up-to-date.
Out-of-Stock Products
Don’t have out-of-stock products listed on your site because, besides frustrating customers, it will hurt your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You risk damaging your product page’s SEO when you leave multiple items out of stock. The worse your page’s SEO is, the lower it will rank on Google and other search engines. This means fewer people will be able to find your products in the first place. And with multiple pages receiving low rankings, that could affect other products, even those in stock.
Out-of-Date Shipping Costs
Another thing to pay attention to is changing shipping costs. If your shipping costs increase, you’ll need to make appropriate changes with your online shipping calculator to keep your margins profitable. You don’t want to lose money on shipping without realizing!
Out-of-Date Branding
Another reason to update your product listings is to update the branding. For example, suppose you are currently selling a product with an old label. In that case, you want your photos and information to reflect the actual product and packaging your customers expect to receive.
If you changed your logo or color scheme online or in your physical store—but didn’t update the packaging on your products—take the time. This can confuse your customers and make them think they received the wrong item or that two different companies are selling the same products. Consider removing the old packaging and replacing it with your new branding on your product pages.
Improving Product Photos
There’s not much to say here other than that clean, attractive photos sell more products.
Sales and Pricing Updates
You also need to update when you plan on offering special deals: sales prices, special bulk prices, price breaks, reduced costs, or adding and removing loss leaders. For example, you may want to offer sample products in a small size for a discount instead of regular items at full price. Many possibilities here could improve your profitability, but you’ll need to keep everything updated with your current marketing and sales strategy.
New Products
Showcase new products—people can’t buy them if they’re not for sale. Don’t hide your new products in a back room, and don’t make them available only in your physical store if they can be shipped. Especially during the pandemic, online shopping is essential. Display new products on your site or in your store, so they have a chance of selling. You might even decide to feature links to some on your front page.
New Pitches
Changing consumer needs might call for new or more compelling marketing copy, such as product descriptions. Improving the features of your product listings might be another critical update. For example, you might choose to add online reviews, which can influence buying decisions and increase consumer trust. Improving customer confidence with copy that helps them make informed decisions is always a good bet.
Unprofitable Items
Don’t offer products that aren’t profitable to you and your business.
For instance, if you own a bakery and one of your products is shrimp-infused chocolate chip cookies—and customers aren’t buying, no surprise—it may be time to retire this item. If it is no longer profitable, it has no business on your shelves or website.
Updating Product Lists Is Integral to a Profitable Business
In short, keeping your product lists updated and relevant is a necessary and profitable way to run your business.
If you need help updating your products, getting good product photos, adding new product features to your website, or aren’t sure how to tackle this, contact us, and we’ll help you figure it out.
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