How PIM Systems Contribute to Your E-commerce Success

Carolin Puls 2/25/2022

With a PIM software, you offer your customers a better e-commerce experience.

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Table of contents
  1. What is a Product-Information-Management-System?
  2. These are the functions a PIM-System offers you
  3. This is why you should use a PIM in your E-Commerce
  4. These PIM-Systems are particularly suitable for your E-Commerce
  5. PIM-Systems can contribute to the growth of your E-Commerce

You sell your products in your own online store and have to provide a lot of information to inform your customers as best as possible about the properties and the Unique Selling Point (USP) of your goods. But also in the backend a lot of information is necessary to process your sales efficiently. A Product-Information-Management-System can assist you in managing and providing product-specific information. How it does this, you will find out in the following text. First you will learn what a Product-Information-Management-System is and what functions it offers you. We then explain why you should use a PIM system in your E-Commerce, and reveal which ones are particularly well suited for this.

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Overview

  • What is a Product-Information-Management-System (PIM)?
  • These are the functions a PIM-System offers you
  • This is why you should use a PIM in your E-Commerce
  • These PIM Systems are particularly suitable for your E-Commerce
  • PIM systems can contribute to the growth of your E-Commerce

What is a Product-Information-Management-System?

As the name Product Information Management (PIM) already suggests, such a tool is supposed to centralize and manage your product information. It includes all the information about a product that is needed in various processes within your company. This includes product descriptions, marketing texts, technical descriptions, logistics information and much more. The system accesses the heterogeneous sources in your company, such as your ERP system, Excel databases and supplier databases. From your central reference system, the PIM, you can then extract all the information you need to process your projects. You can then distribute this information to the various sales channels, such as printed materials, your online store, or mobile applications.

Funktionsumfang-eines-PIM-Systems.png

A PIM system for your E-Commerce accesses various data sources and provides you with the information for all sales channels played centrally.

These are the functions a PIM-System offers you

A good PIM system collects and standardizes information about your products from various sources. It allows PDFs as well as image files, videos and other formats. When importing data, it identifies problematic and inconsistent data. If data should be faulty or not available, it will notify you, since it does not have all the necessary information to sell the respective product. You can revise the identified data gaps, which increases the quality of your product presentation and data. As a result, a PIM system can automate your e-commerce processes and enable fast data retrieval. Some e-commerce PIMs can even establish a direct connection to the information suppliers and update outdated data if necessary. However, you should and must define qualitative rules in advance for this. A PIM also simplifies the forwarding process of information needed by your colleagues in marketing, logistics or even the retailers. A PIM system allows you to update your product information en masse. This may be necessary if you change a category description on your E-commerce platform, for example, which appears on every product page. So you only have to adjust the text once in the Product-Information-Management-System and it will be updated automatically in all areas. Other functions that such a system offers you are filters and searches, with which you can locate the other associated data using certain search criteria.

Recommended Product Information Management (PIM) Software

On our comparison platform OMR Reviews you can find more recommended Product Information Management (PIM) tools. We present over 80 solutions that are specifically tailored to the needs of companies and brands that require efficient product information management. This PIM software offers comprehensive support in all aspects of product information management. Take this opportunity to compare the different software solutions, drawing on authentic and verified user reviews:

This is why you should use a PIM in your E-Commerce

Large companies that offer many products also have large amounts of data about their products. They receive this data from suppliers, retailers, their various departments or market observations and customer surveys. Often the rule is - the more information we have about products and customer behavior, the better. But more is not always better, because it can quickly become confusing. With increasing Excel lists, PDF documents and images, updating the data or exchanging information can take many times longer than it should.

A PIM system is particularly important for your e-commerce. If your customers order in your online store, they can only select the products based on the photos and product descriptions in advance. Since they can't test them or hold them in their hands and examine them, the photos must be of high quality and the texts comprehensive, fully informative and current. Otherwise, your customers may be disappointed because the products do not meet their expectations and your products are returned. With current data, you can counteract this process and increase the satisfaction of your customers.

The advantage of a PIM becomes even clearer if you have other sales channels in addition to your online store, e.g., a store. The channels have to communicate with each other in order to offer your customers the same services if you want this. In a clothing store, for example, you can display complete outfits on window mannequins that are sold together at a discounted price in a promotion. If you do not pass this data on to your e-commerce, your customers may end up buying "too expensive" and are subsequently annoyed that they could have gotten the products cheaper in retail. But even if you want to ignore promotions, having two different sales channels presents a challenge in maintaining and providing product information. Different channels have different requirements that need to be filled in the form of different fields. You have to provide appropriate images and texts, enter prices and conditions and maintain product-specific data. Sometimes it is not immediately clear which information needs to be entered in a field, because they may resemble each other in their description. A PIM system can take over this manual and detailed work for you, giving you more time for important tasks. An international study has even found that correction times in online stores can be reduced by an average of 75% if you have a PIM system in use.

By collecting all the information about existing or new products from the beginning in your PIM, you shorten lead times for new items and can thus generate competitive advantages over your competitors. This also applies when you want to open up new markets with your online store and therefore need to provide the product descriptions in different languages and the prices in other currencies. The central information management system also supports you when you launch new variations of a product, like additional colors of a sweater or a laptop. With a few clicks, you have all sales-relevant data available.

These PIM-Systems are particularly suitable for your E-Commerce

Now we have talked to you about the benefits of a Product-Information-Management-System for your E-Commerce for a long time. Now follows the five best PIM-Tools, which can particularly well support you with the challenges of digital commerce. Detailed experience reports and ratings we have compiled for you on OMR Reviews in the category Product-Information-Management.

These are the best E-Commerce-PIM:

4ALLPORTAL

The PIM solution 4ALLPORTAL helps you with central administration, maintenance and enrichment of product information. 4ALLPORTAL serves as a single point of truth for files and product information by allowing you to connect your ERP system and other third party systems via the open API. Every 4ALLPORTAL is individualized according to the customers' ideas of corporate design and functions.

The category tree in the PIM allows you to attach metadata of products to subcategories (e.g. "accessories", "spare parts" for a camera or "nutritional values" for broccoli).

Product data can be classified within the PIM system for websites, webshops, marketplaces, print etc. so that they are always available to you in the desired format.

2022-05-24 4ALLPORTAL PIM Screenshot EN.png

With 4ALLPORTAL you can manage your product pictures, texts and documents centrally.

4ALLPORTAL Costs

4ALLPORTAL is a Master Data Management Software consisting of Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Product Information Management (PIM), which grows with the size of the teams and the individual needs of the users. In addition to managing product information, 4ALLPORTAL also offers the option to centrally manage, maintain and share files internally or externally.

Due to the high individuality, 4ALLPORTAL offers you a consultation with a subsequent demo and a test system. In the initial conversation, you will also receive a first price indication.

4ALLPORTAL Alternatives

On OMR Reviews we have compiled the 4ALLPORTAL Alternatives for you. Based on user ratings and their personal reviews, you can select the PIM software that is suitable for your company.

ANTEROS

The PIM and crossmedia software ANTEROS is suitable for the administration of product and image data that you need for the creation of website content, print media or app contents. You can adapt the layout yourself and access different data sources, import and export data via flexible interfaces. ANTEROS distinguishes itself by its simple but efficient structure and intuitive usability. The interface was optimized using eye tracking to create the best possible experience for you. In addition, you can always see which data was changed by which person in your company. You can assign different roles and rights to your colleagues and define classifications to make your products easier to find. On the dashboard you always get a current overview of the quality of your data. Besides, ANTEROS can manage and maintain your product texts in different languages.

ANTEROS Screenshot

In ANTEROS' intuitive overview, you will quickly and easily find the right fields in which to enter your product information.

ANTEROS Costs

The prices for ANTEROS can be obtained on request via the company's website.

ANTEROS Alternatives

On OMR Reviews we have compiled the ANTEROS Alternatives for you. Based on user ratings and their personal reviews, you can select the PIM software that is suitable for your company.

Catsy

Catsy is a digital place for managing your content in the form of images, videos, or text files. Via the PIM tool, you can create websites and catalogs, create product descriptions or update them or reformat them for your sales partners. Via the integrated export function, ERP systems, online shopping carts, and trading partners can easily be connected to your PIM. Also, Catsy has a self-service portal for your partners and role-based access. In higher versions, exports in formats such as Excel, CSV, XML, and JSON can also be provided.

Catsy Screenshot

Your workflows for new and existing products can be mapped through Catsy.

Catsy Costs

In Catsy you can choose between the packages Starter, Professional, and Enterprise. The prices are available on request via the company's website.

Catsy Alternatives

On OMR Reviews we have compiled the Catsy Alternatives for you. Based on user ratings and their personal reviews, you can select the PIM software that is suitable for your company.

Pimcore

The freely available digital platform Pimcore can be used for the centralized management of your data and for personalizing the customer experience. Pimcore features integrated product information management, master data management, digital asset management and a customer data platform. You can create different users with different rights, create content and view older versions. Furthermore, the software stands out because of its import and export function as well as the management of different file types and metadata.

Pimcore Screenshot

Creating content for your e-commerce works quite intuitively in Pimcore.

Pimcore Costs

Pimcore is available in an open source community edition, which is free for you. In this edition, you can create and manage an unlimited number of products, data, channels, users. The Pimcore Enterprise Subscription offers you additional long-term support, SLA support, and a Customer Success Program. The price is available on request. As a third package, you can use the Pimcore Unlimited Subscription, in which you can put together individual services. The price depends on the scope of the chosen services.

Pimcore Alternatives

On OMR Reviews we have compiled the Pimcore Alternatives for you. Based on user ratings and their personal reviews, you can select the PIM software that is suitable for your company.

Kontainer

The Digital Asset Management system Kontainer simplifies the administration of your videos, images, and files. The tool has intelligent tagging, a custom search function, user rights management, and a social media converter. With Kontainer you can share links and photo galleries, simplify workflows, and use plugins like Office, Adobe, or export tools. These functionalities allow you to optimize your landing pages and better manage your time.

Kontainer Screenshot

This is what managing your e-commerce products in Kontainer looks like.

Kontainer Costs

The Kontainer-trial package is free, includes 5 user accounts and 2 GB of storage space. The Business version costs you 240 € per month and includes up to 100 user accounts and 200 GB of storage. The Professional module costs 530 € per month. With it, 250 colleagues can use Kontainer and claim 1000 GB of storage space. The Premium package is at 1200 € per month, includes 1500 user accounts and has 5000 GB of storage space.

Kontainer Alternatives

On OMR Reviews we have compiled the Kontainer Alternatives for you. Based on user ratings and their personal reviews, you can select the PIM software that is suitable for your company.

Recommended Product Information Management (PIM) Software

On our comparison platform OMR Reviews you can find more recommended Product Information Management (PIM) tools. We present over 80 solutions that are specifically tailored to the needs of companies and brands that require efficient product information management. This PIM software offers comprehensive support in all aspects of product information management. Take this opportunity to compare the different software solutions, drawing on authentic and verified user reviews:

PIM-Systems can contribute to the growth of your E-Commerce

A PIM E-Commerce system can support you in expanding your online trade. Through the optimized quality and better discoverability of data, you save time, always have all required data in the current version at your disposal, and can work on your projects at the same time with current knowledge. Through feedback from your customers about the products they have bought in your shop, you can initiate internal improvements and automate processes. This in turn positively affects the customer experience in the future, thus increasing the likelihood of recommendation. In addition, high-quality information from your Product-Information-Management-System accelerates the purchase decision during the Customers Journey. By centralizing all information related to your products in your PIM system, your online shop and the satisfaction of your colleagues will definitely benefit.

Carolin Puls
Author
Carolin Puls

Carolin ist freie Texterin und Pressereferentin mit einer Leidenschaft für das geschriebene Wort. Als ehemalige Brand Managerin in der FMCG-Branche hat sie umfangreiche Marketing-Erfahrung gesammelt und währenddessen berufsbegleitend ihren Abschluss als Marketing-Betriebswirtin gemacht. Heute erstellt sie PR-Texte, Pressemitteilungen und Social-Media-Inhalte, immer mit viel Kreativität und Herzblut.

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