Every online retailer is competing for consumers’ dollars and trying to make their brand stand out. No eCommerce site is perfect, especially when it first goes live, but as your site matures you should appear higher in the search results. If you’re not getting the business you want, assess the possible issues – often, the culprit is bad data hygiene.

It doesn’t matter how snazzy your user interface is or the strength of your social media presence, poor site data will send prospective customers to your competitors.

What constitutes bad data?

Misleading and/or incorrect product information causes 45% of returns – 22% of those surveyed said their product didn’t match the photo or description on the site; 23% said they received the wrong product.

Think about your product photos and descriptions (which we discussed in our last post). If the product image shows a black T-shirt but the description says it’s purple, how confident do you think a prospective customer will feel about purchasing that item? Not very. Online consumers are becoming savvier – and that means being much more cautious with purchases. So, during the product data management process, emphasize quality control and fix such discrepancies so you can post accurate, trustworthy product pages.

Automated product data can save time, but never use it blindly – have quality control in the form of another set of eyes reviewing the product photos, identifiers, descriptions, and SKUs to ensure comprehensive and correct information. Resolve any discrepancies in product weight, dimensions, colors, etc. before you go live. A simple omission or inaccuracy could have costly repercussions.

What happens if my eCommerce site has bad data?

Bad data chases customers – and prospective customers – away.

Dimensional Research found that 95% of shoppers who had a bad buying experience shared their story with others, and 45% used social media to do so. Because 42% of online customers find recommendations from friends and family influential, this causes a cascading effect that results in losing even more prospective customers. Additionally, data indicates that 86% of shoppers hesitate to make a purchase when they see negative reviews.

The accuracy of the information on your site is the basis for return customers, so spend the extra time to get it 100% correct. Your customers will reward you with continued purchases and by passing on your name to their friends and family.

If you’d like help optimizing your eCommerce site, let’s talk.