The power of good quality product feeds in Online Marketing
Author: Vincent Weening, Product Owner E-commerce.
Date of publication:
In the fast-paced world of online marketing, where competition is strong and potential customers’ attention spans short, there are several tools to make a difference. Product feeds are one of them, especially high-quality product feeds. As an advertiser on our network, you have a powerful tool at your disposal to maximise the performance of your e-commerce campaigns. Fully optimised product feeds with enriched product data can be the key to your success.
The crucial role of high-quality product feeds in E-Commerce promotion
Product feeds, also known as datafeeds, are part of the backbone of successful e-commerce promotion. They are comprehensive files that contain all essential information about the products you offer. Product feeds are utilised by publishers and affiliates to promote your products across various channels, including their content websites, Shopping ads (Google / Bing), and comparison shopping engines. The effectiveness of these campaigns depends on one crucial factor: the quality of the product feed.
Why high-quality product feeds are essential for Online Marketing success?
The answer is clear: they can make or break your campaign. When your product feed lacks sufficient data or fails to meet the standards set by various online channels, including Daisycon’s feed standards, it often means a negative impact on the performance. It directly impacts your campaign’s visibility on publisher media, resulting in reduced traffic and therefore less conversions. Incorrect product data can also cause higher click through rates from lower quality traffic which might potentially raise CPC (Cost Per Click) rates, which make it unprofitable for publishers to promote you. Altogether, incomplete or inaccurate information in your feed leads to lower quality traffic, lower conversion rates and so resulting in many missed opportunities. On the other hand, a high-quality product feed with enriched and accurate data ensures that your products are effectively showcased to potential customers. It increases visibility, drives targeted traffic, improves conversion rates, and ultimately maximises your campaign’s performance. By prioritising the quality of your product feed, you can boost your online marketing efforts and achieve remarkable results.
Take your product feeds to the next level: Tips for optimal performance
To help you maximise the impact of your product feeds, here are some practical tips to elevate their quality and ensure stellar campaign performance.
Complete and Accurate Information
Take the time to provide detailed and accurate product data. The more comprehensive and precise your product information, the easier it becomes for customers to find and engage with your offerings.
The minimum required fields in your product feed are:
- Product ID
- Title
- Description
- Price
- Link
- Image
- Availability Status
- Unique Product Identifiers (e.g., GTIN such as EAN, UPC, ISBN)
- Shipping cost
- Additional Attributes (e.g., color, size, material, gender)
Ensuring that these mandatory fields are accurately filled out is only the foundation for the rest of the feed. Adding all the other recommended fields are the key to achieving optimal performance across various marketing channels. Each piece of accurate data contributes to a better customer experience, from initial discovery to final conversion.
Now, let’s dive deeper into the heart of effective product feed optimisation, starting with a closer look at the two most important one’s, the product title and product description.
Optimise the Product Title
Product Title example
Bad Product Title Example: “Model-1”
Good Product Title Example: “[Brand name] – Men’s Casual Sneaker – Model-1 – [Size] – Lightweight, Breathable Shoes for Everyday Wear”
Search Query: “Men’s lightweight casual shoes size 46”
Explanation:
In the bad product title example, “Model-1,” the title lacks any relevant information and fails to match with common search terms like “shoes” or “sneakers.” This results in missed opportunities for potential customers to find the product.
In contrast, the good product title, “[Brand name] – Men’s Casual Sneaker – Model-1 – [Size] – Lightweight, Breathable Shoes for Everyday Wear,” incorporates key search terms that users are likely to use. It clearly describes the product, its purpose, and its features, making it more likely to be matched with relevant search queries.
Based on Google’s Merchant Center Best Practices, we have made some examples of product title construction formats per Daisycon feed standard / vertical:
Optimised Product Title structures
General
Brand + Product Type + Key Attributes
(e.g., Nike Men’s Running Shoes Black Size 10)
Books
Book Title + Author + Format/Type + Edition
(e.g., “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee Paperback 50th Anniversary Edition)
Cosmetics
Brand + Product Type + Variant + Key Benefit
(e.g., L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Mascara Waterproof Blackest Black – Volumizing & Lengthening)
Electronics
Brand + Model + Product Type + Key Features
(e.g., Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 256GB Space Gray – Triple Camera, 5G)
Fashion
Brand + Gender + Product Type + Style/Design + Color
(e.g., Adidas Men’s Running Shoes Ultraboost 21 White)
Food & Drinks
Product Type + Brand + Variant + Quantity/Size
(e.g., Organic Coffee Beans Arabica Blend Dark Roast 1kg)
Home & Garden
Product Type + Material/Style + Brand + Color/Finish
(e.g., Modern Upholstered Dining Chair Set of 2 Gray Velvet)
Let’s move on to the second most important part of your product feed is the product description.
Optimise the product description
The first tip for a better product description is to create a description fully optimised for the product feed and not copy the product description from your product landing page itself, which is meant to convert on-site traffic. We took a couple of the do’s and don’ts from Google Shopping and made a hands on list which can be used to optimise your descriptions.
Based on Google’s Merchant Center Best Practices, we’ve gathered some do’s and dont’s for good product descriptions:
DO’S
Describe each product and only the product: ensure that you submit a description for each product and make sure the product description focuses solely on describing the product itself.
Include Relevant Product Features: make sure the descriptions are specific and accurate and try to include the most important product details in the first 500 characters of the description. Think of details such as size, color, material, gender, special features and technical specifications. The more precise the description, the better a search query will be matched with your product and therefore less customers will be leaving your website.
Use the right Language: ensure your description uses professional and grammatically correct language. This makes your content more understandable and also presents a more professional image, potentially leading to more clicks. Make sure to use the correct language for your target audience too.
Special symbols and html: if symbols are necessary, follow XML or JSON specifications to include or encode them properly. Do not use html markup in your descriptions.
You can submit a short and long description, so publishers are able to use different descriptions, for different purposes.
DON’TS
Do not include irrelevant information: avoid describing details about your company, alternative products, or other unrelated information. Do not include any internal links or other websites. Let customers research other information on their own.
Don’t use foreign language and avoid special characters: use the alphabet of your target language. Unless the foreign words are widely understood in your target market, avoid using them in your descriptions. Avoid using characters for ‘gimmick’ purposes (caps and symbols for example) as this may look like SPAM.
By following these do’s and don’ts, as well as implementing best practices, you can create high-quality product descriptions that meet Google’s requirements and enhance the performance of your affiliate marketing efforts.
By optimising both the product title and description to include relevant search terms, advertisers can significantly improve the visibility of their products and attract potential customers actively searching for products like theirs.
The importance of industry-specific product data fields
It’s essential to note that while there are common mandatory product data fields for shopping feeds, the specific requirements can vary across industries and verticals. Each industry has its own unique attributes and information that are vital for accurately representing and categorising products.
Understanding the industry-specific data fields and incorporating them into your product feed ensures that your products are accurately described and properly categorised, optimising their visibility and performance within your specific vertical.
Please check Daisycon’s specific product feed standards and guidelines as they may have additional requirements or specific recommendations for your product data.
Good quality product images: don’t underestimate the power of visual appeal. Include high-quality product images that showcase your offerings in their best light. A picture is worth a thousand words, and captivating visuals can increase click-through rates, entice customers and boost conversions. Besides one default image, you can add additional (detail) images for individual products in your product feed.
Consistency and Standardization: maintaining consistency in formatting and structure across your product feed is important. Standardising your data fields and adhering to industry guidelines not only enhances the usability of your feed for publishers but also facilitates seamless integration with various platforms and channels. Each field in our feed standards specifies the required SQL Data type. This prevents wrong type of information to be added to the Daisycon feed system and prevents incorrect data being published on online media and product ads.
Feed management software: utilising a product feed management tool significantly improves the quality of your product data. It simplifies the identification and resolution of common issues, allowing you to implement changes efficiently on a large scale. This ensures the accuracy of your product data, providing solid ground for your online campaigns.
Daisycon recommends using good feed management software or tools to optimize your data feeds. Examples of commonly used feed management software include:
Regular Updates: keep your product feed up to date by promptly reflecting changes in product availability, pricing, or any other relevant details. Outdated information can lead to customer dissatisfaction and missed sales opportunities.
By implementing these best practices and continuous optimising of your product feed, you can greatly increase the reach of your online campaigns, reduce advertising cost and boost sales.
Unleash the potential of your product feeds
Are you ready to take your E-commerce promotion to the next level? It’s time to leverage the true power of product feeds. By enriching your feeds with accurate and complete product data, you empower your marketing partners and affiliates to showcase your offerings effectively. The result? Increased visibility, improved campaign performance, and a higher return on investment.
Interested in optimising your product feed for maximum conversion? For just €75, our product feed expert can analyse your feed and provide you with a list of improvements to enhance its performance.
Want to know more about optimising your product feed?
Contact me, and I’ll gladly discuss the possibilities.
Vincent Weening, Product Owner E-Commerce