15.01.2025 | BJÖRN BAYARD

Digital commerce is booming and manufacturers are always looking for new ways to stand up to the competition. At the same time, more and more competing products are entering the market and new trends are calling for quick reactions. In this blog article, we describe the basic rules of digital commerce and give brands a few valuable tips and tricks on how to position themselves perfectly on the digital shelf in this dynamic environment.

Use the potential of digital commerce

Perfect product presentation on the digital shelf – here's how!

Comparable to a store shelf in brick-and-mortar retail, the digital shelf refers to the digital sales area for individual manufacturer products. In the digital world, however, this sales area extends across multiple channels and platforms and includes sales channels such as DTC websites, mobile apps, social media, and online marketplaces. This creates huge sales potential and the opportunity to manage and optimise the customer journey across multiple channels. Manufacturers should therefore ensure that their products are available in every relevant retail channel – but they must also pay attention to perfect product presentation.

Use the potential of digital commerce

Perfect product presentation on the digital shelf – here's how!

Comparable to a store shelf in brick-and-mortar retail, the digital shelf refers to the digital sales area for individual manufacturer products. In the digital world, however, this sales area extends across multiple channels and platforms and includes sales channels such as DTC websites, mobile apps, social media, and online marketplaces. This creates huge sales potential and the opportunity to manage and optimise the customer journey across multiple channels. Manufacturers should therefore ensure that their products are available in every relevant retail channel – but they must also pay attention to perfect product presentation.

Ensure maximum impact

The product presentation must be designed in such a way that it attracts consumers’ attention, stands out positively from competitor products, and makes the product tangible in the digital space.

This requires a whole range of textual and visual information, as product data, descriptions, marketing texts, images, videos, and comparison tables and FAQs are all important elements of making a product tangible and thus they optimally support consumers in forming a realistic picture of what is on offer.

However, the retail-specific requirements for product content must also be taken into account and stored accordingly in the data management systems and processes. This can have a positive influence on purchasing decision processes and also strengthen partner relationships with retailers in the long term.

Ensure maximum impact

The product presentation must be designed in such a way that it attracts consumers’ attention, stands out positively from competitor products, and makes the product tangible in the digital space.

This requires a whole range of textual and visual information, as product data, descriptions, marketing texts, images, videos, and comparison tables and FAQs are all important elements of making a product tangible and thus they optimally support consumers in forming a realistic picture of what is on offer.

However, the retail-specific requirements for product content must also be taken into account and stored accordingly in the data management systems and processes. This can have a positive influence on purchasing decision processes and also strengthen partner relationships with retailers in the long term.

The recognition effect: brand power guaranteed

Solid product content management is the foundation of every brand – and every company that wants to become a real brand. Only those who understand that product communication is much more than merely increasing conversion rates in digital commerce are on the right track. Manufacturers should see every new marketing channel as an opportunity to promote their own brand and fully utilise the potential of these channels. Retailers now offer numerous opportunities for manufacturers to place brand-compliant product content – whether in the form of paid adverts, sponsored search results, or as enhanced content on the product detail page.

Digital Shelf – perfect product presentation

Channel-appropriate communication

However, it is important to understand that spreading marketing efforts thinly across the channels is neither efficient nor effective, as each channel has its own target group, conventions, and requirements that must be taken into account in communication. Effective channel management and targeted syndication processes help to deliver the right product content to all channels simultaneously. Continuous optimisation requires appropriate tools such as the analytics functions of your own shop or special digital shelf analytics tools.

The recognition effect: brand power guaranteed

Solid product content management is the foundation of every brand – and every company that wants to become a real brand. Only those who understand that product communication is much more than merely increasing conversion rates in digital commerce are on the right track. Manufacturers should see every new marketing channel as an opportunity to promote their own brand and fully utilise the potential of these channels. Retailers now offer numerous opportunities for manufacturers to place brand-compliant product content – whether in the form of paid adverts, sponsored search results, or as enhanced content on the product detail page.

Digital Shelf – perfect product presentation

Channel-appropriate communication

However, it is important to understand that spreading marketing efforts thinly across the channels is neither efficient nor effective, as each channel has its own target group, conventions, and requirements that must be taken into account in communication. Effective channel management and targeted syndication processes help to deliver the right product content to all channels simultaneously. Continuous optimisation requires appropriate tools such as the analytics functions of your own shop or special digital shelf analytics tools.

The most important thing: Don’t lose the overview!

Even if these rules seem extensive at first glance, don’t let them put you off. Instead, use genuine End-to-End Product Content Lifecycle Management to ensure consistent process chains, maximum data quality, and full control over your product communication in every channel.

Genuine product content solutions such as BYRD not only cover all central areas in this data chain but also ensure smooth data exchange with your retail partners thanks to automated validation mechanisms and direct integration into the GS1 GDSN – the best prerequisite for an optimally stocked Digital Shelf!

The most important thing: Don’t lose the overview!

Even if these rules seem extensive at first glance, don’t let them put you off. Instead, use genuine End-to-End Product Content Lifecycle Management to ensure consistent process chains, maximum data quality, and full control over your product communication in every channel.

Genuine product content solutions such as BYRD not only cover all central areas in this data chain but also ensure smooth data exchange with your retail partners thanks to automated validation mechanisms and direct integration into the GS1 GDSN – the best prerequisite for an optimally stocked Digital Shelf!

Kind regards – Your Björn Bayard

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