Voted one of the most famous cartoon characters of all time, Mr. Magoo was a wealthy retiree whose extreme near-sightedness and refusal to recognize the problem at hand always landed him in trouble. However, through amazing streaks of luck, everything seemed to always turn out just fine for Mr. Magoo. Although created before my time, I loved watching these re-runs as a child.
Product User Experience in Digital Commerce
The failure of many digital merchants to provide a great experience for their buyers reminds me of Mr. Magoo. Too often, a lack of vision prevents us from seeing the obviousness of the situation, and stubbornness limits our ability to identify the problem itself.
Unfortunately, unlike Mr. Magoo, digital merchants who provide poor product experiences do not have a screenwriter to create an improbable, magical ending that serves as an erasure for our faults. Instead, sales and customers are lost.
Frequently, those of us in the product content and information world like to blame the problem of a sub-par user experience on a lack of technology. Much like Mr. Magoo famously yelling “Road hog!” at everyone he cut off, we incorrectly think that by screaming “Technology!” we will solve all problems. Or, we blame “lack of resources” – a code word for something that is simply not a priority to us.
Product Information has to Tell the Full Story
Well-translated product user experience in commerce starts with a clear vision and robust information to tell the story of the products you sell. At Codifyd, we see two key reasons why organizations fail to invest wisely in product information:
- They do not understand the cost of status quo
- They do not have a way to demonstrate the ROI
Data & Business Intelligence in Digital Commerce
The root of this problem of “unknowing” is typically not a lack of technology but rather a lack of relevant data and business intelligence to lead exactly where and how to invest in product user experience. Most manufacturers are literally “driving blind” when it comes to product content and the impact it has on their buyers. They frequently do not know where the information resides, when they send it to distributors, and if the product content makes it to the digital shelf. They simply hope for the best. Fortunately, things have changed since Mr. Magoo went on the air in 1949!
Leveraging Data with Product Content Syndication Technology
Holistic product management and syndication platforms are now delivering business intelligence by connecting to distributor channels via API. This means real user data is connected in a meaningful way to your product content. To compete in digital commerce, there are a few basic data points you need to have to make informed decisions about product content:
- Are my products on the digital shelf, and/or do I know when they hit the shelf?
- How are buyers reacting to my product content?
- Which product content is converting buyers, and which is causing abandonment?
Most importantly, you need to understand why buyers are responding to your product information in a certain way. Why drive blindly when you can take meaningful data and leverage it for your organization’s success?
At Codifyd, we are experts in helping organizations gain the insight they need to drive the best possible product user experiences. With the right mix of strategy, technology and people, your customers will be happier and your digital revenue will hit the numbers you’ve been waiting for.
Learn more about Codifyd’s on-boarding and syndication platform, BRIDGE, here.