Krusader's Talk

Data Quality #1: Data quality drives sales and customer satisfaction

December 9, 2024

A study conducted by Inriver, a global provider of PIM software, shows that the vast majority of consumers highly value good product data and descriptions when shopping online. Poor or incorrect data leaves consumers dissatisfied, frustrated, and eager to look elsewhere—and I don’t know about you, but I can definitely relate to that.

So what does this mean for you as a business? Poor data quality can cost you dearly in terms of both sales and customer loyalty. But let’s start at the beginning: what is product data, exactly, and what does “good data quality” entail?

What is product data?

Product data is all the information that describes a product. Let’s take a T-shirt as an example. As a manufacturer or retailer of a T-shirt, you hold a wealth of information about this particular product—information that your customers expect to find and use. This can include:

Size
Color
Material
Model
Washing instructions
Country/conditions of production
Reviews
Product images

What is data quality?

Data quality means that your data is:

Consistent across channels

Let’s say you have multiple retailers selling your T-shirt. One retailer’s website states that it’s made of 100% cotton, while another source says only 80% cotton. For many potential customers, quality can be the decisive factor in their purchase. Inconsistencies, however, can lead to confusion and mistrust in your brand.

Well-structured

It’s essential that your data is structured in a way that’s easily accessible and understandable for your customers. If your data is scattered across 100 different Excel files, the risk of errors increases, and you’ll likely waste time in your work processes.

Accurate and up-to-date

Last but not least, data quality means your data must be correct and current. Perhaps you have new production conditions for your T-shirt—then your data needs to be updated, and updated everywhere—from product descriptions to marketing materials!

Product information matters—at least for 81% of us!

Back to our starting point: one of the reasons why good product data is so important is that without it, you can’t provide quality product information and descriptions to your customers. And consumers demand precise, informative product data, which clearly shows in the numbers. Inriver’s survey reveals that 81% of consumers find product information and descriptions either very important or essential when shopping online. Only 4% stated that it wasn’t important at all.

Another insight into consumer considerations is that written product descriptions are deemed most important, followed by images and reviews. It might be worth investing time in a well-crafted product description—plus, it can benefit your SEO, making it a win-win.

Inriver’s consumer behavior survey in online shopping is based on responses from 6,000 consumers across the UK, the US, and Germany. You can find the full survey here.

Relevance for B2B—not just B2C

The results from Inriver’s survey primarily address the B2C market—but don’t be fooled. Data quality plays just as crucial a role in B2B contexts, and I’ll dive deeper into that in my next post. Stay tuned to this series on data quality.