Monday 26 September 2016

How to Ensure Data Accuracy in Ecommerce ?

Armchair shopping is the modern selling mantra for all companies that want a larger and larger slice of the market pie. With the exponential boom in handheld Internet-enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets, online shopping has increased in prominence, so much so that major retail stores are shunning the brick and mortar scenario and establishing online shopping platforms to maintain sales and conversion levels. This is the very foundation of e-commerce which is now more of a shopping rule than exception. 

However, everything is not so smooth sailing as it seems. Behind every click of the “buy” button lies painstaking Ecommerce Data Entry to highlight products and maintain inventory levels. Without the highest possible accuracy levels in this regard, all e-commerce efforts will come to naught. But do the e-commerce platforms have the time or inclination to keep the site as precise as possible through data entry? The answer is an emphatic NO. It is because most e-commerce sites have thousands of products if it is a specific company store and hundreds of sellers with thousands of products each if it is a generalized e-commerce platform. 

If there is one foolproof method that can ensure data accuracy in the e-commerce environment, it is through a decision to outsource data entry. Top of the online data entry agencies have the required professional expertise and experienced and trained data entry staff to make sure that all entries made are absolutely precise and accurate in all respects. 

What then are the facets of e-commerce that must be optimized by accurate data entry –

•    Product Description – This is the first point of contact between a potential customer and e-commerce site and hence data entry agencies put special emphasis on this. The product must be described accurately so that there is no discrepancy between what is shown on the site and described and what the customer ultimately receives. Any inaccuracies here can spell disaster for the site. To preempt any such possibility, data entry agencies often add a footnote as a warning regarding the color or specifications which might change in updated versions of an item.

•    Product Cost – Data entry agencies take special pains to ensure the accuracy of the cost of the product including discounts if any. Many platforms have multiple sellers of the same product and the costs offered by each of them are given in great detail. This too must be accurate as any decision of a customer to buy is largely based on this. At the point of checkout too, the breakup of the total price including delivery charges have to match with what is shown initially in the product description.  

•    Customer details – It is here that e-commerce data entry is put to the greatest test. Customers have their details stored in the system when they initially open an account on an e-commerce site. For data entry to be accurate data must also have value and be unambiguous. Take the address of a customer. It can be deemed to be correct only when the data entered in the database is correct right down to the last detail of Street Name, Zip Code and State. Data quality will falter if any of these are not correct. When you outsource data entry, professionals will make sure that the basic data entry and quality is rigidly implemented.  

•    Setting measurable goals by data entry agencies – Top agencies have layers of systems that ensure that all data entered is accurate. At most times, data is set off against entries of one or more operators. Any error by one is easily identifiable when a matching entry is made by another. These agencies have their own accuracy level goals which are generally in the 95% to 99% category. The 5% to 1% margin for inaccuracies is largely due to manufacturers or sellers failing to update product information and not due to the fault of the agencies.  

•    Avoiding data decay – Even though data might have been accurate when entered they tend to become inaccurate over time causing loss to the e-commerce participants on a platform. These are generally customer related and may include change in address, telephone number or marital status. This is known as data decay and is a major reason for errors in implementing definite delivery solutions. Hence, when customers update their records, data entry agencies act quickly to streamline the database so that it is precise and revised correctly.   

Hence the best solution for data entry accuracy is to outsource the task to professional agencies and derive maximum benefits for your e-commerce site.  

One of the leaders in the field of e-commerce data entry service provider is Cogneesol. Our team of professionals is trained to deliver consistent results guaranteeing high degrees of accuracy and data security. For top of the line data entry services, write to us at info@cogneesol.com or call +1 646-688-2821 (USA).     

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