A Product Datasheet is an important part of every E-commerce business. It allows you to present your product data in a simple but elegant way that ensures a better brand representation.
In this blog, we will discuss what product sheets are, and the steps to create an efficient product data sheet for your eCommerce business. Let’s get started.
What is a Product Data sheet?
A Product Data Sheet is a PDF document that enlists all the relevant product information, including the pricing, description, technical information, material, and physical aspects that help buyers make their decision more quickly.
Take an example of a Camera. Your store is launching a new camera. You have to update data sheets for customers. The sheets will include information such as the overall description of the camera.
Furthermore, it will have the camera’s key features. For example, high-resolution image sensors and fast autofocus. The benefits such as superior image quality and simple controls, technical specifications such as lens mount, ISO range, and pricing. See the example below for a product data-sheet example from Nikon’s D300s 1
Download our Free Product Data Sheets template, & start organizing your data
Download the FREE editable Product specs sheet template by clicking on the button.
Examples of a Product Data Sheet
1. Furniture Industry Data Sheet
If you are dealing with the furniture industry, the above is an example of what your product data sheet should look like.
A good furniture product data sheet should include product information, contact details, and ordering details. You can have a single data sheet for every single item, e.g. a single product data sheet for a table with variations.
2. Fashion Industry Data Sheet
A Fashion industry data sheet should look a bit more attractive and colorful.
It should have a clean layout highlighting the basics that include product information, contact details, and ordering details.
It is always preferable to lay out your fashion product line horizontally!
If you plan on making a data sheet for clothes, all you need to include in your product data-sheet is a list of designs, variations, and prices.
A Product Sheet can provide an easy and quick way to overlook all the essential information for retailers, and potential buyers. Which in normal conditions would take hours to explain. A very convenenient way as well!
Mobeen Ali – Product Marketing Manager – Apimio
Adding a delivery date usually adds more value to your Product data sheet as it informs the buyers as to when they will receive their goods.
3. Jewellery Industry Data Sheet
A Jewelry product data sheet should include clear images of the jewelry items with detailed information regarding their color, price, and material.
It is always a good idea to feature jewelry items that belong together in a collection. You need to make sure that your pictures align properly, they should be crisp and should clearly show the attributes of each jewelry piece. We will be catering to the top 5 industries for you, have a look at
How to create a Product Datasheet in Excel?
Are you struggling with making a product data sheet? This blog will tell you how you can easily make a product data sheet!
Creating a product data sheet in Microsoft Excel is a straightforward process. Here are the steps to follow:
- In your Excel workbook create columns for the data you want to include in your product data sheet. Common columns for product data sheets include product names, product codes, product descriptions, product specifications, and product images.
- Enter the data for each product in the corresponding cells. Be sure to include all relevant information and keep the data organized and consistent across products.
- Add any images or graphics related to the product by inserting them into the worksheet.
- Format the worksheet to make it visually appealing and easier to read. This can include adding borders, adjusting column widths, and applying font styles and colors.
- Save the workbook and give it an appropriate name, such as “Product Data Sheet.”
Create and Manage Product Data Sheets using a PIM
It gets quite difficult and time-consuming when it comes to managing a Product data sheet! Managing your Product data sheets is a long process comprising collecting, editing, and distributing Product information.
Updating your data sheet according to the requirements of your retailers gets very hectic! If you’re also facing these issues with managing your product data sheets, then apimio has got you covered!
By utilizing Apimio, you can save time and resources while ensuring that your product data is accurate, up-to-date, and consistent across all channels. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to take your product data management to the next level!
Explore how Apimio can Automate Product data sheets management
Create, manage, and share product spec sheets through a centralized space with our PIM.
Key Components of a Data Sheet
Apimio makes it easier for you by listing the exact components you need to cover in your Product data sheets.
The key components of a product sheet include:
1. Your Logo
Logos are the most crucial element of a product sheet. If you don’t currently get a logo, you better create one! The logo should be memorable and straightforward. Some logos are iconic and instantly recognizable, while others may take the viewer a little longer to understand. A few things any good logo will have:
- A unique shape or symbol that sets it apart from other brands in its industry or market niche
- Easy readability from a distance or when reproduced in different sizes and formats
2. Your Contact Details
Include your contact information next to or below the logo. This includes the contact person’s name, phone number, street address, email address, and, of course, the URL.
3. Colorful Images
Then come the photos. Make sure that all of your images are colorful, that they show off your goods in the greatest light, and that they are all the same size for consistency. Please, no shaky photos. The main aim over here is to make sure your product images stand out. Also, for this one, stick to product shots. Save those nice lifestyle photos for a later day.
4. Product Attributes
This is the crucial portion. All of your product details should be cleanly and precisely written out.
To put it another way, always include the following attributes:
- Product Name
- SKU
- Retail Price
- Minimum Order Count
- Variants – Colors, sizes, etc.
- Style name
- Style Number
NOTE: Avoid including information such as whether the products are recyclable, machine-washable, handcrafted, or their size. This information is vital, but they aren’t relevant to your sheet.
Challenges of Product Data Sheet
- Too much information
- Underrepresentation of the brand
- Doesn’t make a good first impression
- Ineffective
#1 Too much information
Providing extra information regarding your product may not always work in your favor, people might focus on the information you don’t want them to focus on and this may lead them to be reluctant in buying the product. Hence, excessive information may not always have a positive influence on your potential customers.
#2 Underrepresentation of the Brand
A data sheet may belittle the focus and importance that should be placed on providing information regarding the brand itself. A datasheet ends up focusing too much on the details of a product and may not be able to attract a customer who has no idea about the brand, its background, or its values.
#3 Doesn’t make a good first impression
A data sheet is not really a compelling representation of your offerings. A line sheet isn’t a marketing tool that grabs the attention of the customers or looks appealing to them.
#4 Ineffective
A product data sheet is used by many e-commerce businesses and due to the high competition there are chances of your line sheet being ignored or not getting the attention it deserves. Also, it can be very easy for the retailer to miss out on your data sheet while dealing with a client due to the excessive amount of line sheets available.
How Apimio can help you with these challenges
Managing your product data sheets through Apimio is the smart choice for businesses looking to stay ahead of the competition! You will come across a lot of benefits when it comes to Apimio PIM! Apimio allows you to easily tackle these problems by providing the following solutions:
- Cost Effective
- Easily Customizable
- Easy to view
- Organized Display
1. Cost Effective
Getting together too much information can also take a lot of time, and with that comes a large amount f cost! The best thing about a data-sheets created through Apimio is that even if you’re a business running short on budget, you can still use a data sheet as it doesn’t demand a large chunk of money.
It is more cost-effective as compared to many other PIM providers as neither does it require a high cost for editing and designing nor does it require entire collection editing like in the case of a catalog.
2. Customization
Did you know that a Product sheet can be customized according to the type of customer you are catering to? An example of a product data sheet for a new client can be more informative, providing more details regarding the products and attracting them to make a purchase.
A Product sheet helps fulfill different requirements by allowing you to create information according to your target market.
3. Easy to view
Aapimio makes sure to create Product data sheets that allow your target market to look for the exact offering they are interested in without having to scroll through the irrelevant material.
4. Organized Display
Apimio provides a layout of a Product data sheet which includes an organized display of the product lines; this assists in navigating the exact product one are looking for and this way there’s no chance of your Product Sheet being ineffective.
What to look for in a data Sheet Software Tool
With the availability of thousands of software tools, choosing the most suitable tool can be a demanding task.
Apimio makes your job easier here by providing the things you need to look for while making your decision regarding the data sheet software tool for your products.
#1 User-friendly
It’s always a better idea to look for a tool that is easy to understand and use, this way one can create and edit high-quality Product sheets with the required templates for different products.
#2 Ease of export in different formats
Not every software tool allows you to export your file in different export formats and this restricts you from grabbing different marketing opportunities. I’m sure that you don’t want this to happen to you, so always make sure that the datasheet software tool you’re opting for allows you to export your product data-sheet in a format that is acceptable everywhere.
How to make your Data Sheet more efficient:
Tip # 1: Keep it simple
While it might be tempting to include every piece of information about your company on your sheet, don’t do it. It will only lead to a cluttered, confusing mess that no one will want to read. Apimio recommends keeping things simple so that the reader is persuaded by what you have written, rather than being distracted by all of the elements on the page.
Tip # 2: Customize different versions of the datasheet
A datasheet helps companies differentiate their products from one another. If you want to include information about your product variations on your product sheet, use conditional formatting to highlight the unique features of each version.
This way, all conditions are satisfied, and you can easily update variations when necessary without creating an entirely different sheet.
Tip # 3: Use the right tool
Hiring a professional designer to create a data sheet that best represents your brand and products might be a bit expensive for you. Apimio tells you about the things you need to look out for while you’re opting for the right tool. Using the right tool would save you time and the cost associated with hiring a professional designer to create and manage one for your company.
Tip # 4: Get an outsider’s perspective
Once you’ve followed the tips mentioned above, the next thing you need to do is to get a second opinion on your product data-sheet.
The observer should preferably be someone from the outside, this allows you to have a look at your data sheet from a different perspective and also highlights the mistakes and flaws that need to be fixed!
Creating product data sheets can seem overwhelming at first, but you’ll be surprised how easy it is with the help of our simple guide.
If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to leave them in our comment section. We would love to hear from you!
How to automate your Product data Sheets Creation process?
- Download our free Product data sheet template and start creating new Product Datasheets for your products faster.
- And if you’re from the Fashion industry, Explore What Line sheets are and their use in our new blog: What are Line sheets and How to Optimize them.
- Read more about our Product Information related Guides here.
- Learn how you can use a PIM tool to Improve your Product Time to Market & SEO. Start your Free 14 Day Trial.
- Contact our support or Comment your thoughts under the blog section if you have any questions or issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Product data sheet is a short, single-page file, often available in a PDF format, used to summarize and explain a product’s key technical aspects, components, materials, and functionalities. The product data sheet template is often customized based on client-specific market demand or regulatory requirements.
A product data sheet includes dimensions, weight, materials, and other important details according to specific regulatory, market, or client-specific requirements.
1. Highlights the most important features of your product.
2. It Helps you to show potential customers why your product is better than the competition.
3. You can answer common questions about your product up front.
- Product Data Sheet Example – Nikon d300s[↩]
