What if every product online could talk to you and tell you its story? Well, in a way, they can! It’s all about product attributes.
This blog keeps it simple, explaining what product attributes are and how they make your online shopping experience more enjoyable and stress-free.
What are Product Attributes?
Product attributes are specific characteristics or features that describe a product. These attributes provide detailed information about the product, helping customers make informed decisions when shopping.
While companies recognize their products through SKUs which are unique numbers assigned to each product, consumers use natural language that includes the benefits and features of a product.
Categories of Product Attributes
Product Attributes are divided into two categories: tangible (physical) and intangible (non-physical).
1. Tangible Attributes
Tangible attributes refer to the physical, observable, and measurable characteristics of a product that can be perceived through the senses.
They include characteristics such as size, color, smell, product design, weight, materials used in construction, design features, country of origin, etc.
2. Intangible Attributes
Unlike tangible attributes, intangibles are often related to abstract qualities, perceived value, and the overall experience associated with a product.
These characteristics include factors such as price, quality, and the availability of how-to videos or instructional content.
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Why do you need Product Attributes?
In the dynamic landscape of e-commerce and retail, product attributes serve as powerful tools for both retailers and vendors, shaping the success of businesses in a crowded marketplace.
1. Product Attributes for Retailers
For retailers, product attributes act as the spotlight, showcasing the unique qualities that make your offerings distinct.
Imagine a customer searching for the perfect pair of shoes – clear attributes like size, color, and material make your product easily discoverable among a sea of options.
Managing these attributes effectively is not just about listing features; it’s about crafting a narrative that resonates with the average user.
2. Product Attributes for Vendors
Vendors use product attributes to be informed about the growing trends and make informed decisions about their inventory.
Identify growth opportunities: which variant is selling faster – the red or black one? the smaller one or the larger one?
Consumer searches and queries have become extremely specific over the years, so your attributes should be designed in a way that caters to those searches.
3. Product Attributes for Marketers
Each product attribute is a potential selling point, and marketers must design product descriptions that resonate with the target market’s interests.
It’s not just about presenting information; it’s about telling a story that captivates and persuades.
The right combination of attributes, presented in a way that aligns with consumer searches, can turn a casual browser into a satisfied customer.
Do you know? Data just like Product Attributes can be managed in Bulk through a Product content management solution.
List of Product Attributes
As an eCommerce store owner, it’s crucial to look out for these important Product attributes and optimize to improve your whole product experience for shoppers.
- Product Name
- Product Images
- SKUs
- Retail Price & Cost Price
- Barcode
- Weight
- Category
- Brand
- Product Type
- Variants
- Custom Attributes
- SEO Fields
1. Product Name
Consumers find your products through the product name. These should be clear, and concise and give away sufficient information about the product just through the title.
The product name is critical to your SEO and is the name through which users will look up your products.
It should highlight key features of your product but don’t overdo it.
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2. Product Images
Product images help customers visualize your product when they can’t touch or feel it.
The ideal product images should meet the following requirements:
- The resolution should be at least 1080px*1080px.
- Size should not exceed 200kb to optimize quality and page load times.
- Image formats should be either JPG, PNG, or JPEG.
- The image should be in square format as most e-commerce platforms and marketplaces only accept these.
Also read How PIM software helps manage Product data from Multiple stores at the same time.
3. SKUs
An SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is a unique alphanumeric number assigned to each product to help you keep track of your inventory.
These are mostly based on various characteristics of the products and are broken down into classifications and categories.
One SKU can only be used for a single product, therefore it can never be repeated.
4. Retail Price & Cost Price
Retail price is the manufacturer’s suggested price for the product to be sold to the final consumer.
Cost price is the price manufacturers charge the retailers for their products. While you don’t highlight the cost price to the final consumer, it’s important to have it in your records.
The price displayed to the customers is the retail price.
5. Barcode: (ISBN, UPC, GTIN, etc.)
A barcode is a machine-readable form of information on a scannable, visual surface.
The barcode is read by using a special scanner that then transmits the data onto a database to keep track of inventory.
Barcodes come in many forms and different countries and companies use different barcodes for their products.
| Type of Barcode | Description | Common Usage |
| GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) | Internationally recognized system for product identification. Includes ISBN and UPC. | Used for ordering, sales records, and stock control. |
| – ISBN (International Standard Book Number) | Identifies publishers, booksellers, and libraries, providing information about title, edition, and format. | Commonly used in the book industry for cataloging and sales. |
| – UPC (Universal Product Code) | Enables consumers to identify product features during checkout. Supports accurate product tracking in production and distribution. | Widely used in retail for pricing and inventory management. |
| MSI Plessey | Modified Plessey barcodes for inventory management in retail and storage facilities. | Used to label shelves in supermarkets and support accurate inventory checking. |
| Two Dimensional (2D) | Represents data using two-dimensional symbols, similar to 1D barcodes but can hold more data per unit area. | Suitable for applications requiring higher data capacity. |
| QR Code | Used in tracking and marketing initiatives, offering flexibility in size, high fault tolerance, and fast readability. | Commonly seen in advertisements, magazines, and business cards. Cannot be read with a laser scanner. |
6. Weight
This attribute lets the consumer know how much the product weighs.
It is up to you to decide which unit to use for your products: kilograms (kg) or pounds (lbs), depending on the type of products you’re selling.
It’s a good idea to have both units listed for each product but to avoid the hassle, you can just pick one and stay consistent with it throughout your website.
7. Category
Categories allow you to organize your products. These categories can be based on your product’s functionality, demographics, customer needs, or preferences.
When thinking about products, the largest thing is usually a category while the smallest is an individual item.
Categories make it easier for your customers to navigate across your website and find what they’re looking for.
8. Brand
This attribute allows you to identify your product line.
9. Product Type
Under this, you can create a custom Product Type with attributes dedicated to your product.
Every time you choose this product type for any new products that you add, it will automatically update the attributes according to the information provided by you for the product type.
10. Variants
When shopping online, you’ll see that the same product is available in different sizes, colors, materials, or price points.
These options are known as product variants.
For example, if you’re adding a clothing item, your two variants can be Size and Color.
However, if you’re adding a laptop, your two variants can be RAM and Screen Size. In most cases, you must also assign a unique SKU to each variant.
Also read: What are Product Variants & How Can They Benefit You.
11. Custom Attributes
Custom Attributes allow you to add unique attributes to existing Product Types.
For example, one Type that you may have is a Mobile Phone. If you wish to add custom attributes to this product such as a Secondary Display for your Mobile Phone listing, you can do this through custom attributes.
12. SEO Fields
For each product that you upload, you’ll have to fill out SEO Fields to help it rank on Google.
These include the META Title, META Description, and the META Keyword. Let’s go over what each of these is and why they’re important.
I. META Titles
Also known as Title tags, these are the titles used by search engines and visitors to understand what any given page on your website is about.
This is the text you’ll see at the top of your browser. Title tags are supposed to be as concise and accurate as possible.
META Titles are critical to giving users a quick insight into the content of their search results, and how it’s relevant to their query.
It’s often the primary piece of information used by visitors to decide which information to click on, hence, these must be of high quality.
II. META Description
This is an HTML attribute that provides a concise description of your product next to its META Title.
It explains to search engines and searchers themselves what your page is about.
The META description is extremely important for the click-through rate.
A compelling META description could entice visitors to click on your link to view your product and learn more about it.
III. META Keyword
META keywords are another type of META tag that appears in the HTML code of a web page.
These allow search engines to know the topic of your page.
The keywords that you use must always be relevant to the content of your page, otherwise, they won’t add any value to your content.
Conclusion
In today’s world, those who understand the power of product attributes are not just surviving but thriving.
These details transform information into differentiation, trends into opportunities, and features into compelling stories.
As the digital marketplace continues to evolve, the strategic use of product attributes will undoubtedly remain a cornerstone for success.
Stand out from your competition
Make sure to highlight all your product positives, include a custom attribute that makes your product stand out, and create a product description that immediately resonates with the customer.
They should think “Yes, this is something I need!”.
Having the right product descriptions and attributes in place can give you exactly the boost in sales conversions that you’ve been aiming for. You can always use PIM software like Apimio to achieve that with no hassle.
What to Do Next?
- Sign up for our PIM software and get a 14-day free trial.
- If you want to know about Product Descriptions, head on to our blog.
- Learn more about How PIM helps manage Product Attributes.
- Read our blog posts to stay informed about the latest features and industry news.
- Book a demo to see how our PIM software can help your business operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Product attributes are specific characteristics or features that describe a product. They include tangible aspects like size, color, and weight, as well as intangible elements like price and quality.
Vendors use product attributes to understand trends, make informed inventory decisions, and identify growth opportunities by analyzing factors like color preferences and size popularity.
Marketers use product attributes to craft compelling narratives that engage customers. Each attribute becomes a selling point, contributing to stories that make products appealing to the target audience.
A product attribute example is “Color” for a dress. In this case, the color serves as a tangible characteristic that describes the physical appearance of the product.
Tangible Attributes: Physical characteristics like size, color, and weight.
Intangible Attributes: Non-physical elements like price and quality.
Functional Attributes: Features that describe how a product works or is used.
