WHAT IS CSP?DEFINING A СONTENT SERVICE PROVIDER

Do you find yourself asking:

…How to deliver content that drives sales?

…How to increase buyers’ pastime on a website?

…How to make sure product catalogs are always up-to-date?

Whether a manufacturer or a webshop owner, you probably have been already concerned with a range of product data challenges. Therefore you could have heard of Content Service Providers (also known as Content Catalogues Providers).

What is CSP

CSP stands for Content Service Provider. It is a company with a set of services, helping retailers and brands simplify their e-commerce processes by creating, enhancing and distributing product information.

Why Consider CSP

First of all, CSPs reduce time-to-market. Secondly, content providers are there to ensure that ecommerce online shops and marketplaces are stocked with up-to-date and high-quality product descriptions. The more accurate information is, the greater are the chances it’ll motivate customers to buy goods.

CSPs work principle

CSPs mainly integrate with webshops, manufacturers, marketplaces, distributors and all kinds of vendors. The content provider aggregates the product information into its repository, enriches it with the additional information and shares it with the retailers. Since now content provider is responsible for keeping everything accurate and up-to-date.

After uploading product data into Content Provider’s repository, you (or CSP’s editorial team) are allowed to edit brand characteristics when it’s needed; manage their pictures, videos, and other files. Some CSPs, in addition, provide services in the field of product photography, videography (Newscred, Fashot) which is especially important for start-up brands that need help to promote their product and bring it to market asap.

Some CSPs implement additional customized tools boosting webshops’ sales. For example, product finders, online advisors, tools for product comparisons or even interactive product demonstrations in 360-degree mode.

Which CSP To Choose?

When it comes to making a choice, think of specific features and value you want to get.

There are several types of content providers, that slightly differ from each other in their services and other characteristics. Which one would be a win-to-win deal?

To determine which one is more suitable, outline the priorities and pain points of your business. Take into consideration those q-s:

What is the rate of sales conversion of your products?

What’s the pace of a new product’s entry into the market process?

How many verticals and product categories are there on your webshop?

Do you need content editorial services?

Content networks, such as Edgenet, 1WorldSync, and Shotfarm are one of the common ways to exchange product data between brands and retailers. They offer a high percentage of product coverage, but the quality of content is quite average. So if you’re seeking high-quality content, you might refer to content catalogs: IceCat, CNET, GFK Etilize or Gladson.

Among the most credible worldwide content providers are IceCat and CNet. Let’s compare them based on key aspects.

Icecat and CNET comparison

Languages supported

Icecat — 40; CNET — 23

Free version

Icecat — Limited*; CNET — No

Coverage

Icecat — 24,165 brands; CNET — 176 product categories

*Open Icecat distributes the product data of their partners for free

IceCat’s product catalog includes the following categories: Computers & Electronics, TVs & Monitors, Health & Beauty, Toys & Accessories, Pet Care, Fashion & Lifestyle, Domestic and Home Appliances, Baby & Children, Office supplies, Sporting and Entertainment goods. CNet, has a slightly different list of categories, including Printers & Scanners, Displays & Projectors, Networking, Displays & Projectors, Applications & Games, Optical equipment & Cameras, Home & Kitchen Appliances, Office Products.

Another challenge arises.

How to distribute this data to all resellers you deal with?

Every manufacturer, webshop and marketplace has its own unique data structure. And there is no one-size-fits-all content provider.

How can you get automated imports for new and updated products in your webshop structure from partners?

Usually, it goes like this:

a) retailers/brands spend their own resources;

b) they hire a third-party organization to constantly download, transform and edit content.

It demands lots of hours of manual work, which can be quite expensive. Moreover, a human factor can play its role — a person can do mistakes and edit information incorrectly.

Optimizing product content syndication

The most cost-effective option is to get content delivery processes automated with the help of a content syndication solution. Gepard platform is a credible solution for making all of the above-mentioned processes occur automatically. Commonly it works as middleware between content providers and channel partners. Gepard Syndicator imports product data from content providers and then applies mappings for product categories between CSP and channel partner’s catalog taxonomy. Then Syndicator delivers real-time updates of product data via REST API.

If you’re interested in knowing more information about Gepard, feel free to fill the contact form here.