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How to Improve Sales as a Seller on Marketplaces such as B&Q

How to Improve Sales as a Seller on Marketplaces such as B&Q

When you run your own webshop, there is a countless number of tweaks and settings you can do - from technical aspects such as the page load time through visual design, off-site optimization, SEO concerns, advertisment etc.

As a seller on a marketplace, you don't have these burdens, giving you a much smaller number of knobs you can try and tweak.

One thing that is fully under your control even on a marketplace, is your product data – it's often the single biggest lever you can pull for performance on marketplaces like B&Q (Mirakl). With often thousands of SKUs and hundreds of facets, this is a significant task, but the payoff can be huge for search visibility, conversion rates, and overall sales.

Here's a comprehensive strategy broken down into actionable steps:

Why Product Data is Your Golden Ticket on B&Q (Mirakl)

Before diving in, understand why this matters:

  1. Searchability: B&Q's internal search engine relies heavily on keywords found in titles, descriptions, and attributes.
  2. Discoverability (Facets/Filters): This is critical given your "hundreds of facets" comment. Customers use filters to narrow down options. If your data isn't complete or accurate for these facets, your products simply won't show up in filtered results.
  3. Conversion: Rich, accurate, and appealing data builds trust and helps customers make informed buying decisions. High-quality images, detailed descriptions, and clear benefits lead to higher conversion rates.
  4. Algorithmic Ranking: Marketplaces often reward sellers with high-quality, complete data with better visibility.
  5. Reduced Returns/Customer Service: Clear product data sets proper expectations, leading to fewer "not as described" returns.

Your Strategy: Audit, Optimize, Automate, Monitor

Assuming a larger scale, manual edits are out. You need a data-driven approach.

Phase 1: Understand Mirakl's Data Structure & Requirements

  1. Access the Mirakl Data Dictionary for B&Q: This is your Bible.

    • How: Log into your Mirakl Seller Portal. Look for "Documentation," "Help," or "API Documentation" sections. Sometimes it's under "My Account" -> "Data Feeds" or "Product Imports." B&Q might also provide specific templates or style guides.
    • What it contains:
      • Mandatory Attributes: Fields you must fill for a product to go live (e.g., EAN, SKU, Title, Brand, Category).
      • Recommended Attributes: Fields that aren't mandatory but highly influence search, filtering, and conversion (this is where your "hundreds of facets" come in).
      • Accepted Values: For dropdown attributes (facets), it lists the exact spelling/formatting required (e.g., "Colour" vs. "Color," "Red" vs. "red"). This is crucial for filters to work.
      • Data Types: (Text, Number, Date, Boolean, Dropdown/List).
      • Character Limits: For titles, descriptions, etc.
      • Image Requirements: Size, resolution, background, number of images.

  2. Download Your Current Product Data:

    • Go to your Mirakl Seller Portal.
    • Look for an "Export Products" or "Download Product Data" option, usually within the "Products" or "Offers" section.
    • Export everything into a CSV or Excel file. This will show you exactly what data you currently have live.

Phase 2: Audit & Prioritize

  1. Identify Gaps and Inconsistencies:

    • Compare your exported data with the Mirakl Data Dictionary.
    • Missing Mandatory Attributes: These are immediate fixes.
    • Missing Recommended Attributes (Facets): This is your biggest opportunity. Use conditional formatting in Excel to highlight empty cells in columns representing key facets.
    • Incorrect Values for Dropdowns: Look for custom entries where Mirakl requires a specific value from a list.
    • Inconsistent Formatting: "Red" vs. "red," "Samsung" vs. "SAMSUNG," etc.
    • Sub-optimal Titles/Descriptions: Are they keyword-rich? Do they follow B&Q's style guide?
    • Image Quality/Quantity: Do you meet requirements?

  2. Prioritize SKUs:

    • High-Volume/Best Sellers: Fix these first, as they have the most immediate impact.
    • High-Profit Margin Items: Focus on products that generate the most revenue.
    • Products with High Page Views but Low Conversion: This indicates potential data issues preventing conversion.
    • Products with Zero/Low Visibility: Products not appearing in search or filters are high priority for data enrichment.

Phase 3: Optimize Your Product Data (The Nitty-Gritty)

This is where you'll spend most of your time on the data file.

A. Core Product Information:

  1. Product Title:

    • Keywords: Include brand, product type, key features (e.g., "Bosch 18V Cordless Drill - Impact Driver Kit with 2 Batteries").
    • Conciseness: B&Q may have character limits. Get the most important info upfront.
    • Style Guide: Adhere to B&Q's specific titling conventions (e.g., Brand, Product Type, Model, Key Feature).

  2. Product Description (Short & Long):

    • Short Description/Bullet Points: Use 3-5 concise bullet points highlighting key benefits and features. These are often displayed prominently.
    • Long Description:
      • Features & Benefits: Don't just list features; explain what they do for the customer.
      • Keywords: Naturally integrate relevant keywords.
      • Readability: Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs.
      • Use Cases: How can the customer use this product?
      • Technical Specifications: Clearly list dimensions, power, materials, etc. (often better in a dedicated 'technical specs' section if Mirakl supports it).
      • Problem/Solution: How does your product solve a customer's problem?

  3. Category Mapping: Ensure your products are mapped to the most accurate and granular B&Q category. This directly impacts which facets are available.

  4. Brand: Consistent and accurate.

B. The Facets (Attributes): Your Goldmine for Discoverability

This is where the "hundreds of facets" come into play and provide the biggest opportunity for improvement.

  1. Completeness: For every relevant attribute/facet for a product's category, fill it in. Don't leave them blank!

  2. Accuracy & Consistency:

    • Match Mirakl's Accepted Values Exactly: If the data dictionary says "Colour: Red," don't use "color: crimson" or "red." This is the most common reason products fail to appear in filtered results. Use VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH to cross-reference your internal data with Mirakl's acceptable values if you have a mapping table.
    • Units of Measurement: Ensure consistent units (e.g., "mm" not "millimeters").
    • Boolean (Yes/No): Use the exact "Yes" or "No" (or 1/0) format required.

  3. Key Facets to Prioritize (Examples for B&Q):

    • Colour / Finish: (e.g., "White", "Chrome", "Oak")
    • Material: (e.g., "Steel", "Wood", "Plastic")
    • Dimensions: (Height, Width, Depth – ensure consistent units)
    • Power Source: (e.g., "Mains", "Battery", "Cordless")
    • Voltage / Amperage: For electrical items.
    • Features: (e.g., "Waterproof", "Dimmable", "Self-cleaning")
    • Usage / Application: (e.g., "Indoor", "Outdoor", "Bathroom", "Kitchen")
    • Pack Quantity:
    • Mounting Type: (e.g., "Wall-mounted", "Freestanding")
    • Weight:
    • Warranty:
    • SKU-Specific Facets: For products with variations (e.g., different sizes of the same tool, different colours of the same paint), ensure all relevant facets differentiate them.

C. Imagery & Media:

  1. High Resolution: Use the maximum resolution allowed by B&Q.
  2. Multiple Angles: Show the product from all sides.
  3. Lifestyle Shots: Show the product in use or in a real-world setting.
  4. Scale Shots: Include an image that helps customers understand the product's size (e.g., next to a common object or person).
  5. Zoomable Images: Ensure images are high enough quality to zoom in.
  6. Video (if supported): Hugely impactful for complex products.
  7. Main Image: Typically a product on a pure white background.

D. Pricing & Stock (Operational but impacts performance):

  1. Competitive Pricing: Regularly review your prices against competitors on B&Q.
  2. Accurate Stock Levels: Don't show out-of-stock items, or risk cancellation penalties.

Phase 4: Bulk Update & Upload

This is how you'll manage 1000+ SKUs.

  1. Use Excel/CSV for Editing:

    • Work on the exported file. Add new columns for missing attributes.
    • Data Validation: Use Excel's data validation features (List for dropdowns) to ensure you're only entering Mirakl-approved values.
    • Formulas: Use FIND/REPLACE, CONCATENATE, IF, VLOOKUP etc., to standardize and populate data across many SKUs quickly.
    • Example for Facets: If you have an internal "Color" column and Mirakl needs "Colour," you can do a find/replace. If Mirakl has a dropdown of specific shades (e.g., "Sky Blue," "Navy Blue") and you have just "Blue," you'll need to manually map those or create a lookup table.

  2. Test a Small Batch First:

    • Take 5-10 products (mix of simple and complex).
    • Update their data fully in your CSV.
    • Upload only these products back to Mirakl.
    • Monitor the upload results, check for errors, and verify the products look correct on the B&Q frontend. This helps catch formatting errors or misinterpretations before they affect your entire catalog.

  3. Bulk Upload via Mirakl:

    • Once your CSV is clean and tested, use the "Import Products" or "Import Offers" function in Mirakl.
    • Mirakl provides templates for different types of uploads (product creation, offer updates, etc.). Make sure you're using the correct one.
    • Pay close attention to any error reports after the upload. Mirakl is usually quite good at flagging which rows/columns have issues.

Phase 5: Monitor & Iterate

  1. Check B&Q Frontend: After uploading, manually check several product pages on B&Q to ensure the data is displaying correctly and beautifully.
  2. Performance Metrics:
    • Sales & Conversion Rates: Track these closely.
    • Search Visibility: Do your products appear for relevant searches? (Try searching as a customer).
    • Filter Inclusion: Do your products appear when specific filters (facets) are applied? This is a key indicator of correct facet data.
    • Mirakl Reports: Check any product performance reports available in your seller dashboard.
  3. Customer Feedback: Pay attention to product reviews or customer service inquiries that might point to missing or unclear product information.
  4. Regular Review: Product trends and Mirakl's requirements can change. Schedule quarterly or bi-annual reviews of your product data.

Tools & Advanced Considerations:

  • Product Information Management (PIM) System: For long-term growth and managing data across multiple channels, a PIM system (like Akeneo, Pimcore, Salsify) centralizes and normalizes your product data, making it easier to syndicate to Mirakl (and other channels) while maintaining consistency. This is a significant investment in both time and money, but highly scalable. Syndication, however, will still not be automatic.
  • API Integration: If you have development resources, integrating directly with Mirakl's API allows for automated, real-time updates of product data, inventory, and pricing.
  • Support: Don't hesitate to reach out to the respective marketplace's support team for clarification on data requirements or specific facet mappings. They often have dedicated teams to help sellers optimize.

Optimizing your product data is an ongoing process, but by taking a structured approach to auditing, enriching, and validating your data, you can significantly boost your products' performance on B&Q or other marketplaces.

Alternatively, take a look at Optivise which can automate most of this process for you, inferring information from existing data in any format, including images and thereby ensuring you get high-quality product data live in no time.