If you want to sell products online through a marketplace, you have everything to gain from using GS1 standards for unique numbers, product information and images.
On marketplaces this combination represents a crucial part of the offer to the digital shopper. The products are better sales optimized and consumers can feel completely confident that they are clicking on the right product.
A marketplace is an online store with different sellers’ products gathered on a single domain. The marketplaces handle everything from order to delivery and the sellers pay a fee for exposure on their platform. Examples of global and local marketplaces are Amazon, eBay, CDON and Fyndiq.
GS1 standards for marketplaces
Most marketplaces require from you as a seller to uniquely identify your products with GTIN and barcodes. And they often set high standards for images and product information that you register in their system. This means better business for both parties:
To help you on the way, feel free to use these handy step-by-step guides on how to get started selling on Amazon, Google Shopping or other online marketplaces.
Standards in use
On marketplace websites you can often read that they require a GTIN, UPC– or an EAN from GS1. Here we will help you sort out the concepts.
GTIN
for identification of products
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is almost always a requirement for selling products on marketplaces. It is a globally unique identification number for your product and is encoded in the barcode.
You have stepped into the starting blocks to sell on a marketplace as soon as your product has a GTIN number. This means that it is ready to be sold both in stores and online anywhere in the world.
UPC or EAN
for labelling of products
UPC and EAN are both barcode tags that represent your GTIN.
- The European Article Number (EAN) represents the 13-digit GTIN that provides unique identification of your product. The label applies to products sold anywhere in the world and is the most established of all GS1 barcodes.
- Universal Product Code (UPC) represents the 12-digit GTIN that provides unique identification of your product. The label applies to products sold anywhere in the world, but is designed for those with a customer base in North America where they accept both UPC and EAN.
ISBN and ISSN
for identification of books
ISBN and ISSN are the identification numbers for printed books and magazines. In Sweden, these numbers are only distributed by the National Library of Sweden.
Product images
for identification and more purchases
High-quality product images are often crucial for the online customer to click the buy button. Fortunately, there is a GS1 standard for product images that ensures the right quality, angle, lighting and meta tagging.
If you use the service Validoo to share images, you can in most cases use the marketing images you have already stored for other channels. First you need to find out what your marketplace specifically requires.
Do you need new product images for your online or physical sales channels? GS1 Sweden’s photo studio are here to help.
for searchability and more purchases
Marketplaces have high demands on data about items that are visible in their platforms is of good quality, relevant and structured. Clear and consistent trade item information will help the marketplace categorize products and optimize sales.
If you follow the GS1 Trade Item information guideline, you can usually reuse large amounts of the same product data that you have already registered for other channels. Of course, you will have to adapt to the requirements from your marketplace.