Digital Shelf Analytics: How to choose the right solution for you

June 16, 2023

Digital shelf analytics (DSA) software is revolutionizing online sales. Are you ready to start your DSA journey?

If you’re selling online, you know how challenging the digital shelf can be. From marketplaces to social media and even your own website, tracking and optimizing performance on all your digital channels can be tricky. Images can get distorted. Specifications can be deleted. Entire listings can even disappear. And your competition could be moving ahead of you. To keep on top of any issues – and ahead of their digital shelf competition – a growing number of brands and manufacturers are implementing digital shelf analytics (DSA) solutions. But how do you choose the right digital shelf analytics software for you? Here are 5 key tips.

Get the analyst’s view on DSA

Download the “Gartner©, Market Guide for Digital Shelf Analytics” today

”Digital shelf analytics applications provide insight to brands and retailers when monitoring product content and pricing on digital channels.” 

Source: Gartner©, Market Guide for Digital Shelf Analytics, Jason Daigler & Helen Grimster, 15 November 2022  

But how to choose the right digital shelf analytics software for your business needs, can be an overwhelming decision. What capabilities does your digital shelf need? How could you be getting more from your tech stack? And where can you go for some expert, impartial advice? Here are five things to consider when choosing a digital shelf analytics platform. 

1. Do you need digital shelf analytics? 

So, you’re considering digital shelf analytics. But will DSA be the answer to your digital shelf dilemmas? That depends on how you sell and what you actually need. After all, there are plenty of software solutions out there, and ensuring you get the right one for your business ambitions is essential if you want to avoid a costly misstep. For example, if you’re selling online, you’ll probably need a “closed-loop” approach to your digital shelf management – meaning a standalone DSA solution might not be enough. Start by understanding your issues. That way, when you start looking at software options, you know exactly what you need. 

2. Understand the core DSA capabilities… 

If you’re leaning towards a DSA solution, you’ll probably want to know a few of the capabilities it can bring to your operations for effective digital shelf optimization. While no two DSA platforms are the same, there are some core capabilities that are key to digital shelf analytics technology. For example, the ability to ensure all your product listing pages are visible across all sites. Getting to grips with these is a good place to start your DSA journey. These core capabilities can revolutionize your digital shelf operations and take your omnichannel strategy to the next level. 

3. …and the DSA differentiators 

As we mentioned, no two digital shelf analytics solutions are built equal. This becomes increasingly clear when you start to dig a little deeper into what’s on offer from various DSA vendors. The extended capabilities and features of DSA software can make all the difference to the effectiveness of your digital shelf strategy. For example, have you considered the “spiders” you’ll need? If you want to avoid your DSA solution becoming a drain on your conversion rates, you will want to invest in software like inriver’s DSA capabilities, which employ high-quality ethical ‘spiders’. 

night market crowds in Bangkok, Thailand with colorful stalls

4. Research the marketplace 

When you’re looking for new solutions, it’s always smart to research your options ahead of time. Digging a little deeper into the marketplace means you’ll know the vendor names you can expect to see. You’ll also learn the capabilities you need to look out for. In their November 2022 Market Guide for Digital Shelf Analytics, leading market analyst Gartner detailed 16 Representative Vendors in Digital Shelf Analytics. This highlights the competitiveness of the current DSA landscape – and the importance of understanding exactly what your business needs.  

5. Get the analyst’s view 

You wouldn’t buy a new home without finding out what the experts think of its foundations. The same applies when you’re in the market for DSA software. To help you choose the right digital shelf analytics solution, leading market analyst Gartner has put together their valuable DSA insight into an easy-to-read guide. This forms part of their regular, independent research into the software technologies that can help drive stronger performance. Want to read Gartner’s view of the digital shelf analytics market? Download the Gartner©, Market Guide for Digital Shelf Analytics today and gain invaluable insight into your next software solution.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

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