Don’t fall for the automated feed distribution platform fallacy!

In theory, the concept of a fully integrated and automated platform sounds most appealing – put in your data feed, set-up all the channels and rules, and let the platform do the rest. And if you need to change something, the platform is so intuitive that it will send you an alert and then you can simply make changes with a couple of clicks, right?

Unfortunately, the reality is quite different most of the time.

To begin with, the data that goes into the platform is a standard export, missing key elements of the data a consumer sees when he visits the site, thus losing much of its potency.

Secondly, the platform will then allow you to optimise a flawed set of data, and you will have to dedicate a lot of time building the exports, mapping the product categories, creating rules, and acquiring the knowledge of how to work with the platform by means of a wiki.

The help that is available through support in most cases is reduced to how to effectively work with the platform – in some cases even this is limited by the number of support hours available.

And if, through insufficient knowledge of the platform, two rules set by you are conflicting or cancel each other out you must spend hours unravelling the problem.

Also, if there are problems with the exports, you receive a system email, telling you that there is a problem – but not how to fix it.

Very few platforms are intuitive enough or gamified enough for the user to spend time in there, but to get the best results you must.

The product you see during the acquisition phase is delivered by a salesforce that demonstrates its capabilities with a few well-practiced examples – but in many cases, it fails the field test of using it daily. It is predominantly a sales gimmick.

So is there an alternative?

We at Goldenfeeds have spent a lot of time and effort taking all the hassle away from our customers – with a dedicated support team that monitors every export, implements all rules and changes and helps you by providing real growth consultation. Speak to us today to find out the true scope of a fully managed ‘data as a service’ provider.