Did you know, global online sales revenue was expected to reach a staggering $5.4 trillion in 2022?

There are about 2.14 billion online shoppers/buyers worldwide. Great news for eCommerce store owners, right?

However, 90% of eCommerce startups fail primarily because of poor marketing strategy.

Yes, a fast-loading, well-designed, and optimized eCommerce/WooCommerce store aids in your store’s success. But, you still need to have a sustainable marketing strategy to grow your brand.

The first and foremost thing you need is traffic/visitors. If you have a well-optimized and designed WooCommerce store and effective on-site marketing tools in place, you can turn these visitors into buying customers.

But, how do you bring traffic to your store?

Common practices are, running a search engine and social media ads, partnering with influencers and creators, or through content marketing. All of these will require money and time investment and careful planning.

There’s one way that most store owners are unaware of and mighty effective. You can reach millions of visitors by investing a short time and very little effort.

It’s called product feed marketing.

Today we will dig deep into this topic and find out about product feed marketing and how to create a customized

product feed for just about any channel.

We will also learn how to create a custom product feed file right from your WordPress WooCommerce admin panel using the CTX Feed- Best Woocommerce Product Feed plugin.

Without further ado, let’s jump in.

What is a product feed?

A product feed is a data file that lists all the products and their relevant information that a retailer or a merchant offer for sale. This file can be used by comparison shopping engines, marketplaces, and other websites to display the products and their information to potential customers.

In simple words, a product feed file is a like a product catalog that contains all your WooCommerce store’s product data. You can upload this data into giant marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Walmart, etc., and promote your products in those channels.

You can also use a product feed file to list your products in price comparison engines, such as Google Shopping organic listing, Idealo, PriceSpy, etc., and also in social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc.

Additionally, you will need a product feed file to run shopping ads for your WooCommerce products on platforms such as Google Shopping ads, Bing shopping ads, Snapchat, etc.

A product feed is a crucial tool for merchants and retailers looking to expand their online presence and reach a wider audience. The product feed usually contains all the details necessary to showcase the products in a consistent and organized manner, including product title, description, image, price, availability, and a link to purchase the product.

File type for a product feed

The most common file type/extension of a product feed file is the CSV format. If you are familiar with software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, then you already know how it may look.

The file type for a product feed file can vary, but some common file formats include:

CSV (Comma-Separated Values)

This is a simple text file that separates data using commas, making it easy to import into spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

XML (Extensible Markup Language)

XML Product Feed is a markup language used to encode data in a structured format. It is commonly used for data exchange between systems.

TXT (Plain Text)

This is a simple text file that can be used to store data in a plain text format. It is not as structured as CSV or XML, but it is still a commonly used format for product feeds.

Google Sheets

This is a cloud-based spreadsheet program similar to Microsoft Excel offered by Google. It allows for easy sharing and collaboration on spreadsheets, making it a popular choice for product feeds.

The choice of file format for a product feed will depend on the requirements of the channel/system receiving the feed, the technical capabilities of the retailer, and any other specific requirements.

Having an accurate and up-to-date product feed is essential for ensuring that customers have access to the latest information about the products being offered. This helps to increase the chances of customers making a purchase and also provides a better user experience.

In the later part of this article, we will learn how you can create, connect and update product feed files across multi-channels from one place.

What is product feed marketing?

To put it simply, the marketing/promotions you do for your WooCommerce/eCommerce products with product feed files is called product feed marketing.

Product feed marketing refers to the use of product feed data to promote and market products to potential customers through various channels. The product feed data is used to create product listings on various platforms, such as comparison shopping engines, marketplaces, or other websites, where you can display your products to potential customers.

Majority of the online shoppers search for a product in different search machines or price comparison engines before making the purchase decision. Therefore, when you list your products in these channels, you will be able to reach the exact customers who are looking for your products. This also allows you to reach a wider audience and increase your online visibility.

Product feed marketing is a cost-effective way for retailers to reach a large number of potential customers without having to invest heavily in advertising and other marketing efforts. The product feed data provides all the necessary information about the products, such as product title, description, image, price, availability, and link to purchase, which can be used to create compelling product listings.

In addition, product feed marketing can help to improve the customer experience by providing customers with accurate and up-to-date information about the products you are offering. This helps to increase the chances of customers making a purchase and can also increase customer loyalty and trust in the retailer.

What is a custom product feed?

A custom product feed is a product feed that is made just for a certain retailer or merchant to meet their needs and requirements.

A standard product feed is made using a set format and structure. A custom product feed, on the other hand, is made to fit the specific needs of the retailer and can be changed in terms of the information it contains and how it is presented.

Product feed customization provides retailers and merchants with more control and flexibility over the product data that is included and how it is presented, allowing them to better target their audience and improve the customer experience.

What are the necessary attributes for a custom product feed?

Every product feed file must have some row titles known as attributes under which you need to input your product data. For example, price is an attribute under which you need to put your price amount for the products.

A custom data feed typically requires the following attributes:

Product ID: A unique identifier for each product.

Product Name: The name or title of the product.

Description: A detailed description of the product’s features and benefits.

Image URL: A URL that points to an image of the product.

Price: The current selling price of the product.

Availability: Information about the availability of the product, such as “in stock” or “out of stock.”

Category: The category or categories that the product belongs to, such as “Electronics” or “Clothing.”

Brand: The brand of the product.

URL: A URL that points to the product’s landing page on your website.

Condition: The condition of the product, such as “new” or “used.”

Note that the specific requirements may vary depending on the marketplace, platform, or channel the custom feed you are creating for.

Why would you need to create a custom product feed for WooCommerce products?

Creating a custom product feed for WooCommerce products can provide a number of benefits for retailers and merchants. Some of the key reasons why a custom product feed may be necessary for WooCommerce products include:

Improved compatibility with specific platforms

Some platforms, such as marketplaces or comparison shopping engines, may have specific requirements for the product data that is included in the feed or may have specific format requirements.

You can create a custom product feed to ensure that the product data is compatible with these requirements. This will allow you to promote your products on these platforms more easily.

Better representation of the brand

A custom product feed can be created to include data that reflects the brand’s values and personality, such as product descriptions and images. This can help to improve the overall brand image and increase customer loyalty by providing customers with a more comprehensive and personalized view of the brand.

Increased visibility

By creating a custom product feed, a retailer or merchant like you can promote and market their products on a wider range of platforms, increasing their visibility and reach. This can help to attract new customers and increase sales by exposing the brand to a larger audience.

Improved customer experience

You can create a custom product feed to include additional product information that is relevant and useful to customers, such as product dimensions, care instructions, or reviews. This can help you to improve the customer experience by providing customers with the information they need to make an informed purchasing decision and increasing the chances of a customer making a purchase.

Better targeting of specific audiences

Retailers can create a custom product feed to include data that is relevant to a specific customer segment or target audience. This can help to better target these audiences and increase the chances of making a sale by presenting products in a way that is relevant and appealing to the target audience.

Competitive advantage

A custom product feed can provide a retailer or merchant with a competitive advantage by allowing them to present their products in a unique and compelling manner. This will differentiate them from other retailers and increase their chances of making a sale.

As a result, this can help the retailer or merchant to stand out from the competition and gain a greater share of the market.

Overall, creating a customized product feed for WooCommerce products can be a valuable tool for Woo retailers like you. It can provide a number of benefits that can help to improve the customer experience, increase visibility, better target specific audiences, and provide a competitive advantage.

How to generate a custom product feed in WooCommerce?

Suppose you want to list your products in Google Shopping or you want to create a Facebook product feed to list and display your products on the platform.

The first thing you will need is to find out what attributes the platform requires. Every platform provides guidelines for its custom product feed. You can simply search in Google to find out.

Once you learn about the attributes, you can put them in the first column of every row in an Excel or Google Sheets file and input your product data underneath them. This is the most straightforward way of creating a custom product feed file.

After you are done, you can upload the file to your favorite marketplaces or price comparison engines. The platform will then fetch your product information from the custom feed and display them in their platform accordingly.

However, if you have a WooCommerce store with a large number of products, then creating a custom product feed using this manual method would be a hassle. And maintaining and updating this custom product feed would put you in a vicious cycle.

The primary purpose of a product feed is to make the job of listing your products in multiple channels a breeze. Therefore, you can’t rely on the manual method.

If you are running a WooCommerce business then there’s a great solution for your custom product feed generation. You can simply install a generate custom product feed WooCommerce plugin called CTX Feed.

CTX Feed – WooCommerce custom product feed plugin

The beauty of WooCommerce is, even if the core plugin doesn’t offer you the tools you need, you can still find your way out with the help of the vast array of plugins available for the platform.

One such great plugin for creating custom product feed files is the CTX Feed. This is a freemium plugin that lets you create product feed files for about 130 channels within a short time and with very little effort.

CTX Feed already knows what attributes different channel requires. So it has built templates for all the channels.

All you need to do is, select the channel and the plugin will automatically populate the necessary attributes. As soon as you click the generate button, CTX Feed will collect all your product information and put them in a product feed file under those attributes.

Additionally, it also allows you to create custom product files for any channel that is not listed. It also makes WooCommerce product feed customization a walk in the park for you.

The best thing about this plugin is, you don’t need to update anything manually. As soon as you make any changes to your WooCommerce product pages, CTX Feed will fetch those changes and update all your product feed files automatically.

You can choose to download the files or connect via HTTPS/FTP/SFTP/URL method. The latter option allows you to update all your product changes across multi-channels automatically at your chosen interval.

Key features

• Supports 100+ channels and has built-in templates for them.
• Automatically populates necessary attributes when a channel template is selected.
• Allows you to make product feed customization using filters and conditions.
• Automatically collects all your product data and organizes them according to the attributes.
• Allows you to create a custom product feed for any channel.
• Automatically updates all product changes after the chosen interval.
• Allows you to edit, delete, update, download, or connect via URL.
• Enables you to display updated and accurate data across multi-channels.

Price

The basic version is available for free in the WordPress repository. The premium or pro version comes with different plans to fit your needs.

Annual cost –

Single Site – $119.00

Five Site – $199.00

Ten Site – $229.00

In addition, you can purchase a permanent license for the premium version. You must contact the company directly to obtain a quote.

A step-by-step guide to creating a custom product feed using CTX Feed

In this section, we will create a custom product feed using the CTX Feed plugin to show you how it works. But, first, let us show you how easy it is to create a product feed using a pre-made template.

Login to your WordPress admin panel and go to Plugins and Add New. Search and find CTX Feed.

Install and activate the plugin. Once you install it, the plugin will create its own dedicated menu on the left panel.

Click on Make Feed and it will open a new feed window.

Let’s say you want to create a product feed for Snapchat dynamic ads. From the Template dropdown, select Snapchat.

After that select the file type and give your feed file a name.

As soon as you select the template, CTX Feed will automatically populate all the necessary attributes for Snapchat at the bottom.

All you need to do is click the Update and Generate Feed button. CTX Feed will automatically collect all your product data and create a product feed file for Snapchat.

Now we will find out how to create a custom product feed using the plugin. The channel we will try to create a feed file for is eBay.

Creating a custom product feed file for eBay using CTX Feed

As we have discussed before, the first thing you will need to find out is the necessary attributes eBay requires. You can find the eBay attributes in this link.

Here are the required attributes an eBay custom product feed file must have,

• SKU
• Localized For
• Title
• Product Description
• Condition
• image URL

Besides these, there are a number of attributes you can insert in your eBay custom product feed file depending on the product type and different conditions. For example –

• Variation Group ID (For variable products)
• Variation Specific Name 1 -5 (For multi-SKU)

Now go back to your WooCommerce back panel and click on Make Feed to start creating a new custom product feed file. Now from the Template dropdown select the Custom Template 1 option.

CTX Feed will automatically populate some common attributes all channel requires. Go ahead and delete all of them as we want to start fresh.

Creating eBay custom product feed from scratch

Go back to the eBay required attributes page. The first thing you will need is an SKU attribute.

SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit, and it is a unique identifier assigned to each product in an eCommerce store. In WooCommerce, an SKU is a unique code that is used to track inventory and manage stock levels.

In the CTX Feed custom product feed window, click on Add New Attribute to create a new attribute field.

Name it SKU and from the Value dropdown, find and select SKU.

That’s it, CTX Feed will automatically fetch all your WooCommerce product’s SKUs and insert them in the feed file when you click on the generate button.

How to insert custom fields using CTX Feed

You might have noticed, the next required field is Localized For. This is a field you won’t find on WooCommerce product pages. In addition to this, there are a number of fields WooCommerce doesn’t have such as Brand, ISBN, EAN, MPN, etc., but different channels demand in their feed file.

One way to solve this issue is to install a plugin to create custom fields. However, that will require additional technical skills which can be difficult for some.

Luckily, CTX Feed comes packed with all the custom fields you may require. Moreover, if the attribute is not listed in CTX Feed default settings, the plugin also offers some additional custom fields you can create for unknown attributes.

To enable custom fields, go to the CTX Feed settings page and scroll down to the Custom Fields section.

From here you can enable any field you need. For example, ISBN is an optional field for eBay. If you want to include it in your feed file, you first need to enable it for your product pages and input values for it.

Go ahead and enable ISBN.

Now go to one of your product pages and jump to the Product Data section.

Click on the Inventory tab and you will find a dedicated section for CTX Feed custom fields. You can insert the value there now.

Now coming back to that attribute – Localized For. This is a field neither WooCommerce nor CTX Feed recognizes. We will enable a custom field from the settings page.

Let’s disable ISBN for now and go back to the product page.

As you can see, there’s a custom field there now that we will use for Localized for the attribute.

Now, what is Localized for field stand for?

In an eBay product feed, the “localized for” field refers to a field that is used to specify a product’s information in different languages and locales.

This field is used to display a product’s details in the language and currency of the buyer. This helps to improve the shopping experience for buyers who are not familiar with the seller’s local language and currency.

For example, if a seller is based in the US and sells products globally, they can use the “localized for” field to display product information in different languages and currencies for buyers in different countries. This way, buyers can see the product information in their local language and currency, which can help to increase their confidence in making a purchase.

Here are some example values –

• en_AU
• de_AT
• en_CA
• de_DE
• es_ES
• fr_FR
• en_IN
• it_IT
• ru_RU
• en_GB
• en_US

Remember you need to have multilingual support in your WooCommerce store to use different values. Otherwise, use en_US as default.

Creating the attribute in CTX Feed

Now let’s create the attribute field for that custom field in the CTX Feed window. Add a new attribute and name it ‘Localized For.’ From the Value dropdown now you can find the custom field under ‘Custom Fields by CTX Feed.’

Now you can go ahead and insert other necessary fields such as title, description, image URL, and condition.

Again, if you can’t find any value in the list, you can always create a custom field for it from the settings.

For variable products with multiple SKUs, you can similarly create attribute fields following the official eBay attribute requirement page. For instance, for products with size and color variables, it may look like this.

The final output may look like this for a variable product.

After you are done inserting all the attributes, click on the Update and Generate Feed button. CTX Feed will collect all your WooCommerce product data according to the attributes and create a custom product feed file.

Now, you can find the feed file in the Manage Feeds list. You can download the file and upload it to your eBay seller’s account and the platform will fetch all your WooCommerce product data and display it on their website.

You can also apply different filters and conditions to the custom product feed using the CTX Feed pro.

When you set the interval option and enable auto-updates, the plugin will automatically fetch all the changes you make in your product pages and update the feed files.

There are channels such as Google Text-based-feed ads that support FTP/HTTP/URL upload method. If you copy any feed URL and upload it through one of these methods, then all your product data changes will be updated across all your connected channels automatically without manually downloading and uploading every time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Wrap up

A custom product feed can play a vital role in the success of your WooCommerce store. It allows you to reach a wide range of audiences and most importantly it can help you reach your potential customers.

The CTX Feed plugin we mentioned makes your life easier by allowing you to create product feed files in minutes and display accurate product data and promotional offers across multi-channels. This will result in high traffic, more conversions, and an overall increase in revenue for your Woo business.

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the topic.