Why Your B2B Commerce Catalog Sucks (And What to Do About It)

Most distributors and manufacturers believe their eCommerce struggles are caused by the website, the platform, or the technology stack.But the real problem is usually much deeper.It’s the catalog.If your product catalog is weak, everything downstream suffers:• Customers can’t find what they need• Product pages feel unreliable• Website traffic stalls• eCommerce adoption fails• Sales teams stop trusting the platformIn this episode of Frictionless Commerce, Matt Johnson breaks down the real reason many B2B eCommerce initiatives never reach their potential—and why fixing your product data foundation is the key to unlocking growth.You’ll learn the four major catalog problems that quietly sabotage digital commerce for distributors and manufacturers.In This Episode Matt covers:• Why relying on product data aggregators creates inconsistent and unreliable catalogs• How the lack of product data governance breaks search, filters, and product discovery• Why spreadsheets, ERPs, and eCommerce platforms cannot manage product data workflows• The hidden revenue problem created by small catalogs and missing long-tail productsHe also explains what leaders should focus on instead if they want their digital commerce investments to actually deliver ROI.Key Takeaway:B2B eCommerce isn’t a website project.It’s a data infrastructure strategy.Companies that win in digital commerce don’t just launch websites—they build structured product data engines that power discovery, trust, and conversion.About Frictionless Commerce:Frictionless Commerce is the podcast for distribution and manufacturing leaders who need digital commerce to actually deliver results.Each episode goes behind the scenes into the data, systems, and operational processes that drive successful digital transformation across the supply chain.No hype.No silver bullets.Just practical insights from the front lines.Connect with Matt!If this episode was helpful, share it with a colleague and subscribe for more conversations about digital commerce strategy for distributors and manufacturers.Connect with Matt on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-d-johnson/Topics Covered:B2B eCommerceProduct Information Management (PIM)Master Data Management (MDM)Product Data GovernanceDistribution Digital StrategyB2B Product Catalog ManagementIndustrial eCommerceSupply Chain Digital Transformation