Why Your Online Store Can’t Afford to Ignore a Map Violation Tool

In a world where most shopping happens online, eCommerce sales are soaring. In 2022, retail eCommerce sales exceeded 5.7 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide expected only to reach new levels. 

With this increased abundance of online shoppers, competitiveness has also increased dramatically. With more and more marketplaces cropping up, and more sellers, it becomes harder to monitor authorized and unauthorized sellers. 

A MAP Violation tool helps businesses in that area by monitoring the online marketplace and informing the business of any malicious activity. With such a tool, brands can rest assured knowing that there are no detrimental impacts on their store’s reputation and success.

Understanding the Importance of Map Violation Monitoring

Image Source: Listinguish 

Map violation monitoring refers to the process of actively monitoring and addressing unauthorized sellers, price violations, and other policy infringements on various online marketplace platforms. 

These violations can include selling counterfeit products, undercutting prices, or misrepresenting your brand. Without proper monitoring, these violations can go unnoticed, leading to a negative impact on your brand’s image and customer experience.

A MAP violation tool would essentially help brand owners track any discrepancies online and ensure their businesses aren’t undercut due to map violations. 

To begin, let’s understand the impact such violations have on your business. 

The Impact of Map Violations on Your Online Store’s Reputation

• Price erosion: Map violations often involve sellers undercutting your prices to attract customers. This can lead to a lot of confusion and mistrust in the brand. When prices are lower on certain websites and higher on others, customers aren’t able to understand why and may feel scammed, especially if they find lower prices elsewhere after making a purchase. 

• Counterfeit or low-quality products: Counterfeit products aren’t new. It’s been happening ever since goods were sold for a commercial purpose. With eCommerce marketplaces, it becomes much harder to establish authenticity until it’s too late. 

Image Source: The New York Times 

A person receiving a counterfeit product might not know that it’s a fake product which can lead to negative reviews, reduced customer trust, and potential legal issues for your brand.

• Lack of control: How do you establish control when such activities are rampant? It’s non-existent. A bad customer service experience or misrepresentation may lead to negative feelings about your brand even if the product wasn’t authentic. 

The Risks of Ignoring Map Violations for Your Online Store

So, why should you bother with monitoring MAP violations? Let’s look at the risks. 

• Brand dilution: If your products are being sold at lower prices by unauthorized sellers, customers may perceive your brand as less exclusive and of lesser quality.

Image Source: Techdirt 

• Lost sales: When unauthorized sellers undercut your prices, they can divert sales away from your authorized channels. This not only results in lost revenue but also undermines your marketing efforts and investment in building a loyal customer base.

• Legal repercussions: Ignoring map violations can leave your brand vulnerable to legal issues. Counterfeit products and unauthorized distribution can lead to trademark infringement, intellectual property disputes, and potential legal action against your brand.

With the bad out of the way, let’s look at the good MAP violations can do for your brand. 

1. Real-time monitoring: A map violation tool enables you to monitor your product listings across various online marketplaces in real-time. This allows you to quickly identify and address any unauthorized sellers or price violations.
2. Automated enforcement: With a map violation tool, you can set up automated enforcement policies that identify and take action against violators. This saves you time and resources by automating the process of addressing and removing unauthorized sellers.

And there are numerous benefits for your store as well, like – 

3. Maintain brand consistency: By monitoring and addressing map violations, you ensure that your products are being sold according to your brand guidelines and pricing policies. This consistency helps to build trust and loyalty among customers.

4. Protect profit margins: By eliminating unauthorized sellers and price violations, you safeguard your profit margins and maintain control over your pricing strategy.

5. Enhanced customer experience: When customers purchase products from authorized channels, they are more likely to receive genuine products, quality customer service, and a positive overall experience. This results in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

6. Improve seller relationships: By actively monitoring and addressing map violations, you demonstrate your commitment to protecting your authorized sellers. This helps to cultivate strong relationships with your trusted partners and enhances collaboration in the long run.

Map violations pose a significant threat to your online store’s reputation and success. Ignoring these violations can result in brand dilution, lost sales, and legal repercussions.

A MAP violation tool can negate all these issues by providing the right means to track your online product presence. 
To see how effective such a tool can be, contact us at sales@42signals.com for a quick demo.