Marketplace to initiate sales or to strengthen them?
Making your own e-commerce site requires resources and know-how that are not always available to you. It means taking charge of many aspects, from procurement of goods to after-sales.
Sometimes it is therefore preferable to approach online sales by taking advantage of more immediate tools, Marketplaces.
But beware, a marketplace can also be a valuable ally for those who already have their own e-commerce.
Advantages
During the package preparation phase, it is necessary to optimize processes so that packaging can be speeded up as much as possible while minimizing errors. Therefore, it is important to have an optimized "picking" list in order to reduce the time needed to procure the products that will make up the orders. Likewise, the "packing" list will be crucial.
Disadvantages
Nothing is free, and marketplaces are certainly no exception. Certainly running your own ecommerce business has significant fixed costs, but selling on a marketplace also involves costs, which can be either fixed or variable. Each marketplace has its own set of rules, but in general we can split them between a monthly fee and a percentage for each sale; so great care must be taken when selling low-margin products. La concorrenza è ampia ed agguerrita e benché sia possibile vendere prodotti e quasi impossibile acquisire propri clienti. In mancanza di tutte le informazioni realtive al cliente è impossibile fare branding ed incentivare il riacquisto.
SEO and SEM
It may sound strange but, as we have said competition in marketplaces is fierce and to stand out you need to get busy. Improving titles and descriptions of your ads is a start but you need to know for each Marketplace the SEO elements to work on. In addition to this it is clearly possible to sponsor your own listings.
Logistic & customer care
In order not to have problems with the very rigid review system of Marketplaces, it is necessary to get organized. Speed and care in preparing shipments and prompt and comprehensive customer service are essential to avert painful account closure.
Amazon and eBay
They represent a viable sales channel, whether you want to start from scratch or combine them with your e-commerce.
Automation
To stand out and focus on your core business, you need to automate product placement.
Logistic and post-sale
Marketplaces are very demanding. Optimized logistics and customer service are the basis of survival.