How can third-party ecommerce platforms benefit my business?
The astronomic rise of ecommerce in the last decade has transformed the global landscape of retail and sales. Businesses must now have a considered ecommerce strategy or fall behind and be stunted by a lack of online presence. It is vital, especially for SMEs, that businesses converge upon the endless advantages offered by ecommerce.
When it comes to actual strategy, it can sometimes be difficult to choose the best ecommerce strategy to increase your revenue and business profits. With global ecommerce sales projected to reach $4.1 trillion in 2020, we’ve written a blogpost to guide businesses on the key advantages of using third-party ecommerce platforms in your sales strategy.
What are third-party ecommerce platforms? Think of Amazon and eBay as some hugely popular examples. The basic definition of third-party ecommerce is that these platforms, also known as emarketplaces or ecommerce marketplaces, manage and host online sales for businesses for a fee.
The popularity of emarketplaces has had noted growth in the last few years, partly due to the accessibility of these platforms to businesses of all sizes. Emarketplaces remain a great method for businesses to sell online.
What are some of the key advantages of emarketplaces?
Exposure
Some of the most popular online marketplaces, such as Amazon and Alibaba, have millions of users. Selling through these platforms will open up your business to new customers browsing the marketplace who might be completely unfamiliar with your brand. Using third-party ecommerce platforms increases the exposure your business receives and can result in new sales.
Revenue
Third-party platforms don’t require total loyalty – you are free to use multiple platforms to cast your net even further. Whilst one emarketplace will be suited to a particular market, if you wish to sell abroad you might need to rely on a native marketplace that has the customer base you’re trying to reach. Doing this allows your business to have multiple sources of online sales revenue, mitigating against any risks involved.
Popularity
Emarketplaces are incredibly popular with consumers across the globe. They offer important convenience for shoppers, who can quickly search for products and price compare across potentially thousands of businesses. Many consumers are actually more likely to buy from an emarketplace than a company website as they trust the reliability of established platforms more.
Logistics
Selling directly online involves a huge amount of logistical work which will place a heavy burden on staff. If you choose to sell through a third-party platform, the logistical operations (e.g. shipping and returns) are usually fulfilled by that party. If your business doesn’t have the budget to employ customer service staff, then third-party platforms are great because that is usually already part of the service you sign up to.
Marketing
Likewise, marketing costs can eat away into profit margins if small businesses go the route of selling directly online. With third-party platforms, marketing (especially SEO) is often included. Be sure, however, to always check the pricing structure in place before you sign onto any marketplace.
Global
Many of the larger emarketplaces are global platforms, selling across the world to millions of consumers. Using third-party ecommerce platforms will enable you to profit from opportunities for overseas sales and increase your exports.
Choosing emarketplaces is not a decision to take lightly and you will need to undertake the necessary research before you go ahead with any decision. We can support your business in developing a successful ecommerce strategy.
Get in touch today by calling 0345 222 0159 or email info@tradewm.co.uk