Mar
29
Selling on Amazon and eBay and Other Marketplaces!
When it comes to online marketplaces, Amazon and eBay are two of the largest and most popular platforms. With millions of active users and website visitors on these two sites, the opportunity for growth, conversions, and customers is astronomical. Businesses that want to market their products to more consumers should sell on channels like Amazon, eBay, and other marketplaces in order to expand their reach.
If you are a small business owner, you should take advantage of the potential customers, brand awareness, and other benefits that come with selling your products on other channels.
Why multi channel marketing?
Multi channel marketing provides businesses with far more opportunities for growth and revenue than they are able to receive through one channel. If you want to boost your bottom line, it would be advantageous for your business to expand to other channels.
Here are a few ways that multi channel marketing can help your business:
Scalability
Listing your products on multiple channels is a great way to scale your business. When you sell products on online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, or Walmart, you are able to reap the benefits of advertising to millions of people who you would not otherwise be able to reach.
Instead of relying on organic search engine results to draw customers or waiting for customers to find your website and come to you for your products, you will be able to connect with consumers on websites they already frequent. In this way, you are proactive in putting your products in front of potential customers. This will increase your sales and profitability.
Increased lifetime value
In addition to gaining more customers, when you use multiple channels, you will also improve your chances of developing repeat and lifelong customers. Studies show that consumers who shop through multiple channels have a 30% higher lifetime value than those who only use one channel. If your products are only available through one channel, you are missing out on these consumers.
Positive reputation
Multi channel marketing is also helpful because it allows you to capitalize on the reputation of bigger marketplaces. Millions of people conduct business through Amazon, so they are more likely to buy products from your business through Amazon than on your website.
Whether your business is small or large, you should prioritize multi channel marketing and see how you can start selling on Amazon and eBay.
Selling on Amazon and eBay
While both Amazon and eBay have a lot to offer your business, they are very different marketplaces. Before you start listing your products on either marketplace, you should see how each marketplace fits with the goals of your company.
This guide will let you know what you should expect when selling on Amazon and eBay:
Selling on Amazon
Amazon has over 310 million active users. If you sell products on Amazon, you are reaching an audience that is far beyond what your business can reach on its own. While using Amazon is a great way to expose your products to millions of people, there are a few factors that you should consider when you are deciding whether or not to use this channel.
Products
Amazon is a great option for businesses that sell products that tend to be popular or commonplace. It allows Professional sellers to sell products that fall in 30 different categories. However, if your products are rather niche, Amazon might not be as beneficial for your business as other online marketplaces.
You also need to keep in mind that Amazon will market their own products above yours. If you are unable to compete with Amazon’s products, selling on Amazon might be difficult.
Order Fulfillment
While you can sell your products on Amazon with a seller account and fulfill your orders yourself or through a third-party service, Amazon also offers Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA). Fulfillment By Amazon allows you to outsource your Amazon orders so that all of your packing, shipping, delivery, and customer service requests are Amazon’s responsibility. This will allow you to offer one-day and two-day shipping options for your customers.
If you sell a high quantity of products, this feature might be a cost-effective and efficient way to make sure you are keeping your customers happy.
Fees
When you sell on Amazon, you should be prepared to pay several fees depending on what type of products you offer. Professional sellers need to pay a $39.99 monthly fee, and there are additional fees that you can accrue, like referral fees per item you sell or storage and shipping fees if you choose to use FBA.
Think about how many products you expect to sell and see if these prices fit in your business model.
International Reach
If you sell on Amazon, you will be able to sell your products in the United States, as well as Canada and Mexico. If you would like to expand your reach internationally, selling on Amazon is a good place to start.
Selling on eBay
With over 179 million active users, eBay is another platform that deserves your consideration. Here are some key factors you should keep in mind as you choose which channels will work best for your business:
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Products
Unlike many other marketplaces, eBay is an “open” marketplace. Whether the items you offer are popular or extremely rare, you will be able to sell almost anything. You will also be able to sell your products in any condition.
Another benefit of selling on eBay is that you will not have to compete with their products. eBay does a great job of highlighting third-party merchants and helping businesses grow.
Order Fulfillment
eBay offers eBay Guaranteed Delivery to help you fulfill orders efficiently. With eBay Guaranteed Delivery, customers will receive their items in three days or less, and eBay will handle any issues that might arise.
eBay also allows you to offer free shipping for your customers, increasing customer satisfaction and the likelihood of having repeat customers.
Fees
eBay charges a fair share of fees to businesses that use its marketplace. If you sell your products on eBay, expect to pay seller fees that are a percentage of your final product sales and listing fees if you list more than 50 items.
International Reach
eBay has a global shipping program that allows you to ship your products across the world. Sell your products in more than 100 countries, and know that you are protected if there are any shipping errors overseas.
Getting Started
After considering both of these channels and how they can help you company, it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to use them to help your business. If you decided to use Amazon, eBay, or any other marketplace, you should use Listing Mirror.
Listing Mirror is the leading multi channel listing software available for businesses that want to sell on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. This solution makes it easy for you to list your products, manage your inventory, and fulfill your orders on multiple channels.
For more information about Listing Mirror, visit ListingMirror.com.
Sell More. Work Less.
Erin Wawok
Erin is the Co-Founder of Listing Mirror.