Marketplaces have transformed ecommerce by putting tens of thousands of brands, across multiple categories and countries, within consumers’ reach. Spurred on by the Covid-19 pandemic, marketplaces are now an established part of the ecommerce landscape. Businesses that fail to understand the marketplace opportunity could be missing out on capturing a slice of this lucrative virtual real estate.
This quick guide, an abridged version of Econsultancy’s Ecommerce: Third-Party Marketplaces Best Practice Guide, provides an introduction to marketplaces, with practical advice on selling and listing on the big platforms. It covers:
- Marketplace trends: With research projecting that marketplaces will be the largest and fastest-growing retail channel globally, what are the trends driving this surge in popularity?
- Opportunities: From increased brand awareness to access to international markets, why should brands consider selling through marketplaces?
- Challenges: With high customer expectations and fulfilment demands, what challenges should brands expect to face in order to lay the foundations for marketplace success?
- Preparation: Understanding customer search behaviour and platform algorithms is key to selling on marketplaces. How can businesses optimise their listings to best compete for the ‘buy box’?
- The big platforms: What are the listing requirements specific to Amazon, eBay and Alibaba, and how can businesses take advantage of them?