Own Store Vs. Marketplaces: Where Should You Sell Your Products?

Whether you're just starting your ecommerce journey or looking for opportunities to scale your business, there are several choices you need to make.

You must find the right people to support your business so you can meet your objectives. There are also suppliers that can help you cut costs and increase revenue without sacrificing quality. You also want assistance from experts to develop an outstanding customer experience.

One of the first decisions you'll make is between building your own store and using marketplaces. There are pros and cons of both. So let's take a look at where is the best place for you to sell your products.

Selling Your Products on Marketplaces

Selling your products on a marketplace such as eBay or Amazon has several benefits. While you're competing with other sellers who might have a similar offering, there are many aspects of the business you don't need to concern yourself with.

The Benefits of Selling Your Products on a Marketplace

If you're just dipping your toe into the ecommerce industry and don't want to outlay a considerable investment, then selling your products on a marketplace might be for you. The platform will take care of all the infrastructure and IT support. All you'll need to do is post your products.

It also means you won't need to worry about SEO or writing policy documents for privacy or returns. The marketplace handles a lot of these components for you. They also have an existing customer base that utilises it. So your focus becomes providing outstanding experiences to increase your reputation instead of trying to drive people to your store.

Considerations When Selling on a Marketplace

Before you sign up for a marketplace, there are some things to consider. It's important to remember that selling your products on eBay or Amazon isn't a free ride. There are fees you'll need to pay for each product you advertise and every sale you make. This is how they afford to keep the platform running.

You'll also need to understand that customers may not associate their purchase experience with you. There is no branding or differentiator on the platforms. So if you're interested in building your own ecommerce empire, then selling on a marketplace won't be for you.

Building Your Own Ecommerce Store

It takes a lot of work to build an ecommerce store, but the rewards can be much greater than selling on a marketplace. It can also be more gratifying as you take something that didn't previously exist and create a business thousands of people use daily.

The Benefits of Building Your Own Ecommerce Store

One of the best benefits of creating your own online store is that you're in total control. You can determine your store's appearance and every aspect of the purchase journey. It also means you'll gain access to insights that you can use to make improvements and introduce new products based on how your buyers behave.

You can also choose your own suppliers that help enhance your brand. It can be anything from sustainable packaging that reduces your carbon footprint to multicarrier fulfilment solutions that ensure your customer receives their parcel as soon as possible.

Considerations When Building an Ecommerce Store

Creating something from scratch does take a lot of time and effort. Some platforms can help you with the design and purchase journey, while others may require you to build from the ground up. Unless you have a background in website design, you may want to hire someone to do this for you.

There are also all of the other responsibilities such as marketing and fulfilment. However, many of these duties can be automated. For example, instead of manually organising a courier for each individual parcel, you can integrate your platform with the Interparcel Shipping Manager, import your orders, and send them with a few clicks.

What is Right for You? Own Store Vs. Marketplaces

Choosing to create your own store vs. marketplaces comes down to how much time and effort you can commit as well as what your budget looks like. Marketplaces are great as there is an existing customer base, and you don't have as many tasks to do on your plate. But building your own store can be satisfying and gives you more control.

No matter where you decide to sell your products, you'll want to put your time and effort into the parts of the business that matter to you. The good news is that the Interparcel Shipping Manager seamlessly integrates into ecommerce platforms and marketplaces. You can import all your orders and send them within minutes. Head to this page to find out how you can get started today.