Why sell on marketplaces?

An online marketplace is an e-commerce platform where external sellers come together to sell their products and services to visitors to the platform. The marketplace therefore acts as an 'intermediary' between the consumer and the external seller. Due to the high brand awareness of these e-commerce platforms, there are many visitors/customers on these platforms. This makes it easier for you as an entrepreneur to reach a large target group. It is important to note that when you sell on an online Marketplace, you often have to give a small percentage of your income to the platform.

Before you start selling on a Marketplace, it is important to consider where you want to sell. Do you mainly want to sell within the Netherlands or would you prefer to sell internationally? You also need to take the logistics process into account. Some Marketplaces allow you to store stock (at a low rate) and the platform takes care of shipping. You can also choose to arrange this yourself. The third point that can make a Marketplace interesting for your company is that you don't have to invest in a new webshop and many consumers already know how to find their way to this platform. Selling on a Marketplace gives you an extra sales channel. Keep in mind that this extra channel not only means higher turnover, but also more time and costs. Therefore, carefully consider whether selling on platforms is suitable for your business.

Once you have taken the step to start selling on a Marketplace, it is good to know how to sell your products in the best way possible. First of all, it is important that you always manage to get hold of the 'Buy box'. With the 'Buy box', your product will always be displayed at the top or first on the page. This ensures that customers who don't want to spend too much time searching for a product will immediately find your item, increasing the chance that the consumer will buy from you. On Marketplaces, multiple sellers can sell the same item, and the customer has a choice of where to buy it. But if you have secured the 'Buy box', your item will be seen as the most relevant and will be displayed as the best. But how do you get the 'Buy box'? To secure the 'Buy box', Marketplace uses an algorithm. Some aspects of this algorithm are price, delivery time, and service.

To secure the Buy Box, offering a good price to consumers is very important. By offering a better price than your competitors, more consumers will want to buy your product, making it more relevant for Marketplaces to place in the Buy Box. Offering a lower price reduces your margin, which is considered one of the biggest disadvantages of selling on Marketplaces.

To encourage consumers to return to the platform as often as possible, Marketplaces want to offer the fastest possible delivery times. This means it is important that you can also deliver as quickly as possible, sometimes within a single day. This can be a complicated process, which is why some Marketplaces also offer a 'fulfillment service'. With this service, the entire logistics process is carried out by the Marketplace and you only pay a commission.

It is important that your sales channel offers good service. By receiving positive reviews, responding quickly to customer questions, and ensuring that products are always delivered correctly and quickly, you can ensure that your sales channel receives a good rating. The ratings also influence whether you receive the "Buy box." In addition, a high rating inspires confidence and encourages consumers to buy a product from you more quickly.

Sponsored Products can also be used on Marketplaces. This involves placing (paid) advertisements on a product or product group, which are then displayed at the top of the search page, as well as in other places within the platform. This makes your products more visible and increases the likelihood that a consumer will order from you. With Sponsored Products, you can set the search terms you want to be found on and you only pay when someone clicks on your item. Using Sponsored Products is almost always recommended. It also helps you maintain your organic positions within the platform because the Amazon and Bol algorithms look at the number of clicks and conversions.

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