As the e-commerce business is on the rise, establishing a business on international platforms can be beneficial to increase the number of customers and boost the sales of the company. By identifying the right channels, you shall be in a position to reach potential customers, increase your firm’s visibility, and achieve higher revenues. However, it goes without saying that choosing the best available global e-commerce marketplaces shall help in the expansion of the business through their large customer base. Thus in this blog, we will explore some of the leading e-commerce marketplaces worldwide, including Amazon, eBay, and the others, to show which platforms will be the best fit for your products as well as how to tailor your approach to international market properly.
What is Ecommerce marketplace?
An e-commerce marketplace can be defined as an online business model through which multiple individual sellers offer their products to a large pool of customers. Unlike standalone online shops that come with their own stock, these marketplaces do not hold stocks rather, they offer an online platform where sellers can display their items for sale and buyers can make purchases easily and securely. Here sellers are able to leverage the marketplace’s traffic, marketing, and payment processing capabilities while buyers are able to select from a wide variety of products and offers at reasonable prices. Some of these are Amazon, eBay and Alibaba as they have broad international commodity and service coverage which makes the market attractive especially when approached by the seller.
Top Global E-commerce Marketplaces
There are various platforms that provide vast opportunities to tap into diverse markets, build brand recognition, and increase revenue but here in this section we will discuss only few top global e-commerce marketplaces:
1. Amazon
Amazon is the largest online marketplace in the world which is widely recognized for a stable delivery system. With over 2.4 billion monthly visits suggesting that Amazon has matchless access to consumers while it is the second biggest search engine in the world. Some of the strategically important areas where Amazon is more popular along with large customer base is United States, Germany, United Kingdom, India, and Japan. Amazon usually takes a commission of 15% of the sale price, this fee can be adjusted depending on the type of product. Thus, due to the availability of social networks, the developed logistic infrastructure, and the general customer trust, the platform is perfect for sellers who have their ambitions on expanding their operations on an international level.
2. eBay
eBay is a really flexible solution in which you can sell both new and second-hand products, with more than 665 million monthly visits. It sustains and serves several markets, which comprises of the United States, United Kingdom, German, India, China and Australia. According to its business model, eBay enable sellers to take advantage of its various pricing strategies that includes the eBay’s reduced selling fees and promotional credits. The services offered by eBay are diverse and the product listings are made in an auction-format manner, making it appeal to a broad market.
3. Walmart
The Walmart marketplace is an accelerating channel that shows aggressive growth especially in the United States, Canada, and India. With more than 511.5 million monthly visits, Walmart has offered its marketplace through third-party sellers posted on over 35 categories. When it comes to commissions, they fall between 6% and 15% of the selling price depending on the category of products. With its numerous outlets both offline and growing online access, Walmart’s market provides valuable opportunities for sellers.
4. Alibaba
Alibaba is one of the largest B2B marketplaces currently operating in China, which is suitable for companies who want to offer their products in bulk. Currently, it is averaging more than 99 million monthly visits and is most active in countries such as China, the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Generally, Seller plans begin from a modest $3,499 per year which makes it one of the most expensive solutions for wide-spread suppliers. Thus being one of the world’s largest marketplaces, Alibaba boasts of an extensive network and specializes in the movement of large volumes of goods.
5. AliExpress
The B2C marketplace is also served by AliExpress, an Alibaba subsidiary, which is particularly beneficial for dropshipping companies. Currently it sustains 18 languages and engages more than 230 countries with above 435 million visits per month. Commissions are typically between five percent and eight percent of the offer’s estimated value. Due to being an international marketplace along with its user friendly interface, AliExpress is most suited to small businesses or even single merchants.
6. Taobao
Taobao is the flagship of the largest Chinese C2C Internet marketplace similar to eBay consumer-to-consumer platform. A classified website that receives 300 million monthly visits and does not collect any fees to list products. It is widely used in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong regions of the world. Taobao has hundreds of millions of registered users and is largely an e-commerce marketplace that focuses on small sellers and common consumer products.
7. Flipkart
The current popular business from India which is considered as one of the most promising players in the sphere of e-commerce is Flipkart. It gets more than 3 million monthly visits and provides a range of product from categories like electronics, home and kitchen, fashion, etc. The platform fee ranges between 8% and 25% according to the category of the product affected. Due to the significant market that India offers, Flipkart serves as an essential gateway to this massive market for any firm.
8. Rakuten
Rakuten is a marketplace in Japan which revealed 12 % of annual increment in the gross trading value than that of the previous year. It has 102 million monthly visits and offers support across many categories, including electronics and pet supplies. Here, the common charges comprise of monthly subscription fees, listing fees for each item, and commission rates ranging between 8% and 20%. The platform has loyalty programs together with the many kinds of products available that makes the shopping experience different for consumers.
9. Etsy
In particular, Etsy focuses on handmade, vintage, and one-of-a-kind items, allowing artisans and small businesses to thrive. With over 566 million monthly visits, Etsy charges a 6.5% transaction fee. The platform has major markets in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. Thus, it creates a community of buyers and sellers who are interested in artsy and handmade products since Etsy mainly hosts this kind of products over its platform.
10. Mercado Libre
Mercado Libre is much similar to Amazon and is the largest e-commerce marketplace in the Latin American region. It fosters 27 nations including Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil with summing up a total of 7 million monthly visits. The platform pricing is less predictable and ranges from 0.1% to more than 16% per order depending on country and category. This means that Mercado Libre is an ideal platform for all the sellers who have their eyes set on the Latin America market.
Advantages of selling on Global E-Commerce marketplaces
It is crucial to understand that selling on different e-commerce marketplaces has many advantages for businesses and thus it also offers them possibilities to grow and develop with the help of growing sales. Here in this section we will look into some of the key advantages of e-commerce marketplaces in greater detail:
- Access to Millions of Customers
There are popular marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay which can attract millions of visitors each month. Through such platforms, you are able to reach out to a very large audience, which you may not achieve through your website only. This automatically boosts your possibilities of selling more products since more people get to view the products you are selling.
- Prominent visibility and Brand Awareness
If you are selling your products on big platforms where many clients shop, this will help your brand to be recognized. The people who frequently shop on these sites are likely to come across your products and hence this is a way of reaching out to customers who you might not have reached otherwise. In most cases, this increased visibility is very ideal for expanding the branding of your business along with its increasing visibility in the market.
- Built-In Trust
Another advantage for an e-commerce businesses being connected to an established marketplace is that buyers already trust the market since they know the platform they are dealing with. Moreover, consumers rely on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay due to their trustworthy and consumer safeguard measures. Thus, when you align your brand with these reputable markets, customers are more likely to trust them and buy your products as well.
- Testing Ground
Another advantage of marketplaces is that they help introduce new products and experiment with new pricing models. Due to the extended and multiple target customers, one is able to obtain information regard to how customers receive new products or the success of certain pricing strategies within a short span of time. This enables you decide on whether to launch a product and whether to change the prices as per the customers’ feedback.
- Global Reach
Almost all e-commerce marketplaces are global, which means that you have access to customers in different countries. The implication of selling on these platforms is that your products can reach a marketplace beyond your physical location and thus within the comfort of your home, you can sell to the international market. This expands your market reach which translates to higher sales and business prospects in the international market.
Expert Advice for Selling on Global E-commerce Marketplaces
Tapping into the global e-commerce marketplaces can open up a new world for your business. Thus, by incorporating the following tips given, you will be in a position to improve your visibility in the global e-commerce marketplace, thereby increasing your customers and sales.
- Choose the Right Marketplace
It is crucial to target only those platforms that are ideal for presenting your type of products and are used by your target demographic. For instance, if you are selling homemade knitted articles of clothing, Etsy will be a perfect fit for your business while electronics will sell better on Amazon or eBay. Spend time on each marketplace to get insights regarding the target customers and existing categories list to identify the right fit for your business.
- Use Advertising Strategies
Marketplace advertising will increase the chances of people to come across your product thus increasing its chances of being bought. Marketplaces like Amazon, and eBay have multiple advertising opportunities which include sponsored product advertisements, or designated promotion listings. These can be beneficial for your products whereby they are placed at the top of the search rankings thereby being easily viewed by potential buyers.
- Optimize Product Listings
It is important that the product titles, descriptions and images are set for search engine friendly as well as are engaging to the general public. Make use of concise but descriptive titles that contain relevant keywords and well-written descriptions which feature the product’s distinctive selling points. Additionally uploading high quality images taken from different views can be an advantage in the appeal and authenticity of your listings.
- Offer a Range of Products
Select multiple categories of the best-selling products so that one can establish a robust market presence. When you have many listing, this improves the visibility of your products or services, and buyers have numerous choices to select from. Thus, identify which products are most popular and ensure that more items in those categories are marketed in order to appeal to the customer base and boost revenue.
- Create a Great Customer Experience
Ensure that customers are offered the best services so that they can be trusted and patronized repeatedly. To achieve customer loyalty it is important to give timely answers to their questions, offer reasonable prices and have appropriate shipping/return policies. It may also be beneficial to localize the listings by converting the prices to local currencies and present the shipping options in local delivery services to ensure that cross-border shoppers find it easy to shop.
Summing Up
Opening up a business on international selling platforms such as Amazon, eBay and other will definitely open a new and promising chapter for your booming e-commerce business . One has to know the peculiarities of the platforms and the clients using them in order to achieve the best outcome. Apart from that you will be able to target a larger audience through better image, description, and advertisement of the products listed. Moreover by offering the best customer service, well-explained delivery policies, and localized price increase the chances of customer loyalty.
At e:command; however, our core focus is on assisting e-commerce enterprises to succeed in marketplaces across the world. Thus, with the help of our professional team, you can obtain all the necessary information and solutions that can help to improve the product page, become more visible, and increase conversions’ rate. We also provide a full suite of services to meet your business requirements so you’re always prepared to compete. Therefore, working together with e:command, you can unlock the maximum potential of these platforms and guarantee further growth and stability. Contact us today to learn how e:command can assist you in functioning and succeeding in the worldwide framework of e-commerce.
