Online Marketplace Expansion Common Challenges and How Ecomglue Can Help Overcome Them

Online Marketplace Expansion

Over the past few decades, the shift from physical to digital spaces has affected many businesses. Marketplaces and retailers are also some of these businesses that have experienced and tried to adapt to the changes. With the availability of e-commerce and online marketplaces, buying at the convenience of your home has become more popular. Many people shop online. According to statistics, 20% of customers purchase weekly, and roughly 30% make monthly purchases. Online purchases are increasing as they become more common and are expected to grow in the upcoming years.

Marketplace expansion entails discovering new platforms to list and sell your products to a fresh potential market and customer base. Brands may already offer their products online through their websites or specific marketplaces. However, expanding into new marketplaces can effectively boost sales, drive growth, and enhance brand awareness. Reaching out to new customers and individuals who haven’t encountered your products unlocks numerous opportunities. Marketplace expansion enables you to explore your brand's potential across diverse markets.

Given the landscape of e-commerce and online marketplaces, finding new customers and capturing demand may be one of the most critical steps for brands. While many marketplaces are available to retailers, identifying the right platforms for expansion, setting up new accounts, targeting the appropriate audiences, evaluating the circumstances, and creating a strategic plan can be challenging. But don’t worry; this is where Ecomglue helps you extend your existing customer base and enhance your brand presence across various marketplaces.

Common Difficulties During Marketplace Expansion And How Ecomglue Can Help

While it may seem simple, setting up new accounts on different marketplaces, creating separate listings for each product, and managing the regulations of these platforms can swiftly become time-consuming. Below, you will find common issues you may face and how we can assist you in tackling these challenges. 

1. Marketplace Requirements 

Marketplaces have different rules and requirements for sellers. To start selling your brand in various marketplaces, you must complete specific steps and fulfill the necessary requirements. Afterward, you must set up your account with various details and settings. Each marketplace you wish to expand your business will require distinct requirements and processes, which can quickly accumulate and become a significant task to manage. 

Numerous other requirements and procedures must be addressed, including shipping methods, packaging specifications, user manuals, repairability, energy labels, and more. Each of these details needs to be thoroughly documented on every platform. 

Ecomglue will assist you throughout the account creation and setup processes. We will ensure each step is seamless and provide a smooth transition into your new, ready-to-go marketplace account, allowing you to focus on your business's growth.

2. Listing Requirements

While every marketplace offers numerous potential opportunities for brands and retailers, listing items can be a significant task. Different marketplaces have varying requirements and regulations, from product image quality to descriptions.

This may not pose a substantial issue for a few items; however, the volume of products you sell gradually becomes more time-consuming. Additionally, each marketplace has its unique fields for listings, necessitating the collection of more relevant data to enhance the product descriptions and the overall content of the listings.

At Ecomglue, we manage all your current and future listings according to the requirements of the selected marketplaces. This lets you focus on your business freely while we handle the details. You can check the specifics of our e-commerce and marketplace services here.

3. Integration Problems

Once you embark on your business’s new journey across various marketplaces, you’ll quickly recognize the need for data to make informed decisions instead of relying on uninformed guesses.

You may want to view aggregated data from the different platforms and apps you use and the key metrics you’d like to analyze together or integrate your various accounts and tools to create a comprehensive view that enhances your business operations.

The number of potential integrations available to you is vast, from inventory management to customer support software. Marketplaces may also have different order flows, shipping requirements, and payment terms.

However, establishing these connections between platforms and navigating the multiple requirements of different marketplaces can sometimes be complex, and all the small details may feel overwhelming.

Yet, Ecomglue offers a variety of solutions to the challenges you may face during your marketplace expansion. We provide customized software solutions tailored to your needs alongside custom API integration services, enabling you to connect your data seamlessly wherever required.

Finally, we also offer e-commerce platform migration services to ensure your transition is as smooth as possible. You can check the details of our range of software services here.