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Unleash Your E-Commerce Dreams

Branded Stores vs Online Marketplaces

By Sam OliverPublished about a year ago 5 min read
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Do you have a love for designing extraordinary products? Do you desire to be the master of your own fate and create a successful company that embodies your unique style? Then it's time to explore the e-commerce world! There are countless chances available when using the internet as your platform, but where do you even begin? Should you open your own branded store instead of selling on well-known online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, or Etsy?

I will show you that it is obvious what is best : to create your own store with your own brand!

Let's look at the details of why it is best to open your own store:

Stand Out From the Crowd: It might be challenging to stand out from the competitors in a crowded market. You may distinguish yourself apart from the competition and forge an individual identity by opening your own branded store. Make a lasting impression on your customers by demonstrating to the world what makes your company and products unique, instead of blending in with other sellers on websites such as Amazon.

Take Charge of Your Destiny: With your own branded store, you are in complete control. You choose your items, prices, customer service policies, and marketing tactics. You are free to try new things, be creative, and expand your company however you prefer. Only a branded store can give you the tremendous feeling of being in charge of your own achievement. You are the one to decide everything about your own store.

Increase Customer Loyalty: Gaining your consumers' trust is essential for long-term success in e-commerce. You have the chance to build a solid reputation and a devoted audience when you have your own branded store. High-quality items, transparent and understandable information, and keeping your word will help you do this. A great client experience can be produced by implementing safe payment methods, quick customer support, and reasonable return policies, which you will be in control of.

What are the difficulties

Of course, opening a branded store has its own set of difficulties, but with the appropriate planning and attitude, you can get through them, and end up with a brand that is recognized among thousands of generic businesses. To start building your business, undertake an in-depth market research to identify your target market, the competition, and current trends in your sector. Next, choose website that allows you to highlight your business and leave a favourable first impression on visitors – that will help them remember your brand. To continue, utilize the strength of social media and email marketing to reach new customers and maintain the engagement of your current customers. Finally, develop a consistent marketing approach that resonates with your target demographic.

Fulfillment of your products

You have two options for fulfillment: drop shipping or maintaining an inventory. Drop shipping entails handing off the delivery to a third-party vendor, which can be a cost-effective approach but also result in longer shipping periods, a lack of control over the quality of the product, and a disconnection between the item and your brand. Most Amazon sellers utilize drop shipping. On the other side, maintaining an inventory allows you greater control over the customer experience and shipment timeframes, but it also demands more resources and inventory management. Pick the alternative that best serves your company's objectives, but be ready to modify it as your store develops. As a starting business, you could start with drop shipping, and as your business develops, you can switch to keeping your own inventory if you wish.

Reasons for failure

E-commerce enterprises can fail for a number of reasons, including a lack of market research, poor website design, inconsistent branding, ineffective fulfilment procedures, and inadequate customer care. Analyze your statistics and client input frequently to avoid these mistakes and be ready to adapt your strategy as necessary to give your customers the best experience. Put a backup plan in place in case there are any unforeseen occurrences or disruptions, and no matter what obstacles you face, never lose sight of your objectives. A business takes a lot of resilience and hard work to grow.

Benefits of owning an online store

Despite the difficulties, launching an online store has incomparably valuable benefits. Imagine being able to operate your company from any location while producing goods and experiences that delight your clients and have a positive effect on their lives. Imagine the fulfilment you'll experience as your brand develops and you become known as a reliable and prosperous company in your sector. When you have a branded store, the possibilities are unlimited, and your own creativity and motivation are the only constraints.

Downsides of some online stores

Some online stores do not allow you to develop your brand. For example, do you remember the name of the seller you bought your last item from on Amazon? Of course, you don’t! This is because stores like Amazon, Alibaba, or eBay stunt the growth of your brand due to the saturation of the market. Think about it: when you search for something on this type of store, there are hundreds of sellers trying to sell you the same item. And when you buy the item, you don’t even realise who you bought it from! This is not a way to grow your business.

Common dissatisfactions

As mentioned earlier, the dissatisfactions of sellers using Amazon, eBay or other similar websites are enormous. The one I already covered is the extremely high competition. With hundreds of existing sellers, it is impossible to stand out from the crowd. Next, we have the selling fees. For each item you sell, part of the money you make goes to the website you are selling on. Coming up, we have order management. With some websites such as Amazon, your items are displayed to thousands of users. This makes it extremely hard to manage your inventory and display an accurate quantity of available items. If you sell an item without realising it is out of stock, that will leave you with angry customers. Most importantly, I want to stress that without having your own business, it is simply not possible to grow your brand.

Don’t accept being a small fish in a huge pond when it comes to selling online. Take charge of your own success by opening a business with your own brand. The best way to position yourself for long-term success in e-commerce by focusing on your distinctive brand, providing high-quality products, and developing customer trust. So don't wait; begin your online business journey with WebstoreTM right away and let your dreams run wild!

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About the Creator

Sam Oliver

I am a graphics artist & marketing person. I like to talk about ecommerce, marketing, sellonline, and onlinebusiness. These are my favourite subjects and activities.

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