The 8 Best Alternatives to Selling on Amazon for Your Ecommerce Brand

Amazon is the undisputed retail big within the ecommerce world. It will get over 2.5 billion visits to its web site month-to-month and sells billions of products yearly. For a lot of customers, Amazon is the primary place they go after they want one thing.

Given its measurement and huge buyer base, being on Amazon is an absolute no-brainer for a lot of on-line retailers.

However Amazon isn’t the be-all and end-all of the net procuring world. There are different marketplaces the place you’ll be able to promote on-line and make a revenue. On this article, we’ll take a look at 8 choices you’ll be able to strive to your model.

Why seek for an Amazon various?

Though Amazon is the place to be for a lot of sellers, it’s not for everybody.

Listed here are a number of the drawbacks of promoting on Amazon:

• It’s a difficult market to determine, particularly when you’re simply beginning your on-line enterprise. To turn into an Amazon vendor, it’s essential bounce via quite a few technical hoops, and plenty of aspiring sellers get rejected outright.

• It wants a whole lot of upkeep. It’s not nearly becoming a member of the platform, you’ll have to continually sustain with Amazon’s necessities for product listings, delivery instances, buyer satisfaction, and different parts.

• Amazon charges can get fairly excessive. There’s a month-to-month charge of $39.99 for the Amazon Vendor Account simply to have the ability to promote on Amazon. And there are commissions and different charges that eat into your income.

• The competitors is particularly fierce. Though you’ll be able to entry Amazon’s huge buyer base, so does everybody else who sells there.

• The buyer base is cut up amongst regional web sites. If you wish to promote and ship internationally, it’s essential preserve a presence on all Amazon websites, which suggests further work.

• It’s tougher to your model to face out. When individuals store on Amazon, they assume they purchase from Amazon even when the merchandise comes from an unbiased vendor.

Given all these components, let’s check out 8 different Amazon options you must take into account.

The highest 8 Amazon options

Right here, we’ve listed 8 options to Amazon, from different on-line marketplaces to platforms that make creating your personal on-line retailer a breeze. Let’s bounce proper in.

1. Shopify

Supply: Shopify

Having a web based retailer with its personal web site ensures that when customers purchase from you, they know you’re the vendor. And in the event that they’ve had a very good procuring expertise and the product lives as much as their expectations, they will turn into repeat clients sooner or later.

Shopify is without doubt one of the hottest ecommerce platforms for creating your personal on-line retailer. The setup course of is clean even for inexperienced persons, and Shopify permits you to customise your retailer and construct your model id.

Shopify even helps you supply merchandise—its app retailer presents integrations with dropshipping and print-on-demand platforms like Printful.

Worth: 3-day free trial, adopted by subscriptions ranging from $29/month + a percentage-based transaction charge per order

Execs:

• Shopify is a extremely customizable and beginner-friendly ecommerce platform

• It presents easy integrations with print-on-demand companies like Printful that will help you supply merchandise

Cons:

• The transaction and month-to-month charges can get fairly costly

• Shopify isn’t a market, so that you’ll have to direct your personal site visitors to your retailer

2. Etsy

Supply: Etsy

Etsy is a well-liked market that’s significantly apt for small companies. Initially created for handmade product sellers, Etsy has turn into a significant participant within the ecommerce world, getting into different product classes and permitting sellers to promote merchandise like custom clothing, digital objects, and way more.

It’s a beginner-friendly platform with a comparatively simple setup course of. Not like Amazon, Etsy’s on-line market lets your model stand out extra because it’s introduced as a hub for small companies.

Worth: free to begin (in some instances, a one-time setup charge might apply), 6.5% transaction charge per order + $0.20 itemizing charge per product + cost processing charges

Execs:

• Etsy’s narrower audience of individuals searching for presents and different customized objects could be the good match to your model

• Etsy has a built-in viewers of lively customers however with much less competitors than on Amazon

Cons:

• The transaction, cost processing, and itemizing charges can construct up and eat into your income

• Relying on the merchandise you promote, your superb buyer base may not be procuring on Etsy

3. eBay

Supply: eBay

One other Amazon various to contemplate is eBay. Like Etsy, eBay has modified rather a lot over time. Initially, it began as a web site for individuals to promote their objects second-hand via auctions. Though that choice remains to be out there, as of late, eBay presents the identical sort of market expertise as Amazon.

Like with any market, you’ll want to determine methods to stand out amongst all the opposite sellers within the search outcomes, and the competitors can get powerful. However in return, you get entry to all of the patrons who go to eBay. Many want to purchase extremely particular objects, and that’s the place you are available.

Worth: free to begin, percentage-based transaction charge + $0.35 itemizing charge per product

Execs:

• eBay presents just about all product classes possible, so the shopper base is extra different than on Etsy

• eBay has a number of native marketplaces, and your listings will robotically present up on all of them

Cons:

• Though eBay is an everyday market now, individuals nonetheless come there on the lookout for bargains, so aggressive pricing is a should

• For those who promote merchandise with Printful, your objects received’t be out there for public sale, one in all eBay’s foremost promoting factors

4. Walmart

Supply: Walmart

Walmart is a well-liked retail model recognized for its brick-and-mortar shops worldwide, however significantly in america. It additionally has its personal market although, and any vendor can be part of Walmart’s platform to supply their items there.

With its lengthier setup course of, the Walmart market is healthier suited to extra skilled sellers. Like Amazon, constructing your model on Walmart is tougher as a result of customers will assume they’re shopping for from Walmart, not a novel vendor.

Worth: free to arrange, 5–20% referral charges, relying on the product class

Execs:

• Walmart is a trusted model, so customers shall be much less hesitant to make purchases on their market

• The Walmart market has a built-in viewers you can faucet into by including your merchandise to their on-line platform

Cons:

• The Printful integration is at the moment solely out there for companies within the US

• When individuals store on the Walmart market, they assume they’re shopping for from Walmart, so it’ll be tougher to spotlight your model

5. Storenvy

Supply: Storenvy

If the large marketplaces aren’t for you, one of many Amazon options you must take into account is Storenvy. It’s additionally a web based market focusing primarily on small companies, with specific emphasis on artists. Like all marketplaces, it has a built-in viewers of loyal clients. This, mixed with the simple setup course of, makes it a terrific start line to your ecommerce enterprise.

Worth: free to begin, subscription plans beginning at $4.99/month if you wish to checklist greater than 20 objects + 15% whole sale fee charge

Execs:

• The competitors isn’t as powerful as on the larger marketplaces

• Storenvy places a particular emphasis on the truth that customers are shopping for from distinctive manufacturers quite than Storenvy itself

Cons:

• It’s a lesser-known platform, so the customer site visitors shall be a lot decrease than for Etsy, Amazon, or Walmart

• Like with all marketplaces, your merchandise are listed together with different sellers, so it may be trickier to face out

6. Wix

Supply: Wix

Let’s take a look at one other nice platform if you wish to create your personal ecommerce web site. Wix is a terrific selection if customizing your storefront is a should for you. Wix is straightforward to make use of, even for inexperienced persons, and has many ready-made templates. But it surely additionally presents sufficient customization choices for superior customers.

The integrations out there on its app market will make it easier to construct your online business nevertheless you need, irrespective of your purpose—starting a clothing brand or every other sort of retailer.

Worth: subscriptions beginning at $29/month + percentage-based cost service charges

Execs:

• The month-to-month subscription charge is decrease than for Shopify, making it a extra inexpensive choice

• The drag-and-drop web site builder is straightforward to make use of, even for inexperienced persons

Cons:

• Because it’s not a market, you’ll want to determine methods to drive site visitors to your web site

• Not like Shopify, Wix doesn’t assist stay delivery charges

7. TikTok Store

Supply: TikTok Store

Though it’s not precisely a market, TikTok is one other platform with the good thing about a built-in viewers. TikTok is without doubt one of the hottest social media platforms, and when you’ve established your presence there, promoting your merch can imply a further revenue stream.

However understand that though individuals go to TikTok for product suggestions, it’s primarily used for leisure, information, and so on. So, you’ll want to determine methods to market and promote your merchandise otherwise than you’ll on different marketplaces—right here, it’s all about your model.

Worth: free to begin, 8% order fee

Execs:

• TikTok is a good choice for established manufacturers to increase their attain and discover new clients

• It’s significantly appropriate for manufacturers whose audience skews youthful

Cons:

• You’ll want a longtime on-line presence on TikTok to make gross sales

• The Printful integration for TikTok retailers is at the moment solely out there within the US and the UK

8. ShipStation

Supply: ShipStation

For those who’re extra tech-savvy, you’ll be able to join with different third-party marketplaces with the assistance of ShipStation’s platform. It capabilities as a intermediary between Printful and your required promoting place. Nevertheless, it may be difficult to arrange, plus you’re including one other service with charges to your checklist of bills. However if you wish to promote on marketplaces that Printful doesn’t instantly combine with, ShipStation could make it occur.

Worth: subscriptions beginning at $9.99/month

Execs:

• ShipStation permits you to join Printful with platforms that we don’t have a direct integration with

• For those who promote non-Printful merchandise as effectively, ShipStation will make it easier to handle every part in a single place

Cons:

• ShipStation is greatest for ecommerce specialists—it’s not a platform for inexperienced persons

• It comes with extra bills because you’ll should pay ShipStation’s charges on prime of your chosen market’s charges

How to decide on the precise Amazon various

As you’ll be able to see, there are a selection of various options to Amazon, so selecting the most effective one can take effort and time. When making your selection, put collectively a listing of things which might be most necessary to you and examine all of your potential picks.

Listed here are some issues to contemplate:

• Competitors in your area of interest

• Transport prices and options (verify when you can provide free delivery or stay delivery charges)

• Fee processing choices and costs

• Integrations with dropshipping companions like Printful

• Advert applications on {the marketplace}

As soon as you determine the factors that’s necessary to you, the selection among the many completely different options turns into a lot simpler.

Keep in mind that you’re not sure to just one place. Promoting on-line means you’ll be able to reap the benefits of as many Amazon options as you want.

Connecting with Printful

All of the platforms and marketplaces listed on this article instantly combine with Printful. This implies you’ll be able to automate the promoting course of and add new merchandise with ease.

Supply: Printful

The steps for launching and connecting your retailer with Printful shall be completely different for every platform. Nevertheless, we offer step-by-step directions in every case so you’ll be able to conquer even the trickiest platforms.

Take a look at our ecommerce platform & online marketplace comparison to search out out extra.

Time to unlock new market horizons

Though Amazon has been a game-changer within the world retail world, it may be arduous to outlive there. If that combat isn’t for you, take into account the Amazon options outlined right here—you may discover much more success together with your on-line gross sales!

And keep in mind that you don’t should put all of your ecommerce enterprise eggs in a single basket. You’ll be able to be part of multiple market, together with Amazon, so be happy to experiment and discover what works for you.