Today’s market is highly competitive, and for most products, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of competitors. In such a space, understanding how to sell on multiple platforms is an absolute necessity.
Unfortunately, however, the more marketplaces you go for, the harder it gets to manage sales and processes efficiently. This is where streamlining comes in to rescue you!
Keep on reading to discover how to streamline multi-channel sales without losing your mind or money!
Why Multi-Platform Selling Matters in eCommerce?
Expanding beyond a single platform gives your business a critical safety net for tough times. Imagine you’re selling on a single platform and
- That platform shuts down business!
- They change their algorithms, and your shop gets lost in the crowd!
- Customers start disliking their service leading to a drop in your sales!
- To diversify your risks.
- To multiply your sales opportunities.
- To appease each platform’s customer base.
How to Streamline Your Multi-Channel E-Commerce
To learn how to sell on multiple platforms and streamline processes hassle-free, read through our step-by-step guide below.
1. Find the right marketplace to sell on
Each marketplace is different in its own way. There are differences in the audience they market to, fees they charge, and competition, among other things.
2. Automate Your Inventory Management
Where underselling is a hit to the business, overselling also has terrible consequences with business reputation and customer satisfaction at stake.
This is why it is important to automate your multi-channel inventory management with efficient software or tools. With SellerChamp, you can sync inventory across all platforms in real-time with regular updates on stock levels whether you make a sale on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, or anywhere else!
By automating your inventory management, you can make sure that,
- You never accidentally sell what you don’t have
- You don’t have to deal with the hassle and costs of manual inventory updates
3. Centralize Customer Support
Create a centralized system for handling questions, returns, and issues. This can ensure faster response times and a consistent support experience, regardless of which platform the user uses. By doing so, you can build trust and boost positive reviews across channels.
4. Efficient Order Processing
When orders start pouring in from multiple platforms, the excitement can quickly turn into overwhelm. It can be a bummer going through each platform manually, trying to figure out new sales and updates on the ones in process.
SellerChamp uses FTP, Email, and API to route orders from all platforms into a single centralized dashboard.
With all your orders in one place, you can easily process sales, print shipping labels, and manage returns without having to maintain a separate tracker for yourself!
5. Sync Your Pricing and Promotions
When selling on multiple platforms, consistency throughout is key.
You don’t want to be the seller who offers different prices on different sites; this not only confuses customers but also looks unprofessional and decreases customer trust. Thus, you need to set up a system that lets you adjust prices and promotions across all channels simultaneously.
Furthermore, it is critical to set pricing rules that adapt based on competitor pricing, inventory levels, and sales velocity! By using a tool like SellerChamp’s RePricer, you can ensure competitive prices without constantly having to monitor and adjust them manually.
6. Do Returns Management The Right Way
As distasteful as they may be, returns are an unavoidable aspect of selling online, and with multi-channel selling, managing them can be difficult. Thus, for effective returns processing, you need a platform that streamlines all your sales and centralizes return requests.
By having each return and refund tracked and fulfilled on time, you can improve your business and its reputation.
Furthermore, this can also help you develop good long-term relationships with customers!
4 Best Practices for Multi-Channel Success for eCommerce Entrepreneurs
To learn how to thrive while selling on multiple platforms, follow these tips below.
1. Leverage Data
It is a good idea to know if a particular product sells faster on a particular platform, which can be done by analyzing sales data across different platforms and identifying trends, peak sales periods, and product performance.
By allowing you to see which product and platform sells better, analytics let you track sales performance and optimize your strategy.
2. Optimize Shipping Options
Shoppers on different platforms may have different preferences when it comes to shipping expectations.
For example, where Amazon customers want fast deliveries, those on Etsy might be relatively lax with shipping time. Therefore, integrating your shipping carriers to manage shipments accordingly is always a good idea.
3. Centralize Customer Support
Create a centralized system for handling questions, returns, and issues. This can ensure faster response times and a consistent support experience, regardless of which platform the user uses. By doing so, you can build trust and boost positive reviews across channels.
4. Stay Updated on Platform Policies
Marketplace rules and algorithms may change at any time. It is important to stay informed and adapt quickly to avoid suspensions, penalties, and/or damage to sales.
You Might Also Like: 7 Proven E-Commerce Branding Strategies With Examples
Try SellerChamp for Yourself!
Schedule a demo today and discover how our Bulk Lister can help you list more products, increase sales, and grow your e-commerce business faster than ever.