It's no secret: Amazon is a big deal. In fact, 200 million unique monthly customers prefer making their purchases with Amazon over any other store. In 2019 they impressively reported that small and medium sized businesses sold about 4,000 items per minute. In light of these numbers, it is obvious that all retailers should at least consider listing their products on Amazon.
It's a very attractive sales channel for online merchants. However, the results an individual retailer will get depends on many factors and what works for one retailer will not necessarily work for another one. We'll break down the pros and cons of selling on Amazon as well as go over everything else you should consider before making a decision.
With every sales outlet there are pros and cons and every business has a unique formula to make sure Amazon is a sales tool that works for your brand. When creating a Sellers account on Amazon, NAVIG8 Marketing does a business evaluation to help enhance the user experience and but a proficient as possible.
Pros of being on Amazon
- Gaining new customers
- International expansion
- Low marketing costs
- Available fulfillment options
- Warehouse storage at fulfillment centers
Cons of being on Amazon
- Very competitive
- Selling fees
- Complex data feed
- Inaccurate stock availability status
- Amazon product restrictions
- Prime returns and ship times
Choosing to sell on your own site
Selling on your own site does have its own perks apart from having full control. Here at NAVIG8 Marketing we offer fully custom built Shopify e-commerce stores. Successful Shopify stores sell anything you might need.
The key thing to remember is Shopify is a specialized ecommerce platform and Amazon is an online marketplace. Shopify gives you the tools to build your very own online store, while Amazon lets you sell through its marketplace alongside other online sellers.
At the end of the day, it’s entirely possible to not have to choose. If you’re up for it, you can get the best of both worlds. Selling on your own site and Amazon is always an option.