The world of eCommerce is everchanging.
Once, it may have been enough to use one website to sell your goods online, but no more.
Nearly two-thirds of UK online shoppers head straight to a marketplace to do their shopping, and the figure is rising.
So, how can you get your products on these websites without taking on too much work and losing too much time?
The answer is through Diamond Logistics and our innovative technology.
Despatchlab
Imagine taking all of your eCommerce operations, and rolling them into one handy bit of software.
That’s Despatchlab.
From Fulfilment to Same Day deliveries, everything you need to store, ship and sell your products online is consolidated onto one user-friendly interface.
It couldn’t be easier to manage your entire fulfilment operation whilst spreading it out over multiple platforms from Despatchlab’s intuitive interface.
Using Despatchlab isn’t a case of losing control of your Fulfilment, as you get complete transparency into all the information you will ever need. From stock levels to order statuses, everything is easy to find and simple to use.
Despatchlab makes eCommerce easy and provides reporting and up-to-date tracking to always keep you in the loop.
But wait, this blog was meant to be about integrations, right?
Well, luckily for you and many other eCommerce business owners, Despatchlab comes packed with integrations.
From worldwide established carriers, to marketplaces boasting millions of viewers, once your business is set up with our technology, you can really open up your products to the world.
We have loads of marketplace integrations that can really provide your business with a boost in customers and sales. Let’s take a look.
Marketplace and sales channels integrations
Marketplace integrations are a huge opportunity for eCommerce sellers.
Our Despatchlab system integrates seamlessly with tons of marketplaces and sales channels, making onboarding your business a doddle and ensuring that every order from every channel is quickly handled and processed by one of our fulfilment team.
So without further ado, here they are..
Amazon
If you’re not selling on Amazon, then you’re missing out.
That’s around 6 and a half million people every day.
So just why is Amazon such an eCommerce powerhouse?
Well, it is simple. It has a great returns policy and offers sellers a quick and easy method of getting their products showcased to a huge audience.
Basically, Amazon does what most eCommerce marketplaces do, but just on a bigger and better scale.
It has more products. For example, there are over 220 different types of pasta maker available.
It has better prices and great delivery options, including the famous Amazon Prime.
In a nutshell, selling on Amazon is essential for an eCommerce business, whether you sell clothes, cutlery or curling equipment.
eBay
Starting as an auction site in 1995, eBay has now become so much more and is another essential place for eCommerce sellers to list their products.
Like Amazon, eBay boasts a worldwide audience, with a whopping 159 million active buyers in 2021.
Unlike Amazon, eBay doesn’t sell any of its own products. It is a marketplace made strictly for sellers, and this is shown in the simple ways that it has for sellers to list their products.
Whether cleaning out the loft and wanting to quickly sell some old items, or trying to run an established eCommerce brand, eBay is a marketplace packed with opportunities.
eBay also provides a wide range of categories to sell on, meaning you are sure to find the ideal shopper just waiting to buy your products.
If the question would be whether to sell on Amazon or eBay, then my immediate answer would be to sell on both!
As long as you have the products, Despatchlab will handle the fulfilment with ease!
Shopify
The boom in eCommerce caused by the pandemic led to a boom in online stores being built.
So, what does Shopify provide that other sales channels and marketplaces don’t?
Well, firstly, this isn’t a marketplace, meaning you aren’t in direct competition with any other businesses. You can design this store to be just how you would like it, and make sure that everything remains on brand.
You also don’t have to stick to the rules and commission charges you do for selling on marketplaces.
It’s basically like building your own store, rather than setting up a stall in your local supermarket.
With this comes control, and that’s why it’s the number one choice for many eCommerce business owners.
Of course, like mentioned earlier, if you can handle it, it is a great idea to have your own store and still sell on marketplaces.
A wider audience means more chances to sell, and with technology like Despatchlab readily available to help control your inventory and orders, you can’t go wrong.
Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)
Adobe Commerce is another hugely popular platform from which you can build your eCommerce store.
Originally released in 2008, this platform racked up thousands of users in it’s first decade, before being purchased by Adobe for a whopping $1.68 billion.
And there’s a good reason the price was so high.
Adobe Ecommerce offers users a free way of building a site that looks professional and is sure to function at a top level.
With some great features in product management and customer service readily available, this is a platform that has been built for online sellers who need a simple way to create a great website.
With the integration with Adobe, and a rise in power over time, Adobe Ecommerce can now boast some market-leading features, such as it’s wonderful site speed and SEO friendly functions.
With a wealth of sales platforms available to choose from, it can be hard to choose the right one, and while Adobe Ecommerce may not lead the way in terms of style, it certainly packs a punch when it comes to the technical bits.
WooCommerce
So, we’ve covered Shopify and Magento, now for the third big-player in the sales channel list, WooCommerce
Another hugely popular app, WooCommerce is a really customisable platform, which means you can get your site looking just how it needs to to best represent your brand. This means that no matter your niche, whether you sell socks or you sell supercars, you can build a site to your needs.
With the number of WooCommerce using rising continually (it is about to hit the 4 million mark) this is an app that is certainly riding the eCommerce boom with style.
It is really easy to build a store that you want, from picking out one of their huge number of themes, to using any of their huge library of plugins.
What you must remember about WooCommerce though, it that is tied into WordPress, meaning you can only use this app on a WordPress site.
If you have a website built on WordPress though, then you really can’t go wrong with this modern, professional-looking sales platform.
Linnworks
If you operate on Linnworks, then you can take full advantage of the wide range of delivery and fulfilment operations available with Diamond Logistics through our integration.
Linnworks is a great tool for taking control of your eCommerce operation, offering a simple solution to selling across multiple channels.
From listing products to keeping track of inventory, Linnworks is a great tool for anyone who wants to scale their business, or who wants to open up their business to a wide breadth of marketplace opportunities.
We are delighted to integrate with Linnworks, as we can provide their customers with our brilliant fulfilment services, which are spread across our multiple service centres.
Not only that, we have a wide courier network here at Diamond Logistics, as well as integrations to multiple carriers who can now be of use to anyone who operates on this useful platform.
3 benefits of using multiple integrations
Now you know who you can sell and ship with, let me fill you in on the five top benefits of using multiple integrations for your eCommerce business.
1. Better customer experience
A customer doesn’t want to wade through mud to find your products.
Selling on multiple marketplaces provides a much smoother journey for your customer, who is probably already familiar with the website he is buying from.
The best way to sell is to go and find your customer where they are, and not wait for them to find you. Therefore it is paramount that you place your product on the marketplaces that attract the biggest users.
The more customers who can see you, and the easier they can find you, the less fuss it will be to buy from you, which is always a big help to online shoppers.
2. Much wider audience
This has been covered above, but it’s definitely a point worth repeating.
When selling on your own website, you may be lucky enough to build a large audience, but it’s highly unlikely you will build a bigger audience than the major marketplaces.
We’re not talking about thousands of shoppers here, we’re talking about billions.
And these billions are spread out across the globe, meaning you can be selling at any time of day, to anywhere on the planet.
Selling on these marketplaces, although you have to pay a commission, is vital in building up a strong customer base and ensuring your brand is getting the recognition it needs to grow.
3. Stay ahead of your competition
eCommerce is a competitive game.
If you sell jewellery for example, you are going up against hundreds of brands, some who have been established for decades.
What you need to do to stand out, especially when first establishing yourself, is to make sure your customer service is spot on and that you provide stunning products for low prices.
Don’t put customers off with high fees, and make sure wherever your rivals are selling, that you are right there next to them.
Every competitive edge you can gain over your rivals could mean more customers, and that’s vital in making sure you stay ahead of the game.
4. Always get the best fit for Your business
Not all marketplaces are the same.
If you’re selling electronic goods, it would be best to sell on Amazon.
If you’re selling clothes, then maybe a Shopify store would work better.
What matters is that you’re selling in the right place and to the right people.
Marketplaces and sales channels have a wide range of categories and audiences available, meaning you can always place your product in the perfect location to get noticed by a big audience.
5. Build your reputation
Online shoppers trust certain websites.
Amazon and eBay have been around so long they’ve become household names. In turn, this means that products selling on these marketplaces immediately gain some trust from the shopper.
Not only that, you can build reviews.
If you’re a new eCommerce business, a bunch of 5-star reviews from happy customers on Amazon can go a long way to boosting your reputation.
Over time, the more a customer sees your brand on these major sales platforms, the more the faith they have in your brand will subconsciously rise, making the decision for them to click buy much easier.
Summary
eCommerce is a fast-paced environment, and it’s vital you stay up to speed with the latest changes to stay on top.
Diamond Logistics has created Despatchlab with the seller in mind.
Every feature has been added to make selling, shipping and storing your goods quick and simple, and that includes our long list of integrations.
Want to know more?
Get in touch with our team today. Call us on 0333 567 5888, email sales@diamondlogistics.co.uk or complete the below Contact Form:
