In the world of e-commerce it’s vital that businesses make the most of third party platforms together with their own website. After all, having your own online presence capable of selling products allows a company to drive e-commerce and build a brand!…

In the world of e-commerce it’s vital that businesses make the most of third party platforms together with their own website. After all, having your own online presence capable of selling products allows a company to drive e-commerce and build a brand! And websites like Amazon, eBay and Etsy tap into a far wider customer base and are vital in driving sales.

The good news this is relatively simple! So if you’re new to selling on these sites, here are some key tips to remember:

Learn the rules. Each platform has its own rules so make sure you know these before diving in. Set aside time to play around and navigate the site; this will help you know the likely journey your customers will go on to find your product. Check to see if the site you’re using already has an education section you can use to improve your familiarity with it.

Know your audience. This may sound obvious, but each platform has a different audience and you should tailor your product offering accordingly. However, on some sites like eBay, there may be a variety of audiences just on that one site. There, rather than trying to please them all, focus on one group and work out what you need to offer to attract them.

Get your product page right. A large clear image will enhance your product page. Think about your customer and the limited time they want to spend reading the product description. Create a list of the descriptive points and keep it concise, with the key elements first. At the same time, be thorough and make sure all the benefits of the product come across. Credibility is crucial, so make sure the description is accurate.

Measure everything. In the same way that you should be keeping track of all areas of your business, make sure you know how effective your presence on that platform is. How much money are you making? Is your inventory level right for your most popular items? If there have been refund requests, why? Most platforms have a reporting function so make sure you take advantage of these in addition to your own reporting tools.

Learn from customer feedback. If you receive negative feedback, don’t be disheartened. Work out why you received that reaction and make sure it doesn’t happen again, if you can. Sometimes, it’s just a grumpy customer.

Look for a tech partner that has third parties embedded into the solution. It’s important to think about solutions that integrate third party platforms as part of the digital solution for your business as this can streamline and simplify access to e-commerce channels.

There is much more advice is online but these pointers should help you get started. In the end nothing will replace knowing your product, your audience and the platform you’re selling on inside out, so take the time to do the research, and good luck!