This is a guest post from AMZ Sellers Attorney. They work exclusively with Amazon sellers to appeal account suspensions successfully and get their clients back to selling.

Amazon is one of the largest online marketplaces in the world, where individuals and businesses sell their products to a global audience. With over 2.5 million active third-party sellers on the platform, competition is fierce, so sellers need to be diligent in adhering to Amazon’s policies to avoid suspension, which can be a costly disadvantage.

In this article, we discuss Amazon’s policies, their importance, and how you can navigate them to keep your account in good standing.

What are Amazon’s policies?

Amazon has a long list of rules and regulations that merchants must abide by when selling on their platform. These policies are in place to ensure a fair and safe marketplace for both sellers and buyers.

Third-party sellers are further bound by Amazon’s Business Solutions Agreement (BSA). The BSA governs the use of Amazon’s business services, including the selling of products on the marketplace. Key points to note in the BSA include:

• Amazon’s right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate the agreement or cause harm to Amazon’s customers or brand
• A requirement to maintain accurate and up-to-date account information, including contact information and tax identification numbers
• Obligations to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including product safety and intellectual property laws
• Amazon’s right to withhold or deduct funds in the event of customer disputes or chargebacks
• A dispute resolution process that generally requires arbitration and prohibits class actions.

The major policies to know

Some of the most important policies to be aware of are those that deal with product detail pages, prohibited content, reviews, and logistics.

Product detail pages

These rules cover a wide range of topics, from product images and descriptions to their pricing. Sellers must accurately describe items and follow Amazon’s guidelines for product listings. This ensures customers have a clear understanding of what they’re purchasing and reduces the risk of returns and negative feedback.

The policies for product detail pages deal with:

• Accurate product information: Sellers must provide correct information about their products, including descriptions, images, and pricing. It must be consistent with the product being sold and not mislead shoppers.
• Images: Amazon sets regulations for product images that specify their quality, size, and content. Images must accurately represent the product being sold and contain no watermarks, logos, or other branding unrelated to the product.
• Titles and descriptions: Product titles and descriptions need to detail the product being sold clearly, avoiding any promotional language or misleading information. Titles should be concise and to the point so customers are well aware of what they’re purchasing. Meanwhile, descriptions should be detailed and informative, giving customers all the information they need to make an informed decision.
• Pricing: An item’s cost can’t be arbitrary; Amazon establishes minimum and maximum allowable prices, as well as rules for price comparisons and discounts.

Prohibited content

Amazon also prohibits the sale of certain products they consider to be illegal or harmful, such as:

• Counterfeit items: Amazon takes counterfeiting very seriously and has strict policies in place to prevent the sale of counterfeit items. Sellers must be able to provide proof of authenticity for any products they sell, and Amazon may take legal action against those who violate these regulations.
• Illegal drugs: These include prescription drugs that aren’t approved for sale in the United States.
• Tobacco products: This category includes cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco.
• Hazardous materials: Amazon prohibits the sale of hazardous materials like chemicals and other substances that could be harmful to customers or the environment.

Customer reviews

Customer reviews are crucial to a seller’s success on the platform. Positive feedback helps boost sales and improves product visibility, while negative ratings can damage a seller’s reputation and harm their sales. Because sellers can manipulate consumer opinion to their advantage, it’s important to adhere to Amazon’s rules and guidelines regarding customer reviews.

One of their most prominent policies states that sellers are prohibited from offering incentives such as gift cards or other rewards in exchange for positive reviews. Additionally, sellers aren’t allowed to post reviews for their own products, solicit reviews from family and friends, or ask customers to alter their reviews.

Due to the recent case involving The Bountiful Company, Amazon has also taken harsh steps to combat fake reviews on the marketplace, including lawsuits and permanently banning brands for review fraud. The company has established policies to prevent review abuse and continuously monitors for violations. Amazon receives millions of global reviews every week, which they analyze before publishing using skilled investigators and sophisticated, industry-leading tools. Thanks to this diligence, more than 99% of products customers view in Amazon’s stores contain only authentic reviews.

Intellectual property rights

Intellectual property rights (IPR) are a critical aspect of selling on Amazon, so merchants must have the appropriate rights to sell their products on the platform. Amazon takes IPR seriously and has developed a number of tools and programs to help sellers protect their intellectual property and ensure they don’t infringe on the rights of others.

One way merchants can protect their IPR is through Amazon’s Brand Registry program. The program provides a number of tools to help sellers defend their brand, including store creation and management, access to advanced search tools, and the ability to report instances of infringement directly to Amazon. To participate in the Brand Registry program, merchants must have a registered trademark for their brand. Once enrolled, they can monitor their brand and report any instances of infringement with ease. The program also offers customized product detail pages and automatic brand protections.

Additionally, Amazon has developed a number of policies and procedures to govern the use of intellectual property on the platform to ensure merchants avoid infringing on others’ IPR. These include strict rules concerning the use of trademarks, copyrights, and patents, as well as guidelines for product listings and descriptions.

For instance, sellers have to keep invoices showing the provenance of the products they purchase from suppliers. These invoices must contain sufficient detail so Amazon can identify the brand name, the product, the supplier, the merchant, and the number of units. That information helps Amazon verify the authenticity of the items sold on the platform and combats the sale of counterfeit goods.

Despite these efforts to protect IPR though, instances of infringement still occur. According to a recent report, Amazon remains a hotbed for counterfeiters, with many using the platform to sell fake or knockoff versions of popular items. In response, Amazon announced a number of initiatives aimed at cracking down on counterfeit goods and protecting brands’ intellectual property. These include the creation of a Counterfeit Crimes Unit dedicated to fighting counterfeit goods on the platform, as well as the use of advanced machine learning algorithms to detect and remove counterfeit listings.

Shipping and fulfillment

Customers expect fast and reliable shipping, and sellers have to meet that expectation to maintain a positive reputation and grow their business. In that regard, Amazon also enforces specific policies, such as requirements for how quickly orders should be shipped, how to handle returns, and the use of tracking information for each order.

Merchants are required to ship orders within the time frame specified in their shipping settings. They can adjust those settings to reflect their available shipping methods and the time it takes to prepare an item for shipment. In general, Amazon recommends sellers ship orders within two business days of receiving an order notification.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is an Amazon service that allows merchants to store their products in the company’s fulfillment centers. When a customer places an order, Amazon handles the picking, packing, and shipping of the item, as well as any customer service inquiries or returns. This can be a convenient option for vendors who want to take advantage of Amazon’s fast and reliable delivery options without having to manage their own inventory and logistics.

Returns also require care and attention to avoid negative feedback and penalties. In general, customers are allowed to return items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund, provided the item is in new, resellable condition. Sellers are responsible for providing a return shipping label and handling any customer service inquiries related to returns (unless they opt in to FBA).

Proper tracking of every order is essential for both the seller and the buyer. Tracking information allows merchants to monitor the progress of the shipment and ensure it arrives at the customer’s address on time. It also gives the customer peace of mind and avoids potential disputes or claims of non-delivery.

Why Amazon’s policies are important

Adhering to Amazon’s policies is not only important for avoiding suspension but also for maintaining a good reputation on the platform. Amazon has become a household name for online shopping and is known for its customer-centric approach. As a result, shoppers have high expectations for product quality, pricing, and shipping times. Sellers who violate Amazon’s policies and fail to meet these demands risk hurting their reputation and losing consumer trust. This leads to negative reviews and feedback as well, which further damage your store’s name and make it difficult to attract new buyers.

Customers are less likely to trust a merchant who’s been suspended, even after their account is reinstated. It’s also difficult to regain the confidence of current shoppers once you’ve been suspended.

These consequences snowball into a loss of revenue for your store. Amazon is a highly competitive marketplace, and sellers must constantly work to differentiate themselves and win over customers. If you’re suspended, your products will be removed from the platform and you’ll be unable to generate sales until your account is reinstated.

To complicate things further, Amazon has strict procedures in place for appealing suspensions: Sellers must provide detailed plans of action outlining the steps they’ll take to prevent future violations, as well as demonstrate a thorough understanding of Amazon’s policies and guidelines. The appeals process can thus be lengthy and may require the assistance of a qualified Amazon appeals specialist or attorney.

Navigating Amazon’s policies

Abiding by Amazon’s rules can be challenging, but it’s essential for maintaining a healthy account. Here are some tips for navigating Amazon’s policies successfully:

• Read the policies: The first and most important step is to read the rules thoroughly, which are readily available on Amazon’s website. This will help you understand what’s expected of you and what you need to do to stay in compliance.
• Stay up to date: Amazon’s policies change frequently, so it’s imperative to keep up with any changes or updates. Regularly check Amazon’s policy pages and subscribe to Amazon’s seller newsletter to stay ahead of the curve.
• Use Amazon’s tools: Amazon offers a suite of tools to help merchants stay in compliance with their policies. These include the Product Listing Quality Dashboard, which displays how your product detail pages perform and highlights areas for improvement, as well as the Brand Registry and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which we discussed earlier.
• Monitor your account: Check your accounts regularly to ensure you’re in compliance with Amazon’s policies. This includes monitoring product detail pages, customer feedback, and order metrics. Taking these actions hones in on issues early so you can address them before they become significant problems.
• Respond to Amazon notifications promptly: If Amazon notifies you of a policy violation, it’s essential to respond quickly and take the necessary steps to rectify the situation. Failure to respond promptly can result in account suspension, so take these notifications seriously.
• Seek professional help: Navigating Amazon’s policies can be a maze-like undertaking, especially for successful Amazon merchants who are busy maintaining supply chains and managing resources. The platform’s internal appeals process can be even more convoluted, prompting many sellers to seek professional assistance. An Appeals Service like Amazon Sellers Attorney offers free consultation to help you understand the marketplace rules, maintain a healthy account standing, and reinstate suspended accounts. Their supervising attorney, Kenneth Eade, also provides legal services concerning intellectual property and Brand Registry support, as well as arbitration.

Wrapping up — Follow Amazon’s rules to stay competitive with uninterrupted operations

Amazon’s policies are crucial to understand and comply with to ensure your store runs smoothly. They cover product detail pages, prohibited content, customer reviews, intellectual property rights, shipping and fulfillment, and other important topics. Failure to abide by these rules can result in negative consequences like account suspension, loss of revenue, and damage to your brand’s reputation.

To navigate Amazon’s rules productively, read them thoroughly and stay up to date on any changes, use Amazon’s tools to monitor your account regularly, respond promptly to policy violations, and turn to outside help if needed. By following these guidelines, you’ll guarantee a positive customer experience while simultaneously protecting your business and remaining competitive on the marketplace.

As an eCommerce professional, it’s essential to understand the importance of accessibility in the industry. It refers to how well individuals with disabilities can reach and use your website. Making your eCommerce website accessible means everyone, regardless of their abilities, can navigate, understand, and interact with your site easily.

In a brick-and-mortar store, you might think of accessibility elements like a wheelchair-accessible entrance or offering services to meet the needs of your diverse customers. Accessibility is not only a legal requirement but also a moral obligation to ensure everyone has equal access to your products and services.

Recent years have seen a growing emphasis on website accessibility. Various countries have passed laws and policies to ensure websites are accessible to all users. In the United States, for example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses to provide equal access to their services and products for people with disabilities. Then, in 2010, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a rule stating that websites must be accessible to people with disabilities, including those who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, or have physical disabilities.

In addition to meeting legal requirements, making your website accessible brings many benefits to your business: Your site becomes easier to navigate, provides a better user experience, and can grow your customer base. Additionally, an accessible website can increase website traffic and even enhances search engine optimization (SEO).

Whether you run a small business or a large corporation, you must ensure your company’s website is accessible to all visitors. To help you meet the legal definition, we’ve broken down eight vital accessibility features for your website. We’ll explore how these features can benefit your customers and your business and provide step-by-step instructions on how to implement them.

Textual accessibility features

One of the most important aspects of website accessibility is ensuring your website’s text is easy to read and understand. That involves making the text size and color contrast suitable for all users, including those with visual impairments. This is an important detail because:

• By allowing users to adjust the text size, visitors with visual impairments can increase it to a level that’s comfortable for them to read.
• A high contrast between text and background colors makes it easier for users with visual impairments to read your website.

Another important textual accessibility feature is text-to-speech software, which reads website content aloud to visitors. To implement this feature, you can add a plugin to your website that gives users the option to hear the content. Text-to-speech software is beneficial both for users with visual impairments and those who prefer to listen to content instead of reading it.

It’s also critical that the language on your website is clear and easy to understand. Avoid using technical jargon or complicated verbiage that may be difficult for some users to comprehend. You should also provide simple instructions on how to use your website’s features so people can navigate the site easily.

Screen readers: What are they and why implement them?

Screen reader compatibility is another way to increase site accessibility for the visually impaired. Similar to text-to-speech, screen readers are software programs that read website content out loud.

To make your website screen reader-friendly:

• Include alt text in all images: Alt text is a brief description of the picture that screen readers can read aloud. This helps users with visual impairments understand what the image depicts.
• Organize your website’s layout and structure: Clearly structure your site with headings, subheadings, and lists to make it easier for screen readers to move through the content and provide a more pleasant user experience.
• Ensure all forms and interactive elements are easy to use: Use labels and descriptive text to explain each field or button’s purpose in your forms and interactive elements.

Navigational accessibility features

Navigation is a core characteristic of any website. As such, yours must be clear and easy to use in general but particularly for users with disabilities.

In addition to screen reader compatibility, you can improve site navigation accessibility by:

• Making your website keyboard-friendly: Users with physical disabilities often use keyboard shortcuts to navigate through a website. This means all website features, including menus and buttons, should be accessible using only a keyboard. You can achieve this using standard HTML tags and attributes that enable keyboard accessibility, such as “tabindex” and “aria-label.”
• Creating simple menus: This includes using clear and descriptive labels for menu items, avoiding drop-downs, and maintaining a consistent menu structure across all site pages. Providing a site map or search functionality can also be helpful for users who have difficulty finding specific content on your website.

Visual accessibility features

We discussed the importance of alt text in images for users who are blind or visually impaired. However, there are other visual accessibility features you can incorporate to achieve a more inclusive site experience:

• Closed captions for videos: Closed captions are text descriptions of a video’s audio content that appear on screen. This feature allows users who are deaf or hard of hearing to understand what’s said in the video. You can add closed captions easily using various tools or plugins available on most video hosting platforms.
• Suitable color scheme and design: Include high-contrast colors on your site, avoid relying on color alone to convey information, and use easily readable fonts. You should also ensure the layout of your website is consistent and easy to follow.
• Legible text and interactive elements: Adopt a responsive website design that adapts to different screen sizes and resolutions. Also, offer options for users to adjust the size of the text or the zoom level on the page.

Cognitive accessibility features

This category of features is essential for users with cognitive disabilities, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, or autism. These users may have difficulty with reading comprehension, memory, or processing information, which can make it challenging to navigate and use a website. To lower these barriers, you can:

• Include simple language and clear instructions: Avoid complex sentences or technical jargon that can be difficult to understand. Instead, use plain language and concise sentences to convey your message.
• Employ a consistent design and layout: Featuring consistent design elements, such as color schemes, fonts, and page layouts, makes it easier for users with cognitive disabilities to comprehend your website. Additionally, maintain a clear and uncluttered website layout, with a logical hierarchy of content.
• Provide support: This can include providing audio recordings of your content or using text-to-speech software. Additionally, you can provide a glossary or list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help users understand your website content.
• Offer clear feedback to users: Display confirmation messages when users complete an action, such as submitting a form or making a purchase. Be sure your error messages are clear and concise as well, with suggestions for how to correct the error.

The subtle benefits for you

By making your website accessible to all users, you can increase your consumer base and improve your brand reputation. Not to mention, it’s simply the right thing to do.

In terms of technical aspects, accessibility significantly improves SEO. Search engines like Google prioritize websites that are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. As such, implementing accessibility features such as alt text for images and closed captions for videos boosts your website’s search engine rankings, which can ultimately lead to more traffic and conversions for your website.

An accessible website is also necessary to comply with legal requirements and prevent potential lawsuits. Failure to abide by accessibility laws can result in legal action against your business, costly lawsuits, and negative publicity. By prioritizing accessibility in your website design, you can mitigate these risks and ensure that your business is complying with legal requirements.

Finally, it enriches the overall user experience for every visitor, not just those with disabilities. Features like clear navigation and easy-to-read text create a more user-friendly website that’s simpler to use. This can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, resulting in higher conversions and revenue for your business.

Wrapping up — Open access to your eCommerce website to all visitors

Ensuring your eCommerce website is accessible to all users is both a legal requirement and a moral obligation. You can transform your website into an inclusive experience using textual, navigational, visual, and cognitive accessibility features.

Incorporating these elements provides a smoother experience for all visitors, which serves to expand your customer base and strengthen your site’s SEO. Additionally, you’ll prevent potential lawsuits by complying with legal requirements.

Accessibility is an ongoing process, and you should regularly evaluate your website’s to make sure it meets the needs of all users. By prioritizing accessibility in your website design, you’ll create a more inclusive online environment and set a positive example for others in your industry — while reaping the rewards of greater consumer loyalty.

Customer trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. ​​After a single negative experience, 76% of consumers will stop doing business with a company.

In eCommerce, providing exceptional customer support is crucial to set your business apart from competitors and maintain consumer loyalty. However, offering 24/7 support can be challenging, especially if you have limited resources.

Luckily, automated customer support solutions can help. Using technology like chatbots and AI, you can offer fast, efficient, and personalized customer support with zero human intervention.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the benefits of implementing automated customer service solutions for your eCommerce business and offer tips to help you get started.

What is customer service automation?

Automated customer support refers to the use of artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots, and other technology to automate various aspects of customer support. Popular tasks to streamline include answering FAQs, providing real-time assistance, and guiding customers through the purchasing process.

Implementing this option brings many advantages, such as round-the-clock availability, support consistency, cost savings, and more. Automated solutions come in many forms though, and which will work best for your business depends on your channels, your budget, and your available resources.

Types of customer service automation

As an eCommerce business owner, you have several options to improve your customer service. We’ve listed the most common solutions below.

Automated chatbot

Chatbots are AI-powered software programs that can engage in automated conversations with customers through chat windows on your website or messaging apps like Facebook Messenger. Some can even interact with buyers through voice commands, providing quick answers to commonly asked questions.

Automated email

Email automation tools allow you to send personalized emails to customers automatically based on their behavior, such as abandoned cart reminders or follow-up emails after a purchase.

Automated phone

With automated phone solutions, customers can receive support even outside of business hours — allowing you to provide 24/7 support and thus improve the overall customer experience.

This reduces the workload of your support team, which saves on staffing costs while still providing high-quality customer service.

Automated social media

Social media automation tools help you manage your social media accounts. Automatically respond to customer inquiries, comments, and messages for top-notch service.

Implementing automated customer support

Introducing automated customer support solutions can streamline your customer service processes and improve the overall customer experience. However, the task can be complex if you jump in without preparing ahead.

To ease the transition, here are some helpful tips to implement automated customer support smoothly in your business.

Choose a robust solution

Consider these key factors when selecting the right solution for your business:

• Customer needs: Consider your customers’ specific needs, including the type of support they require and their preferred communication channels.
• Scalability: Your chosen solution must be able to grow with your business and handle an increasing volume of customer inquiries and interactions.
• Integration: Ensure the software can integrate with your existing systems, such as your eCommerce platform and CRM.
• Ease of use: Search for a solution that’s easy to set up and use, with an intuitive interface your team can learn quickly.
• Cost: Look into the total cost of the solution, including any ongoing fees, and ensure it provides sufficient value for your business to justify its expense.
• Analytics and reporting: Look for tools that provide data on customer interactions, enabling you to delve into and optimize your support processes.

Integrate your solution into existing systems

When choosing an automated customer support tool, look for one with robust integration capabilities like APIs, plugins, and third-party integrations.

Assess your existing systems, including your eCommerce platform, CRM, and other tools, to determine which integration points are necessary for smooth integration. Then, test the integration between your customer service automation solution and your existing systems to ensure everything works as expected.

Even after you join these two elements, you should continuously monitor the integration and make necessary adjustments to optimize performance.

Train your staff

Provide your team with comprehensive training on your adopted automated customer support system, including its features, functionality, and how to use it most effectively.

Throughout the process, encourage your team to provide feedback on the new software, such as any issues or areas for improvement. This will help you refine the system before it launches and ensure it meets the needs of both your team and customers.

Then, develop a knowledge base or training materials your team can refer to when using the automated system. Access to this knowledge base will help them troubleshoot problems quickly and provide efficient support to customers.

Launch and promote

Test the solution with a small group of customers to identify any additional issues or areas for improvement and make necessary changes.

Once you’re confident the system works effectively, launch it and promote it to your customer base through your website, social media, and email marketing.

How customer service automation benefits your eCommerce business

eCommerce customer support software is designed to improve customers’ experience by providing them with fast, efficient, and personalized service around the clock—without requiring human intervention.

Here are a few ways in which automated customer support solutions can benefit your business:

24/7 Availability

With automated support systems, you can provide your customers support anytime, day or night.

This 24/7 availability can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, as customers will appreciate being able to receive assistance whenever they need it.

Reduced workload for support teams

Automating common support tasks can free up your support teams to focus on more complex issues. This improves both their productivity and job satisfaction, as they can spend more time on challenging and fulfilling tasks.

Increased efficiency and speed

Automated support systems respond to customer inquiries instantly, providing fast and efficient service that delights shoppers and minimizes their frustration.

Consistency in support

With automated support systems, you can achieve consistent and accurate responses to customer inquiries. This ensures everyone receives the same high level of support, regardless of the time of day or the representative they interact with.

Cost savings

By automating common support tasks, you reduce reliance on your support team. In turn, that cuts down on staffing and training costs without sacrificing the quality of customer support.

Improved data analytics

Automated solutions collect data on your customers’ inquiries and behaviors, revealing valuable insights into their needs and preferences. You can then use that information to improve your products and services, as well as personalize your marketing and customer support strategies.

Leverage this data trove to better understand your customers and provide a more tailored and fruitful customer experience.

Challenges of customer service automation

It’s important to be aware of the challenges of implementing automated customer support solutions before you rush into adding it to your eCommerce business:

• Lack of personalization: Many solutions lack the personal touch of human support, causing customers to feel dissatisfied or frustrated.
• Language barriers: Automated support systems may struggle to understand non-native speakers or customers with unique dialects or accents, which can result in miscommunications or misunderstandings.

• Technical issues: No piece of tech is perfect, but with automated support systems, you risk technical issues such as bugs or system failures, leading to downtime or inaccurate responses to customer inquiries — all of which can significantly hurt your business.

• Difficulty handling complex issues: Some solutions may struggle to accommodate complicated customer inquiries, requiring escalation to a human support team and thus delaying a resolution.
• High implementation costs: It can be costly to incorporate an automated customer support solution, as they entail significant technological and training investments.
• Maintenance and updates: These systems require ongoing maintenance and updates to remain effective, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

Understanding the challenges of automated customer support solutions is the first step in addressing them properly.

By facing these obstacles head-on, you’ll ensure your system meets the needs of your customers and business goals. This may involve investing in additional training for your support team, upgrading your technology infrastructure, or implementing new processes to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of your automated customer support system.

Wrapping up — Satisfy your customers with automated service

Automated customer support solutions are invaluable for eCommerce businesses seeking to improve their customer service processes and drive growth. They provide 24/7 support, faster response times, and personalized service while reducing costs and freeing up resources for more complex business issues.

However, implementing customer service automation is not without its challenges, such as language barriers and technical issues. Consider these obstacles carefully when selecting a solution to encourage a smoother integration.

Look for an eCommerce customer service software that meets your business needs and establish procedures for any issues that may arise. By leveraging automated customer support, you’ll provide exceptional customer experiences that build loyalty and drive sales.

Eighty percent of customers consider their experience with a company to be as important as their products and services. This underscores how vital it is to deliver a personalized and seamless experience to compete in the eCommerce industry.

As online shopping continues to gain popularity, businesses must adapt to increasingly complex customer expectations. To remain competitive, many have turned to artificial intelligence (AI), which has proven invaluable for creating tailored consumer experiences.

Keep reading as we explore how you can leverage AI in your eCommerce business to improve your customer experience and increase satisfaction, loyalty, and sales.

Personalized customer experiences

AI improves the customer experience by delivering personalized content and product recommendations. With 91% of customers more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers and suggestions, AI is a powerful tool to make your company stand out. Listed below are the specific advantages AI brings to businesses.

Tailored product recommendations

AI algorithms analyze customer data such as browsing and purchase history and preferences to generate tailored product recommendations. These suggestions increase the likelihood of customers finding relevant products — whether they were searching for them or not — which, in turn, boosts sales.

Collaborative and content-based filtering are popular techniques used in AI-powered recommendation engines. Collaborative filtering relies on users’ past behaviors and preferences, while content-based filtering considers item features and descriptions.

Targeted marketing campaigns

AI can help businesses segment customers based on behavior, preferences, and demographics to create targeted marketing campaigns. These campaigns have higher open and click-through rates and yield greater conversions.

Natural language processing (NLP) and sentiment analysis enable AI to understand customer emotions and feedback so businesses can tailor their marketing messages accordingly.

Intelligent site search

AI-powered site search engines understand natural language queries and provide accurate, relevant search results. This makes it easier for customers to find the products they’re looking for, producing a smoother shopping experience.

To achieve this, AI relies on machine learning (ML) algorithms, which learn from customer search behavior to improve search results and provide better recommendations continuously.

Personalized website content

AI can also analyze customer data to identify patterns and preferences, enabling businesses to personalize website content such as layout, product display, and promotions.

By delivering a tailored user experience, you can improve customer engagement, increase conversion rates, and boost customer loyalty.

Automated returns processing

AI software can automate the return process by generating return labels, processing returns, and issuing refunds. Removing the manual aspect from these tasks reduces the time and effort required to manage returns so customers enjoy a more satisfactory experience with fewer headaches.

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AI-powered customer support

You can leverage AI in your customer support across a variety of communication channels, such as:

• Email: AI email assistants can respond to customer inquiries and provide personalized recommendations based on the consumer’s purchase history and behavior.
• Chatbots: Chatbots and live chat software offer real-time support and answer queries 24/7. AI-powered chatbots can learn from customer interactions and become more efficient and effective. You can also integrate them with your CRM system to access customer data, ensuring personalized support.
• Social media: AI-backed monitoring tools help companies track consumer feedback on social media platforms and address their concerns in real time.
• Virtual assistants: AI voice assistants and IVR systems provide customers with automated support or route them to the appropriate agent or department that can solve their more complex problems. Virtual assistants can also offer personalized product recommendations and promotions based on customers’ preferences.
• Self-service portals: AI self-service portals give customers access to relevant information and resources such as FAQs, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides.

By applying AI to your various communication channels, you’ll provide customers with seamless and consistent support, regardless of the portal they use to ask for help. All of this leads to higher levels of customer satisfaction, reduced response times, and ultimately, increased loyalty and sales for the business.

Visual search and augmented reality

AI-powered visual search enables customers to find products using images instead of keywords, simplifying the search process and enriching the customer experience.

Image recognition

AI algorithms can analyze and recognize images to match them to products in an eCommerce store’s inventory. This allows customers to upload photos of items they’re interested in and receive relevant product suggestions.

Visual search can also help businesses identify trends and patterns so they can stock up on popular items and improve their product offerings.

Augmented reality (AR)

Combine AI and AR to create immersive shopping experiences. The two enable customers to visualize themselves using your products in their environment before purchasing, which reduces the likelihood of returns and boosts satisfaction. You can also use AR for virtual fitting rooms so shoppers can try on clothing and accessories virtually.

In 2019, online fashion retailer ASOS launched an AR feature in their app that allows customers to view 3D images of clothes on different body types. It superimposes virtual clothes onto the user’s body to give a more realistic idea of how they’ll look and fit.

Optimize pricing and inventory management

AI can optimize pricing and inventory management to ensure businesses remain competitive and meet consumer demands.

Dynamic pricing

AI algorithms can analyze various factors like competitor prices, shopper behavior, and market trends to determine the optimal price for products. This dynamic pricing strategy helps brands stay competitive and maximize profits.

ML models can continuously learn from that data and help businesses adjust prices based on changing market conditions in real time.

Inventory management

AI can help businesses predict customer demand and send automated notifications when stock is running low, allowing them to optimize their inventory levels and prevent stockouts and overstocking.

ML algorithms analyze historical sales data, seasonality, and trends to forecast demand accurately. Businesses can then leverage this data to make decisions about their inventory, leading to increased efficiency and reduced costs.

Streamline order processing

AI-powered tools and robotic process automation (RPA) can automate repetitive tasks in order processing, such as order entry, data validation, and updating order status. This reduces manual intervention (which minimizes the risk of human errors) and speeds up processing.

AI can also optimize warehouse operations by automating picking, packing, and shipping procedures. These tools can determine the most efficient routes for order picking, cutting the time to fulfill orders and lowering the risk of errors.

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Fraud detection

AI can help you spot scams through anomaly detection. By analyzing large volumes of customer data, AI-powered fraud detection systems can identify unusual patterns or behaviors that may indicate fraudulent activity.

For example, suppose a customer has a history of making consistent and relatively small purchases but suddenly makes a large purchase and returns it soon after. The system may flag this as an anomaly to be investigated for potential fraud. Similarly, if a customer frequently returns items without a clear reason, this could also be tagged for further review.

With AI-powered fraud detection, you reduce your risk of losses due to fraud and maintain the trust and satisfaction of your customers.

Improve product quality

AI can significantly improve product quality in eCommerce by optimizing various aspects of the product life cycle, from design and development to manufacturing and customer feedback.

Predictive maintenance

AI-powered predictive maintenance tools can analyze sensor data from manufacturing equipment to detect potential failures and schedule maintenance before issues arise.

Predictive maintenance helps maintain consistent product quality and reduces downtime in the production process.

Quality control automation

You can also enjoy automated quality control processes like visual inspection and defect detection with AI. Applying computer vision and ML algorithms, AI can identify defects and deviations from quality standards more accurately and consistently than human inspectors, ensuring higher-quality products.

Automation can extend to testing processes — such as software or product testing — as well to increase accuracy and efficiency while slashing the potential for human error.

Sentiment analysis

Returning to consumer sentiment, AI can use NLP to analyze customer reviews and feedback to identify patterns and trends in product quality. This information helps you address product issues, make improvements, and better accommodate customer preferences.

Wrapping Up — Harness the power of AI for more eCommerce conversions

AI has the potential to improve your eCommerce customer experience significantly by delivering personalized content, enhancing customer support, streamlining operations, and ensuring a secure shopping environment.

To maximize the benefits of AI in your eCommerce business, invest in the right tools, integrate automation into your existing processes, and evaluate and refine your strategies continuously based on data-driven insights. By leveraging AI technology, you’ll stay ahead of the competition, keep up with evolving customer expectations, and drive growth.

Over the last three years, millions of online businesses have displayed resilience in the face of the unexpected.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption and innovation of digital commerce, with online shopping increasing by 77% year over year in a matter of months.

By the end of 2023, eCommerce sales will make up one-fifth of all retail sales globally.

However, after years of lockdowns and restrictions, people crave meaningful connections across all aspects of their lives, including commerce. Physical spaces foster online and offline relationships between merchants and customers.

Now, brands must be flexible and responsive to challenges, adding flexibility to their products, strategies, and policies. To help you stay ahead of the curve, MyFBAPrep conducted a seller survey that sought to include eCommerce business owners across all channels and industries.

Our findings shed light on eCommerce merchants’ current priorities and challenges and highlight their priorities as they drive their businesses forward in 2023.

Join us as we explore the new eCommerce landscape and discover where it’s headed this year.

Where are retailers selling?

eCommerce merchants are selling their products and services in a variety of online marketplaces, including established marketplaces such as Amazon (47%), eBay (50%), Walmart (27%), and Etsy (33%).

Other merchants sell through their custom websites (14%) or on platforms such as Shopify (37%) and BigCommerce (12%).

According to our respondents, the top three sales channels are eBay, Amazon Marketplace, and Shopify. This clearly indicates that marketplaces are still thriving, but direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales are also gaining significant popularity.

Statistics reveal 43% of Amazon sellers generate between 25% and 50% of their revenue through Amazon sales, while 35% of DTC sellers generate a similar percentage. These numbers suggest that most merchants have transitioned to a multi-channel approach, leveraging a combination of marketplaces and DTC sales to drive revenue.

Where do retailers want to sell next?

As eCommerce continues to evolve, merchants are constantly searching for new sales channels to expand their reach and grow their businesses.

According to our survey, many sellers (39%) have their sights set on Amazon Marketplace as their next step forward.

For those already selling on Amazon though, the picture takes on a darker hue: Almost 30% are concerned about Amazon’s white labeling and potential competition with their products. It’s a valid worry that closely aligns with the second-most popular concern, which is a decrease in listing visibility or unfavorable algorithm treatment.

While Amazon is a powerful sales channel, these worries highlight the importance of diversifying sales channels, rather than relying solely on one platform.

Embracing a multi-channel approach

Amazon isn’t the only platform capturing the attention of growth-focused merchants; 31% of merchants also want to expand to Shopify. This shows an interesting exchange wherein retail and DTC sellers are interested in exploring Amazon, while retail and Amazon sellers are keen to pursue DTC sales.

These trends display how eCommerce is increasingly moving towards a multi-channel approach, with retailers utilizing a mix of sales channels to reach their customers. As a result, merchants can mitigate risk and take advantage of each channel’s unique strengths to further their business.

What is their average order value?

The data shows most merchants have an average order value (AOV) of $10–$50, with the second-most common AOV falling between $50 and $100.

If your cart sizes are smaller than this, consider employing AOV-boosting tactics to increase the value of each sale. These could include upselling and cross-selling, offering volume discounts, or creating product bundles. By focusing on boosting AOV, merchants can maximize revenue and improve profitability.

Which seller tools are merchants using?

Today’s eCommerce merchants use a multitude of seller tools to streamline their operations, improve efficiency, and enhance the customer experience. Some of the most popular tools include:

• AMZScout (15%): AMZScout is a suite of tools designed for Amazon sellers to research and analyze data related to item sales, competition, and profitability. It provides a range of features and functionalities to help Amazon sellers make informed decisions about their products and business.
• CedCommerce (15.6%): This multi-channel solutions provider offers various tools and services to help merchants sell their products online. CredCommerce boasts integration solutions for eCommerce platforms such as Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, as well as marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart.
• Channel Advisor (15.6%): A cloud-based platform, ChannelAdvisor can integrate with popular eCommerce marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Alibaba, as well as social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Google.
• Ecomdash (11.2%): Ecomdash is a cloud-based inventory management software designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It helps merchants streamline inventory management, order fulfillment, and shipping processes across multiple sales channels.
• GeekSeller (16.2%): This comprehensive eCommerce management platform provides a range of customization options that enable merchants to tailor it to their specific needs. They can customize their workflows and automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time to focus on other aspects of their business.
• GoDataFeed (9.8%): Another cloud-based platform, GoDataFeed enables merchants to manage and optimize their product feeds for multiple sales channels. It automates the creation and updating of product feeds for marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, as well as shopping carts like Shopify and Magento.
• Custom-built software (28.8%): One of the most noteworthy statistics to come out of our survey is the number of merchants using custom-built software. Custom software can give merchants a competitive advantage by providing unique and innovative features and functionalities unavailable in off-the-shelf solutions.

Which newsletters and podcasts do merchants subscribe to?

Staying current with the latest trends is essential in the evolving eCommerce industry. With so many resources available, like top marketing blogs and intriguing podcasts, there’s no shortage of in-depth topics and trends to explore.

Below are our results on the most popular podcasts and newsletters merchants are following:

• Shopify Retail Radar: With nearly 1.7 million merchants selling their products through Shopify, it’s no wonder the platform’s newsletter is full of valuable resources and inspiring success stories. Subscribe to the free Shopify Retail Radar newsletter and receive monthly news about eCommerce updates, thought-leader interviews, and advice from industry experts. Whether you already run an online store on Shopify or are considering launching one, this newsletter is a must-read for anyone looking to stay ahead of the game.
• Digital Commerce 360: Digital Commerce 360 is a leading research and media organization that provides objective B2B news, eCommerce analyses, and in-depth market research. When you sign up for their newsletter, you can choose to receive either retail or B2B news (or both) according to your interests. Both options will give you daily news and insights (Monday to Wednesday) about eCommerce trends and strategies from top experts in the field.
• Ecommerce Playbook: Hosted by Andrew Faris, former CEO of an eCommerce aggregator and current VP of growth for an eCommerce growth agency, the Ecommerce Playbook podcast is packed with valuable insights and firsthand experiences. Andrew shares his personal journey, including both recent successes and past failures, with listeners. He also invites fellow entrepreneurs to join the conversation and recount their own eCommerce stories.

MyFBAPrep curates the best news in shipping and operations every other week. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of the market and join over 3,000 fulfillment experts who enjoy the industry’s most relevant news.

What are the top acquisition channels?

The top acquisition channels for eCommerce vary depending on the specific business and industry. Here are our respondents’ top acquisition channels:

1. Social media (62.2%)
2. Amazon ads (36.6%)
3. Referrals/Affiliates (30.4%)
4. Videos (25.4%)
5. Email outreach (27.4%)
6. Paid social ads (28.2%)
7. Influencer marketing (21.8%)
8. Paid search ads (21.2%)
9. Brand partnerships (16.2%)
10. Content marketing/SEO (14.8%)

Looking toward social commerce

With social media coming in at number one, today’s merchants are obviously focusing more on social commerce.

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest have introduced features to support social commerce, including shoppable posts and tags, buy buttons, and in-app checkout. These features allow users to browse and purchase products directly from their social media feeds without having to navigate to a separate website.

Social commerce sales in the U.S. are projected to grow by 34.4% this year, reaching $53.1 billion. Retailers who are able to overcome the trust gap will reap the rewards, attracting a wave of new shoppers and inspiring existing customers to spend more.

Capitalizing on Amazon ads and referral marketing

Amazon ads and referrals take second and third place, respectively. This underscores the large number of merchants utilizing Amazon as a key sales and acquisition channel, as well as the effectiveness of referral marketing.

Amazon ads are a powerful avenue for showcasing your products to potential customers. You can ensure your ads reach the right audience by using a range of targeting options like keywords, interests, and demographics.

Referral marketing is another highly effective acquisition channel for eCommerce businesses. By incentivizing current customers to refer their friends and family to your brand, you can tap into a network of new leads who are already interested in what you offer.

Implementing a loyalty rewards program is a savvy strategy for boosting customer lifetime value (CLV). Learn how to launch a successful referral program.

How are online retailers fulfilling orders in 2023?

The following are the most popular fulfillment methods for today’s merchants:

1. In-house (60%)
2. Amazon FBA (33.2%)
3. Amazon multi-channel (27.4%)
4. Third-party logistics (3PL) provider (21.4%)
5. Dropship (17%)

Identifying logistics concerns

After years of digital transformation, unprecedented growth in eCommerce, and supply chain challenges, the industry experienced a significant shift in 2022. Rising costs and concerns about a potential recession contributed to a slowing of its upward trajectory.

This year, merchants are focusing on anticipating the changes that’ll shape the sector and identifying new opportunities. Their most pressing concerns include:

1. Shipping mistakes (42%)
2. Expensive shipping (37.2%)
3. Lack of services (23.2%)
4. Inventory loss, theft, or breakage (27.2%)
5. Poor communication (28.2%)
6. Inaccurate receiving (20%)
7. Unreliable manufacturers (18.8%)
8. Unreported damages (17.8%)
9. Long prep turnaround time (15.2%)
10. Limited visibility or no inventory reports (14.8%)
11. Geographic constraints/Limited warehouse locations (13.2%)
12. Backlogs and no SLAs (12.6%)
13. Unfamiliarity with FBA standards (11.2%)
14. Containers sitting idle (10%)
15. No reverse logistics processes (7.2%)

Overall, merchants need to pay close attention to logistical concerns to ensure their operations are efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable while also meeting their customers expectations.

Top 3PL providers

For those merchants using 3PLs, their most commonly used partners are:

1. FedEx (58.9%)
2. UPS (43.9%)
3. Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (35.5%)
4. USPS (28.9%)
5. eFulfillment Service (23.4%)

An overwhelming majority of our respondents found their 3PL through social media (39%), with friends or family (15%) coming in second.

When choosing a 3PL, these online retailers consider price (56%) and delivery speed (46%) to be the most influential factors, with reliability (45%), ease of use (40%), and customer service (33%) closely following.

What are merchants prioritizing in 2023?

In 2023, eCommerce merchants are prioritizing a range of strategies to remain competitive and meet evolving consumer demands.

Increasing customer retention (32%), growing teams (32%), and content marketing (29%) are top points of focus for retailers this year. These goals are in line with experts’ predictions for the coming year.

The emphasis on retaining existing customers is based on the statistical probability of selling to an existing customer versus a new prospect: While the likelihood of selling to an existing customer is 60%–70%, the chances lower to just 5%–20% for new prospects. This underscores the importance of building strong customer relationships and providing exceptional experiences that keep customers coming back.

Wondering how to optimize your post-purchase experience to boost customer retention? Our blog explains how to deliver a memorable experience for your customers.

Other priorities for merchants in 2023 include building brand awareness (26%), optimizing fulfillment (25%), and catalog expansion (21%).

Wrapping up — The only constant in eCommerce is change

Our Seller Insights survey highlights the significant shifts and challenges that the eCommerce industry has experienced in recent years. From changing consumer expectations to supply chain disruptions, merchants have had to adapt quickly to remain competitive.

Looking ahead, sellers are prioritizing strategies like customer retention, multi-channel selling, brand awareness, and data-driven decision-making to optimize their operations and meet evolving consumer demands.

By staying informed and agile in the face of these ongoing fluctuations, eCommerce merchants can weather the storm and continue to drive growth and success in their businesses for years to come.

I​n eCommerce, having a solid marketing mix helps your brand stand out from the competition and remain at the forefront of your current and prospective customers’ minds. One of the most impactful marketing channels eCommerce businesses can leverage is also one of the most traditional: email. Email subscribers are already invested in your business because they’ve opted in to your communications. They’ve probably purchased from your company as well and so can be reengaged for future sales.

A​ successful email marketing strategy can expand your reach, grow your revenue, and develop your brand image. In this article, we’ll explore what email marketing is, how email can support your other marketing channels, and effective ways to leverage this method of communication.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing provides a direct line of communication between businesses and their customers. It’s a cost-effective way to reach a large audience and is valuable for building customer relationships, promoting products and services, and generating sales.

An effective email marketing strategy begins with a well-defined target audience. This allows businesses to tailor their messages to the interests and needs of their consumers. Then, companies can craft a series of targeted and personalized emails that deliver value to the recipient.

Your communications can take various forms, from simple, text-based letters to more sophisticated designs with images and graphics. Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Campaign Monitor make it easy for businesses to craft and send emails, as well as manage their mailing lists.

Diversify your sales channels and add new revenue streams by embracing email marketing. It’s an effective strategy that allows you to reach your audience on a personal level through customized messages.

What to push with email marketing

An appealing advantage of email marketing is the ability to include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) with links that send your audience to a specific place. That decision depends on what you want to highlight and the desired action you want your recipients to take. We’ve listed some top places and events to push via email marketing to maximize your campaigns’ return on investment (ROI).

New sales channels

If you’re scaling your business and adding new sales channels, a targeted email blast is a great way to announce it to your existing customer base. Expanding to a marketplace like Amazon or Walmart makes for especially enticing email copy, as customers will be excited to shop diverse products and sellers in the same place.

T​o maximize this type of email communication, it’s critical to include a clear CTA that brings email recipients directly to the new channel and communicates what action they should take (e.g., “log in” or “sign up”). Additionally, highlight any perks such as coupons or savings upon their first purchases through this channel to sweeten the deal.

Your store

A​ common strategy in eCommerce email marketing is to transport recipients to your business’s website, Amazon shop, or another online store. Doing so increases traffic to your website and, with the right promotions and timing, even sales.

Event registrations, demo sign-ups, and related surveys

Email marketing paves the way for savvy businesses to deliver an incredible customer experience and build relationships, so you shouldn’t limit its reach to typical pages.

From live shopping on social media to webinars or in-person, invite-only events, leverage emails to encourage your audience to register for events and sign up for demos. Further, you can send surveys to capture feedback on their experience and understand what kinds of products, services, and events they’d like to see from you.

Product landing pages

P​ushing your email audience to a product page reduces the number of clicks it takes for customers to reach the final purchase stage of their journey. CTAs that direct to a particular product page are also a great way to promote a new product or highlight special promotions.

Newsletter sign-up

Launch a separate newsletter with tips and tricks or other valuable information. Newsletters can effectively build brand loyalty and provide greater value to your customers without running the risk of sales spam. Invite your customers to sign up for it in your next product marketing email.

How email marketing supports your overall strategy

Businesses both eCommerce and not must constantly vye for customers’ attention. As such, email marketing provides a targeted and cost-effective opportunity to reach potential customers and retain existing ones. It offers several benefits that prove it’s an essential addition to your marketing mix.

Direct, personalized communication

Email marketing brings a level of personalization that’s difficult to achieve through other marketing channels. With the help of customer data, you can create targeted campaigns that speak to recipients, providing them with relevant information, offers, and promotions that encourage them to buy. This helps build strong relationships with your customers, increase brand loyalty, and, ultimately, drive sales.

High ROI

Another advantage is the ability to reach a large audience with minimal costs. Unlike other marketing channels that can be expensive, email marketing allows you to communicate with thousands of customers at a fraction of the price. For small businesses especially, it’s a cost-effective way to compete with larger companies.

Email marketing also makes it easy to track and measure your campaigns. This data provides valuable insights into their effectiveness and can inform decisions about future marketing strategies. Track metrics like open rate, click-through rate, and conversions to fine-tune your campaigns, achieve better results, and increase your ROI.

Even more appealing, you can automate email marketing campaigns to send personalized messages to customers at the right time — no manual intervention necessary. Set up automated communications such as welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, and birthday greetings with triggers based on specific actions or events. This saves time and resources and ensures consistent and engaging communication with customers.

Supports multi-channel marketing efforts

Based on the longstanding Rule of Seven, an eCommerce customer needs to hear (or see) a brand’s messaging an average of seven times before they make a decision to buy. With this in mind, you can use email marketing to support your multi-channel marketing efforts.

I​t might start with a pay-per-click ad on Google, then a Meta ad delivered on Facebook or Instagram. Then TikTok. Back to Meta. An email. A trip to your website. Retargeting, and so on. The digital shopping journey can be lengthy, but email helps you target your customers at each stage with relevant messaging and products.

Drives customers to your physical locations

In part due to Covid-19 restrictions being lifted around the world, in-person shopping experiences are on the rise, with customers seeking unique experiential opportunities to engage with their favorite brands. Promote these physical sales channels through emails for fruitful results, highlighting aspects like location, hours, special promotions, and other perks for:

• In-store shopping at brick-and-mortar stores
• Pop-ups at other locations like gyms or markets
• Experiential shopping opportunities, such as Sip and Shop or Try Before You Buy events

Different ways to use email marketing

We’ve explored ways to drive your audience to other sales channels, but you can leverage email marketing in other ways to grow your brand, which we discuss below.

Launch a newsletter (that doesn’t focus on sales messaging)

One of the most effective email marketing tactics to grow your brand is to launch a newsletter. This regularly scheduled email should include a variety of content, such as company updates, industry news, and educational articles.

The key to a successful newsletter is to avoid focusing on sales messaging. Instead, feature valuable content your subscribers will find useful and interesting. This builds trust with your audience and positions yourself as an expert in your industry.

Also, include a clear CTA that encourages subscribers to engage with your brand. For example, you could ask them to follow you on social media, leave a review of your product, or share your newsletter with their friends.

Send informative emails

Another approach that yields lucrative results is to send informative emails that focus on how customers can get the most out of your product. These communications should provide tips, tricks, and best practices for using your product and be tailored to your audience’s needs.

By offering helpful information that enables your customers to thrive, you’ll increase their satisfaction with your product and strengthen their loyalty to your brand. You’ll also position yourself as a company that cares about its customers and is committed to their success.

When crafting these emails, employ a friendly, conversational tone that resonates with your audience. You should also include plenty of visuals, such as screenshots and videos, to illustrate your points and make your content more engaging.

Highlight your customers, suppliers, or your team

Email marketing offers a prime opportunity to highlight your customers, suppliers, or team. Showcasing the people who make your company successful creates a more personal connection with your audience.

You could send an email that features a customer success story, highlighting how your product helped them achieve their goals. Or, you could spotlight a supplier who provides high-quality materials for your product. You could even feature a member of your team and detail their expertise or experience.

By placing these people front and center, you’ll show your audience that your brand is more than just a product — it’s a community of people who are passionate about what they do.

Offer an email course

A less common but equally effective use of email marketing is to offer an email course. This is a series of emails sent over a period of time that are designed to teach your audience a specific skill or concept.

An email course is great for positioning yourself as an expert in your industry and providing a valuable education to your audience. This increases trust and credibility among them and can help drive sales by showcasing the advantages of your product.

When creating an email course, make sure to choose a topic that’s relevant to your audience’s needs and interests. You should also break your content into bite-sized pieces and make it easy to consume. By doing this, you’ll increase engagement and make it more likely that your audience will complete the course.

Tactics to try

B​eyond the applications we’ve covered in this article, you can employ other tactics to gain the most out of your email marketing efforts. Give the following strategies a try to help your brand stand out from the competition.

Alert your subscribers to social “live” sales

Send alerts to make your subscribers aware of social “live” sales and achieve maximum exposure. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram now offer live sales that allow businesses to showcase their products in real time and interact with customers in a more personal way.

By sending an email to your subscribers before a live sale, you’ll increase the likelihood of people tuning in and making a purchase. Include all relevant details, such as the date and time of the sale, the products you’ll feature, and any special discounts or promotions.

W​ant to really sweeten the deal? Offer a special email-only discount code!

Include “tell your friends” buttons for easy sharing

Make it simple for subscribers to share your emails by incorporating share buttons in your correspondences. This is a small but powerful way to increase your reach and attract new customers.

Include clear and compelling CTAs that encourage subscribers to share your content with friends, family, and their social network. You could even offer a reward, such as a discount or free shipping, for every new customer they refer to your business.

Leverage CTAs strategically

CTAs are the backbone of your emails. These buttons (or links) nudge subscribers to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for your newsletter.

To craft successful CTAs, make sure they’re clear, compelling, and relevant to the content of your email. For example, if you’re showcasing a new product in your communication, you should feature a CTA that encourages subscribers to learn more or buy.

Experiment with different types as well, such as offering limited-time promotions or free shipping. Make sure to track the results of your CTAs and adjust your strategy based on what works best on your audience.

Wrapping up — Capitalize on digital communications for greater conversions

Email marketing is a powerful and cost-effective avenue for eCommerce businesses to reach their target audience, build strong relationships, and increase sales. By crafting targeted and personalized emails that deliver value to your subscribers, you can expand your reach and grow your revenue.

At MyFBAPrep, we understand the impact of a successful email marketing strategy and we’re here to help you make the most of this channel. Enjoy streamlined operations, reduced costs, and greater business growth with our suite of services. Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive eCommerce solutions and how we can help you achieve your goals.

 

The eCommerce industry provides countless opportunities to grow your online business, expand your reach, and build a powerhouse brand, but you have to monitor several elements to realize this potential. While there are many metrics business owners must track to determine and expand their success, one of the most important is revenue — the fuel of a company. It’s key for evaluating your business’s performance and growth, as well as measuring the efficiency of your marketing and sales strategies, so you need to have precise numbers to make strategic decisions.

In this article, we’ll explore what revenue is, how it’s calculated, and dig into one of its most influential factors, profit margins. We’ll also discuss how to pinpoint your unique profit margins using manual and automated methods.

Is your online business growing quickly?  Get the right fulfillment solutions for the journey.

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What is revenue?

Revenue is the income a business generates through the sale of goods or services. It’s a crucial metric for any eCommerce professional, as it’s the lifeblood of any business, be it online or physical. Understanding revenue and how to increase it is important to achieve success.

A few key factors impact revenue:

• Product pricing: Setting the right price for your products is essential to maximize revenue. This entails understanding the cost of goods and the value your products offer to customers. You also need to look at your competition and price your products accordingly (more on that later).
• Product availability: Ensure your products are in stock and readily available to customers. That requires a reliable supply chain and inventory management system.
• Marketing and advertising: Identify and target the right customer segments, develop effective marketing campaigns, and leverage social media and other digital channels to reach potential customers.
• Customer service: Provide excellent customer service, which includes being responsive to customer inquiries and complaints and fostering a sense of loyalty among your consumers.

To calculate revenue, multiply the number of units sold by the price of each unit. For example, if a business sells 100 units of a product at $20 each, its revenue would be $2,000.

An alternative method is to sum up all of the individual sales made within a specific period of time. It’s important to track revenue regularly to monitor your business performance and make informed decisions about pricing, marketing, and other key aspects.

What are profit margins?

Profit margins, on the other hand, refer to the amount of money left over after all expenses have been taken into account. To calculate profit margins, businesses subtract their cost of goods sold (COGS) from their revenue. COGS includes the cost of materials and labor needed to produce the product, as well as any other expenses related to the product, such as shipping and handling.

Many factors can impact profit margins. Take the last couple of years, for example. The Covid-19 pandemic caused labor stoppages and shortages with manufacturing grinding to a halt due to outbreaks. This spurred a shortage of goods and materials, driving up the prices of goods. Merchants saw their profit margins shrinking as a result of higher acquisition costs.

If fixed overhead expenses like the cost of warehousing space, insurance, admin salaries, utilities, and licensing or permits (among other things) change due to inflation, needing a bigger space, or hiring new employees, will also impact your profit margins.

And, of course, there are other factors like taxes and financing or interest costs. With inflation currently on the increase, keeping an eye on your profit margins should be of the highest priority.

Generally, a good target profit margin for eCommerce businesses is around 20%. This means a business should aim to make 20 cents in profit for every dollar of revenue. However, margins can vary widely depending on the industry and the individual business. For example, businesses selling low-cost items may have lower margins, while businesses selling luxury goods might enjoy higher margins.

Note: It’s also important to focus on other metrics alongside profit, including customer lifetime value, customer acquisition cost, and return on investment.

Ensure your pricing is competitive but still profitable

eCommerce professionals face a delicate balance between offering competitive pricing without sacrificing profits. However, with a few key strategies and a bit of negotiation, it’s possible to achieve this harmony and drive more sales for your business.

Negotiate costs with suppliers

One of the most effective ways to keep costs down and maintain competitive prices is to negotiate with suppliers. By building strong relationships with your product sources, you can secure lower prices for bulk orders, early payment discounts, and other incentives. Additionally, you can seek longer payment terms, which improves your cash flow and reduces your overall costs.

Minimize fulfillment costs

Lowering your shipping and fulfillment expenses can keep costs down significantly. Bundling items together, for example, makes shipping more cost-efficient by reducing the number of packages you have to ship. Also, explore alternative shipping options such as using ground shipping instead of air, or partnering with a third-party fulfillment service.

Leverage upselling and cross-selling

By offering complementary products or upgrades, you can increase your customer’s average order value and drive more revenue for your business. Consider discounts and promotions as well to encourage customers to buy more items or make repeat purchases.

Additionally, look into implementing a dynamic pricing strategy that allows you to adjust your prices based on market conditions, supply and demand, and other factors. This will help you to be competitive as well as maximize your profits.

Most importantly, review your costs and pricing regularly to ensure you remain competitive and profitable. By keeping an eye on your expenses and adjusting your prices as necessary, you’ll easily strike that balance between reasonable pricing and a healthy profit margin.

How to calculate your target profit margin

To find your unique profit margin, first, determine your revenue. This is the total amount of money you bring in from sales. Then, sum up your costs, including both fixed and variable expenses. Fixed expenses are those that remain the same regardless of the level of sales, such as rent and salaries. Variable expenses, on the other hand, fluctuate based on sales volumes, such as the cost of goods sold and shipping costs.

Once you know your revenue and costs, you can calculate your profit margin by dividing the net profit (revenue minus costs) by the revenue, then multiplying by 100. For example, if your revenue is $100,000 and your costs are $80,000, your net profit would be $20,000 and your profit margin would be 20% — which, as mentioned above, is a great percentage to aim for.

Translate the numbers

You need a profit margin that’s high enough to cover your expenses and provide a reasonable return on investment. The exact number will depend on the specifics of your business and the level of competition in your market. However, a profit margin of at least 10% is considered to be the minimum for most businesses.

Another impactful factor in your profit margin calculation is the industry you’re in. Some have higher profit margins than others. For example, businesses in the technology and software sector tend to have higher profit margins than those in the retail industry.

Keep in mind, though, that a high-profit margin doesn’t always equate to success; other factors, such as customer satisfaction and market share, also play important roles. Even if a business has high margins, it shouldn’t fall into a false sense of security, as the market and competition can change quickly. Monitor and adjust your business strategy continuously to maintain healthy gains.

Consider tools to handle the math

The traditional method of calculating revenue and profit margins usually involves spreadsheets, calculators, and good old-fashioned mathematics. This is a viable solution for smaller companies with straightforward calculations. However, manually crunching numbers can be time-consuming and cumbersome, if your business needs require you to look at various potential outcomes based on pricing changes or sales boom or bust cycles.

When it’s no longer feasible to calculate your revenue manually, look to tools for support. Many options are available, and businesses frequently take advantage of them because they’re:

• Fast and easily accessible: Tools take care of the heavy lifting of mathematics for you with just a few clicks. Solutions like revenue or profit margin calculators easily enable you to better manage your business goals and planning to push you toward success and sales growth.
• More cost-effective than outsourcing: You could hire an accountant or business analyst to look at your books and create projections. However, hourly rates add up and will, unfortunately, cut into those profit margins you’re trying to grow. In addition, outsourcing these activities impacts your ability to make fast decisions, as it can take time for a professional to run the numbers.
• Able to show possible outcomes: By comparing your revenue against your profit margins, you can optimize your business activities. This can mean cutting business costs, raising prices, changing suppliers, and more.

Tools let you plug in numbers quickly and easily, then the algorithm does the work so you can determine the best way forward for your unique eCommerce needs. Most accounting software will include profit margin calculations that you can use to understand your unique business’ margins and the factors that impact them. You can also select one of the many bespoke options, ranging from high-cost to no-cost online.

Omni Margin Calculator

The Omni Margin Calculator will generate your gross margins based on the numbers you input. This free tool is available online and takes only a few moments to plug in your data. Better still, it has additional features/calculators that can break down GST, VAT, Sales tax, and more.

Oberlo Profit Margin Calculator

Similar to the Omni mentioned above, Oberlo offers an always-free calculator for profit margin calculations. Simply input the data to calculate your margins and use the information to set prices.

MyFBAPrep Profit Margin Calculator

A quick Google Search for “profit margin tools” uncovers more than one hundred thousand results! It can feel overwhelming with so many tooling options available. Make it easy on yourself and look into the MyFBAPrep Profit Margin Calculator. This free tool quickly calculates your profit margins so you understand how to grow your business. It reduces the risk of human error by automating processes and even provides a ready-made, fool-proof template for calculations.

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The template allows you to work faster and reuse formulas for quick calculations with little additional effort. It also maintains consistency between calculations for different possibilities, such as higher or lower price points, fluctuating business costs, or a combination of minor tweaks. Simply fill out the tool and let the Profit Margin Calculator do all the work. Unlike the tools above, you can keep your calculations to reflect back on if things change for easy comparisons.

Wrapping Up

Revenue and profit margins are important metrics (among others) for measuring the performance and growth of an eCommerce business. While 20% is a good base target for eCommerce businesses, ultimately, your industry and specific business makeup will determine the margin you should aim for.

Both front- and back-end factors affect these metrics, from your marketing and advertising to your supplier relationships. Gather relevant data and run the numbers, using either manual methods or a tool like MyFBAPrep’s Profit Margin Calculator, to see where your business performs well and where it has room to improve. By relying on accurate calculations, you’ll steer your company on course toward growth and greater profitability.

Today’s fast-paced business world forces companies to look for ways to improve their sales and grow their customer base constantly — all while working to remain competitive in an ever-growing industry. One of the most effective ways to do this is through multi-channel selling.

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The basics of multi-channel selling

Multi-channel selling is the practice of selling products or services through multiple channels, such as online marketplaces, social media platforms, and a company’s own website. For eCommerce professionals, multi-channel selling allows them to reach a wider audience and increase sales by leveraging the advantages of different platforms.

One of the key benefits of this approach is the diversification of revenue streams: Selling on multiple platforms helps merchants reduce the risk of relying on a single source of income. For example, if an eCommerce business only sells on its website and it experiences technical difficulties, the business could lose a significant amount of revenue. However, if they also sell on other platforms, the business can still generate profit even if the main website goes down.

This approach also reaches a wider audience. Online marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy have millions of active users, providing eCommerce brands with a large potential customer base. Additionally, social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow businesses to connect with customers through targeted advertising and social media marketing.

The power of multi-channel selling

As mentioned above, taking a multi-channel approach to your sales unlocks new audiences. If you’ve previously sold through your own website and a brick-and-mortar location, adding a large marketplace to the mix will bring you hundreds of thousands of new potential customers almost instantly. Amazon is an especially rich source of leads since, according to Insider Intelligence, 61% of U.S. shoppers start their product search on the platform.

With each channel you add, you increase your brand awareness to drive sales. You also tap into new customer segments, such as those who prefer to buy through social media or shop multiple brands at once in a marketplace setting. The revenue from each channel thus contributes to your business’s overall growth.

By launching several channels, you’re able to meet your customers where they are as well. You can track your target audience throughout their buying journey in each channel and enhance customer segmentation for better targeting down the road.

Multi-channel inventory management: An overview

Multi-channel inventory management involves monitoring your company’s stock levels, tracking sales and orders, and ensuring that products are in stock and available for purchase across your various channels.

Managing inventory can be challenging, and every additional sales channel increases that complexity exponentially. This makes effective inventory management critical to multi-channel success. A solid inventory management and tracking system can ensure you have enough inventory to meet customer demand while also lowering the risk of stockouts or overstocking. Additionally, effective inventory management can reduce operations costs by minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency.

How to track your inventory

Maintaining accurate and up-to-date information about the products you have in stock helps you make informed decisions about restocking, pricing, and even promotions. It also avoids stockouts, which can lead to lost sales or, worse, lost customers.

If a customer orders a product that’s out of stock, it can lead to lost sales and damage your reputation. Worse, if this occurs frequently, customers will simply go elsewhere. With accurate inventory information, you can quickly identify which products are running low and restock them before they sell out.

You also gain a clear understanding of which products sell well and which don’t. Based on this information, you can then adjust your purchasing and marketing strategies. For example, if you notice a particular product is selling quickly, you may want to order more of it or increase its price. Conversely, if a product moves slowly, you might choose to reduce its price, add it to bundles to get rid of that stock, or simply discontinue it altogether.

In addition to helping you make better decisions about your products, inventory tracking also improves your cash flow management. When you know exactly how much inventory you have and how fast it sells, you can better predict when you’ll need to restock and how much money you’ll need to do so. This allows you to plan ahead and avoid unexpected (or unnecessary) expenses, as well as having too much stock of a slow-moving item due to premature ordering.

Inventory tracking typically employs inventory management software. These systems allow you to track your stock levels in real-time, generate reports, and even set up alerts for when your stock levels drop below a certain threshold. As a result, you’ll stay on top of your inventory and ensure you have the products your customers want in stock.

The basics of inventory management software

The market is flooded with multifarious inventory management software. However, the most important functionality to look for is the ability to update in real-time (or as close to real-time as possible). This allows you to remain up to date on your stock levels at all times.

Introducing: The Inventory Tracker Tool by MyFBAPrep

The MyFBAPrep Inventory Tracker tool allows you to track your inventory across multiple channels without the hassle of manually updating everything.

Simply enter the date on which you performed an inventory check and mark the product check complete when finished. Then, enter how frequently you run checks to see when to do it again. In the Products Overview section, you’ll see the number of items in your inventory, their total value, and any items that need to be restocked.

Each time you perform an inventory check, reset the date and checkboxes and repeat the steps above. You can quickly run your inventory reports in your inventory management software and plug those numbers into the tool to gain a bird’s-eye view of your overall inventory with ease.

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Best practices for inventory control

To manage inventory across multiple channels effectively, it’s important to follow best practices, which we’ve outlined below.

Regular inventory checks

A key action when tracking your inventory is to conduct regular inventory audits. An inventory audit is a comprehensive review of your current inventory levels, including the quantity and condition of products, as well as the accuracy of your inventory records. Conducting these regularly will help you identify any discrepancies or errors in your inventory records and verify that your inventory levels are accurate and up to date.

S​ales forecasting

Sales forecasting involves predicting future sales based on past sales data and market trends. This ensures you have the right amount of inventory on hand to meet customer demand. As such, forecasting helps you avoid stockouts and be able to accommodate customer needs in a timely manner.

The ABC analysis of inventory

ABC analysis is a method of classifying items into three categories (A, B, and C) based on their importance to a business. Items in category A are considered the most important and should be closely monitored and managed, while items in category C are deemed the least important and need less attention. Categorizing products will help you prioritize your inventory management efforts and focus on the items that are most important to your business.

A​void stockouts

It’s important to maintain minimum levels of inventory to avoid stockouts. Stockouts occur when a business runs out of a product and is unable to fulfill customer orders. By holding a base amount of inventory, you can ensure you always have enough stock on hand to meet customer demand.

Employ first-in, first-out

A helpful strategy for intelligent inventory management is the first in first out (FIFO) method. This approach ensures the oldest products are sold first to avoid expiration. It also reduces waste and ensures customers receive only fresh products.

Wrapping up — Track your inventory accurately for seamless sales

Multi-channel selling is a powerful strategy for eCommerce professionals, as it diversifies revenue streams and reaches a wider audience. However, managing multiple sales channels can be time-consuming and requires additional resources. To be successful, merchants must have a solid strategy in place and be willing to invest the time and effort required to manage several channels.

One key element is creating a robust inventory management system. This entails combining regular inventory checks with stock planning, analysis, and reliable software to gain a clear overview of your holdings and identify current and potential problems. By following the best practices we’ve outlined in this article, you can effectively track and manage your inventory and meet customer demand in a timely manner.

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Most entrepreneurs go into eCommerce to sell products and ideally build an online sales empire — not spend their time dealing with legal documents. However, every business, no matter its size or niche, has to manage the legal side of operations, and your eCommerce website, services, and products are no exception.

eCommerce websites aren’t required to have a Terms and Conditions page, which can lead sellers to assume (incorrectly) that these limitations are unimportant.

This is far from true.

In this article, we’ll explore what terms and conditions are in the business world, why you need them, and how to write clear terms of service that protect both you and your customers.

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Terms & Conditions: A quiet but powerful defense

You’ve chosen your business name and logo, picked the products you’ll sell, and built and/or customized your online store. On the back end, you’ve decided which payment types you’ll accept, how you’ll handle fulfillment and shipping, and your marketing messages.

After so much careful planning, you have to protect your hard work and your business from legal harm. This is why it’s crucial to establish your online store’s terms and conditions.

Terms and conditions (T&Cs) are legal agreements between a goods or services provider and their customers. The provider, in this case, an eCommerce merchant explains them, and the customer who wishes to purchase goods agrees to them.

A​ T&Cs page outlines the responsibilities of both parties, which can include information on shipping, returns, payments, and other relevant details related to the sale of goods or services on your website. Having clear and concise terms of service can protect you, the merchant, and the website owner, from potential legal issues by specifying the conditions of the sale and addressing potential areas of dispute. T&Cs also protect your customers by outlining their rights and what they can expect from you.

Protect your business

Probably the most important reason to have a T&Cs page is to protect yourself. The eCommerce industry is growing quickly, and defending your business against the competition is imperative. For example, y​our terms and conditions may lay out specific restrictions related to the resale of your products.

They can also vary by country and even from state to state. Some countries and governing bodies like the European Union maintain laws that require websites to have certain disclosures and agreements in place. These include returns and privacy policies, which are taken very seriously. Failure to comply with these laws can result in fines or penalties, so you must ensure your T&Cs page is both up-to-date and in compliance with the relevant laws wherever you do business.

Establish your rules

You’re required to abide by the laws of the countries and states where you sell. However, you set your own rules when you clearly define the terms and conditions of your store. Depending on the types of products you sell, you may choose to have stricter rules than those set out by the governing bodies in the jurisdictions where you operate. These may include:

• C​opyright conditions
• A​ge limits (legal age of majority in various jurisdictions)
• Governing law of contract (varying by state, province, country, etc.)

What to include in your T&Cs:

When creating terms and conditions for an eCommerce website, it’s important to include the following elements:

D​efinitions of all parties and relevant information related to the sale of products or services

Clearly define the parties involved in a sale. For example, your customer becomes a “Buyer” and you may choose to list yourself as a “Seller” or perhaps “The Company.” Other definitions you can include are:

• C​ontract (purchase order)
• Contract price (the price your customer agrees to pay when completing their order)
• Products (the items you sell)
• Terms and conditions (what they encompass regarding your store)

A clear explanation of the products or services sold

While you don’t need to describe every product you sell, you should feature a concise overview of your products and services in your T&Cs. For example, ERIKS North America, an industrial supplier of hydraulic hose, gasket, and conveying system solutions, simply describes “Products” as “the equipment, parts, materials, supplies, and other goods Seller has agreed to supply to Buyer under the Contract.”

If you offer a warranty or a promise of satisfaction, such as a 30-day money-back guarantee, it’s important to define their terms here as well.

Information on how to place orders

Explain the ways your customers can purchase your products or services. As a seller, you may choose to include a note on all of the platforms where you sell products as singular T&Cs for your company that encompasses everything. For example, if you sell on your website as well as in a physical store, you can describe the nuances of sales. In this case, you may opt to accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards, and Paypal for online orders and allow your customers to pay with credit, debit, or cash in-store.

Other special payment arrangements, like Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS), should be outlined and described here as well. You may also choose to offer Buy Now, Pay Later, or “layaway” style payment plans. Each payment type may have its unique conditions: For example, if your customers decide to pay for products in installments, you can elect not to ship the product until you receive the full payment.

Shipping and handling details

Nowadays, customers have high expectations for shipping timelines and costs, and they commonly look at delivery fees and schedules before they buy. Your terms and conditions page is an excellent place to lay out all relevant information related to this topic.

One important element to note here is the limits of liability once an item has shipped. Do you provide insurance coverage on products, or will customers need to pay for that protection? Detail this information and make it readily available to your customers to minimize confusion and shipping issues.

You can also name the shipping carriers you use if you desire, which may vary by country. Be sure to outline the estimated shipping times for domestic and international shipping as well (and whether or not you ship outside of the country).

Returns and refunds criteria

Y​our returns and refund policy is one of the most important components of your eCommerce strategy, so your T&Cs must adequately describe how you handle this process. Communicate the requirements for a purchase to be eligible for a refund, such as a specific time frame, unopened condition, or other factors.

You must also thoroughly describe the process of your refunds, including whether or not you’ll issue a refund or give a store credit, the timeline for processing returns and refunds, and the avenues of recourse customers have if their refund fails to come through.

A disclaimer regarding the accuracy of product descriptions and pricing

Likely, you’ve purchased an item online only for it to arrive and fail to live up to your expectations based on how it looked on the website. Most of us understand how colors and textures can appear differently on different screens. For this reason, a disclaimer regarding potential inaccuracies in products can offer you protection as a seller.

Further, a limitation of liability statement covers you in the event there are mistakes in your website content. This is especially important if you feature third-party content like consumer reviews. You can include a note regarding aspects like derogatory content or offensive postings from others and how this is outside of your control.

Your privacy and security policies

Customers care deeply about their safety and privacy online. Moreover, many countries now require all eCommerce sites to abide by specific restrictions related to privacy and security; companies must publish such policies and make them easily accessible to shoppers. With this in mind, it’s no longer just a best practice but a legal requirement for you to include a privacy and security policy in your online store’s terms and conditions.

A description of your website’s terms of use

Insert a section that details the terms of use for your website, including the prohibited use of images or written content without consent. Want to prevent browsers from repurposing your logo for their own use? Establish rules in your terms of use and highlight whether or not users are permitted to access and use content from your website (i.e., written text, graphics, data, images, logos, and video clips). This section is your chance to set clear restrictions for copying and/or reproducing content from your websites.

Copyright

Copyright information is sometimes rolled into the “Permitted Use” section of the terms of use. Always include a notice about copyright and trademark to protect your brand and content. The best part is, it’s really easy: Simply state, “Copyright © [current year],” followed by your website’s URL.

Your company’s contact information

Methods of contact are among the most important information to include in your terms and conditions (and on your website in general). Explain how customers can get in touch with you if there are issues with their purchases, remembering to include your customer service hours and days of operation.

Give as much information as possible to maintain open communication channels. You can and should include your company’s:

• M​ailing address
• 电子邮件
• Phone number
• F​ax number (if applicable)
• Hours of operation (in local time)
• D​ays of operation
• Standard response times (e.g., within X business days of receiving an email or message)

A statement about the governing law of the agreement and the jurisdiction in which disputes will be resolved

Describe where your website operates relative to governing law (i.e., state, province, or country). For example, if your company operates from Florida, you may write something like, “These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the United States of America and the laws of the State of Florida.”

A section on dispute resolution

In the event a conflict arises with a customer, it’s important to have a clear outline of the process for resolving legal disputes and to define the available channels of arbitration or mediation should this occur. (This may vary based on jurisdiction.)

Having clear and easy-to-understand terms and conditions helps establish trust with your customers and ensures they understand their rights and responsibilities when using your website. However, consider seeking legal advice to ensure your terms and conditions comply with all relevant laws and regulations.

How to write robust T&Cs

We’ve detailed why you need a Terms and Conditions page and what to include, so you’re probably wondering where to begin to craft your own. Your options are simple: You can do it yourself, outsource the writing to a lawyer or underwriter, or leverage a tool to do the heavy lifting for you.

Write it yourself

Unless you enjoy writing and have strong attention to detail, drafting your terms and conditions on your own can be an exercise in patience. Writing is a time-consuming activity, and T&Cs add a higher degree of technicality than found on a standard product page or website. For this reason, it’s easy to leave gaps that could make you susceptible to issues down the road.

Hire a lawyer or underwriter

Because it’s a legal document, you might feel more comfortable outsourcing the creation of T&Cs to a lawyer or legal underwriter who can manage the writing and editing of your document. Of course, this comes at a (usually hefty) fee.

Lawyers often charge in the hundreds of dollars per hour and many have a minimum hourly requirement, meaning that, even if it takes less than 10 hours to write, you’re required to pay for all 10 as part of their terms and conditions. The same can go for a legal underwriter, though costs may be lower.

In addition, when you hire a lawyer or underwriter, you’ll need to agree to a timeline for the deliverables. This can be a quick turnaround, or it could be lengthy depending on their workload and standard service-level agreements.

Leverage tools

If you’d rather avoid the hassle of writing your T&Cs page on your own and lack the budget to hire a lawyer or underwriter, you can rely on a platform or tool to create unique terms and conditions page content for you. MyFBAPrep’s Terms and Conditions Generator enables you to craft a custom T&Cs page for your website quickly and easily.

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You simply enter your relevant company information, and the tool produces an easy-to-read and comprehensive T&Cs document that’ll protect your business from potential issues. Simply make a copy of the linked document, fill in your company information, and let the tool do the rest!

Wrapping up — Create airtight terms and conditions for secure business ops

A Terms and Conditions page is an important component of your eCommerce website. It’s an effective way to protect you and your business from potential disputes by clearly detailing the responsibilities of both you, the seller, and your customers, the buyer. They also establish the rules of engagement between you and your customers. We recommend including a link to your T&Cs on every product page and in your marketing and post-sale emails to ensure your customers have easy access to them at any time.

Although these terms aren’t required by law in every jurisdiction, more and more countries are demanding elements of the traditional terms and conditions document — in particular, privacy and security policies. As such, it’s critical for you to have a legally binding document in place if you plan to scale your business. Failure to have a Terms and Conditions page or comply with laws can result in fines or penalties in some cases. Once you have your T&Cs page, update it regularly and ensure it complies with the relevant laws that govern the markets where you sell.

Boasting more than 4.1 million live stores and more than $590 billion generated on the platform since its inception, Shopify is one of the best eCommerce solutions on the market.

So, it’s not surprising that setting up a successful Shopify store is a dream for many. But what happens when you outgrow the platform or want to expand beyond Shopify?  From online marketplaces to website builders, there’s a growing list of eCommerce platforms you can tap into to shape your eCommerce dreams. To help you make an informed decision, we’ll break down some of the best options in this article.

Website Builders and Checkout Platforms

1. Wix

Top Features:

• Storefront builder: Wix offers mobile-optimized sites you can customize to your liking to create a memorable customer experience from the storefront to the checkout.
• Wix SEO Wiz: Lay a solid foundation for your SEO efforts with Wix’s advanced SEO tool that helps you create a personalized and well-rounded SEO strategy.
• Logo maker: Don’t have a logo? As a Wix user, you can use the Wix Logo Maker to craft professional logos to brand your store easily. This tool also comes with a library to get shoppers inspired.
• Vector Art Media Gallery: Choose from thousands of hand-crafted illustrations from icons to typography and more.
• Members’ Area: Build a community around your products with Wix’s Members area, which allows your audience to create profiles and engage with one another.

Pricing:

eCommerce businesses can pick from Business Basic ($17 per month), Business Unlimited ($25 per month), and Business VIP ($35 per month).

Best for:

Newbie sellers, stores with small portfolios, and businesses with minimal design skills.

2. BigCommerce

Top Features:

• Customizable themes and headless commerce setup: Set the right tone for your store by selecting one of BigCommerce’s many themes and tailoring it to fit your brand personality.
• Expansive data storage limits: Got a large portfolio? No problem! BigCommerce offers unlimited file storage with some plans and has a large bandwidth to manage high-traffic volumes.
• One-page checkout process: Tap into the power of optimized checkouts with BigCommerce’s simplified order processing system. This feature reduces friction in the buying process, like lengthy forms, to skyrocket conversions.
• Product variants: From color swatches to different sizes, BigCommerce allows you to show display different product options visually to capture more sales.
• Coupon features: BigCommerce allows users to offer customer favorites like discount codes and vouchers to improve sales.
• Bulk pricing: Whether you want to offer a bundle or kit. BigCommerce makes the process simple. The Bulk Pricing feature allows you to encourage shoppers to buy larger quantities of goods by offering bulk discounts.

Pricing:

The Standard Plan is $29.95 per month, the Plus Plan costs $79.95, and Pro Plan comes in at $299.95 per month.

Best for:

Fast-scaling brands and enterprise-level brands.

3. Ecwid

Top Features:

• Embeddable storefront: Already got a website? Make the most out of it by adding online store shopping features to it using Ecwid.
• Subscriptions: Ecwid equips users to leverage recurring subscriptions and billing to increase their revenue, boost customer satisfaction, and scale on autopilot.
• Centralized controls: Manage every aspect of your store from one simple dashboard.
• No transaction fees: Unlike other eCommerce platforms, Ecwid doesn’t charge transaction fees, meaning more money in users’ pockets.
• Multiple store language options: Localization is huge for cross-border selling, which is what makes Ecwid’s multilingual catalog feature so special. Increase your store’s resonance by tweaking languages to fit the audience.

Pricing:

Ecwid offers a forever-free plan.

Billed annually, the costs for Ecwid are; $14.08 per month for the Venture plan, $29.08 per month for the Business plan, and $82.05 per month for the Unlimited plan.

Monthly billing is also available.

Best for:

Businesses looking to start selling quickly, multichannel businesses.

You’ve got a great store. Get great fulfillment with MyFBAPrep.

4. BigCartel

Top Features:

• Payment processor integrations: BigCartel allows you to make transactions via Stripe or PayPal. You’ll only be liable for the fees this platform charges as BigCartel doesn’t add payment processing charges.
• Easy to use setup: Simple interface, easy-to-understand navigations, and stylish themes make it very easy to set up and start selling fast
• Business insights: paid plans offer inventory tracking and Google Analytics integrations to help you understand your sales and make informed decisions.

Pricing:

Big Cartel offers a (Gold) free plan, a $9.99 per month Platinum plan hosting up to 50 products, and a Diamond plan hosting up to 500 products.

No listing fees apply to the latter two plans.

Best for:

Beginner online sellers, independent creatives, and solopreneurs.

5. Adobe Commerce, formerly Magento

Top Features:

• Onsite optimization made easy: Adobe Commerce offers a suite of drag-and-drop tools that create content that’s intuitive to use, personalized assets for specific customer segments, and update content assets fast.
• Product recommendations: Using a drag-and-drop builder and AI-backed tools, users can create groups of product recommendations to display in key touchpoints to drive conversions
• Inventory management solutions: Understand your business stock needs and customer buying behavior with real-time stock data so you can distribute stock to the right locations on time.
• Flexible fulfillment options: Whether you need to ship to a customer’s home or office or arrange a store pickup, you can handle the entire process on the platform with real-time inventory data and sourcing algorithms that accelerate fulfillment.

Pricing:

At present, Adobe Commerce offers two plans; Commerce Pro and Managed Services.

Get in touch to secure pricing.

Best for:

Medium-sized to enterprise-level eCommerce and multichannel businesses.

6. Weebly

Weebly is a web hosting and website builder which specializes in helping businesses create online stores, blogs, and websites stress-free.

Top Features:

• Design customizable themes: With Weebly’s comprehensive theme library users have countless sources of inspiration and guidance on how to style their store.
• Powerful free plan: Weebly allows you to create a website that turns heads without footing the bill.
• Easy website creator: Weebly’s drag-and-drop builder makes putting together websites easy.
• Integrated marketing and analytics: Store owners can monitor the metric on their offers and inventory and guide their strategy. You can also integrate marketing solutions.

Pricing:

Weebly’s basic plan is free. When billed annually, the Connect plan is $10 per month,  the Pro plan is $12 per month, and the Business plan is $25 per month.

Best for:

eCommerce businesses looking for simple software to get started on.

7. PinnacleCart

Top Features:

• Customizable designs: PinnacleCart’s open-source nature means users can adjust, add, and remove code to create a unique store. Users can also tap into the page builder tool to craft tailored pages.
• Professional templates: BigCommerce doesn’t leave you to fend for yourself when it comes to design and layout. Pick from 100’s of templates to get set up fast.
• Store analytics: PinnacleCart’s dashboard allows you to visualize traffic and sales information to make informed decisions.
• Growth-boosting solutions: From mobile-ready designs and advanced analytics to DIY and done-for-you marketing solutions, PinnacleCart has proprietary tools that help shop owners grow.

Pricing:

Choose from a free plan, Standard plan $79.95 per month, Advanced $199.95 per month, and Enterprise plan, which has customized pricing

Best for:

Growth-focused eCommerce businesses.

8. Volusion

Top Features:

• Comprehensive customer support: Combining resources and on-hand customer service agents, Volusion helps users get set up and poised for success in eCommerce.
• Fraud defense solution: To protect stores from eCommerce cybercrime, Volusion offers a ground-breaking solution called Fraud Score which analyzes credit cards based on email risk, IP address, banking information, and customer information.
• Extensive features dashboard: Run reports, check your CRM, track orders, study inventory levels, and more, all in one place.
• Security measures: Volusion also implements security measures like SSL certificates to encrypt stored data and tighten up defenses.
• Marketing tool suite: Whether you prefer to sell via SEO or want to experiment with affiliate marketing, Volusion has got you covered. Pick from their customized marketing tools and get started.

Pricing:

Volusion is $35 per month for the Personal Plan, $79 per month for the Professional plan, and $299 per month for the Business plan. Save 10% by paying annually.

Best for:

Data-focused eCommerce businesses

9. Zyro

Top Features:

• No-code website builder: Zyro is a no-code website builder backed by AI solutions that give users a competitive edge. Don’t have a coding background? You can still create customized storefront websites with Zyro’s drag-and-drop website builders and themes. If you like to code, Zyro also allows you to add custom code and edit their CSS.
• AI-backed eCommerce solutions: Tap into Zyro’s AI Image Scaler, Business Name Generator, Slogan Generator, AI Writer, Logo Maker, and more to take your business content assets from good to great.
• Large payments network: Zyro facilitates 70+ payment providers, including point of sale, Cash On Demand, and intermediaries like PayPal.
• Omnichannel fulfillment options: Whether your customers prefer to Buy Online Pickup Instore (BIPOS) or want their order shipped to their home by a specific shipping carrier, Zyro’s expansive fulfillment features can help.
• Multichannel selling and marketing solutions: Sell on marketplaces like eBay and Amazon, advertise on ad channels like Facebook and Google, engage in social selling, take up blogging and recover abandoned carts on Zyr’s Business and Advanced plans.

Pricing:

$11.99 per month for the Website plan and $14.99 for the Business plan.

Best for:

Marketing enthusiasts and omnichannel brands.

Need to revamp your fulfillment process? Discover how MyFBAPrep can get help.

10.OpenCart

Top Features:

• Flexible eCommerce store management systems: OpenCart has built a solid reputation as a simple yet powerful (and free!) open-source platform to craft enticing stores.
• Unlimited products, manufacturers, and categories: Whether you sell digital products or physical goods, OpenCart can host your goods. You can also upload endless products and manufacturers
• eCommerce tool marketplace: Use OpenCart’s growing list of payment gateways (20+), plugins, themes, and integrations to set your store apart.
• Multilingual platform: Choose from 40 different languages on OpenCart’s latest version to give shoppers an “at home” feeling.
• Multistore option: Run different stores from one dashboard. You can even select different themes, names, designs, and pricing for each.
• Marketing suite: Use tools like discount codes, affiliate systems, and analytics to execute effective, data-driven campaigns.

Pricing:

It’s free!

Best for:

Businesses with web design experience and large product portfolios

11. Squarespace

Top Features:

• Powerful, rich tools: From award-winning templates to font galleries, Squarespace offers a comprehensive tool stack to help craft your online store.
• Highly customizable designs: Combine features like mobile-optimized layouts, adjustable text backgrounds, and block layering features to create an aesthetically pleasing store that drives conversions.
• 24/7 live customer support: SquareSpace takes customer care seriously. So much so its round-the-clock customer service has won awards and raving customer reviews.
• Powerful marketing solutions: Broaching SEO, analytics, and much more Squarespace’s solutions ensure users understand how their marketing initiatives are performing to make guide their decision-making.
• Extensive integration: Whether you want to link your CRM or email marketing software, there’s a chance SquareSpace has integration for it as they continue to add to their extensive list.

Pricing:

It’s $23 per month for the personal plan, $33 per month for the Business plan, $36 per month for the Commerce Basic plan, and $65 per month for the Commerce Advanced plan. Save 30% by paying annually.

Best for:

Design-centric businesses with small collections.

12. WooCommerce

Top Features:

• Flexible infrastructure: WooCommerce’s headless commerce build means designing and adjusting store setup is quick and easy.
• Large payment options: Access a large selection of payment options, including credit card payments, bank transfers, cash on delivery, check, and over 140 territory-specific payment gateways.
• Streamlined backend operations: Access an intuitive Inventory and order management dashboard, along with live freight costs and automated tax calculations. WooCommerce also offers a mobile app so users can process orders on the go.
• Cross-border selling features: Use multilingual content and pricing in different currencies to set your store up for international success
• Inclusive product allowances: Whether you sell digital or physical products, you can use WooCommerce to drive sales
• Jetpack integration for enhanced security: You have the option to implement Jetpack to secure your website, verify customer logins, and prevent cyberattacks.

Pricing:

WooCommerce is free to use. However, you’ll pay for add on like domains and premium tools.

Best for:

WordPress users seeking eCommerce solutions.

13. Square

Top Features:

• Conversion boost payment tech stack: Businesses big and small can tap into a wide selection of payment solutions to close sales, including digital and plastic gift cards, invoicing, cashless payments, card detail storage, digital wallet payments, and Google Pay and Apple Pay.
• Transparent, uncomplicated transaction pricing: You can look forward to standardized transaction fees across cards, seasons, and channels.
• Payment and fraud protections: Fight against cyber attacks with Square’s comprehensive defenses encompassing encrypted payments, security monitoring, multi-factor authentication from accounts, and more.
• Fast pay-outs: Square allows you to transfer payments to your bank account after one business day for free or pay a small fee to get instant transfers,

Pricing:

The point-of-sale option has zero monthly fees, order processing charges are 2.6% of the sale price + 10 ¢. Per tap, swipe, or dip.

Buy Now Pay Later options cost 2.6% of the transaction price + 10 ¢ in-person and 6% + 30 ¢ online.

Best for:

Retailers with an online presence.

14. Lightspeed

Top Features:

• Unlimited, 24/7 customer service: Lightspeed has a reputation for providing excellent customer service. Alongside the on-hand support, as a Lightspeed customer, you’ll get one-to-one onboarding, webinars, and training to help grow your business.
• Integrated payments: Choose a range of payment options to serve your customers and business’s needs, including cash, mobile, and omnichannel payments.
• Customer engagement and conversion rate optimization tools: Manage relationships, boost sales and drive with customer management tools like status allocation,s (e.g., VIP, employee), omnichannel gift cards, CRM tools, customer account creation feature,  Customer Lifetime Value calculations, and customer sales history.
• Omnichannel selling tools: Ensure your sales channels operate in sync with one inventory system for all platforms, integrated reporting, branding features, centralized customer data management, and social selling opportunities.
• Manage your store on the go: With Lightspeed’s cloud-backed solution, mobile inventory management feature, simplified employee training platform, and mobile POS, you can show customers your wares and move till to them.

Pricing:

For its eCommerce solution, Lightspeed offers a free plan, its Venture plan for $14.08 per month, and its Business plan for $29.08 per month and $82.50 per month.

Best for:

Omnichannel sellers.

B2B eCommerce platforms

15. NuORDER

Top Features:

• Product showcasing tools: Amp up your online visual merchandising with product collections, online catalogs, and virtual showrooms on par with the best B2C eCommerce stores.
• Appointment setting features: Use NuORDER’s those all-important meetings and close more accounts. For example, the custom list creator helps shoppers visualize their purchases and adjust their collections accordingly. You can also create reports and track sales performance.
• Proposal generator and line sheet templates: Make it easy for B2B shoppers to say “yes” to the sale with sleek proposals and customizable line sheets.
• Order management: Users can create, edit, copy, and ship orders all from the NuORDER platform. You can also access the platform offline.

Pricing:

Prices start from $600 per month. Contact NuORDER for a quote.

Best for:

Medium to large B2B eCommerce stores.

16. Pepperi

Top Features:

• All-inclusive B2B eCommerce solution: Pepperi has everything you need to get a profitable wholesale store running, including a website-building application, integrated payment solutions, custom reporting, and accurate insights.
• Sales-driving tools: This platform is designed to help users upgrade sale acquisition, average order value, and increase margins. Pick from Salesforce integrations, mobile order-taking apps, and mobile CRM to product bundling promotion features along with personalized cross-sell and up-sell tools.
• Omnichannel trade promotion: makes it easy for field reps and sales reps to close deals across channels and territories.
• Integration with back-office tools: Link Pepperi with cloud or on-premise ERP and back-office systems to empower field agents and sales reps with the data and tools they need. Users can also access the tools and platform offline across all devices. You can also expand Pepperi’s third-party solutions to cover tasks like shipment tracking, payments, and business intelligence.

Pricing:

Contact Pepperi to get a customized quote.

Best for:

Medium to enterprise-sized wholesale businesses.

17. CS-Cart

Top Features:

• Complete eCommerce website builder solution: Crafted with data-backed decision-making and user experience flexibility as its foundation, store owners can take advantage of its tool stack to drive significant results.
• MVP Marketplace creator: Want to start an eCommerce marketplace? CS-Cart will give you the necessary tools and platform to make your goal a reality with a minimum viable product. For instance, users can access a mobile app, 500 (and counting) marketplace features, simplified vendor onboarding, a shopping cart, and no code user interface.
• Headless eCommerce platform: For brands that want to level up their eCommerce brand, CS-Cart offers a flexible platform to design and host their store. You can also onboard CS-Cart’s open-source shopping cart software and mobile app software
• Enterprise marketplace platform: CS-Cart empowers large brands eager to create a marketplace with their scalable, high-capacity enterprise marketplace solution. You can also upload unlimited products and sellers to drive growth.
• Custom marketplace: Work with CS-Cart to craft a tailored marketplace, minus the stressful code and platform build, which they’ll take care of.

Pricing:

CS-Cart’s code option is $75 per month, Pro $125 per month, and Advanced for $235 per month when billed annually.

Best for:

Businesses setting up a marketplace.

Online marketplaces

18. Etsy

Top Features:

• Affordable prices and a simple fee structure: Upload listings for as little as $0.20 and no additional monthly fees. Transactions incur a 6.5%. Sellers can also access bonus listing and advertising credits when subscribed to the Plus plan. The offsite ad fee is also fair at 15%, as you only pay when you make a sale from the ad.
• Handmade product requirement: When you’re a creative, handmade business competing against the big conglomerates with endless factory-made products can be tough. But not on Etsy; you have to make the goods yourself to sell on the platform. Plus, you can sell physical or digital items.
• Powerful business tools: Etsy’s tools equip users to operate, market, and scale their store from anywhere, including a customizable web address, store design features, Etsy ads, various payments, the Etsy Sellers App, social promotion tools, and store analytics.
• Shipping discounts: Thanks to Etsy’s partnerships with reputable shipping companies, sellers can print and use discounted shipping labels.

Pricing:

The free standard plan, only pay per listing ($0.20). The Plus plan is $10 per month.

Best for:

Hand-craft businesses and creatives.

19. Amazon

Top Features:

• Amazon FBA: The world-renowned FBA service enables sellers to tap into a network of warehouses and fulfillment centers around the globe. This benefit makes allows brands fulfillment hands-free and scale faster.
• Brand protection: Amazon takes intellectual property (IP) seriously and has many initiatives to fight fake goods and fraud, including the Counterfeiting Crime Unit. Trademarked brands can apply for the Brand registry program. Once onboarded, they will access tools like Transparency barcodes, an IP violation reporting tool, an automated IP protection tool, and a self-service brand protection solution, Project Zero.
• Global selling network: Selling in one territory but want to take your business global? Amazon allows you to store goods in one territory and ship to multiple countries under its Global selling network for a more affordable rate.
• Multichannel fulfillment (MCF): For brands that sell on multiple sites, MCF helps streamline fulfillment by using Amazon’s fulfillment services to ship goods.
• New seller incentives: Access discounted services and tools as a newbie to the platform to make your resources stretch a little further and increase your odds of success.
• Amazon ads: Use Amazon’s extensive ad network to launch and scale your products and brand.

Pricing:

Amazon’s Individual Plan costs $0.99 per listing plus a referral fee the Professional plan costs $39.99 per month plus a referral fee. Sellers can also incur shipping and storage fees if they use the FBA service.

Best for:

Brands wanting to eliminate fulfillment and scale worldwide.

20. Walmart

Top Features:

• No monthly or set-up fees: Instead, you’ll pay a commission fee depending on the product you sell, which ranges between 6% – 20%
• High-volume marketplace: Leverage Walmart’s 120 million per month site visitors to get your brand noticed.
• Business scaling tools: Learn how to sell effectively and grow your reach and sales with Walmart’s advertising tool suite, including Sponsored Search ads, catalog management, and brand management solutions.
• Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS): If managing fulfillment isn’t your strong point or you need the time to scale, look to WFS to store, ship, and facilitate returns
• A simplified application and onboarding process: Get up and running and learn the ropes quickly with Walmart’s streamlined onboarding process and learning resources.

Pricing:

No monthly fees. Pay a referral fee on each sale, depending on the item.

Best for:

Established brands and multichannel sellers.

Supercharge your growth with powerful eCommerce platforms

And there you have it! 20 alternatives to Shopify. Whatever solution you opt for next, it’s important to determine fit before you partner up. List each of the business goals and needs, then compare each eCommerce platform’s features and benefits to decide which is the best fit. Test small and adjust your approach based on the data, and you, too, can add multiple stores to your eCommerce empire. Good luck!

Want a tried and tested way to increase your fulfillment strategy’s efficiency? Speak with a MyFBAPrep expert