For many South African shoppers, the first place they search for a product isn’t Google. It’s a marketplace. Takealot has long been the country’s biggest online store, and Amazon.co.za has joined it. For brands, marketplaces are now a sales channel you can’t ignore, and one that’s easy to get wrong.
Here’s how to make marketplaces work for your brand.
Why sell on marketplaces?
- Reach. Marketplaces bring shoppers who may never have heard of your brand, already in the mood to buy.
- Trust. Shoppers who hesitate to buy from an unfamiliar website often feel safer buying through a platform they know.
- Logistics. Depending on the marketplace and programme, you can send stock to their warehouses and let them handle delivery and returns.
What to watch
- Fees. Commission, fulfilment and storage fees add up. Price your products with every fee included, not only the commission.
- Competition. Your product sits next to competitors, often on the same screen. Weak content loses the sale to whoever looks better.
- Control. The marketplace owns the customer relationship. You’ll get fewer chances to build loyalty than on your own store.
- Price conflicts. If your marketplace price undercuts your own website, you train shoppers to skip your site.
How to win on a marketplace
1. Treat every listing as a product page. Clear, specific titles that use the words shoppers search for. Main images on a clean background, plus lifestyle images that show the product in use. Bullet points that answer the questions a shop assistant would.
2. Get reviews early. Reviews move you up the rankings and turn browsers into buyers. Follow each marketplace’s rules for asking customers for reviews, and make it easy for happy customers to leave one.
3. Keep stock available. Running out hurts your ranking, and it can take time to recover. Plan stock around paydays, Black Friday and the festive season.
4. Use sponsored listings wisely. Marketplace ads put your product at the top of search results. Start with your best sellers and your most specific search terms, and measure what they actually sell.
5. Protect your brand. Use the marketplace’s brand tools where they’re available, and keep an eye on who else is selling your products and how.
Marketplace, website or both?
For most brands, the answer is both. Marketplaces bring reach and volume. Your own website brings margin, data and the relationship with your customer. The trick is to give them different jobs: use the marketplace to be found, and your website to be remembered, with exclusive products, bundles, loyalty and content you can’t get anywhere else.
Where to start
Start with a handful of your best-selling products, get the listings right, and learn before you add your whole range. If you’d like a hand, we help brands grow across marketplaces, social commerce and retail media, with one brand story everywhere.
