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Best Dropshipping AliExpress Alternatives for Profit in 2024

Dropshipping has emerged as one of the most lucrative models in the e-commerce world. It allows small retailers to offer the same products as the big giants and thus have a fighting chance in this highly competitive market. In this sector, AliExpress has been a long-standing preference of most retailers – due to its efficient service and a huge variety of products offered. However, with time, many retailers are now looking for AliExpress alternatives in 2024 with better incentives. If you are one of them, we bring you the best Dropshipping AliExpress alternatives for profit in 2024.

What is Dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a retail model where the e-commerce company doesn’t stock up the items it is selling in its inventory. Unlike direct retail companies like Amazon, which almost always stock the items they sell in their warehouse, Dropshipping is largely between the customer and the manufacturer/wholesaler. The orders placed by the customers are fulfilled by the third-party, including delivery.

Dropshipping is a successful model for multiple reasons. To begin with, it doesn’t require a lot of capital to start. Since there is no need for a warehouse or a delivery system, it is relatively much cheaper than the direct retail model. Naturally, it is much more welcoming to small companies and startups than its bigger counterpart. Without the need for maintaining an inventory of items being sold, companies are free to offer a much larger variety of items. You can also scale up and scale down anytime you want, without much hassle. With so many benefits, it’s no wonder people are looking for best dropshipping alternatives.

How do you pick the right AliExpress alternative for you?

Before you go to pick the proper dropshipping alternative of AliExpress for you, then you need to consider some of the points. Here are the things that you must consider:

  • Look at the suppliers and the products

While picking an alternative, it is important to check if the suppliers on the platform are reliable or not. It is crucial to ensure that they come with good quality products. Also, it is important to see how engaging the suppliers are on the platform.

  • Check how to connect your dropshipping store

Most of the platforms come with integration along with Shopify. In case they do not come with the connecting option for Shopify, then you can use another application for the app. In case you do not use a Shopify account, make sure you can connect your store with the platform.

  • Look for a secure payment method

Most of the websites come with a third-party payment service. Look if the payment gateways are safe to use or not.

  • Check the costs

Some of the dropshipping platforms come with a monthly fee, while the others are free to use. If you are thinking of staying within a stipulated budget, then the free ones are going to be best. Also, look for the important features in the paid plans.

  • Consider the country you are going to target

As you go searching for a dropshipping alternative to AliExpress, make sure it is going to offer you the service in the locations you are targeting.

Best Dropshipping AliExpress Alternatives for Profit in 2021

AliExpress is undoubtedly the king when it comes to Dropshipping e-commerce companies. Its humongous range of products, along with impressive discounts, make it a very popular choice. However, AliExpress is not without its fault – one of it being a lower scope for profit for the sellers. If you are having similar grievances and are looking for AliExpress alternatives for small businesses, we have some great options for you. Here are the best dropshipping AliExpress alternatives for profit in 2021.

  1. BangGood

BangGood

Based in Hong Kong, BangGood is known for its large and diverse range of products. Though not considered anywhere near a rival to AliExpress, the company has been gaining popularity in many countries. Its range of 4 million products comprises of things like smartphones, home utilities, electronics, clothing, beauty, and many more. The platform even offers products like drones that aren’t easily available on most e-commerce platforms.
BangGood is extremely easy for business owners to join, thanks to its intuitive and simple interface. You can manage the eBay profile from here, use its open API on your own store website, save product images offline, etc. A whole range of tools exists to aid suppliers, both small and big, for their Dropshipping business.

The platform primarily operates from Hong Kong, though it also has extensive operations for suppliers in the US and China. It also has its reach in the European market. With its range of products and simplicity to join, BangGood can easily be one of the best dropshipping AliExpress alternatives.

Products on BangGood can take 1-4 weeks to get delivered. Apart from the usual global payment methods like Visa and PayPal, it even accepts Cash-on-Delivery in some countries.

  1. LightInTheBox

Lightinthebox

Lightinthebox pops up as a pretty decent competitor to AliExpress. While its range of products might be much smaller than AliExpress, Lightinthebox still boasts of some 500,000 products from categories like fashion, accessories, home improvement, beauty, phones, and electronics. From cheap items to premium products, Lightinthebox has something for everyone. However, its best-selling niche is fashion and accessories, where it offers lower rates than most of its competitors.
While you can always place individual orders, Lightinthebox also offers a wholesale program where you get discounts on bulk products. Headquartered in China, the company covers delivery pretty much everywhere on the globe. The standard delivery time can be between 2-4 weeks, comparable to AliExpress. It accepts credit cards, PayPal and Western Union for payment method. All of this makes it one of the most interesting AliExpress alternatives for small businesses.

  1. Deal Extreme (DX)

Deal Extreme

One of the prime attractions of AliExpress is its enticing discounts. In that regard, DealExtreme (DX) is one of the best dropshipping AliExpress alternatives. DX offers huge discounts on most of its products, sometimes even half of the original price. They also provide free shipping on most of the products. It means that you have a chance to have some solid profit margins on Dropshipping products from this platform.

DX boasts of some 300,000 products from thousands of categories. On most of these products, you will find the lowest price tag anywhere on the internet. Products are shipped within a day and delivery takes about 2 weeks for most locations in the world. The retailer accepts credit cards and PayPal for payment purposes. DX also offers great features for Dropshipping, suiting both small retailers with limited items or big ones that want to place bulk orders. DX also has a dedicated warehouse in the US which allows US-based retailers to dropship directly from there. If the price is a factor for you, DX is one of the top AliExpress alternatives 2021.

  1. Worldwide Brands

world wide brands

The USP of Worldwide Brands is its huge directory of wholesale retailers, which is 100% verified by the platform. The company believes in connecting small retailers with wholesale ones, without any middleman. Naturally, it becomes a great opportunity for the small retailers to gain from the profit margins that usually these intermediaries took. It also allows customers to buy directly from the sellers, thus staying completely true to the principle of Dropshipping. This entire directory could be accessed for a lifetime by paying a one-time fee.

While most Dropshipping giants seem to be centered in China and the surrounding region, Worldwide Brands has the benefit of being located in the US. Thus, US-based orders can be fulfilled in less than a week, while the farthest orders are also delivered within a week. WorldWide Brands boast of selling more than 16 million products, rivaling the catalog of AliExpress. It accepts credit cards and PayPal for payment.


While WorldWide Brands offers many resources to educate its members about the platform and the e-commerce world in general, the platform is still designed for experts. Beginners who expect a simple interface might be disappointed. Still, it is one of the best Dropshipping alternatives.

  1. Wholesale2B

Wholesale2B

Wholesale2B is a completely USA-based whole supplier directory and a very much suitable alternative to AliExpress. It offers nearly 2 million products with its catalogs. At the same time, it works as a certified supplier and a completely authentic and verified directory. This dropshipping alternative of AliExpress works great when your business is based on the North American continent.

It simply offers you hundreds of wholesale suppliers, which offers a very organized catalog. Also, with its latest edition comes to perform as one of the leading providers with its brilliant well-managed product data and descriptions. Also, it comes with highly efficient dropshipping tools along with management systems. At the same time, it includes a great eCommerce support service. Besides that, features like real-time supplier ratings, user reviews, and product additions make this one simply great and efficient.

Also, setting up an eStore with this E-shop is easier for finding plenty of products and suppliers. At the same time, the ordering system is highly organized. At the same time, there are plenty of product categories which makes this much easier to browse and work. It is a complete dropshipping solution for the sellers. It works with a team of experienced professionals, which makes it much easier to work with it. Moreover, it comes with multiple affordable plans for all platforms.

  1. DOBA

Dropship

DOBA could be simply termed as a swiss army knife of the e-commerce world. The platform offers more than 2 million products from small and big sellers alike. However, it is much more than a mere alternative for AliExpress.
DOBA acts as a comprehensive e-commerce solution for its members. It comes with a simple but powerful dashboard that can connect you to a directory of verified sellers on the platform. Some other features of DOBA include market research, product discovery, and order fulfillment. Like AliEpxress with its store ratings, DOBA also offers a detailed supplier scorecard for each supplier. More than just a rating, the scorecard offers insights on key metrics like shipping time and order fulfillment rate. DOBA can easily integrate with any web platform like Shopify, Amazon, or eBay. DOBA also offers inventory management to manage the 500,000 products it offers. In short, if you are looking for a more comprehensive service than what AliExpress offers, DOBA ranks among the best dropshipping AliExpress alternatives for profit in 2021.

  1. Lightake

Lightake

The Lightake is another very promising dropshipping platform that comes with brilliant features, which makes it an absolute alternative to AliExpress. The cubes on this site make it the center of attraction. It offers a variety and types of cubes on the site, which is interesting and attractive. Not only cubes but also there are a large variety of products with plenty of categories.

The best part about this platform is, it is improving as time goes. Most of the buyers have experienced slow shipping in the past. But this site tends to learn from its performance and thus goes on improving it. And it is evident from their recent reviews.

It is mostly a great platform for game-related products. It mostly sells magic cubes and puzzles, toys and hobbies, IQ puzzle toys, pets supplies, health and beauty, and there are plenty of other categories. Hence if you are looking for an AliExpress alternative that offers you such special items, then this platform is simply great for you.

  1. GearBest

GearBest

Staying on the topic of niche-specific, GearBest is another great alternative if you deal exclusively in footwear. Though the platform also deals in other categories (like office equipment, clothing, and accessories), footwear is its primary product. In the two categories of “men’s shoes” and “women’s shoes” alone, you can find 6000+ different products. The platform uses the same footwear suppliers as AliExpress and thus the items are priced around the same range.
Unlike most other games in this list, GearBest is not located in the Chinese region. The Spanish company offers its own associate program for sellers interested in Dropshipping. It offers a huge variety of footwear products to be shipped anywhere in the world. Its only drawback is the delivery time, which is slower than most other AliExpress alternatives in 2021.

  1. Dino Direct

Dino Direct specializes in cross-border selling, at least according to them. But given the claim to deliver in 200 countries, this could very well be true. The platform believes in connecting small retailers to the giants, which makes it one of the best dropshipping alternatives.

Speaking of its products, Dino Direct offers products in 22 categories, especially fashion and electronics. Dino Direct has warehouses spread across the world, including China, Singapore, and the UK. Its wide range of warehouses in various regions allows it to quickly dispatch products anywhere in the world. For North America and Europe, it offers free shipping – quite appealing news for small retailers. Dino Direct has a membership program, though it is completely free to join. Here you can find coupon codes and deals for the lowest price on various products.

  1. DHGate

DHGate is easily one of the best dropshipping AliExpress alternatives you will find, in terms of sheer similarities. DHGate offers almost the same type of products as AliExpress, boasting some 10 million products in its catalog. It also means that you can compare the price of similar products on the two platforms. Like AliExpress, DHGate too has a rating system for its sellers, which allows you to know the popularity and credibility of any seller. Most sellers on the platform are from South-East Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.
DHGate also uses e-packet shipping, the same as AliExpress. Since they are both located in the same region, their delivery time for any product is virtually identical. In some cases, it can also deliver faster! DHGate accepts only PayPal for payments.

Related: Inventory Source Review 2021: Is it Best for Dropshipping Automation?

Conclusion

Dropshipping could be exactly what small retailers need to fight against big brands. The right partner not only allows you to have great products and awesome service but also spares a decent profit margin for you. We hope our list helped you find the best dropshipping AliExpress alternatives for profit in 2021.

How to sell on Wayfair in 2024?

How to sell on Wayfair in 2022

As part of a $600 billion total addressable market, Wayfair is undoubtedly a reliable platform for giving your sales program an easy and effective motion. Unlike other selling platforms in the market, Wayfair can be easier for marketers to get a steady grip on sales and scale the profit.

Wayfair offers a less competitive market, which does not take much time to rank your products. However, low competition is not limited to opportunities; instead, it increases the earning probability and makes your selling rates high.

In this article, we will discuss how you can sell your products on Wayfair in 2024 with an adequate profit. But before jumping into the process, let’s have a quick idea of what Wayfair is and how effectively it works:

What is Wayfair?

Wayfair
Wayfair

Wayfair is a well-known company in the USA that sells furniture and other home goods. The e-commerce company was founded in 2002; its former name was the CSN stores. It works with more than 11000 global suppliers to offer more than 14 million items.

With its most popular marketplaces, Wayfair offers its services in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, where they attract many potential customers, giving sellers a global platform to sell more to scale their profit.

Why Choose Wayfair for Selling?

The e-commerce industry is expected to hit a whopping profit in the coming year. Therefore, it opens up many possibilities to hit the profit mark effectively. Some of the best reasons to choose Wayfair are stated below:

Cuts your advertising cost

Wayfair has been recognized as the largest marketplace for home furnishing in the USA. It leads your way to expand opportunities, which is essential for making your product rank quickly.

Wayfair uses half its profit in the advertisement, which is more effective for reaching out to potential customers. It eventually cuts your cost for advertising on your own so that you can stay focused on the selling strategies of your product.

Real-time preview of customer reviews

Its real-time view of the customer’s reviews and demands works as a potential logistic that keeps you constantly updated about the market. Wayfair uses all the possible means to make your product stand out as the best. Their expertise platform guides you and benefits you in every way so that you can always stay updated about the deals and demands of the market to fulfill them quickly and effectively.

Massive community

Wayfair’s massive customer interaction and the enormous marketplace always stay updated with its 60.82 million visitors, part of whom are its active consumers. Reaching out to this vast customer is exclusively offered by Wayfair so that you can quickly boost your sales in your online business.

It currently has 22.6 million active consumers on its platform which is increasing day by day. Wayfair also filed a net revenue of $12.6 billion for the last 12 months ending September 30, 2023.

Smooth navigation

Moreover, Wayfair helps its sellers uniquely and innovatively with their easy navigation system. Through the intelligent dashboard of the entire product catalog publishing, sellers can easily present their collection and availability using this effective platform.

Cost and time-efficient

Sellers can use the direct shipping method from the suppliers to the customers for cost-effective and time-saving selling. These robust logistics help Wayfair grow more effectively in the market so that it can benefit your selling in every way. It also reduces the logistics cost through its unique organization of the entire process through the WDN so that retailers can always stay profitable.

Access to analytics and data

Wayfair also helps its sellers to have complete access to the data and analytics related to selling, market rate, demand, etc. it keeps a constants eye on the orders and choices of the customers to give the sellers an overview of the entire market and demand this real-time view offering about the product. The market demand helps the sellers to stay updated about what product they need to manufacture more and whatnot.

How Does Wayfair Work?

Wayfair uses a self-logistic system with its Wayfair Delivery Network to offer an overall increase in shipment while reducing losses to serve quick shipping.

Wayfair’s strategic work includes the dropshipping model, which sends the product from the supplier to the end merchant post receiving and confirming.

There is no structure for carrying the inventory or the warehouse. Thereby third-party shipment couriers or retailers can use Wayfair’s account to save their time and cost by reducing the bulk rate.

Also Read: Wayfair: The new Amazon of home goods market

Wayfair does not indulge in any inventory cost, saving you money. You can easily opt for white-labeling your products for an increased profit rate using, as Wayfair works through automating the retail industry using the integration extension of the third party.

It runs the entire process through an integration extension automated service for your web store to make the product enlisting and selling even more accessible.

Therefore robust customer support and effortlessly guiding help you get more profit. Wayfair provides easy and strategic ideas about how to satisfy your consumers and turn them into regular customers.

It’s totally seller efficient and takes care of the best needs of the partners so that a healthy financial relationship can get nurtured. Therefore the straightforward methodology helps in understanding the sales and benefits in the most precise way, making the sellers learn the entire process quickly and effectively.

What are the requirements to sell on Wayfair?

Two primary requirements are there for selling on Wayfair. The first one is that you need to have drop shipping potentials. Secondly, you must have product liability insurance that covers a minimum of $1 million for every occurrence and $2 million in general aggregate.

The dropshipping works like this: As soon as a purchaser makes an order, it is sent to you by Wayfair so you can fulfill it. Then you need to pack the item and send it to the purchaser. Wayfair pays the shipping costs.

As a seller on Wayfair, you must have qualified personnel to manage customer service, inventory, returns, and other logistics.

How to Sell on Wayfair?

How to sell on Wayfair
How to sell on Wayfair

Wayfair is undoubtedly one of the best platforms for making your creations reach out to your potential customers effectively and quickly. The method is simple, time-saving, and cost-saving so that you can easily opt for powerful marketing.

Thus, choosing Wayfair to target the next financial profit market so you can quickly grab a significant market share.

But before that, knowing how to sell on Wayfair is very important for starting your new journey in online marketing. Here are the steps that must be followed to integrate your online e-commerce store with Wayfair:

Sign up

Before selling on Wayfair, you need to opt for signing up by providing the required details about you and your business. Wayfair’s official website offers you to hss to the signing up page with just one click, where you can provide them with the necessary recreation about you.

Therefore the team will follow up within 3-5 business days to let you opt for further steps. You need to provide all the authentic information about yourself to stay clear from the beginning to enjoy a better selling experience.

Product Uploading

You need to start by uploading your products on Wayfair in a bulky form. Wayfair requires you to upload your product post-registration to help you with having a complete presentation of your goods to your customers to let them choose.

For uploading your product on Wayfair, you need to have the best pictures and detailed descriptions so that the entire thing can stay real from the very beginning to entice more buyers. Wayfair systematically optimizes all your provided details to quickly draws more customers to opt for your goods.

Enlisting Your Inventories

Post the product uploa; it will start an automatic process of listing and synchronizing all your inventories so that it can operate the entire process in a systematic andcrystal-clearr way.

Manage Your Order

You need to manage your orders to serve an easy motion of the order collecting, shipping, and delivering. It helps fulfill every single charge so your customers can get a satisfying shopping experience from you all the time.

Sell or Customize Your Goods

Through an easy click, Wayfair’s user-interactive software lets you sell and customize your order the way you want so that your profile looks organized one attracts more targeted customers to buy your product.

What Can You Sell on Wayfair?

What can you sell on Wayfair?

Before opting for an entiresign-upp and registration procedure, it’s better to know what you can sell on Wayfair. If your business or manufacturing company deals with the following products, only then can you go for enlisting your online store along with Wayfair for increased sales:

  • Various furniture essential for room decors
  • Kinds of Stuff related to bed and bath
  • Other decor supplies and pillows
  • Rugs for the floors
  • Lighting types of equipment
  • Renovation stuff
  • Kitchen utilities
  • Outdoor supplies
  • Goods necessary for babies and kids
  • Storage goods

How Does Wayfair Support Your Business?

Here’s how Wayfair makes your online selling business easy and effective with its robust customer support and strategic way of product selling. Here’s how Wayfair offers you the best support through their user-beneficial service:

Increased Reach

Millions of customers deal with Wayfair. The last 12 months have seen an engagement of customers who have paid more than $8 billion in total while shopping from Wayfair. It will undoubtedly pave the road for reaching out to millions of customers.

Effective Promotion

Wayfair spent $775 million on advertisements in the financial year of 2018. Their unique way of driving massive customers increases sales and draws the consumer’s attention to stay hooked with the fantastic collection of products. Showcasing your products has never been easier before enlisting them with Wayfair.

Partnership

Wayfair is good at maintaining a long-term partnerships with its sellers. Wayfair treats its seller as a family to protect them under one roof. The team serves all the practical and best e-commerce strategies necessary for shaping and scaling the business to grow, which, as a seller, you will appreciate much.

Innovative Technology

Wayfairusesf its innovative and intuitive partner portal so sellers can always stay updated with real-time data tracking and market movement. Therefore 3D technology helps enhance online sales to add smoothness to the motion of making a profit and elevating the revenue.

24×7 Free Customer Support

With their expertise and fully arranged team, Wayfair is always ready to support their seller 24*7 so that you never feel left out in the market. Wayfair strives to solve all your selling-related problems and queries through email, call, skype, or any other means preferred by the seller.

This vast and robust customer support includes any queries about product enlisting and dealing with orders, customer demand-related questions, earning-related questions, shipping, and delivery-related doubts, practical strategies you can apply, and so on.

Assured Conversion and an efficient method of selling through Wayfair brings an assured conversion necessary to grow your business more strategically. Their robust assisting approach with the seller helps in indulging more sales so that you can always stay ahead in the market.

Therefore Wayfair’s practical way of handling the competition helps more organically so that you never feel pressure to rank your product on the platform while giving more concentration to shaping the increased quality of your product.

Wayfair vs. AmazonCountless products on Amazon comes under numerous categories. Right from books, to watches, to groceries, everything is there. But on the other hand, Wayfair focuses on home décor and furnishings.

There are no will-pay, setup, or selling fees on Wayfair. So if you encounter the company’s partner requirements and think you are fit for it, you are good to go. Besides, Wayfair is more affordable than Amazon.

The costs associated with Amazon are more direct. Firstly, you will need to choose a selling plan. It will cost you $39.99 if you select the professional program. And if you choose the individual plan, you will have to pay $39.99 for every sale you make. Besides, it does not matter whatever schedule you choose; Amazon collects a referral fee for every product sold, which further varies from category to category.

Additionally, if you are an FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) seller, you will have to bear shipping fees, storage fees, and several other costs based on your business requirements and seller status.

Does Wayfair allow 3rd Party Sellers?

Yes, 3rd party sellers can sell outdoor and indoor furniture, kitchen goods, rugs, bath and bed products, pet items, storage options, and a lot more on Wayfair. There are more than 25 million products on Wayfair.

Does Wayfair make sense for your business?

Wayfair attracts about 64 million visitors to the products. It is one of the most renowned marketplaces in the UK, US, and Canada and attracts massive shoppers in all these regions. So, it is an apparent reason for you to sell on Wayfair.

Besides, the eCommerce industry is drastically rising in every region. Therefore, there is no better time to sell on Wayfair than now.

Being home to the most significant online home furnishing market, the Wayfair marketplace is a booming eCommerce market.

Apart from the increase in revenues, the way Wayfair comforts its shoppers and sellers with its delivery method, price, and style has made it the first pick for all retailers.

If your products are comprised of the garden and home niches, Wayfair is just for you.

Wayfair’s WDN (Wayfair Delivery Network) improves the all-over effectiveness of shipment by lessening losses, facilitating fast shipping, and safely delivering big parcels.

With enhanced efficiency, there is no inventory cost associated with Wayfair. The platform operates on a cost-driven structure and believes in automating the retail industry with the 3rd party integration extensions, facilitating systematic selling. This, in turn, helps to white-label the products in the store.

What tools does Wayfair provide to sellers?

The primary tools offered by Wayfair to the sellers to facilitate easy selling are as follows:

  • Integrated camera: Wayfair has included its camera-based tools upfront. With a single click on the camera option on the search bar, the customers can toggle between camera-based features and visually search for an item. This allows the sellers.
  • Interactive photo for view in Room 3D: With the idea in Room 3D, the purchasers can see how their products will look in their space through the power of AR. Also, the shoppers can take a photo of their area and see how different products will look in that space even when the shopper is not in the room.
  • Room planner 3D: The room design tool of Wayfair, the Room planner 3D, allows the shoppers to make an interactive 3D room; they can see the room from every angle and then they can play with various styles, room dimensions, layouts, and then mix and match the products of Wayfair to see how it will fit in that 3D room.

How does the Fee Structure in Wayfair Work?

Unlike other e-commerce platforms, Wayfair doesn’t claim a percentage from its partners. It works using the wholesale cost model by setting the retail price. Wayfair pays the partners the wholesale cost of their items so that sellers can profit from their sales.

Also, Wayfair does not require any payment for shipping the products from its partners. Instead, Wayfair works on an entire dropship mode, sending the order to the seller’s warehouse. Sellers can pack and fulfill the order by directly sending it to the customer.

Wayfair bears the entire cost for the shipping. It eventually cuts your extra paying needs for offering the best service to your customer, which is relatively cost-effective and fits your budget while benefiting you entirely.

Conclusion

Unlike opting for a highly competitive platform where ranking your product is complex. Choosing an accessible marketplace that supports you with practical techniques and strategies is the best way to stand out.

And Wayfair does that in a very user-effective manner so that sellers can feel at home whenever they target the market to invite more profit to their pocket without spending more money and time. This is an effective and intelligent way to meet the demand and prove your identity as a best seller.

Best Affiliate Marketing Programs

Affiliate marketing is increasingly seen as the superior alternative to traditional advertising. It is less costly per acquired customer, more targeted, its return-on-investment measurement is more transparent, and it typically feels less intrusive for the customer.

Of course, just like any other type of marketing, there are right and wrong ways to do affiliate marketing. Some common mistakes affiliate marketers make include promoting the wrong product to the wrong audience, appearing untrustworthy, or just promoting a program that isn’t worth it for the marketers themselves. Avoiding such mistakes usually involves many steps that must be discussed at length. However, picking the right affiliate marketing program is the first and arguably most important one.

Below, we will go over the seven best affiliate marketing programs as of today. Of course, these aren’t the only great programs out there, and this list isn’t fully exhaustive. We are also purposefully focusing on singular affiliate programs, not affiliate networks, as those are worthy of their own list. So, while we urge you to also look into other programs, the seven below are the ones we’d recommend you look into first. 

AWeber

AWeber has been on the scene since 1998, and since then, it has become the primary autoresponder choice of over a million entrepreneurs and businesses looking for email drip campaigns. AWeber offers a tiered affiliate marketing program with higher percentages the more customers you refer to it – from 30% for 0-10 clients to up to 50% per customer if you go over 50 referrals. Those commissions are also recurring because AWeber is a monthly subscription program, and the affiliate marketer gets those 30-50% commissions for every monthly payment. 

There is a minimum sales threshold of $30, however, and AWeber’s only payment method of choice is PayPal. Yet, the limitless earnings potential is more than worth it, and the cookie life (i.e., the period after the client’s first link click for which affiliate marketers will still get a commission) is a whole year. 

GetResponse

GetResponse is another excellent multi-tier affiliate marketing program. However, its two sign-up tiers differentiate between individuals and medium-to-large companies. There are also two affiliate programs to choose from – a self-hosted offer with a 33% recurring commission and a high-commission single-sale CJ (Commission Junction) Affiliate program with only a 30-day cookie life compared to the 120 days of the in-house program. GetResponse also supports a variety of payment methods, including ACH, Eurotransfer, PayPal, and USD checks. 

Bet365

Affiliate marketing programs for online casinos and other online betting platforms have become increasingly popular in recent years since the online gambling scene has been booming. In fact, many experts are concluding that iGaming is one of the best niches for affiliate marketing right now. 

With that being the case, our first go-to for online gambling affiliate marketing is Bet365. Not only is Bet365 one of the biggest names on the online casino and sports betting scene, but the brand also invests heavily in advertising, including affiliate marketing. This translates into a competitive commission of 30% from the revenue generated by every referred player, a long cookie duration of 45 days, and no negative carryover should the referred player win and cost the casino money. 

Systeme.io

A fantastic program with 50% lifetime recurring commissions, Systeme.io is excellent if your audience is trying to build, grow, and scale an online business. Systeme.io has six distinct pricing packages ranging between a few dozen to a few hundred dollars. Affiliates can work with all six and earn up to 50% commissions, including an additional 5% second-tier commissions should their referrals bring in new people too. The cookie life for Systeme.io affiliates is 180 days, and this program works with either PayPal or wire transfers. 

Shopify

Shopify needs no introduction, which makes both our job and the job of Shopify’s marketing affiliates that much easier. There are over 20 million merchants on Shopify, the program is free to join, and it gives experts a great opportunity to monetize their audience. Shopify gives its affiliates access to a global creative library, curated email programming, a monthly newsletter, and lead magnets.

Commissions come in the form of up to $150, cookies last up to 30 days, and the favored payment methods are PayPal and direct deposit. 

7StarPartners

The commission rates you can expect from 7StarPartners range from 45% to 60% of the revenue share generated from the players you have referred. In addition to these lucrative percentages, the program enables you to promote a wide range of brands, such as Campobet Casino, YoYoCasino, AlfCasino, LibraBet Casino, BoaBoa Casino, and Casinia Casino. Choosing the right brand for your audience is vital to maximize the revenue each referral will generate.

Furthermore, 7StarPartners also have a cookie duration of up to one month, have no negative carryover, and work with various payment methods such as Bitcoin, PayPal, WebMoney, Neteller, Skrill, or bank wire transfers convenient for all money gaming activity. 

Gamesys Group Partners

Another good option for those who want to try gambling affiliate marketing, Gamesys Group Partners has been around for over two decades. In that time, they have amassed an extensive portfolio of trendy gaming options, including Tropicana Atlantic City, Rainbow Riches Casino, Monopoly Casino, and Virgin Casino. If any of these sound suitable for your followers, Gamesys Group Partners offer up to 45% commissions, a two-month cookie duration, and various payment methods that include Neteller, ecoPayz, Skrill, and bank transfers. 

Conclusion

The affiliate marketing space is so vast and rich that a mere listicle of just seven suggestions can’t possibly exhaust all the best options. It can give you a good start, however, as well as some excellent insight into the best practices in the market right now. How you move forward from here is up to you, but don’t forget who started you on this path when you hit the big time. Best of luck!

How to Sell on Rakuten in 2024? (Complete Guide)

How to Sell on Rakuten in 2022

To start a very profiting business in Japan, Rakuten is undoubtedly a very promising platform. In Japan, it is quite a common scenario to see people checking out Rakuten to buy goods, even more than Amazon.  To give your business a new vista in 2024, Rakuten is undoubtedly a very reliable platform as it represents 27% of the e-commerce market share in Japan. This largest online marketplace of Japan is undoubtedly a very nice choice if you are looking for an effective way to boost up your multi-channel strategy in Japan and on a global scale. Becoming a Rakuten seller in 2024 is thus very profitable to shape the success of your merchandise. So how do you sell on Rakuten? Here is a complete guide for you:

What is Rakuten?

Rakuten or the “Amazon of Japan” works as a B2B2C platform. With its name Rakuten Ichiba, it started the journey in 1997 with the hands of Hiroshi Mikitani. Currently, it has 1.3 million global members on the site, which makes selling easier for any of the Rakuten Sellers. The site holds its leading position in Japan, which inspires a large number of merchants every year to tie-up with the platform.

It performs as the Largest Marketplace in Japan that offers eCommerce fin-tech, communication service, digital content to its multitudes of active users. It gives opportunities to 44000 sellers to sell on Rakuten across 30+ countries and a variety of regions on a global scale.

Rakuten started to expand its market in 2005 to a global scale through its joint ventures and acquisitions. Rakuten has acquired Viber, Viki, Overdrive, eBates, and many more, which makes it a leading business giant on the global platform. Another aspect that makes Rakuten more reliable is its huge network system.

Rakuten in the U.S. is known as Rakuten U.S., which makes it have a significant place in the market in the United States. Currently, it has a burgeoning ecosystem in countries like France, U.S. which is making it more reliable and profitable as an eCommerce marketplace for the new merchants.

Selling Goods using the Rakuten marketplace in Japan

Selling on Rakuten in Japan comes with its benefits and various prospects. The Japanese Version of Rakuten opens up new areas and better opportunities to enhance your sales in the marketplace.

Why selling in Japan is advantageous comes with a good answer, i.e., it is comparatively a more prosperous country that engages a lot of the population to indulge in buying products from e-commerce. The online sales figure here is undoubtedly above average. Since the platform boasts all essential items, there is a huge opportunity to attract Japanese sellers to buy more.

However, there are difficulties, such as needing a bank account and a Japanese business entity. Also, the registration process is long enough as Rakuten goes through a thorough verification to examine the brand’s authenticity. It takes at least 4 weeks to start selling.

The Rakuten seller account comes with a shipping charge if you have a stock warehouse in another country. You may also need native speakers who can help you with the language to manage your store in the marketplace and to deal with the customer service portal.

Suppose you are thinking of making Japan your target market. In that case, it is better to use the proper business tools to streamline the multi-language catalogs process to prevent content errors. At the same time, you distribute your products on several platforms in this country.

To make your selling on Rakuten more effective, ensure you have the proper stock, clear descriptions, and images for your catalogs. Preferring Japanese market customization can help you have a very smooth business. You need to send your product content and SKU to allow the automation of the connection between your company and Rakuten for a stable and effective business in Japan.

How to Sell on Rakuten in the USA?

If Japan is not at all your preference for selling goods through Rakuten, then you can opt for the global marketplace of Rakuten.  The marketplace also extends its opportunities to 29 other countries. You can pick any other market focused on selling to national customers. Also, the selling process on a global scale is much easier than in the marketplace of Japan.

The procedure is quite simple if you are considering expanding your sales in the USA. Here is how you can step into the Rakuten U.S.-

  • Create a Rakuten marketplace seller account for the U.S.
  • You have to fill the places with your company’s details, which includes I.D., telephone number and credit card details.
  • The merchants must have a W9 form while applying to become a Rakuten seller.
  • com also accepts W8 for merchants that come without the United States tax.
  • Now you need to wait for the confirmation of Rakuten. It usually takes 3-10 days. After that, you can easily add your product details and start selling.
  • You need to ensure fast and reliable shipping time for your U.S. customers.

How to Sell on Rakuten on a Global Scale?

If you are not a seller based in Japan or the USA, then you can also opt to sell on Rakuten using other marketplaces. You can avail the help of third-party partners who come with the approval of Rakuten.

To ensure the selling with Rakuten, you will need a signed contract with any service provider, which will manage all your setups, administrations, and the organizing of your stores. In such matters, Rakuten seller support helps you in the right way.

Rakuten opted to acquire PriceMinister in 2010, a leading online e-commerce platform in France, which gives you a huge opportunity to start selling your goods in France. The Rakuten rance boasts accounts of more than 22 million members with 10 million active users. The opportunity also grows up to sell in Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland.

Why is It Advantageous to Start Selling with Rakuten?

If you are thinking of giving your business speedy and effective growth from the very beginning, then you need to check on a marketplace that serves you in the best way to target a huge marketplace. Rakuten is ideal for such platforms, which is the first choice of many brands.  Here are the benefits that it offers to you:

Better Opportunity

Rakuten works with a very diverse and huge network and marketplace that includes many e-commerce companies, marketing firms, loyalty bonus programs, logistics, and many more, making it a great area to check on.

Customized Storefront

Rakuten understands the needs of its sellers. It comes with the personalization option for the brands to identify the customization of the storefronts, which gets paired with their policies.

Reaching Out to Customers

Reaching out to more and more customers is much easier and more effective with Rakuten. It comes with many users who effectively browse the Rakuten platform, which enhances your reach towards them for a better sales rate.

Popularity

The figures from the marketplace are very encouraging. Rakuten boasts about its 17 million unique shoppers. More than 8,000 professional sellers are there, and products are available on both an online platform and physical outlets. In addition, there are 5000 physical outlets available. Rakuten does not sell its own products, so the competition is much lower than other platforms.

Wide range of marketing and web services solutions

A sandbox is offered by the platform to test order tracking and transactions. Additionally, Rakuten has created an exciting ecosystem where distinct features are valued, like Rakuten Points and Coupons. When you play along, your visibility gets improved.

Fast payments

You receive payments over here every week. So you do not need to wait long to receive your payments. Rakuten keeps processes hassle-free to ensure that you can sell and earn without barriers.

Rakuten club loyalty points

It is a fantastic feature for people looking to sell products on Rakuten. It is a platform that provides you with additional sales opportunities. Additionally, when you join the club as a seller for free, you receive 2% of your sales amount in Rakuten Points. And you can spend this on different purchases.

What do You Need to Sell in Rakuten?

Selling on Rakuten is comparatively more accessible than any other platform. Here is what you are going to get while selling on Rakuten:

  • Rakuten seller account on the Rakuten seller portal
  • Your products are teamed with one of the barcodes from UPC, JAN, EAN, and ISBN.
  • Your brand name
  • A unique manufacturer’s I.D. is essential.
  • Post the screening and confirmation, you need to list your products through F.T. feeds RMS web tool. You can also use third-party integration or open API.

What are the Major Product Categories to Sell on Rakuten?

When it comes to providing the category, Rakuten keeps it quite simple. It permits you a large list of items to sell on the platform. You can sell from tech gadgets to trendy fashion items. Also, there are baby essentials and other essential supplies. Here is what Rakuten offers you for selling:

  • Home and outdoor
  • Electronics
  • Pet supplies
  • Bags and luggage
  • Clothing
  • Accessories
  • Shoes
  • Beauty and personal care
  • Sports and Fitness
  • Health care
  • Media
  • Toys
  • Toddler and baby items
  • Office Supplies
  • Automotive and parts
  • Other essentials

What can you not sell on the platform?

Several products are not allowed to sell on Rakuten and must be strictly avoided. Rakuten works to protect brands and patents. Here is a list of items that you cannot sell on Rakuten:

  • Alcohol
  • Monetary
  • Drugs
  • Offensive material
  • Subscriptions
  • Stolen goods
  • Explosive and firearms
  • Animal products
  • Trademark infringement
  • Counterfeit goods
  • Testers and samples
  • Luxury fashion brands

What To Consider Before You Start Selling On Rakuten?

Things that you need to consider before selling on Rakuten are listed below:

Only exclusive branded items

You can only sell branded products. Without Rakuten’s approval, you cannot sell any product.

Business registration

Rakuten is formulated in Japan, and thus, you need to have a business registration in Japan. Without this, you cannot sell on Rakuten.

Valid UPCs on items

Your products must possess a UPC. These codes are assigned uniquely for every item sold online.

Japanese bank account

You must have a bank account in Japan. This account will be used for Rakuten, and your every payment will be processed through this bank.

Language

Rakuten in Japanese can be a barrier for sellers. So, you need to understand the Japanese language or have staffs who can understand the language.

Same price

You will need to set your products’ prices to the same as on different channels. This enables every platform to receive equal sales.

Shipment handle

While dealing with Rakuten, you will need to handle the shipment. You will need to work on the processing and list the onset time, or else the order may get canceled.

What are the Prerequisites to Start Selling on Rakuten Marketplace?

Rakuten is currently leading the world market while beating Amazon by 27% in Japan for the eCommerce market share. In the U.S., Rakuten is paired with “Ebates” with nearly 40% cashback on the purchase in various ways to get the bonus points. It helps the sellers to earn effectively from repeated buyers.  It takes nearly one or two months to ensure your Rakuten seller portal is live on the site.

Steps To Sell On Rakuten

It is very straightforward to sell on Rakuten. The plus point is that a consultant will assist the seller throughout the process. To sell on Rakuten, follow the given below steps:

Step 1: Registration

Rakuten’s team of onboarding consultants is specialized in overseas business. They will guide you to prepare every material for submitting for your company’s screening. Then, after you pass all the stages, you can start creating the store on the marketplace of Rakuten.

Step 2: Store setup

After gaining access to Rakuten Merchant Server, you will need to register the items and then upload the information of your company, then, the shipping and return policy needs to be set. Finally, the storefront is to be created. Do not worry, as a Shop Open Advisor will be there to guide you throughout.

Step 3: Shop Opening

After your store comes, an ECC or E-Commerce Consultant will be assigned to you to drive sales and maximize the performance of your store so that you can achieve success in the marketplace of Rakuten.

Sell on Rakuten: Cost and Fees

Selling on Rakuten is easy, but you will need to pay some fees to access the platform full-fledged. The fees are discussed below:

Subscription fees

There are three kinds of subscriptions available- Classic (39 Euro per month), Extend (199 Euro per month), and Absolute (499 Euro per month).

Listing fees

$0.99 is charged as a listing fee for each item.

Commission

The commission varies broadly, ranging from 8% to 20% based on the items sold.

Because the variation is huge, check which item will attract the commission fees before proceeding.

The list of commissions is listed below:

Categories Commission
Sporting Goods 15%
Personal Electronics, Accessories, and Hardware 8%
Office Supplies 12%
Musical Instruments 12%
Media 15%
Jewelry and Watches 15%
Home, Outdoor, and Pet Supplies 15%
Health and Beauty 15%
Video Games and Software 10%
Automotive & Powersports 12%
Apparel and Accessories 15%
Everything Else (not included in other categories) 15%

 

Best Practices on Rakuten

The best practices on Rakuten to receive fruitful results are given below:

Create storefront

Rakuten allows sellers to make a customizable storefront. Make sure that the storefront portrays your website and allows you to market your products in a way that suits your inventory and requirements. Also, the sellers are allowed to support brand consistency over different channels.

Custom product pages

Undoubtedly, some products have better sellers than others and bring more profit. Every seller wants to sell those types of products. For highlighting such pages, the custom product pages will help you out. While creating a custom product page, add demo videos, images, and deep content that portrays your product in detail and helps the buyers to make a better buying decision in your favor.

Shipping options

You are allowed to add up to 20 shipping options. Additionally, with Rakuten Global Express, you can save on shipping a lot. It is best to ship by combining the purchased products on different websites into a single package or purchasing items from shops that cannot offer overseas shipping.

Cooperate with eCommerce consultants.

Every seller on the platform is provided with eCommerce consultants, and advantages can be taken from it. Contact your consultant to get your pages reviewed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Fee Structure for Starting Selling at Rakuten?

Selling at Rakuten comes with a variety of plans for the sellers. If you are selling from overseas, you need to choose a basic package designed for international merchants. This includes the registration and monthly account fees, affiliate fees, payment processing fees, and commission rates.

Is It Necessary to Speak Japanese to Sell with Rakuten?

The seller information page of Rakuten states that the merchants must be skilled in Japanese to handle customer support, order and return, marketing campaigns, page maintenance, and operating the shop interface. Hence it is necessary!

What makes Rakuten Better than Amazon?

Rakuten comes with the proper control and personalization for its brands, which Amazon lacks. It gives a more personalized shopping experience, making it better than Amazon in many aspects.

Can Anyone Sell on Rakuten?

Rakuten works as an only e-commerce marketplace. The merchants need to get approval before starting to sell with Rakuten.

Conclusion

Whether it is targeting the market of Japan or tie-up with third-party registered sellers, it sells globally. Rakuten is undoubtedly an excellent choice for your e-commerce business career. The new market of 2023 is more focused on buying goods online than buying from a physical store, which makes Rakuten the best place to give your more opportunities this year. Hence if you are thinking of trying your hands on e-commerce marketing for a better return and more profit, then Rakuten is the best place to start selling to create a significant place in the market.

Dropified Review 2024: Best dropshipping tool?

dropified review
dropified review

Dropshipping is a business that is in high demand among many people. The idea of dropshipping is always advisable, given the variety of options and the scopes of profit in it. Dropshipping is a highly safe because of its low-risk opportunity and ensures high profits. If you have the right dropshipping partner, then you are always in safe hands to grow your dropshipping business and expand your scaling opportunities. 

With 3.5 trillion US dollars sales in the domain of e-commerce coming in 2019, throughout the world, it is not a bad idea to give a start to your dropshipping ideas in 2021. With people preferring to stay home and stay safe, e-commerce is here to stay strong and get a huge boost in the diversion of business from offline sales to online sales.

Finding a proper supplier is one of the hardest things, as many drop shippers feel, but if you can find the right one, then you are all set for a good business. Dropified is one of the highly trusted and reliable partners while it comes to dropshipping, which you can try. With highly impressive features, Dropified is something which you can try, without any doubt. In this detailed Review about Dropified, we will talk about how it strives to make your life easy in the field of dropshipping and compare it with other competitors in the market. 

What is Dropified?

Dropified in simple terms is a dropshipping application. It makes the life of dropshippers very easy as you can open the store in this application, connect with the suppliers of the products you are looking for and then source products so that you can sell. You can do all these without worrying about the inventory storing, shipping, and packaging as these all will be taken care of reliably by Dropified. You even do not need to pay any upfront fees for the inventory; therefore, initially, you can focus on suppliers of the products, and source the products properly.

How Does Dropified Work?

Dropified claims that it can save 20 hours in a single week for the customers, with its technologically advanced facility. For having this facility, you just need to have an e-commerce store and open an account in Dropified. That’s it, and you are ready to explore the opportunities provided to you by Dropified. Dropified integrates Woocommerce, CommerceHQ, gearbubblePRO, and the highly famous Shopify. The integration is also very smooth and easy as Dropified combines with any one of them in as less as 3 minutes to give you the desired results.

Opening the store in Dropified is very easy. You can easily browse, pick, and import the products you are looking for, without any hurdles. Dropified works with many shipping services, which includes Aliexpress. Once your product is imported from Aliexpress, you can view it in the inventory list along with the images of the products and other related pieces of information. You can start to select and sell the products once you feel that you are satisfied. This method makes Dropified look very smooth and easy to access.

After you are done with your part, Dropified helps you significantly in the steps ahead. As soon as the customer places an order, Dropified places the order with your supplier. The supplier then sends the product to your customers. Your customer will get the bill and all the information directly to their email, while you sit and count the money you earned. Fulfilling the orders of your customers and dealing with them could have been a nightmare but not with Dropified. It ensures that you and your customers get their desired results with just one click mechanism. Just press the button and let Dropified do the rest of the work for you. This system can easily make you tension free.

How Does Shopify Work with Dropified?

Shopify is one of the famous and most used e-commerce supporting website. It is very popular for its features and reliability. With this leading e-commerce platform, you can always be sure that you can have a good run in the world of an e-commerce business. It works pretty smoothly with Dropified. The integration is very seamless, and it just takes two minutes for you to integrate Shopify with Dropified.

You can see the stores page in the dashboard of Dropified, just click on it. Just click on the add store button, and you will need to add myshopify.com version of your e-commerce website, not the custom domain name. You can easily find that in your Shopify admin page. After adding that URL, just hit the add button in the add store section, and you are ready to go.

So, you have literally nothing to worry about while you are integrating Shopify with Dropified.

Dropified Features

Dropified has many features which are needed to be discussed elaborately. Dropified is well recognized in the market of e-commerce due to its accomplished features. A few of its features are being mentioned here:

AliExpress and US-based suppliers

Dropified is connected to many reputed suppliers and technologically integrates easily and seamlessly with them for seamless buying and selling of the products. A few of the reliable suppliers with which Dropified is connected includes AliExpress from China which worldwide famous for high quality supplying of products and, eBay, Amazon, Costco and many more reliable suppliers of products from the U.S. With over 100 suppliers available in the directory of Dropified, and it had never been so easy for you to start your e-commerce business with a variety of high-quality options available to you.

Dropified Chrome Extension

Dropified has tried to tick all the boxes to satisfy you as its customer. It has done every small thing to be relevant in the market of an e-commerce business. Dropified’s one such work is to have a chrome extension, to make your life easy and smooth. You can just log in and look to add products anywhere and anytime with just the help of the Chrome extension. Are you in a busy meeting? Just hit the button present in the chrome extension and you are ready to do your e-commerce business. This feature is very helpful for any e-commerce business aspirant.

Product image customization on Dropified

They say images play a huge role while convincing your customers because an image says a thousand words. Therefore with easy upload and extensive editing tools and options inside the app, Dropified deals with it as perfectly as you want. You can even pick and delete images as you want without any restrictions from Dropified. With high-quality images, you can easily focus on attracting your customers to buy products from your store, while Dropified holds your back to support you in every step of your e-commerce journey.

Auto Product Price and Availability Sync

Dropified saves you from problems. This feature is one proof of that. With auto product price, it ensures that when your supplier increases the price, you are not facing any loss by the orders of your customers with this highly appreciable facility. With availability sync, it ensures that you do not accidentally sell the product, which is out of the stuck with your supplier. Dropified makes sure that you do not suffer from embarrassment with its availability sync feature. So, it keeps you updating about everything so that you stay updated and play well in the e-commerce market.

Easy automatic profit margins

Selling a couple of products and setting its profit margin and pricing might be easy, but it is not that easy when you are selling a bulk amount of products. If you feed the information related to the margin in the Dropified app, it takes care of the rest for you. Selling in bulk becomes easy by using this app. Just set the customized profit margins in the information and setting, and you are ready to go. Dropified, with its mesmerizing features, ensures that you like it for the technological advancements it provides you.

Seamless integration with Zapier

Zapier is a hugely important app for the business person. Dropified integrates with Zapier with ease. Zapier provides business persons with opportunities to connect with business apps, software, and tools to make day to day life easy for you. It helps you to automate your business and handle accounting with ease while you explore options to earn profits seamlessly. This app helps you to save your time and money while it comes to calculate and pay your tax. This app integration makes Dropified one of the go-to options for you without any doubt.

ePacket, shipping, and returns

Dropified never makes you feel helpless. With the packets system, Dropified helps the process of speeding the profit earning method for you. This method ensures that you can satisfy your customers with ease. For shipping, Dropified with the help of the suppliers ensures that your customer has nothing to worry with regards to shipping. Returns can be a hurdle for you with respect to the supplier, but with Dropified, you can set up your return policy to give clarity to your customers. This factor adds trust and reliability to your e-commerce stores among your customers with ease.

Dropified Pricing

Unlike many of its competitors and rivals, Dropified does not provide any free version, but it gives 14 days trial in two of its plans. Although it is expensive while compared to some of the big players in the market, it provides you really good options at an appreciable price.

The first one is the Builder Plan, which is priced at $47. It supports one store, 15000 products, 50 product boards, 1000 sales per month, five users along with all the standard and basic features like auto product price and available sync, chrome extension, scope to customize the product, and many more.

The second one is the Premier Plan, which is priced at $127. With this plan, you can have up to 5 stores, 50000 products, 250 product boards, 100000 sales per month, along with the US vendor filtering, zapier integration, and other main features available in Builder Plan too.

The third one is the Black Plan that costs $167, which is in beta launch, available to limited users with the availability of many tools for the users.

Although these plans look expensive with the profit, you are going to earn, and these are literally nothing. Even 14 days trial option is good enough for you to look at the functions and the features of the app before you commit yourself to use this app. Therefore Dropified is definitely worth a try, just because of its amazing features.

Dropified in Comparison to its Competitors:

Although Dropified has highly appreciable features but still a comparison is needed. Here we compare it with Oberlo and Importify.

 Oberlo vs. Dropified

Oberlo has an advantage over Dropified with its features and pricing options. It gives 30 days free trial. For starters, it has a free version which is free till you sell 500 products. With paid plans ranging between just 29.90 US dollars to 79.90 US dollars, it is absolutely a bargain while comparing to Dropified. So, honestly Oberlo has a huge advantage over Dropified in this field, for both starters and the experts.

Importify vs. Dropified

Importify has features and technologically advanced apps like Dropified. It also helps you to quickly have high selling products ideas from big suppliers to help you increase sales, unlike Dropified. When it comes to pricing, it is considerably cheaper than Dropified, with a starting plan starting at just 14.95 US dollars per month.

Is Dropified legit?

Pricing makes sure that Dropified is not for everyone, with the starting price having the ability to be highly steep for the beginners. It is for the people who have already established their e-commerce business, and are pretty stable. For starters, the best option can be Oberlo. Dropified is for the people who want to earn simply more money by doing dropshipping, without much to worry. So, if you want dive in to the world of dropshipping then Dropified is obviously one of the options for you, without a shade of doubt.

Former Amazon employee claims company is ‘quiet firing’ people

Justin Garrison
Justin Garrison

We know that there is currently a huge wave of e-commerce companies going out of business but at the same time, we are seeing a massive resurgence of demand in the sector as well due to the holiday season that just went by and it is seen that the first month of year is usually slow because of the fact that people have already done their shopping during the holidays and they just want to get back to work. However, we also know that Amazon has traffic all year long which means that the company only has its peaks and some declines and it is not as if there is a downtime at the company.

One former Amazon employee, however, claims that his company is “quiet firing” people meaning that they are not told to leave the company but they are not given any work which is also a way to tell the employee that he is no longer needed. A report talks about how Justin Garrison was “quiet fired” at Amazon. The report mentions that “On September 1, Justin Garrison’s senior role and team at Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s cloud computing subsidiary, was eliminated”. Business Insider also verified his claims that “He wasn’t fired. He just no longer had a role. He’s still getting his regular paychecks”

The report adds that “For the past four months, Garrison has been stuck in limbo at Amazon, where his managers won’t let him go or assign him new work but instead tell him to look for another role internally or find a job somewhere else.” The report mentions that “Rather than conducting another round of mass firings that might spook shareholders or push workers out with pricey severance packages, Garrison and another Amazon employee told Business Insider they feel the company is trying to make employees’ lives miserable either by enforcing RTO or sticking them in a position that pays less or has a more junior title”. Justin Garrison has also written a blog post on his site where he titles this as “Amazon’s silent sacking” and it is quite an interesting read.

AliExpress Appeal: Process and Handling in 2024

AliExpress Appeal process and handling
AliExpress Appeal process and handling

AliExpress is, without a doubt, the perfect solution for buyers, dropshipping, and a lot of other e-commerce purposes. It is one of the largest e-commerce platforms with millions of users visiting it day in and day out.  

It can help a dropshipping entrepreneur’s business thrive with its huge catalog of products that they can sell at a profit. Almost every moving part of AliExpress and dropping works flawlessly until there’s an issue. Here, the Aliexpress Appeal process comes into the picture.

We are talking about how you might get your account frozen or get orders canceled due to several reasons. This usually happens when a retailer finds a large number of customers checking out and buying your products and could be suspicious. It is also one of the mechanisms that AliExpress run for buyers due to several reasons. AliExpress deems it necessary to close all orders and freeze the account upon suspicion. But hey, it isn’t that complicated to get the account unfrozen thanks to the AliExpress Appeal Process.

It is not rocket science, however, doing right will allow faster recovery of the account otherwise your business could take a hit. Here’s everything you need to know about how to deal with AliExpress Appeal Process and more.

Why does it happen?

Your account froze or all orders were closed on AliExpress. Why did it happen in the first place? You need to understand that with the rise of the internet, criminals don’t have to wander off at your property to break in and steal. They can break into your bank account and steal all the money without even leaving a trace. Even if traced, the recovery of the money is probably insufficient since they might have already transacted money to offshore accounts and whatnot.

If your business of AliExpress is booming, you’ll see a large number of customers checking out your products and buying, etc. However, there are instances when larger quantities could be suspicious and if the systems at AliExpress detect any suspicious activities, it freezes the accounts and closes all your orders to prevent you from getting robbed digitally. Also, this measure is taken to avoid any malicious person from obtaining your data, and so on. 

How Does AliExpress Appeal Process Work?

Note that you should opt-in for AliExpress Appeal Process quickly once the platform freezes your account to avoid delays. There’s no rocket science here but here’s a well-organized and information procedure that you can follow to avoid any issues in-between.

First of all, you need to go through the AliExpress Appeal Process. You need to keep some of the documents handy such as listed below.

  • A photo of your credit card with all numbers covered except the last four digits.
  • A photo of your identity card or driver’s license or passport with all sensitive information covered.
  • A copy of a bank statement for the last 3 months again with all sensitive information covered.

You need to upload all these scanned documents onto the AliExpress Appeal Process for verification purposes. You can check the status of the appeal made which will be ‘pending review’ currently. Next up, it is recommended to use the Live Chat feature on AliExpress to talk to the representatives informing them that you are a “dropshipping entrepreneur” or its “urgent” that will speed up the process for sure. 

Note that you might end up getting your account deactivated due to XYZ reasons. If that is so, you can submit all the documents in an attempt to reactivate your account and hopefully, it will work. 

AliExpress Appeal for Account Reactivation

Things get difficult when your account gets deactivated. But do not worry; you can reactivate it easily. To reactivate your account, you need to go through the following steps:

  • To reactivate your account, you will have to get in touch with the customer support team of AliExpress.
  • The reactivating process will need you to provide customer support with the email address that is linked with your account.
  • Also, you will need to input the account’s password and also have to crack a security question.
  • To prove that it is genuinely you who is attempting the account reactivation, you will be asked to input your login ID or username.

If you follow this process, you can easily reactivate your account swiftly.

How Long does it take for Appeal to conclude?

According to AliExpress, it takes between 2 and 5 days on an average to review an appeal and provide the required resolution to it.

The thing is, it varies from customers to customers with some getting their resolution in 24 hours while some would have to wait for almost a week to get their appeal resolved.

Using Live Chat can speed up the process. On the other hand, if you leave it to AliExpress, it would take an average of 2 to 5 days for the appeal to be resolved at large.

Some users have also reported that they don’t hear back from AliExpress even after a month into their appeal process. So this is a scenario you should be aware of.

In that case, make sure to reach out to AliExpress regularly via live chat or other modes and keep asking about your appeal process.

Is AliExpress Appeal Safe?

When it comes to using AliExpress for the first time, the first thing that can pop up in one’s mind is either it is safe or not. Also, the concerns are valid when they are asked for verification or if their orders are closed.

Note that if you are directly verifying your documents on AliExpress through their chat system then it is completely safe to do so. Also, you should confirm the emails that they are sending their emails from.

Usually, the chat representative at AliExpress will be able to tell you the exact email address from where they are sending their official communication. This is also a way to make sure that the email you are sending your personal documents to is an official one.

As AliExpress requires you to provide your personal information, including your ID photos, Credit Card scans, bank documents, etc., safety-related queries come in the first place. Also, you might be wondering if providing such documents is either secure or not, as there are potential fears of mistaken identity.

However, to your peace of mind, AliExpress is a legitimate business, and it takes all the necessary measures to ensure the proper buyer protection. They clearly state in their terms and conditions and in the privacy policy that all the customer information is safe.

AliExpress never goes to resale or reuse any of the information that you put there as a customer. Thus you can easily trust AliExpress for its complete security measures to take care of your personal documents with proper privacy.

How to Deal with AliExpress Appeal Process?

The procedure to deal with the appeal process is straightforward. Here’s how you can do it about.

Step 01: Log in to your AliExpress account.

Step 02: Proceed to “My Orders” where all the orders will be listed. Check out the ‘warning sign’ just under the red-colored horizontal navigation tab. If there’s an appeal, click on “View Appeal”.

Step 03: A list of all the appeals will appear where you can check out which are pending. Those that are pending will have a red-colored button “Want to Appeal” so click on it.

Step 04: Next up, you need to enter all the details and upload all the documents as per the form available on the screen.

Step 05: Finally, hit the “Submit” button and now you can wait until the review is done.

Don’t worry if the review process takes a long time between 1-2 weeks because we have noticed and heard from a lot of AliExpress sellers that this is the time it takes for them to review your appeal.

It is also worth mentioning that you might get some errors in this process while lodging an appeal but that does not mean you stop trying.

AliExpress “System is Busy” Error

When processing the documents in any appeal, users may get the “System is Busy” error which is triggered due to several reasons. Some users have reported this error when uploading video evidence while some have reported it while uploading photo evidence exceeding the 3MB size limit.

To avoid it, fill out the form, upload the documents, and submit them. If you have any video evidence or photo evidence exceeding the size limit, go to the created ‘dispute’ and upload the evidence there. Note that you can still talk to Live Chat support to get the ball rolling. 

Handling Closed Orders

You can get the closed orders in the correct positions again. Several people have reinstated their accounts successfully, and they were allowed to continue with their processing orders.

All you need to do is get your account verified. In addition, you may need to provide contact information, driving license, credit card, proof of business, and passport.

After you have scanned your documents, you need to cross out the private information using a photo editor. For instance, cross out each of the numbers on your credit card, except the last 4 digits. Make sure that the images are perfectly compressed and fit the required size.

To speed up the process, you may opt to live chat with a representative of AliExpress. For this, you will have to visit the “Contact Us” page, then tap on “Payments”, and then you will have to select the question relevant to your situation, and then you will need to hit the “Chat Now” option. After that, the representative will help you out through the live chat.

Stay respectful to the customer support, or they may not help you. Appreciate AliExpress’ service. Try to fulfill everything that the representative tells you on solving the problem. After you have successfully submitted the document, ask the customer service person if anyway the block can be removed. After they have removed the block from your account, appreciate their efforts by contacting them. With the live chat option, your problem can be solved within 24 hours.

You can also get verified by Alipay because it prevents the problem from reoccurring. In addition, through live chat, account verification can be done faster.

Paying through AliExpress Pocket makes sure that your orders are never closed, and also it allows you to get faster refunds and payment management.

How To Avoid Getting Your Account/Orders Closed?

Well, there’s no sure shot method that drop shippers can use to fix the frequent issues with the AliExpress Appeal Process. But hey, there are a few ways to minimize how often a drop shipper gets his/her account or order closed. 

Tip 1: Avoid VPNs/Proxies

Yep, that’s something dropshippers and users should avoid. VPNs and Proxies mask the user’s location and IP address, among other details.

This is also done for security purposes because AliExpress does not want the customer to leave the platform with its customers in the dark so they want to know the exact location of their sellers.

If someone is using a VPN and changing their location, AliExpress will also not be aware about the seller’s exact location and it comes with a risk of scam.

Tip 2: Do not change your IP Address

You access AliExpress from, say a computer with an IP address “192.168.3.3”. Whenever someone tries to access their account from different devices with varying IP addresses, it could raise suspicion and that is one of the reasons why AliExpress might freeze the account or cancel orders.

It is one of the reasons and there’s a simple way to prevent this issue and the following “how to deal with AliExpress Appeal process” that you might search on the web. The answer is simple; use a single IP address at all times to avoid this issue in the first place.

Tip 3: Do not change account details often

The easiest way to avoid getting an account or order closed is to avoid changing the account details often. Users can often change their account details ranging from name to address and other details. This can cause the account to freeze or orders to close in an attempt to prevent fraud on AliExpress. 

Tip 4: Keep a tab on declined transactions

Users can utilize credit cards to process payments. Although all the payments can get through, one might end up being declined from the credit card issuing bank. This could act as a reason triggering orders to close or accounts to freeze. Thus, resolving issues with declined transactions and taking all steps to avoid it is the best way to get rid of such an issue in the first place. 

Note that even after abiding by the aforementioned tips, it is possible that your account might go under review and closed thereafter. It is a huge probability and if this happens, there’s no need to worry since you can always appeal and get your account back online. 

Check Out: Best Dropshipping AliExpress Alternatives for Profit in 2021

Tip 5: Keep someone on work to fulfill your orders in your absence

Issues can arise if you are staying in one country and go for a vacation in other countries. Your credit card is going to be for your home country. Thus processing orders in one country and shipping them to another country is going to be charged as fraudulent of AliExpress. If you are planning a vacation, make sure you’re making someone stay at your place to manage orders when you are not present.

Tip 6: Avoid leaving negative reviews

Some stores also experience their order getting blocked when they leave negative reviews on their stores. An issue can arise due to a complaint. In case you have open cases against any supplier, then your account might get blocked. Thus take immediate action on it.

How to Prevent the Processing of a Closed Order?

If you are new to AliExpress, then it can be a valid concern to have regarding how you prevent the orders from happening. Well, the best way to combat this kind of concern is to pay using the AliExpress Pocket. This one works as a wallet for your AliExpress Account, where you can preload your money.

It lets you preload your money to the AliExpress Pocket with a specific amount of balance. You can use that amount of money for multiple of your orders. All you need to make sure is the money is enough in amount to use for various orders.

This works as a great solution for the problem, as firstly, it is no longer going to act as a concern for your credit card company. Also, AliExpress is going to know that you’re paying the amount that you have added already. Thus they are not at all going to have to reason to cancel or close your orders. At the same time, it is a very effective way to avoid any kind of problem due to billing or shipping.

Another effective way to prevent order processing is to choose the option of ” other payment methods’ ‘ while reviewing the order. Those orders are going to wait for the payment in the orders tab area.

Making bulk payments is also a very reasonable option. The orders are going to get blocked if the sum reaches $10000 for a day. It is also the best option to look for if your bank account is having restrictions for the number of orders that need to be processed for a day.

Reasons why your AliExpress order might be closed?

There are a few reasons why your AliExpress orders might be closed. 

Reason 1: CreditAliPay

Talking specifically about orders getting closed, it could be due to pending verification from AliPay or if there are any discrepancies regarding your identity. Providing all the required documents and notifying them that you are a drop shipper can speed up the appeal process as well.

Reason 2: Verify Credit Card

Sooner or later, AliExpress tends to pull off life support by closing orders to verify credit cards if payments are made using it frequently. In such cases, verifying the credit card by submitting the required documents – Photos of credit card, bank statement, and ID – can resolve the matter in a couple of days depending upon the nature of the case. 

For this, a drop shipper has to go through the ‘My Orders’ page and proceed to ‘My Appeal’ where they can submit their appeal with the said documents. Next up, it’s just about waiting until the review is done and AliExpress updates the status of the appeal. Same with any other type of issue, talking to the Live Chat support can speed up the process.

Reason 3: Account Closed due to Customer’s Name

Yep, that’s a thing. Here, the problem is that AliExpress might flag certain (customer) names and any order shipped through with flagged names could cause the order to close abruptly. There’s no easy way to fix this issue although editing the flagged names before shipping might help let the order go through well. 

Reason 4: Order cancellation

The order cancellation by the seller or the customer is another main reason why your order might get closed on AliExpress.

If AliExpress finds that a majority of your customers are cancelling your orders after placing them then they could deem your account as suspicious or your product quality as not up to the mark for their platform which could also result in account suspension.

Reason 5: Shipping failure

In case of any kind of failure in the shipping of the product happens, then this problem can occur. This can take place if the product is out of stock or it is unable to process.

If you are unable to ship the products and AliExpress finds the seller guilty of it then it has all the rights to suspend your account.

Reason 6: Fraudulent suspicion

Due to any kind of fraudulent suspicion, AliExpress can opt for closing the orders. This is often possible if the profit reaches the level of $10000 a day.

If your account is earning close to $100 per day or getting orders of that price range and suddenly someone places a bulk order then also your account can get flagged.

Make sure to let AliExpress know that your account is going to get a bulk order so that the systems can be updated for the same.

Reason 7: Involvement of too many locations

In case there is the involvement of too many locations, then it can cause confusion in the platform. For example, if the credit card is from one country and the order is getting processed from another one which the shipment is meant for some other location, then it is going to close the order.

Basically, what this means is that if you are using a VPN to change your location then make sure to turn it off while you are placing an order on AliExpress.

If the system finds that your location is different from the last time you placed an order then it will flag your account and if it happens more often then your account has a high risk of getting suspended.

How to deal with customers when your AliExpress orders are closed?

As AliExpress closes your orders, you need to be concerned about dealing with your customers. As soon as the issue gets resolved, it is better to email every customer whose orders will be delayed. Also, let them know the issue.

Also, send them an apology that their orders will be delayed due to the exact reason you are facing and they should also understand and have a clarity of what is going on.

It is better to offer them a special discount code that they can use for their next purchases. Thus ensure that the items are shipped with ePacket. Also, it is better to be transparent with your customers.

To apologize to your customers, you can offer a 10% of refund to all your customers for the delay. You can provide them with a unique coupon code. Try to keep the tone of the email empathetic and apologetic. You can offer them a sorry gift to maintain your service loyalty.

Conclusion

AliExpress works on an efficient system wherein buyers, vendors, sellers, drop shippers and all others can report if they have any complaints or disputes that the e-commerce platform prioritizes to resolve.

The best way to stay clear of any disputes is to respectfully talk to other parties and get your problems resolved.

This will ensure a smooth ride ahead. Hope this article does come handy towards the AliExpress Appeal Process providing ways to resolve any red flags on the accounts/orders at any circumstances.

OroCommerce Review 2024: Best Ecommerce Platform for B2B?

OVERVIEW

Welcome to OroCommerce, the leading platform in the B2B eCommerce world. B2B (Business-to-Business) eCommerce is a form of eCommerce where transactions are done electronically, over the internet between two or more business entities. B2B eCommerce supports trading between corporations and individuals on a medium to large scale, due to the scope of its operations. Let’s start with OroCommerce Review 2020

Sales cycles are much longer and larger on B2B platforms than on B2C (Business-to-Customer) platforms. On B2C platforms, customers can easily pick a product they like and buy it, but on B2B platforms where order values are more significant, the process usually involves multiple approvals and stakeholders through emails, calls, or other communications before a purchase can be made.

OroCommerce is a top B2B open-source eCommerce platform designed with high flexibility and equipped with state-of-the-art features that can easily be customized to meet the requirements of transactions in sectors of B2B, B2C and even B2X (B2B2C, B2B2B, etc.). The platform also comes geared with an inbuilt CRM (Customer Relationship Management), OroCRM, giving users complete control and view of their dealings and relations with their clients.

With this range of services and features, the platform can work for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and even brands.

PRICING AND TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

OroCommerce has two pricing plans for its users:
⦁ Free OroCommerce Community Edition
⦁ OroCommerce Enterprise Edition
Each of these plans comes with different prices and different features attached.

The OroCommerce Community Edition is free also being designed to be open-source and equipped with all the standard features needed by small, upcoming businesses to start selling online and developers to assess its functionality and performance.

The OroCommerce Enterprise Edition is the only paid plan on the OroCommerce platform. It is known to be the most robust B2B eCommerce platform ever built with an unparalleled array of features, outstanding flexibility, incredible optimization and the ability to be scaled to any size.

It is suitable for medium to large-scale enterprises with a drive for extreme productivity and expansion online. The plan’s cost is derived by quote; the client would be charged based on his business and would have to contact the vendor for the custom price.

The platform’s license cost ranges between $45K – $250K, and its average implementation cost is about $250K.

MAIN FEATURES

Although the OroCommerce platform comes with a lot of outstanding features, there are few worth mentioning.

⦁ Multiple Price Lists Support:
The platform allows you to create, personalize and manage custom price
lists for different sets from corporations, to customer groups to even individual customers on pre-negotiated contracts, high order volumes, and other factors all in an orderly and easily navigable fashion.

⦁ Corporate Accounts Management
Comfortably control and manage all corporate accounts for all clients regardless of their companies’ internal structure, teams, offices, branches, or locations around the world. Comfortably accommodate all buyers from different companies and set up purchasing rules and custom workflows to support them.

⦁ Custom Catalogs Personalization
You can personalize your custom catalogs to filter and show different products relevant to various clients. This allows you to concentrate on particular business units and not get confused with data from other transactions.

⦁ Streamline Buyer-Seller Interaction
OroCommerce understands the importance of the relationship between the buyer and seller, which is why most of its features such as this are designed to make the interaction between these two parties smooth. This feature allows you to completely digitalize the processes involved in the buyer-seller-interaction such as quotes requests, price negotiations, creation, management and submission of order forms, order purchases, and other services.

⦁ Flexible Workflow Engine
The platform allows you to create custom workflows of your choice to help customize all the processes and make the transactions very flexible. This is needed most times due to the load and scale of processes involved in B2B eCommerce.

⦁ Custom Reports and Segmentation
The platform comes equipped with top segmentation capabilities, a reporting engine, and an easily accessible dashboard for clients to track their data at any time. It allows them to gain valuable insights into the workings of their business and helps them understand the market patterns better to make better decisions in the future.

EASE OF USE

Even with all its numerous features and services, using the OroCommerce platform does not require much technical know-how or developer skills. The interface was designed to be easy-to-use, and clients can easily access whatever feature they wish to use at any time. OroCommerce is part of Oro Inc. giving it access to its other platforms like OroCRM and OroPlatform and all their services.

OroCRM lets clients have an all-round view of their business and customers, allowing them to easily access their sales, marketing, products, campaigns, and customer data at all times.

OroPlatform is made for the rapid development of enterprise web applications. It allows clients to use the platform’s built-in features to carry out services reducing overall development costs, develop any business application and have access to a community of about 20,000 registered developers.

The app is connected to a large number of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon, which allows its users to reach customers by using them as sales channels easily.

PROS

⦁Fully developed B2B focused eCommerce platform.
⦁ Out-of-the-box integrations with OroCRM, OroPlatform, and other marketing tools.
⦁ Very flexible B2B workflow.
⦁ Has a Training feature.
⦁ Multiple Pricing and Shopping Lists.
⦁ Customer Satisfaction Algorithm, a feature which is behavior-based and is used to evaluate customers’ reactions and experiences from using OroCommerce.

CONS

⦁ Limited extension marketplace.
⦁ Development support and availability: In spite of all its impressive features and fantastic interface, it is still a comparatively new platform and therefore shows that there is much room for development, but with the growth of the B2B market, it will improve over time.
⦁ It is not suitable for small businesses.

WHO DOES IT FIT?

OroCommerce has been designed to fit medium and large-scale businesses with a need for high productivity and much scalability. It is open-source and its features are B2B-oriented, thereby targeting a select group of companies to be its users.

Although OroCommerce can be used for B2C and B2X eCommerce amongst others, users in these sectors would find it a little challenging to use the platform’s resources for their ventures. Some of its clients around the world include Advisors Excel, Animal Supply Co., Frankfurt Airport, Samuel Hubbard, BlackBox, Saltworks, Chanel, and Shell. These are some of OroCommerce’s clients that have been using the platform for quite some time and are good examples of the size of companies that are compatible with it.

HARDWARE/SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

OroCommerce is a web application that runs on a server and its users interact with it through a web browser connected to the internet or through the network where the server is hosted.

OroCommerce is a web application that runs on a server and its users interact with it through a web browser connected to the internet or through the network where the server is hosted.

The client needs to have a stable network connection and have his browser’s JavaScript and cookies turned on.

INTEGRATIONS

OroCommerce is a B2B eCommerce platform that is always connected to a large marketplace and as such, needs to be synced with so many platforms and applications to enable smooth operations. The application is integrated with complementary platforms like PIM, ERP, CRM, and also Order management to enable it to perform certain activities and provide some services.

OroCommerce is a B2B eCommerce platform that is always connected to a large marketplace and as such, needs to be synced with so many platforms and applications to enable smooth operations. The application is integrated with complementary platforms like PIM, ERP, CRM, and also Order management to enable it to perform certain activities and provide some services.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

OroCommerce prides itself on having a vast network of about 400,000+ active installs and about 40,000+ new installs per quarter in over 100 countries worldwide despite being a newcomer to the eCommerce world.

The platform values its customers, and most of its development was done with customer comfort and ease in mind.

There is an inbuilt CRM featuring multi-channels that allows clients to have a complete view of their customers and customer support interactions. The platform supports its users through Email, Phone, Live Support, Training, Tickets, and even FAQ. All these are used to ensure that its clients are readily attended to and their issues resolved quickly, allowing them to carry on with their activities.

There is also the Customer Satisfaction Algorithm™, which is a behavior-based service used to evaluate customers’ comments, reviews, and reactions towards the platform. The data gathered is presented in an accessible form for anyone to access so that people can have an idea about the experiences people have had so far using the platform. This helps new users make informed decisions on whether to subscribe to OroCommerce or not.

KEY DIFFERENCES FROM SHOPIFY

Shopify is markedly different from OroCommerce. Although both platforms provide a similar range of services, they do so using different strategies and cater to varying sets of clientele.

Some differences between them include:

⦁ Shopify is a more straightforward platform that supports only B2C eCommerce while OroCommerce is a platform designed for complexity, as is seen in its ability to handle the complex digital world of B2B eCommerce. OroCommerce can also work with B2C, B2B2B, B2B2C and even B2X.
⦁ Shopify was designed to accommodate businesses from small up to large scales but not freelancers, while OroCommerce is chiefly for medium, large, and freelancing businesses.
⦁ Shopify lacks a Training feature, a contact Email and is not available on the Linux platform while OroCommerce has a Training feature, a contact Email and is available for Linux devices.
⦁ Shopify has better security than OroCommerce because the latter uses a built-in native CRM to protect and manage its clients’ assets while the former’s security level is Level 1 PCI compliant, the same level of security that banks use.
⦁ Shopify has features like 2-Factor authentication, conversion tracking, forecasting, marketing automation, and keyword tracking, which OroCommerce lacks.
Also, OroCommerce has features like Third-Party Plugins/Add-Ons, Multi-Users, Calendar Management, and FAQs, which Shopify lacks.

KEY DIFFERENCES FROM MAGENTO

OroCommerce and Magento are two very different eCommerce platforms that operate differently but end up providing similar services and catering to the same clientele.

Some of the differences between these two platforms are:

  • Magento does not provide a Free Trial option, whereas OroCommerce offers a Free Trial option for its clients.
  • Magento supports only large companies and enterprises, while OroCommerce supports freelancers as well as medium and large enterprises.
  • Magento’s customer support is limited to Email, Phone, and Training while OroCommerce has these options as well as Live Support and Tickets.
  • Magento’s price plans are the Magento Commerce Starter which starts from $2000 and the Magento Commerce Pro which starts at $3,417 while OroCommerce’s price plans are Free Trial, OroCommerce Community Edition, and OroCommerce Enterprise Edition, with the first two plans being free while the last is paid for by quote.
  • Customization is one feature Magento has over most eCommerce platforms in the market. It gives its clients full control over the complete interface of the platform environment where they are allowed to redesign and customize their structure to whatever extent they wish.
  • OroCommerce is an open-source platform with little need for customization, quick market time, and all-covered solutions which do not let clients make deep changes to the interface of the system.
  • OroCommerce has better security, maintenance, and customer care than Magento. At Magento, the client is saddled with the responsibility of security, updates, backups, and compatibility. He has to always make sure his hosting fits his performance to enable the smooth running of operations.
    OroCommerce has an inbuilt CRM, OroPlatform and other compatible applications which attend to the development, security, and compatibility of the system, leaving the client free to handle his business transactions.
For more information Visit OroCommerce Website

Where to Sell Handmade Items in 2024?

where to sell handmade items
where to sell handmade items

In this consumerist world where everything is mass-produced, any commodity that gives you satisfaction ends up lacking the emotional touch. In such a scenario, handmade items fill in the gaps in the lives of consumers, and that’s why a massive, steady market for handmade and crafted items has emerged online. If you are wondering about the platforms where to sell handmade items in 2024, we have you covered. However, it should be noted that finding your loyal consumer base is far from being easy. That takes ample time and patience.

Nevertheless, there are many ways through which you can build a community while getting your hard-earned revenue. Moreover, all the platforms might not be suitable for the growth of your small business. That’s why we will be giving you crisp, short descriptions of every platform for selling handmade items to help you find the one that works for you.

1. Amazon

Amazon; Free platform where one can sell handmade items

Boasting an audience of about 310 million active users on Amazon, it has come a long way from being an online bookstore to becoming the world’s biggest shopping site. If you want to find a free platform where to sell handmade items without many risks, then Amazon is the best option.

Amazon has launched a feature that has emerged as a competitor to Etsy. To help producers of handmade goods, it gives you discounts on the Professional selling fee. The selling fee amounts to around 40$ a month, and that’s why waivers for artisan sellers go a long way in supporting them.

But to get waivers, you first need to make a selling account. Then, you should submit an application to join Amazon’s Handmade program. For acceptance into this program, you’ll need to add some crucial details, a list that is comprehensively laid out on the site.

If you’re worried about customers not viewing your products because of market saturation, fret not, for Amazon has an amazing feature. Your artisan profile will have a custom URL that has proven effective in helping customers find your handcrafted goodies.

The Handmade for Amazon store is divided into multiple categories, making it easier for customers to zero in on the niche they’re searching for. The categories are as follows: Accessories, Artwork, Baby, Beauty & Personal Care, Clothing, Shoes & Handbags, Home, Outdoor & Home Care, Jewelry & Watches, Kitchen & Dining, Pet Supplies, Sporting Goods, Stationery & Party Supplies and Toys & Games.

Sales outside of these categories like cooked food and groceries are forbidden. However, there is a regular review of what categories are included in the list.

The global store has the fulfillment option for safely shipping all the orders made by customers. For all these benefits, it charges a mere 15% of the transaction fee. For many artisans and customers, it’s arguably the best place to sell handmade items.

2. Etsy

Etsy is an amazing platform for selling and buying vintage and handcrafted items. It has a thriving community of passionate and creative sellers serving the needs of vocal buyers looking for good-quality goods.

The amazing thing about Etsy is that it charges a mere 0.2$ (or 15 Rupees) for listing your first item. If you’re still contemplating where to sell handmade items, then Etsy is a decent and relatively risk-free option.

The remaining charges like payment processing and offline advertisement charges can be paid after a successful sale has been made. However, the offline advertisement charges are optional but are nevertheless useful.

Since Etsy is an international platform, all payments for sales here are processed through PayPal. This payment method makes it easy for both you and the customer to have hassle-free payments. It is blessed with features that make it an amazing site for selling handmade items.

Making a store on Etsy gives you simple and powerful tools to increase your sales and make customers happy and satisfied with their purchases. By using the “Sell on Etsy” app, you can sell your products, respond to customers’ queries, and make necessary changes wherever you are.

If you want your products to get more traction and increase your chances of sales, you can access the promotional tools. Some of these tools are promoting your product listings or using free tools to get more traffic from social media by posting it on these channels.

You can also use their Analytics tool to track the trends in sales and traffic. Through this insight, you can make some required changes to have a higher volume of sales. Every seller gets all these benefits with the standard account.

But if you’re looking for more sophisticated tools and features like customizable templates, notifying customers when products are back in stock, etc., you can get a PLUS account then.

3. Cratejoy

Cratejoy; Legit platform where one can sell handmade items

Cratejoy works as a platform for individual sellers to sell subscription boxes handpicked and curated with love and attention. Getting subscription boxes where you have no idea what goods will be added to them adds layers to the purchasing experience. Without a doubt, it’s one of the best platforms for selling handmade items.

While this platform is a good platform with many sellers selling different types of subscription boxes, the fact that there are many sellers can be a huge disadvantage. This disadvantage becomes worse when you have just started your business.

However, with a strong number of about 392000 subscribers in the marketplace, finding a small community of dedicated and loyal subscribers will not be very difficult. Nurturing and maintaining it does not take much time either.

If this is your first time starting a subscription box business, Cratejoy is a remarkable place for learning as its business model is pretty simple to follow.

Many online businesses find it hard to focus on building a website, making sure that the interface is easy to navigate, etc. However, with Cratejoy, all these problems will be taken care of easily.

Making a comprehensible schedule, taking care of the billing and expenses, after-sales support will be handled by Cratejoy. They supply you with FAQs and helpful recommendations as you start searching more.

The support team has earned quite the reputation for being helpful and tardy with many sellers’ and buyers’ needs. Therefore, you would not have to worry about how to sell handmade items.

Moreover, you won’t have to worry about getting traffic to your e-commerce site. With a highly trained and proficient team of marketing professionals, customers will not be able to stop making purchases from this site.

However, the pricing of selling on this site is quite hefty. You would have to shell out 39$ a month in addition to the transaction fees. All these expenses could affect your profit margins. Also, the templates are quite limited and don’t provide a suitable environment for creating your own brand image.

4. Craft Maestros

Craft Maestros is a platform where Indian artisans trained in their specializations sell their handcrafted goods. All the paintings, handcrafted textiles, and accessories, bangles, rings, etc., are curated selections from all over India. If you want to know the legit platforms where to sell handmade items, keep reading about Craft Maestros.

All the works of handicraft art are known for their top-tier quality. But fortunately, for you lovers of handicrafts, they are available at affordable prices. You can curate your very own selection without making a hole in your pocket.

Originally intended to enable a platform where Indian artisans could showcase their art and have a steadier flow of income, it has grown in proportion. Goods ranging from Papier Mache products to block paintings, bed covers to intricately designed pillows, terracotta pottery to Kullu and Kinnauri shawls are sold here.

The team at CraftMaestros is actively working towards the preservation of traditional handicraft forms. The artists working collaboratively with this initiative are diverse, many of them being Padma Shree awardees, Sant Kabirs, and National Award winners.

There are approximately 50 artists working with Craft Maestros desperately trying to keep the flame of culture and tradition burning even as the world shrugs off its responsibility.

With every product made and sold, they make sure to show the patrons the artist’s worldview and journey. In this way, the distance between the buyer and the artist/seller is severed and helps fight some of the problems with third-party marketplaces like this.

If you are an artist searching for the best place to sell handmade items, check out Craft Maestros.

5. Folksy

Folksy; A good platform to sell handmade items

Folksy is a site based in the United Kingdom that has garnered a decent reputation for picking up and ordering premium handicraft products. It is a staunch supporter of local products and has contributed immensely to lifestyle changes in the economy. Still, pondering over where to sell handmade items? Take a look at Folksy’s offerings.

By selling on this site, you can be assured of profit margins, a loyal community of buyers, and satisfaction. Folksy ensures that you don’t face any problems with managing stock and merchandise in addition to building and maintaining your website. That’s why with Folksy, you’ll get enough time to work on your creativity and, to a lesser extent, marketing.

The site boasts 300000 visitors every month, which can shoot up to a jaw-droppingly high number of 500000 people. Having survived in the brutally competitive world for 13 years, this site proves that it is dedicated to the improvement and popularizing of handicrafts in England and all over the world.

The payments are sourced through this app and are secure. If you face any problems with the interface, unruly customers, any miscellaneous queries, then you can contact their support team any time you want.

Without any extra payments, you get your own custom URL the moment you register on the app/site as a seller. This custom URL redirects traffic to your site and increases user engagement with your products.

However, people who are not from the UK aren’t allowed to sell products on this site. Only UK residents are permitted to sell. But the buyers are from all over the world, which means that you have less competition.

If you’re looking to sell handmade crafts for sale, you should consider selling on Folksy. Sometimes, if your products do well on the website, then the site will include them in their Google ads for absolutely free.

Folksy does not allow reselling of other handicraft items. However, sales of supplies for artists are allowed on the site.

6. Storeenvy

Launched in 2012, Storeenvy functions as a third-party marketplace that connects buyers and small-scale merchants. Indie brands and small businesses sell their goods here. If you’re still thinking about where to sell handmade items, Storeenvy won’t disappoint you.

On this site, the sellers open their own custom stores, which are available in the virtual marketplace for artisans. There are plenty of customizable options giving you the ability to create your own unique brand image.

The first option to customize it would be by changing the background color, text, and banners with a mere click. If you are good with coding, HTML, etc., you can use it to seamlessly create your very own custom store.

Storeenvy works on a unique algorithm that promotes those products which are getting good reviews and reception from “watchers”. If many shoppers “envy” or vote for your products, then your online store will get more exposure and turn up on search results.

The site will give you multiple useful tools to help you set up your store. It allows you to make 20 product listings without any additional monetary charges. It gives you tools for managing emails, checking inventories, and sharing promotional tools like discounts and promo codes with customers.

Conclusion

With the rise of online shopping, many people have realized that they too can offer some unique products or services to the world. That’s how the market for selling handmade items has proliferated and expanded. While there are many online marketplaces that connect buyers with sellers, choosing the platform where to sell handmade items is far from being easy.

Some sites offer you the opportunity to set up your own store and list your products for free. However, some charge a hefty monthly price, in addition to the transaction fees sellers have to pay. So, make your decision of choosing the right platform after checking out their interface, features, pricing, customer support, etc.

8 Best Tools to Start a Subscription Box in 2024

best tools to start subscription
best tools to start subscription

Subscription boxes are the new growing trend in e-commerce platforms. Customers have reportedly enjoyed the feeling of getting a variety of items, although they are all centered around one similar theme/niche. After all, who doesn’t get bored with getting the same goods over and over again? It gets very repetitive and predictable. To fill this surging demand of many customers, many companies have launched subscription boxes as a core part of their services. What makes it better is that platforms like Cratejoy have risen in popularity to facilitate the growth of small and medium businesses selling subscription boxes. Here are the eight best tools to start a subscription box business in 2024.

Also Read: Best Ecommerce platforms to sell subscriptions in 2024

1. Subbly

Subbly; One of the best tools to start a subscription box

Founded in 2014, Subbly has slowly emerged as one of the best tools to start a subscription box. This rise in popularity owes to the numerous remarkable features this platform gives its sellers.

For building your own profile and website, you get some pretty decent templates with the drag and drop editor. With this feature, you can create your unique brand image and presence by customizing your profile.

You can do so many awesome things with this feature. You have the creative liberty to upload images, add colors and shades wherever you want, embed videos and tutorials, tweak the interface, etc. If you are new to the platform and thus clueless about how to either make a unique subscription box or use the website, then you need not worry, for it has tutorials, FAQs, and build-a-box features.

With this website, you also get access to their sophisticated order management system. You can make sections for pre-orders and demarcate options for subscription boxes to attract a variety of customers.

If you are looking for an international audience, you will need a number of payment options, which Subbly facilitates. The payment gateways are easy to use and secure.

Moreover, for you to connect with customers easily and respond to their queries, there is a live chat option too. The customer service is commendable for its speed and efficiency. It’s available all throughout the day. If you’re looking for the best subscription eCommerce platforms in 2022, Subbly should be on your hit-list.

Other notable features of Subbly are its logo-making tool and its integration with tools like ShipStation and Zapier. Since the website and checkout plan can be pretty costly at around 29 Dollars a month, you can opt for the trial period. If you don’t like it, you can choose not to renew it.

Pros

  • Integration with Zapier and ShipStation
  • Multiple Payment options
  • Customizable features
  • Logo-making tool

Cons

  • Costly pricing plans
  • Lack of marketplace

2. Shopify

Shopify

Shopify occupies a crucial spot in the world of subscription boxes for its remarkable features, which enable their growth. However, its efficacy is heightened dramatically when its use is combined with ReCharge. ReCharge is a popular subscription on Shopify that has had the highest number of users.

ReCharge allows small, medium, and large-sized businesses to streamline their subscription box business. You also get to know when the subscriptions will be renewed or discontinued and what products should get included in the specially designed boxes. That is why many sellers and even buyers swear that these two are awesome tools to start a subscription business and get growth.

This way, it gives you ample opportunity to offer a greater variety of products in exciting combinations to your audience. Moreover, the interface is customizable with many available unique options. Both the two software, ReCharge, and Shopify have a beautiful and smooth mobile interface that enables greater viewership and, to a certain extent, sales volume.

The dynamic duo gives you the power to forge and nurture long-lasting relationships with your customers. This increases your brand value and can translate to higher sales numbers. By registering on these platforms, you also get to use features that decrease the cases of customers abandoning their carts or purchases due to difficult payment gateways or unclear warranty terms, etc.

Pros

  • Features like cart abandonment Integration
  • Great mobile interface
  • Customizable options
  • Multiple payment gateways

Cons

  • Hefty pricing options
  • Troublesome export of blog posts

3. Cratejoy

Cratejoy; Among the best tools to start a subscription box

Cratejoy has been termed the best subscription eCommerce platform for starting a subscription box business. When you start browsing through its features and interface, you get a good idea of why this is so.

If you use this website for selling your subscription boxes, you will not need to stress about shipping, payment, lack of traffic, etc. Since it allows integration with shipping services (or apps) like Pirate Ship, you will be spared the worry about an arduous process like shipping.

Pirate Ship also provides the cheapest rates, but the prices depend on the distance and material. They will take care of your postage. You (the seller), as well as the buyer, will get options for tracking orders.

To make your profile feel like it’s truly yours, you can select one from their stellar selection of templates available. Your buyers can choose one out of many plans for buying subscription boxes. There are different renewal dates which is a very consumer-friendly option.

Cratejoy also provides sellers with a sophisticated analytics dashboard for tracking growth patterns and customers’ engagement with their offerings. Multiple Payment options are available too, which gives you a greater opportunity to bank on the rest of the world to grow your business.

Overall, Cratejoy is an impressive and amazing subscription-based platform.

Pros

  • High-end analytics dashboard
  • Different renewal dates
  • Pirate Ship handles the shipping
  • Customizable templates

Cons

  • High pricing plans
  • Lack of transparency

4. Hello Subscription

Hello Subscription

Hello Subscription is a lesser-known underdog in the market for subscription boxes. However, with it standing up to its promise of offering premium quality subscription boxes, it has found a significant bunch of customers.

This platform allows sales of different types of subscription boxes ranging from food and lifestyle to skincare products and holiday gifts for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Sellers have the option to specialize in many niches, and the competition is decent.

Businesses or even individuals looking to bless the world with some subscription boxes can list their products on the website. However, this will be thoroughly reviewed by an employee from the Product Quality Control team, after which it will either be approved or rejected. If you are looking for help on how to create a subscription box, their experts could lend you a hand.

The site has features like email marketing campaigns to get the attention of customers. So, this saves you ample time to worry about web traffic and sales.

Hello Subscription also has a beautiful reviews section where testimonials by customers help fasten and increase the sales volumes. With many unique and innovative customer-friendly features, the site does attract many excited customers looking for good deals.

Pros

  • Reviews section
  • Variety of subscription boxes
  • Email Marketing
  • High product quality

Cons

  • Lesser traffic
  • Not enough features.

5. ChargeBee

ChargeBee; One of the greatest tools to start a subscription box in 2022

ChargeBee has earned favorable reviews and a following among many customers and sellers looking to distribute brilliant subscription boxes. According to many users of this platform, it is the simplest and hence, easy-to-navigate subscription-based platform out of many similar platforms.

That is exactly why many inexperienced sellers have done their small business into a flourishing one from this very platform. If you wish to make changes in your profile, you are lucky that this platform offers you multiple options and templates for customization.

To help you secure and nurture a global customer base, ChargeBee has allowed for multiple payment options like PayPal. Furthermore, for more validation, you can find out if your customers have successfully made the transactions or not.

To ensure that your customers keep buying from you, it offers you options for recurring billing. The customer support is also impressive, tardy, and helpful.

Integrations with apps/plug-ins like Salesforce (a CRM) and MailChimp (for sending mails). Free versions of the service are available. This site is hailed by many sellers as one of the best tools to start a subscription box successfully.

Pros

  • Plenty of customizable options
  • Simple interface
  • Recurring billing
  • Integrates with different plug-ins

Cons

  • Long time to integrate
  • Bad mobile-optimized interface

6. Scriberr

Scriberr

One aspect of Scriberr that is unique and commendable is that it allows customers and/or subscribers the opportunity to build their own subscription box. The process is composed of three simple steps. First, you have to choose the type of box you want the selected products to come in.

Second, you choose what products you want in the subscription box after reading the descriptions, prices, products, etc. If you want to put your skills on how to create a subscription box to the test, try this platform. Lastly, you start the checkout process and calmly wait for the subscription box to arrive at your doorstep.

This easy process for customers allows sellers to convince them to buy their boxes. Sometimes, the unpredictable factor about purchasing subscription boxes can be frustrating. That is exactly why Scriberr providing them with this “BYOB” (Build Your Own Box) option can go a long way in building trust.

You, as a seller, can sell subscription boxes in multiple arrays of categories like food, lifestyle, kids, men, women, health & fitness, toys, etc. Because of this bewildering variety of options for customers to choose from, it caters to almost all customers searching for amazing goods.

Their customer care services are also decent. You can choose whether to approach them via contact no or mail. However, one damning downside to this is that you can contact customer care only for a limited period of time. They are available from 10 AM to 6:30 PM.

It is one of the must-have tools to start a subscription box in 2022.

Pros

  • BYOB option
  • Multiple categories
  • Beautiful website
  • Decent customer care

Cons

  • Limited-time customer care
  • Pricey

7. WooCommerce

WooCommerce; The best tools to start a subscription box in 2022

WooCommerce has earned its rightful place in the world of eCommerce. It has a variety of desirable features that make selling on its platform fun and engaging task.

One notable feature that you get access to is WooCommerce’s order management system. Its high-end software allows for sellers to find out the number of orders made, when to ship, the status of all the transactions, etc.

Customers get to choose from numerous shipping options. They get ample opportunities to customize their websites by selecting from a wide array of designs and templates.

You can also work towards increasing traffic to your site by utilizing their state-of-the-art SEO and digital marketing tools. It gets easier to understand why this platform is considered one of the best tools to start a subscription box. Moreover, another absolutely amazing feature of Woo-Commerce is that sellers can integrate their page with impressive plug-ins.

With these plug-ins, you can drive growth, carry business work efficiently, and increase sales. They also help reduce problems of faulty payments and subscription box renewal options. Some widely used plug-ins alongside WooCommerce are SUMO Subscriptions, WooCommerce Subscription, and Yith WooCommerce Subscription Plugin.

Pros

  • Affordable pricing
  • Multiple effective plug-ins
  • Sophisticated SEO and marketing tools
  • Order management system

Cons

  • Too many extensions and plug-ins which require payments
  • Too many technical details

Also Read: Best Amazon Repricer Tools in 2021

8. Birchbox

Birchbox

Based in New York, Birchbox has some amazing subscription box ideas and offerings in the world of beauty and cosmetics. It sends out subscription boxes to its thousands of subscribers on a monthly basis. Is it one of the best tools to start a subscription box for beauty and cosmetics? We think so.

These subscription boxes can contain various samples of perfumes, sunscreens, moisturizers, blenders, foundation creams, BB creams, sheet masks, shampoos, etc. The site is divided into two: grooming and beauty. The list goes on for a long, and that is what has attracted many women and men to its site.

There are different pricing plans that one may sell products on monthly, quarterly, and yearly. The pricing is affordable and attractive, with it being set at 15$ per month. However, the yearly plan costs around 13$ a month.

All these products are curated and sold, keeping in mind your skin conditions. For buyers to make a purchase on your site, they will have to make an account, only after which they will be led to the payment gateway.

Pros

  • Curation of products with scientific knowledge
  • Affordable pricing plans
  • Variety of products
  • Easy-to-navigate interface

Cons

  • Market too niche
  • Small quantity in samples

Conclusion

Subscription boxes have the advantage of making customers believe that getting more products is equal to getting more satisfaction. After all, who likes getting only one miserable product?

It is a trend and a necessity that will not die out any soon. We have outlined all the best tools to start a subscription box for the coming year. The pros and cons of each subscription-based platform have been highlighted.

The interface, features, payment options, etc., have been graded to find out if it will be suitable for growth and sales. Decide the platform you want to use for your subscription box business based on your constraints like finance or niche market offerings.

OsCommerce Review In 2024: Self-Hosted Ecommerce Platform

OsCommerce Review In 2022 Self-Hosted Ecommerce Platform

Dropshipping has become the latest trend nowadays, with many businesses choosing such a business strategy to save storage space and time. Nowadays, many businesses don’t need to worry about the sales or the products. They merely have to transfer these orders to another third-party platform. Many such third-party platforms have emerged in recent years to accommodate this rising demand. Amongst such platforms, OsCommerce has steadily gained a significant amount of loyal fan following for a variety of reasons. We have done an in-depth OsCommerce review.

However, what has worked for other businesses may not work for you. The success of any business differs from context to context. OsCommerce has been in the dropshipping business for about 21 years now.

Since its inception, it has come a long way in providing premium features to its sellers. Every customer who arrives on the site will find at least one product or service that they will like.

That is why we plan to give you an easier time making your decision on the third-party platform. If you are a business entrepreneur looking for a third-party platform to outsource your work, then read our overall review of this platform.

What Is OsCommerce?

OsCommerce

Short for Open Source Commerce, this site facilitates online store management and trade. It is a website that has been self-hosted. There are many reasons why OsCommerce has become a massive online platform with stellar growth. Even without a well-researched OsCommerce review, you can just get it from brief browsing through the website.

You can add as many plug-ins as you want with the website within your certain budget constraints because most plug-ins might not be free. On the bright side, this feature means that you can customize as much as you wish.

Besides, this platform also offers a multi-solution package to its sellers. With its admirable skills at providing high-end features for stock and inventory management, order processing, free template designs, a variety of payment modules, and many more, you will have an easier time working on an online platform like OsCommerce.

Exclusive Features of OsCommerce

Features of OsCommerce; OsCommerce Review

While OsCommerce is a legit and effective website for effective online business management, one must first learn how OsCommerce works and what features it provides. The interface is not very hard to understand, but it will take some time and effort from your end.

This OsCommerce review will briefly walk you through the website and its services.

Here’s a detailed description of its features:

1. Support From Community Forums And Expertise

The number of store owners and sellers on this platform is steadily growing and is projected to grow further. Currently, there are a total of 355,677 digital store owners, in addition to many web developers and service providers. Due to this big community, you need not worry if you get stuck with any features or have some doubts.

There are active community forums on the site itself, where you will find helpful, experienced, and passionate people looking to impart their knowledge to novice store owners. Learning how to sell online stores is a journey, but on OsCommerce forums, there will be people to guide you.

2. Self-Hosting

The site is a self-hosted eCommerce platform, which means that you will have to take care of so many other things in addition to taking care of the business. You will be in charge of the hosting, site server, and regular maintenance. This can be an advantage if you are an entrepreneur or business owner who has some programming and/or coding know-how.

3. Front-End Management (Product Listing and Cataloguing)

OsCommerce allows you to make a concise and detailed catalog of all the products and services you offer. According to their website, you can make a comprehensive product catalog of around 10000 products. This means that you will not have to worry about the limit.

This feature is amazing because sometimes, some sites with similar services and interfaces to OsCommerce charge some fees beyond a certain number.

4. High-End Stock Management

OsCommerce gives you tools to manage your stock, keep track of them, and keep updating it as and when the need arises.

5. Order Processing

The site allows you to process, manage, and track your orders efficiently. Thus, it makes sure that you keep your customers’ needs satisfied.

6. Payment Processing

The payments on this site are automatically linked with PayPal. This is quite understandable because PayPal is one of its main partners. Moreover, it is one of the most reliable and widely used platforms for international online transactions. Sage Pay is also integrated with the site.

However, there are other available payment modules available as well. You just need to add them from the section of Ad-Ons available on the site. OsCommerce allows you to accept over 1000 online transactions in a day, a fair number.

OsCommerce Advantages

OsCommerce Advantages; OsCommerce Review

There are many products and services that you have to look for on this site. But with a massive number of sellers and an even bigger number of products, choosing the seller for your online store gets tedious and time-consuming. Hopefully, a well-researched OsCommerce review including all its pros and cons will help you in your endeavor to find the right seller for your online store.

However, these problems will fly away when you take the help of experienced sellers from the active OsCommerce forums. Moreover, their interface is designed to make the sellers with good reviews and credibility more visible, thus attracting greater customers.

The site OsCommerce has a number of remarkable features that can lure customers in and convert them into sales. Here is the list of advantages:

1. Detailed Categories and Subcategories of Products

The site has beautifully detailed descriptions of all its products and services, neatly categorized into different categories and subcategories. Because of this, even if there are many products, it gets infinitely easier to find the products you are searching for.

2. Promos and Discount Deals

OsCommerce has amazing promos and discount deals that you can use while making the order by paying and checking out.

3. Shopping Cart Integration

OsCommerce allows users to change and update their shopping carts and wishlists with ease. You have the option of adding and removing products according to your wish. You can buy products from different online stores and still have a single checkout.

With this feature, your stock management, accounting, and tracking systems are all in coordination, making it easier for faster and effective deliveries. For this purpose, some users have reported integrating an add-on called Olark Live Chat with OsCommerce.

Through this add-on, you get access to integrate all aspects of your business like insights, billing, agent tools, developers, account management, and many more. You also get a chatbox using Olark, which comes packed with stellar features for customer satisfaction and engagement like automation, customization, and live chat analytics.

4. Inventory/Stock Management

Since OsCommerce works on you to do the self-hosting and installing add-ons for the site to function efficiently, you will have to install some inventory management software. Many users claim that they are using API2CART to take proper care of their huge set of inventories. There is a free demo session available for your use.

The integration workflow is impeccable, efficient, and accurate. You can import orders from other sales channels. Moreover, the inventory management of your business won’t be limited to just one platform. It will be synced across all eCommerce/open source commerce platforms where you conduct your sales.

With this add-on, taking care of shipments and order updates is a cakewalk, making your professional life easier. This is an important feature that is ignored in every OsCommerce review.

5. Amazing Selection of Amazing Templates

On OsCommerce, you will get access to a huge array of beautiful templates. By using them, you get the tools to customize and make it your own. You can search through that list to find the best OsCommerce design that suits your store.

The design you get first when you open a store on the site is basic. But you can use the free template selection that is easily available for free. Some store owners have also reported that they use ThemeForest for better template designs.

6. Variety of Ad-Ons

The OsCommerce community has been very generous in sharing their add-ons with the rest of the community. These add-ons have been immensely instrumental in the successful operation of many businesses that have established their base on this site.

There are around a total of 9166 add-ons that anyone can use for free in their online store management.

OsCommerce Disadvantages

However, OsCommerce is far from having any disadvantages. An honest OsCommerce review would not be fair if we do not highlight the disadvantages as well. Many users have complained about many of its features that they found too time-consuming and arduous.

Here are some of the things that they have complained about the site.

1. Unreliability

Many online stores have reported that their experience with OsCommerce was very bad. They reported that the features and add-ons were too numerous, because of which sometimes, users felt that the variety of choices made OsCommerce unreliable.

There was too much to offer and yet nothing. While there were active community forums that could help out, it was either too troublesome or time-consuming.

2. Pricing Plans

Many times, the expensive plans of OsCommerce mean that you are not getting enough returns from the amount of time, hard work, and resources you have invested in it.

The pricing plans could be very unaffordable. Furthermore, even after getting the plan, you realize you are not using half of the features provided by OsCommerce. You come to the dawning realization that you could be putting your business’ money into more useful things.

3. Lack of Technical Support

Many business entrepreneurs with some practical knowledge of programming and coding will find this site useful. Especially if they are looking to save some money by hosting themselves.

However, online store owners who have no programming or coding knowledge may find the challenge of self-hosting too daunting and might totally opt-out of using OsCommerce. For these people, the lack of good technical support from OsCommerce can be a huge disadvantage as well.

4. Security and Software Updates

To update the software and add-ons available, store owners have to undertake the trouble of doing it manually. Sometimes, this task takes too much time to take, and often, without the updates, the stress of security getting breached gets piled on top of each other.

Also Read: Doba Dropshipping Review in 2021

Does OsCommerce Allow International Shipping?

OsCommerce does allow international shipping. But for that, like for any other service provided by the site, you would have to install shipping modules of your choice. The flat, per item and table rates can also be included.

Shipping prices can vary based on weight, product, and destination.

Does OsCommerce Have An Exchange Rate System?

One notable and admirable thing about OsCommerce is that you do not need to find out about the exchange rates when you are making a purchase from another country. This feature allows customers to see the prices in that country, how much they are paying for it in their home currency. This remarkable feature is often ignored in every OsCommerce review, unfortunately.

This leads to greater transparency which we all know leads to greater trust and loyalty. Research has proven that consumer loyalty leads to greater sales for any online business. Moreover, it helps people from different countries to engage in buying and selling using the same medium. This helps the businesses expand and grow.

Does OsCommerce Have a Tax Management System?

The site allows for advanced management of your legally mandated tax payments to the state tax agencies. Because of all these features, it is acting as a challenge to the hegemony of many eCommerce websites.

Final Thoughts

Overall, OsCommerce is an amazing platform that allows the exchange of goods to take place with very few hassles. With a variety of add-ons available, you can choose what features to prioritize in your operations. However, the multiple options can be their own disadvantage.

While there are a few cons with using this site, it is a good site for engaging in online business, starting an online store. It has a handful of features that will get you to operate your online store effectively. But be careful with your choice because every business is unique and has different priorities to meet. Hopefully, this OsCommerce review helped you get a decent idea of OsCommerce.

How to Buy from Alibaba in 2024 (Complete Guide)

When and How to Buy from Alibaba in 2021 (Complete Guide)

When it comes to the major leaders in the B2B eCommerce space, Alibaba.com is the most preferred name. Both buyers and suppliers around the world are using this platform to see strategic growth in the expansion of their business. Whether it is offering a wide range of products to multiple features, tools, and services, it is perfectly designed to offer a good B2B experience with better sourcing. Hence, it comes with plenty of opportunities for those who think about how to buy from Alibaba?

When it comes to buying in bulk for your business, it becomes a challenge to pick the right quality for the expansion of your company or organization. Whether you are a B2B buyer or a supplier, it is always important to know how does Alibaba works if you are thinking of buying from here. Hence here is a complete guide for you on how to buy Alibaba products to give your business a new arena to explore. Read on to know more:

Also Read: How to Sell on Rakuten in 2024? (Complete Guide)

What is Alibaba.com?

Alibaba

Alibaba.com works as an online B2B marketplace where the buyers and Alibaba retailers from all around the world can connect easily and continue transactions. It works as a very secure and trusted platform. Hence it is the most trusted platform for millions of businesses all over the world.

Alibaba.com works as part of the Alibaba Group, and it started its journey in 1999 with the hands of Jack Ma. Though Alibaba.com is based in China, it serves businesses at least in 190+ countries and in various regions. If you are thinking, how does Alibaba work? Well, the answer is massive. It deals with at least 40+ industries with more than 5900 various categories of product offerings.

As one log in to this platform, one can find the utmost ease of doing business with this platform. There are plenty of features here which are specifically designed for the entire B2B buying and selling business.

Why Should You Buy from Alibaba?

Before you know how to buy on Alibaba, it is also important to know why you should buy from Alibaba. This will help you in decision-making so that you can know if this platform is suitable for your business or not. There are various reasons why buyers use alibaba.com for their purpose. Hence, have a look at the most common reasons why you should buy from Alibaba.com?

A Reliable Platform

In the first place, why you should buy from this company is, this is one of the most trusted platforms for B2B buyers and sellers. It is confusing to decide whether to spend money or not when it comes to investing thousands of dollars. However, Alibaba.com strives to give you that peace of mind while you decide to buy from here. It comes with a very secure payment portal. All the transactions here are backed up by the number of guarantees on this Alibaba shop. Hence buyers do not have to worry about compromising their sensitive personal information.

It Offers Plenty of Products to Choose from for The Business

Along with Alibaba.com, you can target a huge array of products to choose the most suitable one for you. There are millions of products to choose from on this platform. The large variety of products give the buyers the utmost flexibility to choose the suppliers and items that suits properly to their purpose.

Offers Pay Later Option

Ordering from Alibaba becomes much easier, as it offers the pay later option. Most of the time, the startups require proper assistance to set up their business. The pay later option of Alibaba offers the buyers the adequate option so that they can purchase the inventory to get their business going if they are out of budget.

Easier to Use

When it comes to using Alibaba.com for your job, it scores high, as it is very easy to use and navigate. The process of buying is much easier and straightforward on Alibaba.com. Buyers can pick the ready-to-ship products which are much simpler to make the buying process more convenient.

How to Buy from Alibaba?

Step By Step Guide; How to Buy from Alibaba

When it comes to buying from Alibaba.com, it is usually a little bit different from the other usual B2C stores. The buying process here is designed to become much easier and more customizable. Buying products of Alibaba.com is much more straightforward and streamlined than the other platforms. Here is how to buy from Alibaba, step by step:

Start with Creating An Account

The first and most essential part of buying from Alibaba.com is creating an account. Here is what you need to fill up to open an account with the platform:

  • Country/ Region
  • Full name
  • Trade role
  • Email address
  • Company name
  • Telephone number

At this stage, you also have to create a password for your account. Based on your trade role, you can either select the option of ‘buyer’ or ‘ both’. If you are thinking of both buying and selling on this Alibaba shop, then select the “both”.

Search and Find Your Products

The next step should be searching for the products. There are two different ways that buyers can use to find the items to order from Alibaba.com. Search and browse through the general marketplace, or you can post a Request for Quotation.

Browsing through this marketplace is much easier, which is quite similar to any other search engine. You can easily input a search inquiry and browse through the results. You can also easily upload images to perform the product searches more effectively.

The results you get here are easy to filter and sort by various categories. Here is what it offers:

  • Supplier type
  • Product type
  • Features
  • Certification
  • Minimum order quantity
  • Supplier country/ region

Compare Between The Sellers

There are simply millions of sellers who do business with Alibaba.com. However, some of the sellers have certain kinds of certifications or qualifications, which makes them quite significant among the others. Here is how you compare between the suppliers:

Gold Suppliers

The Gold suppliers are usually the paid members who sell on Alibaba.com. They have been verified as businesses with various industrial and commercial capabilities.

Verified Supplier

The verified suppliers are the businesses whose entire company profile, production capabilities, management system, and process controls have been completely assessed and certified with third-party institutions.

Trade Assurance Suppliers

The trade assurance suppliers usually accept the payment directly through the payment portal of Alibaba.com. At the same time, they enable the Alibaba.com order protection.

It is a much better idea to have a look at each of your supplier reviews to see what kind of experiences the past clients are having with them. If you are having any queries regarding their operation or if you want to access any other information which is not available on their profile, then you can message them privately to ask about it.

Negotiate for Deals, or You Can Buy Directly

As you pick a supplier and a product, you can opt for negotiating a deal, or you can buy it directly. To buy it right away, the product needs to be labeled as Ready to Ship and must show the Start Order button on the product detailing page.

If you want to see the samples of the product, place an order lower than your requested MOQ. Try to lower the price for the goods, or you can make any type of customization to the order. You are going to need to Contact Supplier and use the Chat Now! options to negotiate along with the seller.

To do this again, you can message the seller privately. You can also professionally address them and state what deal you are having. Though there are some chances of back and forth, however with the right approach, you should be able to work as per the deal, which sounds impressive to you.

Place an Order

As you have worked on all your details for your deal, now is the time to place your order. Though there are options for taking the transactions off the Alibaba.com, it is better not to do so. As the transaction leaves their platform, it is no longer eligible for Trade Assurance. Staying under the Trade Assurance protects both the buyers and the sellers.

As you place the ordering on Alibaba, you can keep communication on this platform. You need to play through their secure payment portal. All the accepted payment methods that this platform include is:

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Wire transfer
  • Western union
  • Online Bank payment

At the same time, you can also use the “Pay Later”, which gives your buyers 6 months to pay for their order with the 3.5% of the minimum interest rate.

Receive Your Products

The last and final step of the entire buying procedure is to receive your goods. As it comes to cross-border shipping and logistics, you can use the Alibaba.com Freight for a much more reliable and transparent goods receiving experience. It offers air freight, ocean freight along with air express and air parcels from China to worldwide.

As you pay through alibaba.com from our Trade Assurance Program, you can see this process through. Shipping times may also vary depending on the seller. Thus, it must be worked out based on a case-by-case basis.

As you receive your order, you can leave your seller with a review about it, and you can decide whether you will use them in the future or not.

What are The Safe Buying Practices for The Buyers to Avoid Scammers?

As a buyer, you will spend at least thousands of dollars on your inventory. Thus it is important to make sure that you are not getting scammed off. Hence while ensuring safe buying, it is important to keep the transactions on Alibaba.com. It includes all kinds of payments and communications.

As you keep the transactions on Alibaba.com, they assure you the safe cover with the Trade Assurance. It means that they will handle any kind of dispute, and they will make sure that you are getting your refunds if your order is not delivered as per the promise.

There are plenty of scammers in the trade. Thus it makes sense to take all the advantages of the Trade Assurance program as it is free for you as a buyer.

Also Read: (Guide) How to Run Multiple Shops on Etsy?

Some Tips to Ensure Safe Buying from Alibaba.com

Tips for safe buying

Before you invest in buying inventories from Alibaba.com, you have to follow these tips properly:

Complete Your Profile Properly

There is no need for the sellers to accept every order. They also want to get assured that they are working with a much legitimate and serious buyer who will indulge in proper dealings with them. Thus, to show the suppliers that you are offering a real business and you are not scamming, it is important to offer as much information on your profile as you can. Opt for adding a profile picture and all the correct information. You can use a professional email address for your business. Try to fill in as much as you can for your business rather than using a free and generic address.

Assess The Sellers Properly

Before you make any decision of ordering from Alibaba, one of the most important parts of sourcing on Alibaba.com is knowing from whom you are buying. It is important to make sure that the sellers are reliable and trustworthy.

It is important to check if they are Gold Supplier, Verified Supplier, or Trade assurance Supplier. Also, check the supplier profile from their storefront. Check for all the details, including their company, their services, whether they dropship or not, how long they have been selling, and their total annual revenue along with accepted currencies.

Make Your Searches More Efficient

The Alibaba marketplace also works as a search engine for the products. You can easily frame your searches here. Thus, while performing the searches for your product, make sure you are doing complete research. Use the categories, filters, and other options to make sure searches are more effective and useful.  Also, try to have the image searches for your product research on this platform.

Conclusion

Whether you go to buy on Alibaba.com, it is important to go through the proper assessment of both the Alibaba products and the sellers. To achieve better business, always strive to stay transparent with your policies, dealing, and approaches while negotiating. Also, it is important to go through all the policies regarding the payment to make sure that you are staying on the verge of safety while buying.

The Road to Sustainable E-Commerce Growth

E-commerce has transformed how we shop and opened multiple opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses worldwide. Setting up an online store has become quite streamlined, allowing individuals from all walks of life to venture into digital retail.

The market is ripe with potential but requires a savvy understanding of strategies that attract and retain customers. Every insight is a stepping stone toward establishing an online presence that survives and flourishes in the competitive landscape.

Today, we’ll look at strategies guaranteed to open the door to ecommerce prosperity. And when you need to take a break from your online exploits, SlotoCash Casino offers an exciting and rewarding escape.

Niche Focus and Expertise

Niche specialization is a strategic approach that unlocks a treasure trove of opportunities. Focusing on a specific niche allows businesses to cultivate a deep understanding of their market, becoming authorities in their chosen field.

For instance, take Beardbrand, a grooming company that targeted the niche of men’s beard care. Their in-depth knowledge and curated products tailored to this niche helped them establish authority and trust within their target audience, leading to exponential growth.

Businesses can command higher prices for specialized products by choosing a particular niche, leveraging the perception of quality and expertise. Warby Parker is yet another brand that disrupted the eyewear industry by offering fashionable yet affordable glasses online. They carved a niche and captured a loyal customer base by specializing in affordable, stylish eyewear.

Successful niche-focused stores like these demonstrate the power of intimately understanding a specific market segment. They speak directly to a niche audience’s needs, preferences, and desires, building a connection beyond mere transactions.

Defining Your Ideal Customer

Understanding your ideal customer is the cornerstone of e-commerce success. Crafting detailed customer avatars allows businesses to personify their target audience, painting a vivid picture of their demographics, behaviors, and preferences.

Research by McKinsey & Company reveals that businesses that use customer analytics extensively are more likely to outperform their competitors in terms of sales growth and profitability, showcasing the impact of customer insights.

Tailoring products and storefronts to specific demographics aligns offerings precisely with customer needs. For instance, Nike’s customization options for shoes and apparel cater to individual preferences, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and increased sales.

According to another study by Salesforce, 84% of customers say being treated like a person, not a number, is crucial to winning their business. Using customer insights, businesses can craft personalized and targeted marketing campaigns that resonate deeply with their audience, driving engagement and conversions.

Selecting Reliable Partners

Choosing reliable sourcing and shipping partners ensures the consistent delivery of superior products and dependable shipping services, directly impacting customer satisfaction. Consumers are more likely to make a repeat purchase from a brand that provides excellent delivery experiences, emphasizing the critical role of reliable partners in customer retention.

The responsibility for product and delivery issues falls squarely on the seller. Customers hold the seller accountable even if issues arise due to partner mishaps. This necessitates vetting partners carefully to avoid potential problems.

Strategies for finding and replacing unreliable partners involve rigorous due diligence. This includes:

  • Evaluating their track record
  • Conducting reference checks
  • Assessing their capabilities to meet your business’s demands
  • Constant monitoring
  • Clear communication channels for identifying and rectifying any discrepancies promptly

The agility to replace unreliable partners ensures the seamless continuity of operations, safeguarding your brand’s reputation and customer trust.

Simplified Store Design

Creating a streamlined and simplified store design is crucial for engaging customers effectively. Balancing information and simplicity involves presenting essential details without overwhelming visitors. Consider Apple’s website; it seamlessly combines product information, clean visuals, and intuitive navigation. The layout is uncluttered, focusing on key features and benefits without bombarding users with excessive details.

Amazon also boasts a user-friendly interface, enabling swift browsing and straightforward purchasing. The clear categorization, search functionalities, and personalized recommendations contribute to an effortless shopping experience.

E-commerce stores can learn from these examples and present essential information without overwhelming visitors. Prioritizing key details and employing whitespace enhances clarity, guiding customers toward meaningful actions and fostering a positive impression of the brand.

Mastering SEO and Content Marketing

Mastering SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is significant in steering organic traffic to e-commerce platforms. Optimizing content, product descriptions, and site structure boosts visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs), potentially increasing website traffic by up to 2000%, as observed by studies on SEO impact.

Integrating a blog within an e-commerce site is a powerhouse for content-driven traffic. A prime example is HubSpot, whose blog educates users on marketing, sales, and service, attracting millions of monthly visitors. Such content not only engages users but also improves website authority and organic search visibility.

Other techniques to enhance search engine visibility and ranking include:

  • implementing keyword research to target high-value terms
  • optimizing meta tags
  • improving site speed
  • creating quality backlinks through guest posts or partnerships to amplify domain authority
  • leveraging schema markup for rich snippets to aid in better indexing and presentation on SERPs

Ultimately, e-commerce success isn’t a destination but an ongoing journey. It’s about continuous learning and a commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations. As e-commerce continues to reshape the way we shop and engage with brands, these proven strategies can guide businesses toward profitability and sustainable, customer-centric growth in the dynamic digital marketplace.

E-commerce giant Coupang will buy luxury firm FarFetch: Report

Coupang
Coupang

We know that the times are troubling for one of the most famous luxury fashion retailer in the world that is FarFetch and it has already applied for bankruptcy in the US and we have seen reports that the company is now looking for a buyer in order to sell the company and its assets. Now, there is good news for the luxury retailer as there is one e-commerce company that is interested in acquiring FarFetch and it is none other than Indonesian e-commerce giant Coupang which says that it plans to acquire the luxury retailer for an undisclosed amount but it did release a joint statement that the “deal that will provide the struggling online luxury fashion retailer with $500 million in capital to stay in operation”. It is also seen that the investors of both these firms were not enthusiastic about this announcement as “Trading in shares of Farfetch, which has a market capitalization of $226.7 million, were halted, while those of Coupang were down 4.5% on Monday”.

According to a report, FarFetch is “an e-commerce company that has helped luxury brands sell online, has been hit by a slowdown in the industry which has complicated its efforts to make a profit on technology investments and prompted credit rating downgrades in recent weeks”. It adds that “Farfetch operates an online luxury marketplace selling high-end fashion and jewelry that dozens of small brands and boutiques rely on as their main selling platform. It also provides back-end technology for e-commerce for department stores and brands like Harrods and Ferragamo”.

Interestingly, the report gives us details about this deal and reveals that “Coupang, which operates food delivery, video streaming and payment services in markets including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China and India, struck the deal with an investor group that held over 80% of Farfetch’s outstanding $600 million term loans”. Coupang stated that “it would combine its logistics expertise with Farfetch’s experience selling high-end brands to expand in South Korea, a fast-growing luxury goods market”. It is also reported that “JPMorgan advised Farfetch on the deal.” “Richemont added it did not expect to be repaid a $300 million loan to Farfetch issued in November 2020”.

Why the iGaming industry offers fast payouts

Any online business that has been able to announce itself as emphatically on a global stage as online casinos will have many elements that attract customers. Alongside global e-commerce giants and technology conglomerates that have transformed the society in which we live, the iGaming industry has implemented variables that have resulted in a massive spike in interest, activity and originality within the casino gaming world. Ultimately, this is what iGaming is. Some bettors think it refers to the entire online gambling sector, including sports betting. However, iGaming refers solely to casino gaming platforms that you connect to over the internet via tablets, smartphones or PCs.

Security in casino gaming in the 21st century

Security is the bedrock of successful casino gaming; before the internet used technology to ensure that your money was safe, land-based casinos spent millions on CCTV, security and advanced safe design to ensure that the millions of dollars they stored on their premises was protected. One of the many reasons iGaming has risen to prominence in such a quick fashion is because of the enhancements in secure casino gaming technology. 

A significant portion of land-based casino profits would be immediately reinvested in expensive and thorough research into plugging any security concerns. However, as digital casinos started to attract more customers, website security became paramount, as one leak could spell the end of a company. Casino websites and mobile apps were able to implement the highest levels of encryption and have a strong network of internet security specialists who worked to ensure that any potential bugs or website issues were quickly resolved. Their budgets on security were much less as a result, and more importantly, they were a much smaller overall percentage of their turnover.

By having more of their budget available to spend on security, companies within iGaming shifted their focus to the security of their payment platforms, putting fast payments near the top of their agenda. Security, website encryption and ensuring customer information is safe are the bedrock of a secure casino operation, and once all of these are welded into place, ensuring that their payment systems are as fast as possible is an element of iGaming that many bettors will specifically seek out. This is why online casinos with fast payout times can grow at a quicker rate than a lot of their competition. While others might have a better variety of games or a more prominent name, faster payouts can be a deciding factor for millions of bettors.

Why iGaming prioritizes fast payouts

Any component in iGaming that brings in a bigger stream of customers to a site is a potential goldmine. Casino companies are competing against some of the most prominent names from every corner of the globe, and even if you can bring in an extra 0.01% of online gamblers over the course of a year or two, this can signal millions in potential profit. 

While there’s an element of subjectivity, and some bettors would disagree that fast payouts are the most integral feature when it comes to choosing the casino you want to use, there’s no denying how much of a driving force fast payouts can be, especially for those who know how to deliver. The reason iGaming offers fast payouts as the backbone of its overall service is that it channels into the basic, fundamental requirements that most bettors seek out. In some big markets, like Japan for example, people are particularly searching for fast withdrawal bookmakers which shows the value of fast payouts. 

If you win a bet, you don’t want to mess around and wait for days for it to clear your bank or have to go through the frustrating process of sending mountains of documents to prove your identity. 

Although the casino industry will inevitably explore artificial intelligence (AI) more vigorously in a bid to expedite this process, most iGaming providers will verify your information within 3-5 days. Security measures are crucial, and we always recommend verifying your identity before you make a deposit and play a casino game. Providers who offer iGaming services have a duty of care to you and their other customers, and verifying your information and payment methods on the system will ensure that there are no unforeseen delays when you decide to withdraw your winnings. 

Final thoughts

The reason iGaming offers fast payouts is simple: you want your winnings as quickly as possible, and the provider that can facilitate this payment in the most timely fashion will be able to attract customers far and wide. It ties into convenience; if a service is the most convenient, people will use it. There’s no need to overthink why or how; we want to access our cash with as minimal fuss as possible, and fast payout casinos allow this. 

A brief look at the rise of Amazon and the legacy it continues to create makes it clear how much consumers value a convenient, cheap and reliable service. In casino gaming, it doesn’t get any more convenient than accessing your winnings as soon as possible. Nobody wants to wait around for weeks to receive their money, which is why casinos have and will continue to make it one of the chief priorities of their service.

Temu files a lawsuit against Shein accusing it of ‘mafia-style’ intimidation

Shein

We know that Temu’s parent company has now become the fastest-growing and most valuable e-commerce firm in China overtaking the giants such as Alibaba and others but it is a fact that they are fighting in the US over another competitor brand which is Shein and going on to claim that Shein is using “mafia-style” intimidation tactics on its merchants and have filed a lawsuit. Shein has been accused a lot regarding poor working conditions as the company recently said “it would spend $15 million improving standards at factories after a report found that workers were subject to illegally long hours and withheld wages”.

The Verge reports Temu’s accusation in the lawsuit that “Shein has deployed increasingly aggressive strategies to “illegally interfere with Temu’s business,” including intimidating merchants who list their products on both platforms and issuing tens of thousands of illegitimate copyright takedowns. “Shein recently has gone so far as to falsely imprison merchants doing business with Temu, including detaining merchant representatives in Shein’s offices for many hours while Shein confiscates the merchants’ electronic devices, obtains access to proprietary Temu information through the merchants’ seller accounts, and threatens the merchants with penalties for doing business with Temu,” the suit claims. Temu also mentioned that Shein “is using “Mafia-style” intimidation tactics on merchants”.

The report goes on to mention that these “two companies have previously brought suits against one another including an earlier case this year in which Temu accused Shein of bullying manufacturers to try to stop them from working with the marketplace. In another case, Shein accused Temu of instructing influencers to make “false and deceptive statements” against Shein while promoting Temu. Both suits were dropped in October”. Once again, these two are in the court fighting each other and it is worth noting that both are Chinese companies and into fast fashion as well. Also, it is worthwhile looking at the lawsuit to understand the daily business of Shein. For example, “the suit says that more than 100,000 images are uploaded to Temu.com each day and that it receives, on average, 170 copyright takedown requests daily — 63 percent coming from Shein”.

E-commerce firm Kaspien, previously named Etailz, is shutting down

Kaspien
Kaspien

We know that companies go out of business quite a lot but the fact that the current economic conditions are such that even good businesses are shutting down is a very sad state of affairs. One such company named Kaspien, previously known as Etailz, is shutting down due to soaring losses and not enough runway to extend its operations.

As reported by GeekWire, “Kaspien Holdings, a publicly traded company that helps online brands boost sales on Amazon and other e-commerce platforms, is closing up shop. The Spokane, Wash-based company said in a filing this week that it has initiated a plan to wind down operations and complete a shutdown by May 1 of next year, following an assessment of its cash and liquidity position and near-term debt maturities. Kaspien’s third-quarter earnings report shows revenue of $26.4 million for the 13 weeks ending Oct. 28, down 9.3% year-over-year, and a net loss of $1.8 million. The company reported a net loss of $5.1 million for the 39 weeks ending Oct. 28. It previously reported negative cash flows from operations in fiscal 2022 and 2021. As of Oct. 28, the company had $400,000 in cash and cash equivalents”.

Kaspien’s former CEO till 2022, Kunal Chopra, said that “Companies that do not innovate are bound to fail,”. “In a fast-paced, competitive world, getting outcompeted is just a matter of time.” and added that he was “sad” that his former company was going out of business. Hannah Sandmeyer, director of sales and business development, commented on Kunal’s post saying that they simply “ran out of runway” and added that “The business is a tough one, so many dark corners, margins so thin, and with such a big sail, it was hard one to pivot fast enough,”

It is also reported that “Kaspien’s stock surged at the beginning of 2021, reaching a peak of $46 per share. But it has gone downhill from there, trading at around $0.05/share on Tuesday. The company said, “it expects the delisting of its common stock from the OTCQB to be effective on or around Jan. 8”. It is clear why Kunal left the company last year and how difficult it would have been for the interim CEO to handle the situation.

False declined payments cost more to e-commerce merchants than sales: Report

ecommerce payments
ecommerce payments

Recently, a study was conducted as to which is the biggest costing mechanism as far as e-commerce businesses are concerned and to everyone’s surprise, the main culprit turned out to be false declined payments. Basically, “A false decline is a legitimate card transaction that is ultimately denied, either by a bank or a merchant because it is mistakenly considered a fraud attempt.” Now, this should be the problem between banks due to their incorrect system but e-commerce merchants have to suffer due to this.

According to the study, on average, U.S. firms experience 11% of failed payments on online sales transactions. Nearly two-thirds of these failed payments are difficult to recover. False declines cause customers an unpleasant digital shopping journey and result in reputational damage. Many consumers are inclined to put the declined cards at the “back” of the wallet and opt to use the cards that are not being declined. Aside from the direct loss of sales, merchants recognize that false declines have a detrimental effect on customer satisfaction, with 47% of online players indicating a very or extremely negative impact. Fifty-eight percent of companies with revenues between $100 million and $250 million are affected.

Elizabeth Graham from Entersekt told PYMNTS that “False declines are such a problem in the industry that 80% of merchants use this measure as a key metric within the organization,” and added that “It’s incredibly frustrating and causes consumers to feel not only that it’s a nuisance — because they cannot buy the product they want to — but also almost like there’s been a personal insult”. The report further mentions that “In most instances, it is impossible to figure out whether the failure in the transaction was tied to the merchant or bank, or due to a technical issue with the credit card. According to data from the study, 8 in 10 online retailers cited difficulties in identifying the causes of failed payments.”

Graham added that “We can mitigate some of the challenges that we experience with false declines as open banking payments integrate with existing options such as credit cards, debit cards and digital transfer services typically offered by eCommerce retailers at checkout”. The publisher of this report found out that “Nearly all eCommerce firms are actively innovating their anti-fraud tools and screening mechanisms or planning to do so within 12 months”

Amazon wins a key tax battle against the European Commission

Amazon vs EU
Amazon vs EU

We know that there is still some time left for Christmas holidays and everyone at Amazon must be very eager to celebrate the biggest festival of the year. But we can tell you that Christmas came a few days early for Amazon because EU’s top court has ruled in favor of Amazon in a long-standing tax battle with the European Commission and has overturned the pending case of over €250mn in taxes to be paid by the company. It was alleged by the EU against Amazon that the company received special favors to operate with its member states.

As per report from FT, “The EU’s top court ruled on Thursday that the commission could not force Amazon to pay €250mn in back taxes to Luxembourg, dismissing the argument that the US ecommerce group’s tax arrangements amounted to illegal state aid. The decision by the European Court of Justice, which upheld the findings of a lower court, could also hit a long-running dispute aimed at forcing Apple to pay back €14.3bn in tax to Ireland. An ECJ ruling in the case is expected next year”. EU’s top court also added that “The Court of Justice confirms that the commission has not established that the tax ruling given to Amazon by Luxembourg was a state aid that was incompatible with the internal market”. It is also worth noting that this ruling is final and no appeals can be made against this judgement which means that Amazon has avoided paying this taxes.

Chiara Putaturo, EU tax expert, said in a statement that “Amazon got an early Christmas present this year, as the company dodged its decade-old tax bill to Luxembourg and can continue to till this day”. “This is why the EU must come forward with real tax reforms.” After this verdict, EU also stated that it “takes note of today’s judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union confirming the 2021 judgment of the General Court which annulled the commission’s 2017 decision”. Amazon welcomed this decision and said that the ruling confirmed that the company “followed all applicable laws and received no special treatment”.

Elevating E-Commerce Triumph with Multilingual Customer Support

multilingual customer support for e-commerce
multilingual customer support for e-commerce

Internet retailing is one of the biggest industries worldwide. Many businesses have an online website in which they sell or provide a service to others. This has revolutionized the way that shoppers shop, as they no longer have any restrictions and can shop beyond local borders.

E-commerce has become a huge and successful industry as a result of the advantages and benefits it provides. Shoppers are able to easily purchase items that may be native to one country and import them to use when they may not be able to get them anywhere domestically. However, there can still be a few obstacles that may occur, including language barriers.

Many businesses try to reduce or eliminate these problems where possible by employing multilingual people. They look to use people who can speak certain languages proficiently to ensure their sites are accessible by as much of the global market as possible. At the same time, they also employ individuals who are able to work as part of the customer support team and are multilingual to ensure any issues are resolvable efficiently and effectively.

Organizations are able to enjoy a multitude of different benefits by doing so, with many of them able to potentially positively impact the firm’s bottom line. At the end of the day, businesses are looking to generate as much revenue and profit as possible, and by having a customer support network that can speak multiple languages, there is a greater chance of that happening.

Improved Customer Experience

The most immediate advantage that companies are able to provide their customers when using multilingual agents is an improved customer experience. Customers always want to be treated with value and as the most important thing to the business, therefore they want to be treated in a way that is befitting of their money.

The implementation and use of multilingual customer agents help to facilitate this, as the language barrier can be eliminated. As mentioned, e-commerce has allowed retailers to be able to operate and sell their products and services worldwide, so there is a very good chance they may encounter a market in which they are not native. An agent who can communicate effectively with a Turkish speaking market can help them ensure the best service is provided to the end customer in that country than someone unable to speak the language, which could positively impact other aspects, too.

Broader Market Reach

Customer support that is multilingual can look to use their ability to speak multiple dialects to conduct research. As they are able to communicate with their customers, they can look to engage with customers in their native language, ask them questions about what they think of the business, and obtain valuable feedback.

It can also help the company to obtain a greater picture of what is working and what is not, as they will be able to obtain a greater knowledge of the country’s culture and show an appreciation for their customers.

Increased Sales

Given the points above, they all lead to the overall benefit of increasing sales. Multilingual customer service agents can help ensure sales go through when they are made as they can communicate with the buyer effectively. If there are any issues, they can tell them what to do to resolve them, which will leave the customers feeling valued, thus wanting to return and repeat business in the future. Customers will feel that they can trust the business to do what they outline and promise as they appear to be taking them seriously as they have their needs covered.

Competitive Advantage

A competitive edge in business is everything today, especially across the e-commerce industry. With so many businesses operating online, customers have plenty of choices. Having multilingual customer service agents can help a business stand out.

Customers will feel that a business that shows that it can speak their language is a better option than one that does not, as they will immediately be comfortable knowing that any issues or questions can be resolved in their preferred dialect. Businesses that do not offer the native language as a support method can often make things harder for customers, thus making things more difficult.

Final Thoughts

Multilingualism is an important skill for people all over the world in this day and age, especially when it comes to working online. The e-commerce industry is an example of that, as businesses look to compete with each other worldwide as they look to outsell their competitors to as many markets as possible.

Businesses have recognized the importance of having staff who can communicate with their customers in multiple languages, as numerous benefits can potentially have a positive impact on their bottom line, thus allowing them to be as successful as possible.

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