The pandemic made digital buying more desirable and even necessary. From home office supplies to cars, retailers bought and sold all types of goods digitally. As a result, online purchasing became more mainstream, ultimately giving the e-commerce platform industry a huge boost.
Today, e-commerce sales make up about 15% of transactions in the United States alone.
Yet the e-commerce world is anything but a surefire bet. More companies are getting into online selling, heightening competition and making it hard to stand out.
What many e-merchants are finding is that the road to success is in engaging and transacting with broader customer bases. The only problem? Scaling operations can be pricey, especially for smaller businesses and startups. One answer can be to work with innovative partners designed to smooth e-commerce’s biggest scaling friction points, such as Tradefull.
Overcoming Common E-Commerce Platform Obstacles
Though Tradefull offers a complete e-commerce solution, the company began with a different focus. When it launched in 2003, Tradefull was an Internet-based retailer.
At the time, the e-commerce process was just starting to develop and Tradefull came along for the ride. This early experience allowed Tradefull to remain at the leading edge of a budding retail sector. Within a few years, Tradefull’s owners made a shift from selling online to becoming a valuable service provider for other e-commerce stores. What makes Tradefull particularly unique is its technology platform designed to drive operational efficiencies and reduce costs.
Each service is designed to overcome some of the most frustrating snags that can stop e-merchants from scaling. These snags include being able to make fast product content changes across all marketplaces, see real-time data on inventory and customers, and pinpoint how to drive revenue and reach more customers through those online marketplaces.
So how does Tradefull help its clients solve these issues?
1. Product changes are reflected instantly across multiple marketplaces.
Tradefull was one of the first third-party sellers to be on Amazon. It now boasts relationships with more than 40 national and global marketplaces and integrations with over 25 major online marketplaces. As a result, e-merchants can leverage Tradefull’s powerful technology platform to upload and revise product information across multiple marketplaces at once.
Being able to instantly update pictures, add valuable “how to” videos, and add important specifications isn’t just efficient, it’s also a good way to catch more attention from prospective buyers. Without duplicating efforts, sellers can gain more exposure for their products. They also can avoid customer service problems that come when product advertisements aren’t correct.
2. E-merchants aren’t forced to learn the ins and outs of fulfillment.
Fulfilling orders can become a headache quickly for stores that just want to focus on selling online rather than storing and managing inventory. Though some larger companies are comfortable with one-party logistics (1PL), many prefer the idea of third-party logistics (3PL). And 3PL is one area where Tradefull especially shines.
Tradefull has several physical warehouse locations where a variety of client products can be stored until they’re bought. The employees at those warehouses take care of picking, packing, shipping, and accepting returns. Because clients only pay for the 3PL space and services they need, they can concentrate on extending their marketing. Additionally, they can feel comfortable advertising to people in a variety of geographic locations knowing Tradefull can move merchandise anywhere in the world.
3. Customers get what they ordered—quickly and accurately.
On a general level, fulfillment can be difficult to get right. Technology can help, but only if it’s technology that keeps everything moving through the system. Tradefull’s e-commerce platform solution options include an Order Management System (OMS), Warehouse Management System (WMS), and Product Information Management (PIM) system. Together, they set the stage for orders to move from the “buy” to “delivered” stages.
For example, the OMS tracks orders as they come in through various marketplaces, splitting them across warehouses to ensure optimized fulfillment. The WMS keeps a record as inventory comes and goes. Plus, users can leverage it to determine how much they need. They may need many resources daily based on historic order data. Finally, the PIM handles product information and details. Because these systems work seamlessly, they provide e-sellers with tremendous transparency and confidence.
E-commerce may have become more sophisticated and crowded over the years, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for newcomers. With partners like Tradefull, online sellers can reach wider audience segments with the help of all-in-one, advanced solutions.
