Four cross-border e-commerce platforms, how do individuals choose to do foreign trade?
Image source: the idea of the worm
Due to the impact of the epidemic, today’s cross-border e-commerce has become more and more difficult. However, compared with the involution of domestic e-commerce, cross-border e-commerce is still relatively easy to do. As a result, it has also attracted a large number of people to join the cross-border e-commerce industry. However, there are so many cross-border platforms. How to choose as a small white who has just entered the cross-border business? Today, I have sorted out several mainstream cross-border platforms for you to refer to and compare.
No matter which platform you choose, it is very important to choose products, because it accounts for 60% of the whole cross-border business.
Amazon
One of the earliest cross-border platforms, it is also the first choice for many businesses to go to sea. It helps domestic businesses to seize the new opportunities of cross-border e-commerce, develop export business, expand the global market and build international brands. Moreover, the current Amazon has a fairly complete logistics and warehousing system, allowing businesses to concentrate on operating stores without worries.
But for other cross-border platforms, Amazon’s rules are relatively strict, and businesses need to operate in strict accordance with Amazon’s rules.
Advantages:
(1) large flow,Hundreds of millions of people visit the Amazon market every month, which can bring great exposure to goods.
② Perfect service:Amazon has a first-class service system, and its own FBA logistics storage system can handle inventory, packaging, shipping and transportation for merchants, so that you can concentrate on Amazon store operation.
③ It covers a wide range, with 17 sites at present.
Disadvantages:
① Expensive: It is more expensive to settle in FBA warehouse; Moreover, it must also ensure that the stored goods can be sold. If they cannot be sold, you will face the status quo of losing money.
② Great competition: Large flow means great competition. There are a lot of stores in Amazon that sell similar products to you. They may be the source of businesses, and they will sell at lower prices because of their own production. This makes you have to use price war to get higher traffic, but your own profits will be reduced.
Shopee:
Shopee is a relatively large e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia. Since its establishment in Singapore in 2015, Shopee’s business has rapidly covered more than 10 markets including Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, China, making it the fastest-growing e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia.
Advantages:
Low entry threshold: in some sites, you don’t need to pay any deposit to enter Shopee, as long as you have a business license, self-employed or business license. However, due to the rapid development of Shopee in recent years, a deposit of 3,000 yuan is required for domestic settlement.
Traffic: According to official statistics of Shopee, 40 million users visit Shopee every month, which is the largest e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia.
Perfect warehousing and logistics system: Shopee has warehouses in China and does not need international logistics, so it can be delivered to domestic transfer stations.
Disadvantages:
Low unit price: Compared with Amazon, Shopee’s main market is Southeast Asia, and the traffic is relatively small; Moreover, the current e-commerce market in Southeast Asia is immature, with high return rate, immature logistics system and relatively low unit price.
Consumers don’t trust you when you start late: Shopee platform started late, and the Southeast Asian market is weak and still in the development stage. Therefore, many consumers don’t have high trust in it, and most of them use cash on delivery.
eBay
EBay is also an established cross-border website, and its main services are online auction, e-commerce, shopping malls and so on. EBay has 37 independent websites and portals around the world, covering more than 190 countries and regions.
Advantages:
Have special customer service: eBay has special customer service, which can be communicated by telephone or online conversation.
Relatively flexible; EBay can be priced in a variety of ways, such as bidding without reserve price, bidding with low price, selling at a fixed price, etc., and the marketing methods of goods are also diversified.
Disadvantages:
Background operation is more difficult: at present, eBay only displays in English, so it will be more difficult for those businesses with weak English.
High cost: eBay doesn’t provide customs clearance service, so domestic merchants need to handle customs clearance by themselves.
Difficult to review: eBay is more inclined to buyers, has strict requirements for merchants, and the refund process is very low.
AliExpress
The full name of AliExpress is AliExpress, which is a cross-border e-commerce platform built by Alibaba in the international market, and is also called "international Taobao" by many sellers.
Advantages:
Low entry threshold: AliExpress has a low entry threshold and active trading, which is very suitable for many small businesses to export quickly.
The transaction process is convenient and fast: the exporter does not need to have the qualification of enterprise foreign trade, and does not need to import and declare in person, and the import and export can be completed by the logistics party.
Disadvantages:
Great competition: As the entry threshold of AliExpress is relatively low, a large number of cross-border people have settled in, and the homogenization competition is serious. Most businesses can only gain advantages through low prices.
Low profit: AliExpress mainly focuses on developing countries and underdeveloped countries.
Summary:
Finally, I want to say that no matter which cross-border platform you choose, you must first understand what you want to buy and who to sell it to. Only by clarifying the relationship between people and goods, can the overall operational objectives be determined, and better operational strategies be formulated to obtain more orders.
(Source: Dora)
The above content belongs to the author’s personal opinion and does not represent Hugo’s cross-border position! This article is reproduced with the authorization of the original author, and it needs the authorization and consent of the original author. ?