How to keep an online store on marketplaces: A set of effective methods

Just one wrong step and your online store could drown in a sea of competitors. But what if you have a secret weapon that can take your business to the top of the marketplace? Are you ready to learn the secrets of success and literally transform your online business? Methods based on experience and market analysis will help you not only survive, but also thrive in the fierce competition on marketplaces. Let your online store become a real beacon of success and stability!

Glossary

• 🛒 Online store: Virtual platform for selling goods and services via the Internet.
• 📊 Marketplace: An online trading platform where sellers list their products and buyers purchase them. Examples: Amazon, eBay.
• 💸 Price Reduction: A competitive method where sellers reduce the price of goods to attract more buyers.
• 🚀 Bulk Buyback: A strategy where the seller purchases a large amount of goods to ensure availability and reduce costs.
• 🎭 False Orders: A method of unfair competition where competitors place fictitious orders to create the illusion of demand.
• 📝 Product complaints: Intentionally creating negative reviews and complaints about competitors' products in order to reduce their ratings.
• 🔍 Negative reviews: Comments with low ratings that affect the reputation of the product and the seller.
• 📁 Content Copying: The practice of copying competitors' descriptions, images, and text to improve your own content.
• 🔗 Connecting to other people's cards: Using other people's product cards to attract customers and increase visibility.
• 🖱️ Clicking: The practice of deliberately clicking on competitors' advertisements in order to increase their advertising costs.
• 🔮 Competitive Strategies: A broad group of methods and tactics for increasing competitiveness on marketplaces.
• 📈 Competition: Rivalry between sellers on marketplaces for the attention and money of buyers.
• 🛠️ Marketing tools: Various programs and platforms for analyzing and improving the performance of an online store.

This glossary will help you better understand the basic terms and techniques used to survive and compete successfully in marketplaces.

Tips for combating unfair competition on marketplaces

In conditions of fierce competition on marketplaces, entrepreneurs are often faced with unfair methods of competition. Based on my experience working with online stores, I can give some recommendations on how to identify and deal with dishonest competitors.

Signs of Unfair Competition

The first step is to find out what signs indicate unfair actions by competitors. I have identified two main signs that I often encountered in my practice:

1. 📉 Decreased rating for no apparent reason: If your store suddenly lost its rating and customers started leaving negative reviews for no good reason, it could be a result of competitive attacks.

2. 📦 Returns of goods without reason: Situations, when normal products are returned en masse without any reason given, may also indicate the actions of competitors.

Effective methods of protection

I can confidently say, that in the fight against unfair competition, system and consistency are important. Here are a few methods I use:

1. 🛠️ Review Monitoring: Check reviews regularly to quickly detect negative comments and respond quickly to them.
2. 🚨 Connecting Analytics: I recommend using analytics tools to track order and return trends to quickly identify anomalies.
3. 🤝 Customer Contact: Maintain close contact with your customers, quickly resolve their problems and find out the reasons for returns.

Gaining experience: My case

Once I was faced with a sharp decrease in the rating of my Internet store. After a detailed analysis, I discovered that several competitors began to attack my store through fake reviews. Then I decided:

• 📑 Collect evidence: I collected all the suspicious reviews and reported about this to the administration of the marketplace.
• 📧 Appeal to the administration of: I wrote an official letter providing evidence and asked to intervene in the situation. As a result, some of the negative reviews were removed, and my rating began to recover.
• 🛡️ Strengthening security: After this incident, I implemented continuous comment monitoring and focused on improving customer support.

Table of useful practices:

As a result, I strongly recommend using these methods to strengthen your store’s position on marketplaces. The success of your business largely depends on your active and proactive stance in combating unfair competition.

How competitors harm sellers on marketplaces and how to deal with it

1. Price reduction

When I first encountered competitors who reduced the price of their goods literally by hryvnia, I was horrified. This constant race to the bottom quickly erodes margins, and you can soon find yourself without a profit. Understanding this, I decided to reach an agreement with competitors and set a minimum price for our products. This decision turned out to be very successful. If an agreement could not be reached, I justified the high cost of the product to buyers, emphasizing its quality and uniqueness through reviews and certificates.

For example, I once agreed with a competitor on the minimum price, which allowed us to save profitability level and avoid unnecessary dumping wars.

Advice: Don't stoop to dumping. Instead, look for unique ways to highlight the quality and value of your product.

2. Redemption of a large consignment of goods

I remember how one day I was overwhelmed with a mountain of orders - the number of applications suddenly grew to several hundred per day. I immediately realized that this was the work of competitors using bots and fake accounts. My first reaction was panic, but then I turned to analytics services. Moneyplace.io and MPSTATS helped me record anomalous activity and provide evidence to the marketplace's technical support.

These services have become indispensable assistants in the fight against unprofitable competition and maintaining a stable reputation of my store.

Tip: Be sure to use analytics services and record any anomalous activity.

3. False orders

Foreclosure is another headache. I remember one customer ordered a product to a remote region and then refused to buy it. Shipping costs impacted my profits, and negative feedback impacted my reputation. I started using analytical services to track pseudo-accounts and this helped me deal with such situations faster. I began to offer clients more flexible return and exchange conditions in order to minimize negative consequences.

Tip: Use analytics services and improve return conditions.

4. Complaints about the product

When marketplace administrators request documents for a product, I am always ready to provide them. In practice, this means having all the certificates and necessary papers at hand. Early in my career, I encountered false complaints from competitors. Now my assortment is always accompanied by a full set of documents, which protects me from unfounded claims.

Tip: Keep all documents for the goods in order and always ready for inspections.

5. Negative reviews

Every review is a chance to improve your work. I actively deal with negative comments, offer returns, discounts and try to resolve the conflict situation. By always expressing sincere regret, I create an atmosphere of trust. Once I even sent a client a gift as a sign of apology, which greatly increased the rating of my store.

Tip: Never leave negative feedback unattended.

6. Copying content

Copying content is a touchy subject. I always protect my images with watermarks. At the beginning of my career, I noticed that my opponents completely copied my product cards. The solution was watermarks and logos on photographs. This helped protect my content and make sure it was unique.

Tip: Protect your content with watermarks and logos.

7. Connecting to other people's cards

Once my product cards were completely copied by ill-wishers, and this led to problems with the issuance. I contacted marketplace support and provided evidence of the violation. Thanks to this, we managed to block competitors and regain our positions.

Tip: If you notice cards being copied, contact support immediately.

8. Clicking

Among competitors, there are sometimes methods of unfair struggle. Clicking ads is one such situation where your competitors do it on purpose so that you waste your budget. I use analytics services like SellerFox to monitor for suspicious activity. This allows you to block unnecessary costs and allocate your budget effectively.

Tip: Use analytics to monitor advertising activity.

By applying these tips and techniques, you can not only protect your business on marketplaces, but also confidently compete with other sellers.

Trend analysis to increase demand

Trend analysis and the level of demand is one of the key aspects that I can confidently speak about based on my experience. In my practice, I have become convinced that the correct choice of goods for sale can significantly increase the competitiveness of an online store on marketplaces.

Programs used to evaluate trends

I would recommend using the following programs to estimate demand levels and identify current trends:

• 🛍 Exploding Topics is a tool that helps you identify fast-growing topics and categories.
• 📊 Get Glimpse - allows you to analyze data and predict trends based on user demand.
• 🔍 Hustle Trends - will help you track new trends and understand which ones are most likely to become popular.
• 📈 US Census Wholesale - Provides data on consumer demand and forecasts for the US market.
• 🏬 FRED Mobile App - analyzes economic data and trends in various markets.
• 📲 TrendWatching is a resource for finding and analyzing global consumer trends.
• 🔔 Trend Hunter - helps you find new ideas and innovative solutions.

Examples of use in practice

One of my clients, a clothing store owner, used Exploding Topics and Trend Hunter to identify new fashion trends and replenish the assortment with relevant products in a timely manner. This allowed him to increase sales by 30% due to the timely supply of in-demand products.

My advice: Analyze your data

I believe that to ensure the success of an online store, you need to regularly analyze your data demand and trends. This will help you not only stay relevant, but also anticipate changes in the market.

Don't forget about dynamics

I can confidently say that it is important to track not only current trends, but also their dynamics. It's best to use multiple data sources to get the most complete picture. For example, data from US Census Wholesale and analysis via FRED Mobile App often provide valuable insight into long-term changes in demand .

Review Table

I strongly recommend that you pay attention to using these tools in your practice. They will not only help you assess the viability of trends, but will also allow you to better understand consumer demand, which is the foundation of successful business on marketplaces.

How to deal with negative reviews

I remember When I first encountered a wave of negative reviews, it was really stressful. But I quickly realized that the right approach can not only soften the blow, but also make you stronger in the eyes of clients. Here are the methods I used that may help you:

🤝 Polite response to every review

I always tried to respond respond to all feedback - positive and negative - politely and constructively. This shows customers that you care about their opinions and are committed to improving. For example, one client was dissatisfied with the quality of the product. I answered him: “Thank you for your feedback. We are very sorry that you encountered such a situation. We have already begun analyzing the incident and will take all necessary measures to correct the situation. We will contact you personally for a detailed discussion.”

📞 Transferring negative communication into personal space

When it comes to serious problems, I have always switched to personal communication. A call or email demonstrates an individual approach and willingness to solve the problem. One of our customers left a review about damaged packaging. I contacted him personally, apologized and offered a free replacement product. This not only solved the problem, but also improved the customer's attitude towards our store.

📈 Analysis and elimination of the causes of negativity

I used each negative review as an opportunity to analyze and improve processes. For example, if several customers complain about long delivery times, this is a clear signal to work on logistics. In one particular case, feedback analysis sparked the idea of creating a backup warehouse closer to key customers, which significantly reduced delivery times.

❗ I recommend that you use negative feedback to improve your processes.

🛠️ Training employees to deal with negative reviews

In my practice, I organized trainings for employees so that they knew how to properly respond to negative reviews and handle complaints. Trained employees will be able to react quickly and smooth out the situation before it escalates.

📢 Public improvement of the service

Don't be afraid to admit your mistakes and announce the improvements you've made. This could be a blog, a newsletter, or just a post on your website. For example, we once informed customers via a blog that we had introduced a new packaging system that would reduce the percentage of damaged goods upon delivery.

✨ Using humor to alleviate negative perceptions

Humor can sometimes help change the perception of a situation. In one case, when a customer complained about a late delivery, I responded with humor: “It seems that our courier decided to use a time machine and was a little stuck in the past. We are already looking into this situation and next time we will definitely deliver your order on time, even in temporary conditions.” paradoxes!"

📊 Fact Checking and Honesty

Always check your facts and be honest in your answers. If the fault really lies on your company's side, admit it. Once we discovered an error in the warehousing system and honestly informed our clients about it, promising to improve the goods accounting system.

Having carried out all these measures, I can confidently say that even from the negative You can benefit from feedback by improving service quality and increasing customer loyalty.

Best practices

I encourage you to take a look at these techniques and approaches to help you deal with negative reviews and use them to further grow your business.

Expertise Royal Canin

Detailed description of the client, their activities and goals

Royal Canin is a leading manufacturer and supplier of high quality pet food. Since its founding in 1968, the brand has achieved global success through its research and innovation in developing foods that meet the specific needs of different breeds and sizes of pets. The company's main goals include increasing sales on marketplaces, increasing brand awareness and maintaining high customer satisfaction.

Determining the main goals and objectives that need to be achieved

The main goals of the project include:

• Increasing the visibility of Royal Canin products on marketplaces.
• Overcoming competition with other brands in the premium feed segment.
• Increasing customer trust and loyalty through quality reviews and high ratings.

Statement of the main problem to be solved

The main problem faced by Royal Canin , is high competition on marketplaces. This resulted in decreased visibility of their products and decreased sales. Some of the unfair practices the company encountered included negative reviews , counterfeit goods and false orders.

Description of the characteristics and interests of the target audience

Royal Canin's target audience includes pet owners who are interested in maintaining health and well-being their pets. Customers expect foods tailored to the specific needs of their pet's breeds, diets and age ranges. They value high quality ingredients , science-based approaches and affordable prices.