As an avid outdoors enthusiast, I’ve always had a passion for building and tinkering with all-terrain vehicles and other machines. After years of honing my skills and perfecting my craft, I’ve decided to turn my passion into a business by starting my own custom builds, starting with ATVs.
As I consider my options for selling my products, I’m faced with a critical decision: how will I reach potential customers? Will I use established marketplaces like eBay and Amazon, or will I go the self-hosted route with a platform like WooCommerce? I’ve heard arguments for both approaches, and so, I’ve decided to try them all.
First up, eBay and Amazon. These platforms have a huge built-in audience of customers who are actively looking for products to buy, which means I’ll have access to a massive pool of potential buyers. Plus, these marketplaces are well-established and trusted, so customers may feel more comfortable making purchases there than they would on an unfamiliar website. Another bonus is that I may be able to save on marketing costs, as these platforms do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of driving traffic to my listings.
However, there are also some downsides to selling on eBay and Amazon. For one, these platforms charge fees for using their services, which can eat into my profits. I also won’t have as much control over my branding and customer interactions as I would with a self-hosted platform. Plus, since there are many sellers on these platforms, I’ll face stiff competition from other businesses offering similar products.
Next up, self-hosted platforms like WooCommerce. With a self-hosted platform, I have full control over my website’s design, functionality, and branding, which means I can create a truly unique and personalized shopping experience for my customers. I’ll also have complete ownership over my customer data, which can be valuable for marketing purposes. And while I’ll still need to invest in marketing and advertising to attract customers to my site, I won’t have to pay the fees associated with eBay and Amazon.
Of course, there are also some downsides to self-hosted platforms. For one, setting up and maintaining a website requires more technical expertise than selling on eBay or Amazon. I’ll also need to invest more time and money into marketing and advertising to attract customers to my site. And since I’ll be a new or unknown business, it may be harder to establish trust and credibility with potential customers than it would be on an established platform.
So, what’s the verdict? I’ve decided to try them all. By selling on multiple platforms, I’ll be able to reach a wider audience and test out which approach works best for my business. Plus, I’ll be able to hedge my bets and minimize my risks by diversifying my sales channels.
Whether I choose to sell on eBay and Amazon, go the self-hosted route with WooCommerce, or a combination of both, I’ll always stay true to my passion and continue building and exploring options that help me streamline and build better machines.