Are You a Seller Locked Out of Amazon? Here’s What You Can Do

Are you an online seller who’s been recently locked out of the Amazon marketplace due to the global Coronavirus pandemic? If so, you’re amongst thousands of extremely frustrated individuals with a sudden lack of infrastructure to sell “non-essential” products. The good news is, there’s no need to throw in the towel just yet. By making use of other eCommerce platforms, free online shipping software, and taking fulfillment into your own hands, you can still run your online business outside of Amazon’s platform…and thrive doing it. Check out some of these quick tips to help you start.

With Other eCommerce Platforms, Getting Locked Out of Amazon Doesn’t Have to Mean the End of Your Business

Amazon is not the “end all, be all” for eCommerce. Yes, 50% of all eCommerce takes place on the platform. However, the fact of the matter is, there are plenty of other eCommerce platforms out there that allow you to put your products up for sale. While they may not be as vast as Amazon’s marketplace, they will definitely get the job done. Some of our favorite selling platforms are Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce (for WordPress), and Squarespace. These sites cater specifically to small business owners, and they’re all relatively easy to set up. In fact, if you’ve already got the products ready to go, you can likely get an online store up and running within mere minutes.

In addition to ease of use, all of these platforms take a significantly lower percentage of profits than Amazon does. Most of these platforms offer 14-day free trials, as well, so you’ve got nothing to lose by giving it a shot.

Integrate With Free Online Shipping Software to Ship at Deep Discounts and Print Labels From Home

If you previously sold your goods on Amazon, you had everything you needed within Amazon’s own network—warehousing, fulfillment, and shipping. However, locked-out sellers can turn to online shipping software to get products in their customers’ hands, and save money in the process.

The best shipping software companies offer the deepest discounts on USPS shipping labels, such as USPS Commercial Pricing. This can save you up to 90% off what you’d pay at the Post Office, putting more money into your pocket. What’s even better, is that all the best shipping software integrates with each of the eCommerce platforms we mentioned above. With options out there like Pirate Ship, ShipStation, and ShippingEasy, you can sell your products on eCommerce platforms and ship them the same day at the best possible prices.

Oh, and did we mention that the premium shipping software companies also let you schedule free pickups? With the ability to print postage at home and schedule free pickups done by your local letter carrier, shipping software enables you to run your business completely “contactless” and keep up the social distancing.

The Major Shipping Carriers Are Essential, and They All Beat Prime Delivery Right Now

The best part about using these major carriers’ networks is that your items will arrive on your customers’ doorsteps even faster than Prime delivery now. Due to huge surges in demand, Amazon Prime delivery for certain items can take up to four weeks currently. Walmart’s eCommerce supply chain isn’t moving that much quicker, either. However, when you plug straight the major shipping carriers’ delivery operations, delivery on your products becomes both fast and affordable. In today’s landscape, with everyone staying at home, quick delivery is more important to customers than ever before.

By the way, the government recently deemed USPS and other carriers as essential services to remain operational during the pandemic. That means that while lots of other businesses shut down, the shipping carriers have to keep working. Therefore, you only stand to benefit by plugging directly into these carriers’ networks.

Use This As An Opportunity to Take Your Business Back Into Your Own Hands

The bottom line is that getting locked out of Amazon’s marketplace doesn’t mean the death of your business. In fact, sellers can use this as an opportunity to become more nimble. Instead of relying wholly on Amazon, individuals can control more aspects of their business..and retain more of the profits.

Need some help starting out? Check out our Reviews page for recommendations on eCommerce platforms and shipping software companies.