Battling the big players: Why smaller merchants can be the perfect competitor
At first glance, Amazon and other big players seem to be almighty. They seem to have all the customers and get all the traffic. But as many advantages as these platforms offer, as many disadvantages for customers exist at the same time.
So what opportunities do smaller merchants have? Is there any chance at all to withstand Amazon & Co.? Yes, there is. And the good news is: No witchcraft is required to do it.
Personal service tops anonymous customer support
Let’s be honest — with big merchants, having a complaint can result in endless communication between the customer and the support team. Unmotivated subcontractors from a country you may never have heard of before, often using prefabricated answers without really caring about your problem.
It’s quite clear that this offers a great opportunity for smaller merchants to stand out against the big players: It’s the personal interaction with the customer which makes the difference. Friendly, helpful and quick communication can set small merchants apart not only when it comes to customer complaints, but also when they handle any simple order in the same way.
Real personalized customer contact is something Amazon and Co. just cannot provide.
Let customers know who you are
Humans like to interact with humans. We are all social beings and love to see who we’re talking to or at least from whom we buy. “Friendly Jim from Blue Flower Pot Shop’s support team has been so helpful last time. Nice, here’s a photo of Jim on the homepage!”
A personal connection can be a powerful tool to gain and bind customers. Many bigger competitors simply can’t offer that.
Find a niche, be unique
It is common knowledge that you can get everything on the big marketplaces. Really everything? No. There are so many products that are unique and give smaller merchants the chance to run a very successful business. Uniqueness gives a feeling of exclusivity.
Furthermore, a shop with only a small range of very special products can more easily demonstrate that the expert knowledge of the team behind the shop as well as the quality of the products is very high.
The same goes for niche products. You may find a smaller amount of customers there, but these customers are people who will much more likely turn into repeat customers because there are no or only a few competitors. And it’s quite easy for customers to find you and your shop by conducting a quick online search. Little competition normally means a good ranking on Google & Co.
Connect with other small merchants
Sometimes, it can be clever to cooperate with other small merchants. Especially, if they offer products that complement your product range. Customers will be thankful if you can recommend other online shops where they can find exactly what they were searching for.
Position your brand by using decentralized marketplaces
Decentralized marketplaces give the power to the merchants. They don’t collect your data in order to copy your product and they offer merchant-friendly fees and terms of service defined by the members themselves.
This enables smaller merchants to make the most out of their business by having the freedom to define their own prices or by reaching a bigger audience for their products. Or, more to the point: By having control over all decisions concerning their marketplace.
With GAMB we want to want to give the power back to the merchants, by giving them full control over all decisions concerning their marketplace. So they themselves can decide what course of action will benefit both the marketplace overall and the individual merchant.
Who we are
GAMB — The Global Alliance for Merchants on the Blockchain has made it its goal to deliver a sustainable alternative to the powers currently dominating global e-commerce. We are building the leading decentralized marketplace. By enabling merchants to actively participate in every important decision, we empower them to be more than just customers of a platform.
