5 unexpected problems new online sellers face—and their simple solutions

With big dreams, grand ideas and peaking enthusiasm do many people venture the online retail industry. However, expectations built on exaggerating numbers and all the hype, their journey starts taking unexpected turns in just few weeks. And needless to say, since new in the market, they find themselves lost and clueless, with less motivation to continue.

To help you bring your castle hanging loose to the ground, here are 5 unexpected problems of new online sellers that you should expect in your coming days (yes, we give you the solutions too)- 

1.       Underselling- This is the most common and obvious problem. You expect to have customers flock to your store but that doesn’t happen. And your large inventory stays just like that with limited sales on selected days. Simple solution is, whether you’re selling on Walmart marketplace or on eBay, optimize your store according to the guidelines of that platform and spend more time in marketing. 
2.       Overselling- This inventory management related problem is real and can be a give a major headache to the retailers. Selling on multiple platforms, that calls in for loads of manual work, almost always leads to overselling- selling more than what’s available. Avoid this easily by using e-commerce solution that offers multi-channel real-time inventory management.  
3.       Spending too much time on less-important tasks- Whether you sell on eBay, Amazon, Walmart or any marketplace, there’s a lot to manage at the technical end—tasks that, at times, are rather less-important than say marketing and customer acquisition; be it manually listing products on individual platforms or updating titles and descriptions. Again, simple solution is rely on e-commerce solution that allows to manage everything under single roof. 
4.       Battling competitors- On any marketplace, unless you’re offering something eccentric, competition is fierce. And many new retail players undermine this. You don’t do that! Research on market competition; don’t worry but learn from your successful competitors. Also, have a micro approach; don’t target every consumer base, focus on one or two for better conversion. 
5.       Complaining customers- Even when you’re selling the best products, you are bound to face few angry customers, on review section, social media platforms and through emails, who are never seemed to be satisfied. Don’t reply them in the same tone. Address their issues with politeness and modesty. And if things go out of control, end the deal with a sincere apology. 

These are 5 unexpected problems new online retailers often face. So if you sell on eBay, Amazon, Walmart or any other marketplace, expect these difficulties before they block your path ahead.