the startups.com platform about startups.comCheck out the new Startups.com - A Comprehensive Startup University
Education
Planning
Mentors
Funding
Customers
Assistants
Clarity
Categories
Business
Sales & Marketing
Funding
Product & Design
Technology
Skills & Management
Industries
Other
Business
Career Advice
Branding
Financial Consulting
Customer Engagement
Strategy
Sectors
Getting Started
Human Resources
Business Development
Legal
Other
Sales & Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Public Relations
Branding
Publishing
Inbound Marketing
Email Marketing
Copywriting
Growth Strategy
Search Engine Marketing
Sales & Lead Generation
Advertising
Other
Funding
Crowdfunding
Kickstarter
Venture Capital
Finance
Bootstrapping
Nonprofit
Other
Product & Design
Identity
User Experience
Lean Startup
Product Management
Metrics & Analytics
Other
Technology
WordPress
Software Development
Mobile
Ruby
CRM
Innovation
Cloud
Other
Skills & Management
Productivity
Entrepreneurship
Public Speaking
Leadership
Coaching
Other
Industries
SaaS
E-commerce
Education
Real Estate
Restaurant & Retail
Marketplaces
Nonprofit
Other
Dashboard
Browse Search
Answers
Calls
Inbox
Sign Up Log In

Loading...

Share Answer

Menu
eCommerce: I have my own shopify store and sell wholesale. How do I encourage customers to buy from me rather than my stockists?
JB
JB
John Bentley, II, Small Business Champion - Tech Guy - Code Wookie answered:

First, if your business plan depends on sales via your stockists, you want to make sure the methods you undertake do not undermine this revenue stream. Most merchants do not relish competing with their suppliers, though in this day and age is more expected. (When I was acting as a reseller, I started purchasing from Amazon.com because the pricing beat my wholesalers, who were also competing with me.) So, when determining your direct strategy, keep this in mind.

With this in mind, the next step is to build a direct sales strategy. This really only has two pieces. The first is determine how you want to differentiate yourself. Generally, when the wholesaler sells direct, the differentiator is price, i.e. "buying direct saves." Of course, you can differentiate on many fronts - customer service, speed, shipping costs, etc. (Just be sure that your pricing / terms don't alienate your stockists.)

The second piece is simply marketing the differentiation. For example, if the focus is on better prices, wholesalers will brand their stores as "Outlets", "Direct Centers", "Buy Direct", etc., which are associated with such savings. From there, it is a matter of creating and advertising mix that combines audience (keywords / demographics) with messages (ad copy / landing pages.)

Hope this gets you started. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Talk to John Upvote • Share
•••
Share Report

Answer URL

Share Question

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Google+
  • Share by email
About
  • How it Works
  • Success Stories
Experts
  • Become an Expert
  • Find an Expert
Answers
  • Ask a Question
  • Recent Answers
Support
  • Help
  • Terms of Service
Follow

the startups.com platform

Startups Education
Startup Planning
Access Mentors
Secure Funding
Reach Customers
Virtual Assistants

Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.