Should I sell my food product on Shopify or Amazon or both?

As a food entrepreneur, you’ve got an important decision to make when it comes to first selling your products online: should you choose Shopify or Amazon?

Both platforms have their pros and cons, and it’s crucial to understand the differences between the two before making your choice. We’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of each platform to help you make an informed decision that’s best for your food business.

Shopify: Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Control over branding: With Shopify, you have complete control over the design and branding of your online store. This allows you to create a unique and personalized shopping experience for your customers, which can help to build brand loyalty and recognition.
2. Ease of customization: Shopify’s platform is user-friendly and offers a wide range of themes and apps to customize your store. This makes it easy for you to tailor your site to your specific needs and preferences.
3. Better profit margins: When using Shopify, you’ll pay a monthly subscription fee and transaction fees for your sales, but you won’t have to pay a commission on each sale like you would with Amazon. This means you may potentially keep a larger portion of your profits.
4. First Person Data. As a Shopify store owner, you have access to first-party data on your customers. This means you can collect and analyze data on customer behaviour, preferences, and demographics, which can help you make data-driven decisions about your marketing and sales strategies. By building a direct relationship with your customers through your Shopify store, you can also market to them more effectively in the future and potentially increase customer retention and loyalty.

Cons:

1. Less organic traffic: Unlike Amazon, which has millions of users searching for products daily, you’ll need to put more effort into driving traffic to your Shopify store. This may involve investing in digital marketing strategies, such as SEO, content marketing, and social media advertising.
2. Additional marketing responsibilities: As a Shopify store owner, you’ll be responsible for your own marketing and customer acquisition efforts. This can be time-consuming and may require additional resources.
3. Shipping is your responsibility. Shipping food or drink products is expensive and resource intensive, whether you’re shipping yourself or via a 3PL (third party logistics) partner.

Amazon: Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Massive customer base: Amazon boasts a vast user base, which means your products can potentially be seen by millions of customers. This can lead to increased visibility and sales.
2. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): With Fulfillment by Amazon, you can take advantage of Amazon’s extensive logistics network, which can handle inventory management, order fulfillment, and customer service on your behalf. This can save you time and resources.
3. Built-in trust: Amazon is a well-known and trusted brand, which means customers may be more likely to purchase your products on their platform.

Cons:

1. Fees and commissions: Amazon charges various fees for selling on their platform, including referral fees and subscription fees for their professional selling plan. This can eat into your profit margins.
2. Limited customization: On Amazon, your product listings will be displayed in a standardized format, which means you’ll have less control over the presentation and branding of your products.
3. Competition: The Amazon marketplace is highly competitive, with many sellers offering similar products. This can make it challenging to stand out and achieve strong sales.
4. Limited control over customer data: Amazon owns the customer data generated through sales on their platform, which means you’ll have less access to first-party data on your customers. This can make it more difficult to build a direct relationship with your customers and market to them in the future.
5. Strict product requirements: Amazon has strict requirements for selling food products, including labeling and packaging regulations. This can add additional costs and requirements to your business.

Making Your Decision: Shopify or Amazon?

When deciding whether to sell your food products on Shopify or Amazon, consider your specific needs and goals. If you value control over branding, customization, and better profit margins, Shopify might be the better choice for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a larger customer base, built-in trust, and the convenience of FBA, Amazon may be more suitable.

Ultimately, the best option may be to use a combination of both platforms to maximize your sales potential. This can help you leverage the strengths of each platform while minimizing their drawbacks.

Remember, the success of your food business ultimately depends on your marketing efforts, product quality, and customer service. No matter which platform you choose, make sure to invest time and resources into building a strong online presence and delivering an exceptional customer experience.

In conclusion, weigh the pros and cons of Shopify and Amazon carefully before making your decision. By understanding the differences between the two platforms and considering your specific needs and goals, you can make the best choice for your food business and set yourself up for success in the world of online food marketing.