Why do you still need your own online store website when Shopee and Lazada already exist? (The truth online sellers need to know)

In an era where anyone can easily start selling online simply by signing up for a Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop account, a question many business owners wonder is: “"Why should we waste money and time building our own website when these marketplaces already have massive traffic?"”

While these platforms are indeed "prime locations" for starting a business, placing your entire business in someone else's "rented space" might be the biggest risk you're overlooking. This article will delve into the reasons why having... Own E-Commerce Website While not an option, it is a necessary "lifeline" for businesses seeking sustainable growth.

1. Escape the trap of "price wars" and the brutal "GP (Gross Profit) margins."

On the Marketplace, your product is listed and compared to hundreds of competitors on a single page. The only thing that attracts customers is the "lowest price," leading to price undercutting that leaves little to no profit.

• Rental space (Marketplace): You have to pay fees (GP), commissions, and participation fees for various campaigns that increase every year, resulting in steadily decreasing net profit.
• Own Website: When customers visit your website, there will be no competing products displayed for comparison. You can set your own prices, and most importantly... “"Receive the full profit."” No need to share percentages with anyone.

2. "Data" is gold, and you should own it. 100%

This is the most important reason: In the Marketplace, you have no access to customer insights. You only know what they buy, but you don't know who they are or what their behavior is like.

Having your own online store allows you to keep track of... First-Party Data This can be obtained directly through information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and browsing history. This data is key to CRM and personalized marketing to encourage repeat purchases (retention), which is much cheaper than acquiring new customers.

3. Create a "brand" that customers remember, not just a "stop-by-turn shop."“

In the marketplace, customers often only remember "I bought it from Shopee," but they don't remember your shop name...

A website is like a flagship store where you can control the entire customer experience (user experience), from design and mood & tone to brand storytelling and after-sales service. These build "trust" and turn casual customers into loyal brand fans.

4. Security without the risk of unexpectedly being "closed down".

When you're on someone else's platform, you abide by their rules. If a policy changes or the AI makes a mistake, the shop you built with your own hands could be banned overnight, and all your income would instantly drop. But if it's your own website, you are the rule; you are the true owner of the site.

5. Long-term growth opportunities with SEO.

Marketplaces may offer quick sales, but websites provide sustainability. Optimizing your website (Search Engine Optimization) will help customers find you organically on Google, generating high-quality, free traffic over the long term.

The best solution: Use the marketplace to earn cash; use websites to build your future.

We're not telling you to stop selling on the Marketplace, but the best strategy is... “Omni-channel” Use the marketplace as a channel to find new customers and then try to attract those customers to make repeat purchases on your main website.

Starting a website today is not as difficult as it used to be, especially when choosing a world-class standard platform. Shopify Design It is stable, secure, and has a simple back-end management system for business owners.

summarize

If you're only looking at selling today, a marketplace is sufficient. But if you're looking to build a "business" that will last into the future, having your own online store is the most important foundation you need to start building today.