Developing A Multi-Channel Ecommerce Strategy

Having a dominating share on e-commerce marketplaces has been one of the pillars of our growth. 10 pointers for founders to keep in mind while scaling e-com: 1. The fundamental equation of e-com is “Sales= Traffic*Conversion”. Not meeting sales numbers is either a traffic problem or a conversion problem. For every SKU, figure out whether it is a traffic problem or a conversion problem. Do not try to solve traffic problems with conversion levers. And vice versa. 2. Like all performance marketing, e-com media also has diminishing returns. Beyond a point, increasing spends will not increase sales at the same speed. Stop at that point 3. If you want to increase profitability, you need to increase your organic discoverability in the platform. Amazon is a search led platform with search contributing to 60-70% views in most categories. For Flipkart, along with search, merch and reco are equally important. But the fundamentals of organic discoverability is same. Both platforms have an algorithm where SKUs with the best reviews, highest listing quality score, lowest time to delivery and highest conversion rates get pushed. Optimize for these parameters and see organic discoverability skyrocket 4. The other way to reduce dependency on platform ads( and hence increase profitability) is to ensure your branded searches increase. This is directly a function of your off platform marketing activities, word of mouth and repeat customers. So, work on those parameters 5. Category Relationships matter a lot. Understand what the number 1 objective of your category manager is for the year. And help them achieve it. Eg: If they are looking to improve ASP, help them with your premium assortment. If you help them achieve their number 1 KPI, they will ensure you do well on the platform 6. Whatever the ads team tell you, take it with a pinch of salt. Most times they are very helpful. But their number 1 KPI is to sell ads. Not your success. So, sometimes what is good for them might not be good for you 7. All SKUs will not do well. All sub-categories won’t do well. If there is no PPCMF, no amount of good execution will cut it. So, important to cut your losses and stop investing more money on losers. Instead, allocate to your winners in the portfolio 8. Have a E-Commerce dashboard which goes beyond the L0 metrics. Look at your L1 and L2 metrics daily and hold teams accountable for these metrics. Ads driven sales, share of search, organic visits, conversion rates etc are all examples of L1 metrics 9. Sometimes there will be irrational competition and they will bid crazily for keywords. Do not compete with them. They are burning cash and because blind venture money is running out quickly in consumer brands, they will fizzle out. 10. Do not overdo discounts. Discounts are like antibiotics. You use it 2-3 times a year, you see huge spikes. Use it every alternate day, and that becomes your market operating price.

Most emerging brands think they have scaled distribution once they are selling on their website, a few marketplaces, and have an offline outlet. But are your channels actually working together, or are they just coexisting? There is a difference between being multi-channel and being omnichannel, and it shows up in your operations before it shows up in your revenue. Omnichannel means your inventory, orders, and fulfillment are talking to each other in real time. I'll share a scenario that most brands at 50Cr+ scale will recognize. You launch on three new marketplaces. Sales look good on paper. But six months in, you start seeing complaints: wrong items shipped, delivery promises missed, stock showing available when it is not. Your ops team is firefighting daily. Your customer returns are climbing. The channels were not the problem, but the backend was always disconnected, and low volume hid it. This is what happens with a multi-channel setup: each channel sees its own slice of inventory. So when a customer buys on Myntra, your warehouse does not know that the same unit was just committed on your D2C site. Someone gets a cancellation. Someone else gets a delay. Both leave unhappy. An omnichannel OMS fixes this at the root, one unified inventory pool. Orders are routed intelligently based on where the stock actually is and where the customer actually is. Your store stops being just a sales point and starts being a fulfillment node. This upgrade directly determines whether your unit economics hold as you scale. A few things to pressure-test before you decide which you actually need: - Can a customer buy online and return in-store without your ops team having to manually reconcile it? If no, you are multi-channel, not omnichannel. - Do your store managers have real-time visibility into what is available in the warehouse? If no, you are losing ship-from-store potential every single day. - When you run a sale, does your inventory across every channel update in real time? If no, you are overselling and you may not even know it yet. The irony is that most brands invest heavily in acquiring customers across channels, but underinvest in the backend that determines whether those customers actually get a good experience. Acquisition without operational unity is just buying problems at scale. We built Fynd OMS specifically for this: for brands that have outgrown spreadsheets and disconnected tools and need one system to run it all. But regardless of what you use, the principle holds. Your channels can only be as good as the infrastructure connecting them.

Can you build a brand with just Amazon? Sure, it's possible. But is that really the best strategy? From my experience, your brand grows faster and stronger when you take a multi-channel approach: → Use Amazon as your foundation (reach, logistics, trust) → Leverage social platforms where your customers already are → Work with influencers who speak to your audience → Build presence in places where you might go viral The math is simple: When people discover your brand organically through social or influencer content, you don't need to rely on deep discounts or aggressive advertising to drive sales on Amazon. It creates better unit economics and stronger brand equity. Your product and brand will ultimately determine the right mix of channels. Not every brand needs a DTC website or TikTok Shop presence. But limiting yourself to Amazon-only means missing opportunities to connect with customers where they spend their time BEFORE they shop. Amazon is your powerful sales engine, but don't forget to fuel it from multiple sources. What's your take? Are you Amazon-only or taking a multi-channel approach?

📊 Unlocking eCommerce Success: Insights from Recent Reviews 🚀 In my recent deep dives into several eCommerce businesses, I've uncovered some common trends and missed opportunities that can significantly impact your bottom line. Let's dive in: 🛍️ [Sale_Price] Missing? One of the most prevalent patterns I've observed is the absence of the [sale_price]. It's like leaving money on the table! Shoppers are more likely to convert when they see a discounted price with a striking-through original price. On platforms like Facebook, you can even amplify the effect by adding a strikethrough overlay. 💰✨ 📦 Unleash the Full Potential of Merchant Center Feeds Many businesses are not harnessing the full potential of their Merchant Center feeds. Key attributes like [product_detail], [product_highlight], [pattern], [material], and [additional_image_link] are often missing. By optimizing these details, not only do you enhance your campaigns, but you also stand out from the competition. It's all about making your products irresistible! 🌟🌐 🎁 Don't Miss Out on Promotions: [Promotion_ID] Matters If you're offering free delivery, percentage discounts, or free gifts, why keep it a secret? Highlight these promotions on Google Shopping and watch your click-through rates soar. It's a simple yet powerful way to attract more customers and boost sales. 🆓💥 🧩 Create Item Groups with [Item_Group_ID] For businesses with variant products, item grouping based on attributes like size, color, material, pattern, age group, and gender is a must. This not only streamlines your product listings but also makes it easier for shoppers to find what they're looking for. Convenience and clarity go a long way in boosting sales. 🛒👗 🔄 Dynamic Remarketing: Get it Right for Maximum ROI Many businesses had basic dynamic remarketing integration errors. Ensure that crucial parameters like item ID, item value, and page types are correctly passed to Google and Facebook, especially on pages like Product Page, Cart Page, and Transaction Success or Purchase Page. These details can make or break your ROI. 🔄💰 Feel free to reach out if you have questions on implementing these insights. 🚀🌐 #eCommerce #DigitalMarketing #GoogleShopping #FacebookAds #OnlineRetail #SalesOptimization #ROI #MerchantCenter #DynamicRemarketing #MarketingStrategy

🧠 Multichannel is like an IKEA wardrobe: Looks simple – until you read the manual.🤯 Many brands and sellers kick off with high ambitions – and end up in operational chaos just weeks later. Why? 👉 Because Amazon plays by different rules than Zalando. Because your PIM logic doesn’t match your middleware. And because customers expect top service everywhere. Our partner PlentyONE recently named 10 common Multichannel pain points for sellers share in a new whitepaper – plus actionable advice to help you regain control: (sponsored) 🔹 1 | Blind beginnings: “We’ll just start with Otto and Kaufland” – no strategy, no roadmap. 🎯 Tip: Get clarity first – assortment goals, margins, target groups & market potential. 🔹 2 | Every system speaks a different language: SLAs, API docs, onboarding routines – sounds like red tape? It is. 🎯 Tip: Review requirements early & assess technical compatibility honestly. 🔹 3 | Tool chaos instead of platform architecture: Too many small tools = too much manual work. 🎯 Tip: Start with scalable, integrable systems – don’t try to patch later. 🔹 4 | Equal service level everywhere: Customers expect the same speed and tone on every channel. 🎯 Tip: Automate standard cases, solve escalations with empathy – and use feedback to improve! 🔹 5 | Too few people, too many tasks: Multichannel isn’t a side project. 🎯 Tip: Define roles clearly, simplify processes, and use tools that don’t overwhelm non-tech teams. 🔹 6 | Lost the Buy Box – and no one noticed: Pricing too slow, stock not updated, shipping delays. 🎯 Tip: Set up automated controls for pricing, inventory & fulfillment processes. 🔹 7 | Product data: too long, too short, too wrong: Every marketplace has its own rules – and your content gets messy fast. 🎯 Tip: Use a central PIM system + clear content standards = visibility and conversions secured. 🔹 8 | Marketing runs – but without impact tracking: What’s your return on those Sponsored Ads on eBay or Zalando? 🎯 Tip: Only invest where performance is trackable – with ROAS tracking and A/B testing. 🔹 9 | Tax issues blocking growth: Packaging laws, EPR, VAT – cross-border selling gets complicated fast. 🎯 Tip: Automate compliance & keep your processes clean from day one. 🔹 10 | Great revenue, bad margins: Multichannel costs money – tools, people, logistics, ads. 🎯 Tip: Check your profitability regularly. More revenue is not success if nothing sticks. 📘 Are you looking for more practical help? You can download the full whitepaper here - with lots of specific tips, overviews of platform SLAs, checklists, and real-world examples. https://lnkd.in/detf6Bmx

We changed one button on a client’s website and watched acquisition costs drop by a third overnight. Same ads, same audience… just tracking what Meta ACTUALLY values instead of what everyone thinks it values. Here’s the exact framework: 1. Fix Your Funnel Mechanics Standard e-commerce flows create massive inefficiencies when they don't align with platform event schemas. Multi-page checkouts, delayed confirmation signals, and fragmented purchase paths all force algorithms to work harder to find your customers. 2. Implement Strategic Conversion Paths Single-page checkout flows increase "InitiateCheckout" events by 20%, giving Meta earlier signals that immediately improve auction performance. Email-capture modals treated as "Lead" events let you optimize for actions Meta can deliver at a fraction of "Purchase" event costs. Progressive form fields create additional data points that feed algorithms the optimization signals they crave. 3. Optimize for Predictive Events While everyone obsesses over "add-to-cart," events like "complete registration" often predict lifetime value more accurately and convert at substantially lower costs. The accounts we've restructured around these insights consistently see 30%+ CPA improvements within weeks. 4. Sequence Your Channels Strategically Start with Pinterest/YouTube for cold reach. Transition to Meta Lead/Form campaigns, optimizing toward micro-conversions. Finally, move to Meta Conversion campaigns using fresh "AddToCart" seed audiences. This sequence leverages each platform's attribution window to maximize incremental lift while preventing platform competition for conversion credit. The brands beating CAC benchmarks in competitive markets have simply restructured their funnel mechanics to align with how algorithms really value conversions. This approach requires zero additional spend; just a strategic reconfiguration of your customer journey.

Your biggest revenue channel might be your biggest profit leak. Most multi-channel founders I talk to can tell me their top-line revenue by channel in seconds. But when I ask which channel is actually making them money after platform fees, fulfillment, returns, and ad spend? Silence. And that's a problem, especially heading into Q4. Scaling decisions get locked in fast. Let me show you what a channel contribution analysis looks like 👇🏼 Take your Shopify DTC channel. Subtract: - Merchant processing fees (~3%) - Paid ad spend to acquire that customer - Shipping + fulfillment costs - Return rate (DTC tends to run higher) - Shopify platform fees Now what's your gross margin per channel? Run the same math on Amazon: - FBA fees (pick, pack, storage) - Amazon ad spend - Referral fees (~15% depending on category) - Return processing - Any co-op or promotional fees And wholesale: - Retailer margin (often 50%+) - Freight to their DC - Compliance/EDI fees - Chargebacks and deductions The channel pulling the highest revenue is often the thinnest on margin. Amazon looks profitable until you properly allocate ad spend. Wholesale looks safe until you factor in deductions and freight. DTC looks premium until CAC creeps up going into Q4. - - - Mid-Q3 is exactly when you should be running this analysis. Before you commit Q4 inventory, set ad budgets, or double down on a channel that's bleeding margin. I've seen brands reallocate 30-40% of their Q4 spend after doing this analysis for the first time. They finally knew which one deserved more fuel. Remember: Channel revenue doesn't equal channel profit. - - - Which of your channels would survive a full contribution margin breakdown? ♻️ Know a founder heading into Q4 without this analysis? Repost this for them. P.S. If you want to build a channel contribution model for your business before Q4 planning kicks in, I can help ➜ https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR #DTCBrands #EcommerceStrategy #CashFlowTips #FinanceTips #FractionalCFO

I've been thinking about what DTC brands get wrong about omnichannel expansion recently. The temptation is to try to be everywhere at once. But the real winners are strategically aligning each channel to build a holistic growth engine. Here’s how to do it right → First, you must have channel-specific thinking. Every channel needs its own playbook. A helpful framework to structure your efforts... DTC Website: • Focus on basket building • Higher AOV targets • Full-price strategy • Data collection hub • Customer relationship building TikTok Shop: • Single-product purchase reality • Organic content engine • Lower AOV expectations • Limited data access • Treat as a retail channel Amazon: • Multi-pack strategy • Bundle economics • Marketplace presence • Competitive monitoring • Specialized management Next up, the Integration Challenge → The biggest mistake brands make is trying to force the same strategy across all channels. Example: One brand we spoke with increased shipping costs on TikTok Shop to push customers to their website. Instead of fighting the platform's natural behavior, they should have optimized for it. You must also consider your unit economics because each channel has its own cost profile. - TikTok Shop might be a loss leader but drive retail success. - Website sales might have better margins but higher customer acquisition costs. - Amazon might have lower margins but better operational efficiency. Here is the new omnichannel playbook: 1. Channel Optimization - Build channel-specific content - Adjust pricing strategies per platform - Create platform-specific bundles - Set realistic KPIs for each channel 2. Data Strategy - Accept data limitations on newer platforms - Focus on first-party data where possible - Build cross-channel customer profiles - Use creative solutions for retention 3. Team Structure - Specialized expertise per channel - Clear ownership of metrics - Flexibility to shift resources - Mix of in-house and agency support The brands that will win aren't the ones just running around trying to be everywhere - they're the ones being intentional about how they show up in each place. Success also isn't about ideal profit extraction across all channels. It's about understanding each channel's role in your broader ecosystem and optimizing accordingly. Key Takeaway: Don't try to make every channel work the same way. Start building channel-specific strategies that work together to drive overall growth. 

Founders ask me, "We're killing it on Amazon, but our own site isn't converting. What should we do? Should we double down on Amazon?" This question is actually a misunderstanding of how each channel supports your business. Amazon is your go-to for converting high-intent searches quickly. Your website, on the other hand, nurtures long-term customer relationships and builds your brand equity. Each plays a unique role in your growth strategy. Based on my experience with numerous brands, here are key strategies for balancing Amazon and DTC effectively: 1.) Understand Channel Attribution: It's crucial to track how customers move between your site and Amazon. This understanding helps tailor your strategies to actual consumer behavior. 2.) Differentiate Your Offerings: Offer exclusive products or bundles on each platform to discourage direct price comparisons and tailor the shopping experience. 3.) Complementary Advertising: Align your Google ads to drive thoughtful website purchases and use Amazon ads for quick, decisive buys. This way, your campaigns enhance each other rather than compete. 4.) Leverage Platform Strengths: Use Amazon for its convenience and trust with new customers; focus your website on deepening customer relationships through repeat purchases and subscriptions. Remember: Forcing customers into your preferred channel can backfire. Instead, meet them where they prefer to shop. This approach doesn’t just boost sales—it builds sustainable growth across your channels. Let's discuss! What strategies have worked for you in balancing Amazon and your DTC site? Share your experiences or ask a question below!

Andy D., #Feedonomics Global Dir of Sales & I discuss their great platform for #marketplace & other #ecommerce #channel integration and product feed management & synchronization / syndication. Over 30% of the Internet Retailer 1000 brands use Feedonomics for channel management. Their platform enables additional sales channels by integrating into #marketplaces like #Amazon, #Walmart, Target+, eBay, #TikTok, Facebook, Google Shopping & 300 other platforms. Data can be imported from ecommerce, PIM, OMS, ERP, etc. platforms via URL, SFTP, API & other tools. Even though Feedonomics is owned by BigCommerce, they have import connectors for #Shopify, Adobe Commerce / Magento, Woo Commerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud & other ecom platforms. In addition to product information (title, description, categorization, keywords, attributes, etc.), the platform also synchronizes dynamic information like pricing, inventory & orders. It also optimizes each channel for the best merchandising (tuned for each platform), pricing, advertising, etc. Maximizing ad ROAS is growing in importance as SEM costs increase & the number of retail media networks explode. Feedonomics supports 4 main categories of channels: marketplaces, social, advertising & affiliate networks.  Clients span retail, technology, CPG, food & beverage, and professional services industries. Example clients include Dell, Samsung, Allbirds, PUMA & Fox Racing. Amazon Today is an example fast growing channel for brick & mortar retailers. Feedonomics will synchronize a retailer’s in-store inventory & pricing to Amazon for #AmazonPrime same-day delivery using Amazon’s last-mile fulfillment network. In-store pickup via #AmazonToday can also drive foot-traffic for additional brick & mortar sales. They use a phrase “Feedprint” which combines the number of channels fed with the number of products availability per channel. Clients average 15.5% feedprint growth from 11.7% channel expansion & 3.4% product growth per channel. Feedonomics customers on marketplaces grow 2x more than the ecommerce growth rate (20.5%). Marketplace revenue distribution is: Amazon 56%, Target+ 20%, eBay 10%, Walmart 8%, Meta 4%, & TikTok 2% (rapidly growing). RMW Commerce found that “customers use an average of 6 touchpoints, with 50% regularly using more than 4. … By expanding to 3 or more channels, companies can boost their order rate by a substantial 494%.” See also my video post with BigCommerce VP of Enterprise Sales, Thom Armstrong (at The Lead Summit) about their great #ecommerce platform: https://lnkd.in/dDnAPmCA To learn more about ecommerce & marketplaces, follow McFadyen Digital.