If you plan to operate your business online, you must be ready for intense competition worldwide. Business-to-consumer and e-commerce sales are predicted to expand by 8.9% by 2023, reaching a total value of about $6 trillion. You must collect high-quality, pertinent data using the newest technologies to outperform your competitors, win over customers, and establish brand recognition. Monitoring online resellers is an effective strategy to watch market pricing, assess product demand, and preserve your brand's image. However, many companies need help understanding how brand monitoring functions or how to monitor online resellers efficiently.
We will cover all the groundwork for monitoring online resellers and secondary market monitoring if you want to launch a fresh insights project to see how third parties promote your items.
What is Web Scraping for the E-commerce Industry?
Web scraping is the practice of automatically gathering structured web content. Programs that browse the internet on behalf of other data collectors are included. It is an efficient and dependable way to gather data and organize it so that it may be used for analysis and other purposes. Since web scraping scans several websites at once and automatically finds relevant information, it's an excellent tool for monitoring online resellers.
What Are Online Resellers?
Online resellers are businesses that buy products directly from manufacturers and then sell them to other consumers. They act as a middleman between the manufacturer and the end customer.
Here's how it works:
- Buying in Bulk - These resellers buy products in large quantities from manufacturers, often at wholesale prices, to get a good deal.
- Selling to Consumers - Once they have the products, they sell them to individual customers or other businesses, usually at a slightly higher price, to make a profit.
- Balanced Approach - This model benefits both the manufacturers and the resellers. Manufacturers can sell their products in bulk, while resellers can earn a profit by selling them to consumers in smaller quantities.
However, sometimes brands can not benefit from these resellers. For example, if the resellers sell products at too low a price, it can undercut the brand's pricing strategy or even damage its reputation. For this reason, businesses must monitor how these resellers promote their goods. Brands may make sure that their products are being offered in a way that benefits them and the customer by keeping an eye on online resellers.
What are the types of Online Resellers?
There are various types of online resellers. Each one works differently and has varying connections with manufacturers and consumers.
Authorized Resellers
Authorized resellers are people or businesses with special permission from the makers of products to sell those items directly to customers. These resellers work closely with the manufacturers and are usually part of an official group of sellers. They follow the rules set by the manufacturer and often get training and help from them. They're allowed to offer warranties, customer service, and other support. You can find authorized resellers in well-known stores like official Apple shops, AT&T stores, or franchise outlets of popular brands.
Unauthorized Sellers
Unauthorized sellers are individuals or businesses that sell products without permission from the manufacturer. They don't have any formal agreement with the makers of the products and operate on their own. They might get products differently, like buying them from other stores or through unofficial channels. Because they're not tied to any agreements, unauthorized sellers can decide the prices for their products. However, they usually can't offer warranties or good customer service, which can cause problems for buyers.
Consumers or Second-hand Resellers
Sometimes, people who buy products from authorized or unauthorized sellers might decide to sell them to other people as second-hand items. These second-hand sellers can operate in many places, like online marketplaces, ads, or local shops. Selling second-hand items might not make as much money as selling new ones, but there's still a chance to earn cash. This is especially true if the products were bought at a discount or if they're rare and wanted by others. Some people sell things they no longer need to tidy up their homes or get back some of the money they spent.
Dropshippers
Dropshippers are like matchmakers between the makers of products and the people who want to buy them. They have online shops where they display products, but they don't keep those products in stock. When someone buys something from their online store, the dropshipper buys the product directly from the maker or manufacturer and asks them to send it straight to the buyer. It's like they're the messenger between the maker and the buyer.
Wholesale Resellers
Wholesale resellers are like bulk buyers. They purchase many products from makers or big distributors at a lower price, called wholesale price. Then, they sell these products to other shops or directly to people at a higher price to make a profit. It's kind of buying in bulk from a warehouse store and then selling individual items for more money.
Retailers
Retailers are the shops where you can walk in and buy things directly. But many retailers also have websites where you can buy stuff online. When they sell things online, they're acting as online resellers. Some of these retailers get permission from the makers to sell their products, while others might not have that permission. It all depends on their agreement with the makers of the products.
Why to Monitor Online Resellers?
Monitoring online resellers is becoming more critical because of the increasing popularity of online shopping. Companies can protect their reputation, maintain price guidelines, spot unauthorized sellers, and keep track of pricing and demand patterns by keeping an eye on online resellers.
Let's understand in detail about the reasons why it's essential for brands to keep an eye on online resellers:
Protect Trademarks
Manufacturers worry about their brand's reputation and integrity. Online resellers might sell fake or low-quality versions of their products, which can damage the brand's image. By monitoring online resellers, companies can spot and address any issues that may result in harming their trademarks.
Identify Authorized Resellers Selling Below MAP
MAP (Minimum Advertising Price) is the lowest price authorized retailers should sell a product. If authorized resellers sell below this price, it can have an impact on the brand's value and sales. Monitoring online resellers helps companies identify and address any violations of MAP policies.
Identify Unauthorized Resellers
Unauthorised resellers that sell items without authorization can negatively impact a company's earnings. Manufacturers can spot unlicensed vendors and take appropriate measures to safeguard their brand and market share by keeping an eye on online resellers.
Monitor Demand/Price
By tracking online resellers, businesses can understand the demand for their products and how they are priced in the market. They can maintain their competitiveness and profitability by using this information to guide their decisions regarding product development and pricing strategies.
Online Channels to Monitor Online Resellers
Effectively monitoring the activity of online resellers involves understanding where to search for them. Here are some of the best online channels to find online resellers:
- Amazon - Amazon is the world's largest online retailer and marketplace, with millions of active sellers. It is a popular platform to find authorized online resellers who sell products directly to consumers.
- Gumtree - Gumtree is a classified ads website available in the UK, South Africa, and Australia. It is a platform from where you can find second-hand online resellers who sell used products to other consumers.
- eBay - eBay is the largest consumer-to-consumer marketplace globally. It's a valuable platform for discovering unlicensed and second-hand online resellers that provide a large selection of goods.
- StockX - StockX is a well-known online marketplace for limited-edition products, including designer handbags, trading cards, and sneakers. It's a valuable resource for finding niche internet retailers who sell rare and collectible goods.
Each of these platforms has its characteristics and millions of customers from different countries. There are several internet resellers who sell your things at varying costs. While manually monitoring these platforms can be time-consuming, automation through web scraping is an effective way to gather data and analyze online reseller activities quickly and efficiently.
How Does Monitoring Online Resellers Help Businesses?
Monitoring behaviors and patterns of online resellers assist businesses in several ways. Let's understand its benefits:
Price Monitoring and Optimization
Web scraping helps businesses keep track of prices from different online sellers. Companies can regularly collect price data to see if prices go up or down and compare them across different websites. This helps them adjust their own prices to stay competitive and make the most profit.
Inventory Management
Web scraping also helps with managing how much stock a business has. Businesses can make sure they always have enough inventory to fulfill client demand by verifying the availability of their products on several websites. They can also quickly see if they're running low on specific products and fix any issues with their supply chain.
Competitor Analysis
Web scraping lets businesses gather lots of data about what their competitors are doing. They have access to information about the goods, prices, and reviews that other businesses are selling. This helps organizations comprehend what's occurring in the industry and alter their strategy to stay ahead.
Brand Protection
Using web scraping, companies can keep an eye out for unauthorized sellers or fake products being sold online. This helps protect their brand reputation and ensures customers get the real deal. They can also see what customers say about their products and quickly fix problems to keep people happy.
Dynamic Pricing
By combining web scraping with unique pricing algorithms, businesses can change their prices in real-time based on what competitors are doing and the demand for their products. This helps them make the most money while still offering competitive prices.
Compliance and Ethical Considerations
Businesses need to follow the rules and be ethical when using web scraping. They need to respect the terms of the websites they're scraping and make sure they're not doing anything illegal or unfair. This helps keep things fair for everyone and avoids getting into trouble.
Conclusion
Monitoring online resellers is keeping an eye on the people who are selling your goods online, their prices, and the reviews they have received. It's similar to having an online investigator who keeps an eye on your merchandise and its online sales practices. Understanding the best techniques for supervising online resellers is the secret to maintaining your company's viability. The fundamental idea is to scan many websites, analyze their content, and gather pertinent data.
