ONDC network is in the limelight. Many e-retailers, especially Amazon-based sellers, are excited to see how it helps them grow their bottom line. That’s because, as efficient and rewarding as Amazon India may seem, the platform has flaws. Each year, selling on Amazon is getting more complicated and less profitable to the smaller players.
Open Network has been launched to address the various challenges that come with selling on giant platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. Still not convinced? Wondering how to sell on ONDC network like a pro for uninterrupted business growth? This article is for you.
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ONDC network for beginners
Open network is a central-government initiative to make eCommerce more accessible to all network participants. The aim is to democratise India’s e-retail market by ending the duopoly of large corporations. With this game-changing initiative, the government hopes to build an inclusive community of sellers, buyers, logistics partners, and tech firms to exchange goods and services seamlessly.
The ONDC protocols will promote inclusivity, inter-operability and discoverability. Any merchant can sell on ONDC network and become instantly discoverable to millions of buyers across multiple platforms. By 2027, the not-for-profit initiative hopes to onboard 1.2 million merchants and 900 million buyers on a neutral digital platform.
The open network will be a game-changer for millions of neighbourhood kirana shops, independent merchants, and SMBs/D2Cs. For Amazon sellers on ONDC network, this means that they can migrate their entire product catalogue to the open network with ease. They only need a feature-rich and network-enabled platform like the Mystore seller app.
Why Amazon sellers in India need ONDC network
When Indian buyers think of eCommerce, they, by default, think of Amazon, which hints at a serious problem. Amazon’s unrivalled popularity has meant that it is allowed to flex its power and make decisions that benefit the platform to the detriment of small sellers.
To understand how small Indian merchants will benefit from having an open network, let’s first see what problems they encounter when selling via Amazon.
Unfair market competition
Amazon encourages extreme competition to help its own bottom line. More competition forces sellers to offer lesser discounts, equalling more profit margins to the marketplace itself. Meanwhile, Amazon sellers on ONDC network are able to cut the middlemen and shady competitors while retaining their loyal customers.
Restrictive/exploitative policies
Before starting with Amazon, ensure you have a complete grasp of its strict selling policies. Most marketplaces impose contractual lock-ins or dictate what items can be sold or not. Any deviation from these norms could result in poor traffic or cause you to permanently lose your Amazon account.
Extremely high commission fees
Amazon charges a fixed percentage of total sales in the form of FBA and commission fees. For a highly subsidized business with low margins, it may be financially catastrophic to do business with the marketplace. Contrarily, Amazon sellers on ONDC network bear no upfront costs, and lower commission and customer acquisition costs.
Minimal control over your store
You may own your catalogue, but Amazon owns your entire business. There’s no stopping them from identifying popular sellers, hand-picking their preferred items, and stocking them for themselves. Depending on when it is convenient for Amazon, the platform can either be your companion or a direct competitor.
Keeping inventory and logistics in sync
Your Amazon is an additional point of sale that sometimes can’t be configured with your shopping cart. This makes it challenging to manage stock/inventory. Also, Amazon lacks in-built logistics support, and naive sellers must find their own partners to start fulfilling orders.
The government aims to address this by encouraging Indian merchants to sell on ONDC network. Mystore provides cutting-edge tools to assist merchants in offering a seamless shopping experience.
Business benefits of Amazon-ONDC network channel integration
Everyone can join the open network, from the smallest sellers operating in isolated parts of India to an established, multi-national, million-dollar enterprise. Mystore for Amazon sellers allows you to seamlessly migrate to a transparent, democratic, decentralised network for maximum growth.
For Amazon merchants, here are the five main benefits of switching to the democratic network using the cutting-edge solution - Mystore seller app:
1. Tap into a pan-India online market
The novel initiative is expected to increase eCommerce penetration in India, opening doors to a wider, newer audience. The neutral platform offers all merchants equal visibility, regardless of their platforms. Amazon sellers on ONDC network can thus diversify their customer base without paying any additional fees.
2. Access fist-rate tech solutions
Mystore for Amazon sellers makes it easy to compare different options and choose what works best for you – all while keeping costs low. And here's the best part - you get to decide the terms of service, delivery time, and delivery partners, so you have more freedom than with other selling platforms like Amazon.
3. Seamlessly migrate your catalogue to ONDC network
You can upload the entire product catalogue and manage sales using Mystore’s cutting-edge, mobile-ready solutions for zero upfront costs.
4. Increase network-wide brand visibility
Adding an Amazon channel can further boost your brand reach across multiple channels. Mystore seller app offers integrated marketing tools to make your products discoverable across multiple digital platforms.
5. Partner with an on-network logistics provider
With a feature-rich seller app, you can trade more effectively by choosing from a list of on-network logistics providers. Mystore for Amazon sellers helps them scale their fulfilment capabilities for top-notch customer service.
Conclusion
To summarise, ONDC network will make the entire eCommerce paradigm more inclusive, non-predatory, accessible, and affordable to all scales of businesses. Mystore for Amazon sellers is the most cost-effective way to empower your current business. Don’t miss out. Sell on ONDC network with Mystore’s feature-rich digital solutions today.