The Walmart Marketplace online has the potential to stimulate significant growth for ecommerce brands. With thousands of sellers on the platform, however, competition is fierce. Before applying to be a Walmart Marketplace seller, it is important to understand what Walmart Marketplace is, how the platform works, and how to optimize listings for maximum visibility.
Walmart Marketplace is an ecommerce platform that allows brands to sell their items on the Walmart website, similar to Amazon Marketplace. This provides major exposure for ecommerce brands — 385.million users visited Walmart.com in September 2020
In the search results, items from third-party sellers appear alongside Walmart’s products. Brands also retain control over all aspects of their sales, including pricing, customer support and fulfillment.
With the right tools, getting started on the Walmart online marketplace is a simple process.
First, a brand will need to submit a request-to-sell application on the Walmart website. This application will ask for information such as a representative’s contact details, the brand’s official business name and tax classification.
Any business can apply to be a seller, but Walmart prioritizes reputable brands with the following qualities:
After Walmart Marketplace approves the brand’s request-to-sell application, the brand will receive a link to finish the registration process. Walmart’s registration wizard will then take the brand through the following steps:
Once registration is complete, the brand will then need to create a Partner Profile. This profile is a public page that customers can visit to learn more about a brand, such as its name, company details and return policies. Having a detailed, fleshed-out Partner Profile helps a brand put its best foot forward, building trust with potential customers.
Next, the brand will need to complete the item setup process. This involves writing content for product listings, uploading pictures and videos, and establishing pricing.
After setup is complete, the brand will then upload its products to the Seller Center. This enables the brand to preview the product and verify its content and pricing. It is important to verify product information before a brand starts selling — this is the page that customers will be interacting with, and everything needs to look right.
After these steps are complete, Walmart will prompt the brand to launch its account. Once the brand selects the “Confirm” button, the Walmart Marketplace integration team will review the account. Once the team approves the brand’s account, its products will be live on the site within 24 hours.
With so many products available on Walmart Marketplace, brands need to stand out from their competition. In these situations, data-driven strategies can help.
For a brand to generate conversions on Walmart Marketplace, it will need to pay attention to two factors: shipping times and data-driven marketing strategies.
With data-driven strategies, brands can identify keywords to optimize listings and determine their ideal product offerings. Using this information, a brand is able to create an optimal pricing strategy and targeted content to boost its ranking in the search results. Working with a partner like WBX Commerce that provides access to this data helps brands take full advantage of Walmart Marketplace as well as other ecommerce platforms.
More and more customers prioritize fast shipping, as well as cheap shipping. Working with a partner that provides flexible fulfillment options helps brands fulfill orders for customers who want their products fast and customers who are more focused on value.
Well-written product listings with appropriate keyword integration increase visibility in the Walmart Marketplace search results. For best results, keep the following best practices in mind.
Brands should also consider partnering with an agency that provides data and insights into Walmart marketplace performance to drive better strategy. Brands that work with WBX Commerce can leverage its data intelligence tool WBX Insights to optimize marketing campaigns and listings based on data from Walmart Marketplace itself. Using this tool, brands can identify popular products, streamline inventory, perform keyword research and develop the most searchable product listings.
As sellers on Walmart Marketplace, brands are responsible for managing or outsourcing their own fulfillment processes. However, keeping up with massive shipping demand can be a challenge, especially if a brand is selling across additional channels such as Amazon and their own brand site. In these situations, brands need to work with a partner who is able to pool inventory into one network and handle fulfillment across multiple marketplaces.
WBX Commerce offers two-day shipping, providing brands with the opportunity to be part of the Walmart TwoDay program. This will enable brands to generate more sales. According to Walmart, products on the TwoDay program are 50% more likely to win the Walmart buy box or placement at the top of the platform’s search results.
If your brand wants to increase revenue on Walmart Marketplace, WBX Commerce is here to help. WBX Commerce empowers brands with a modern commerce platform for retail success across multiple channels—including Walmart.com. Contact us today to get ahead on Walmart Marketplace.
