Essentials of Marketplace Success
Marketplaces are a natural growth channel for ecommerce companies. They expose products and brands to huge audiences, drive customer acquisition, and provide critical revenue.
Yet success is not guaranteed. The competition is often fierce, with pricing pressure, copycat sellers, fulfillment hurdles, and more.
Walmart understands these challenges. We’re a seller, too. We built our marketplace with third-party merchants in mind, knowing our growth depends on theirs.
What follows are the essentials of marketplace success.
Marketplace Success
Strong product listings
A well-optimized product listing is the cornerstone of marketplace success. Clear, keyword-rich titles, quality images, compelling descriptions, and accurate specs help products stand out in search results and drive conversions. Listings that communicate value, solve customer problems, and match shopper search intent lead to higher click-through and purchase rates.
Walmart’s Listing Quality & Rewards dashboard removes the guesswork from optimized listings. Our Quality Score analyzes a seller’s entire catalog for content, discoverability, offers, and ratings and reviews. Moreover, our Listing Quality guide addresses item setup, FAQs, and more. Visit the Listings Quality & Rewards dashboard.
Competitive pricing
Competitive pricing is essential for sellers on marketplaces, as shoppers compare options and prioritize the best value. Sellers who price strategically can boost conversions, reduce cart abandonment, and stay ahead of competitors without sacrificing margin.
Walmart Marketplace’s automated Repricer helps sellers maintain competitive offers. Sellers define their pricing strategy and designate items and pricing thresholds. The repricer will manage those products automatically to maximize profit. Visit the repricer overview in our Seller Academy.
Positive, honest reviews
Customer reviews act as social proof and are a major trust factor. Before purchasing, shoppers rely on reviews to evaluate quality, reliability, and performance.
Walmart Marketplaces’ Review Accelerator can help. Sellers select the items, the target number of reviews, and the incentive to entice customers. We’ll ask customers to share feedback and charge sellers per review. Learn more about Review Accelerator.
Traffic from shoppers
Even the best products won’t sell without visibility. Successful sellers understand how to tap into marketplace traffic — through advertising, organic search ranking, deals, and promotions. The more shoppers see your listings, the more opportunities you have to convert views into sales, which in turn improves visibility further.
Walmart Connect levels the playing field for businesses of all sizes with three types of sponsored search advertising:
- Sponsored Videos elevate storytelling and engagement through video ads embedded directly onto product pages.
- Sponsored Products surface items in search results and other prominent placements throughout the customer’s shopping journey.
- Sponsored Brands enhance visibility by placing your brand’s logo and products at the top of relevant results.
Reliable, affordable fulfillment
Fast, cost-effective, and accurate order fulfillment is critical to winning repeat business and maintaining marketplace standing. Consumers are more likely to purchase from sellers with dependable shipping and minimal order issues.
Sellers on Walmart Marketplace enjoy two fulfillment options.
- Walmart Fulfillment Services leverages one of the world’s largest supply chains at rates less than other marketplace fulfillment providers. WFS sellers pay only for the items we store, pick, pack, and ship — no setup, monthly, or hidden fees.
- Alternatively, our Seller Fulfillment Services streamline your shipping operations to save money and boost sales. Participating sellers configure their shipping settings for delivery speed and carriers. Our seller-fulfilled solutions boost conversions and lower shipping costs.
Brand protection
Counterfeits, listing hijacking, and unauthorized resellers can damage brand trust and reduce profitability. Sellers must actively monitor their listings, use brand registry tools, and enforce intellectual property rights.
Walmart Brand Portal is a one-stop seller hub to (i) ensure a brand’s content is consistent, accurate, and up to date and (ii) monitor and manage brand and intellectual property. Sellers register as many brands as they want and submit multiple types of claims using a simple form. Read our how-to guide for getting started with Brand Registry.
Help and support
Marketplace support is essential when issues arise — from listing problems and customer disputes to account suspensions. Sellers that take advantage of help resources are better equipped to resolve issues quickly and maintain consistent operations.
Our Seller Academy is a comprehensive learning portal with extensive how-to guides, courses, and FAQs to help reach more customers, sell better, and grow your Walmart Marketplace business. Seller Academy’s Success Hub identifies items with potential for improvement in areas such as pricing, inventory, and assortment — all personalized and actionable. Learn more about Seller Academy.
Lastly, expert (human) support staff at our Seller Help portal is ready to assist.
New Seller Savings
It’s a perfect time to start selling on Walmart Marketplace. Tap into 150 million monthly shoppers across the U.S. and global markets. Join Walmart Marketplace and get:
- Up to 75% off referral fees
- Up to $2,000 in fulfillment credits
- $1,000 in advertising credits
- Up to $75,000 in savings overall to qualified sellers.
About Walmart Marketplace
Walmart Marketplace enables ecommerce merchants to boost growth with full control over inventory, pricing, fulfillment, and customer care. With competitive referral fees, no setup or monthly charges, and access to millions of shoppers, the platform offers a straightforward path to ecommerce expansion. Join today at Marketplace.Walmart.com.
