Rakuten Marketplace: how do you get started?

Why sell on Rakuten Marketplace?

Created in Japan in 1997 Rakuten was first known as MDM Inc. at the time. the country's largest e-commerce site. The group established itself in France in 2010, first under the name PriceMinister, then as Rakuten since 2018.

The platform brings together 12,000 professional salespeople but also private sellers.

Its traffic riche de 15 million unique visitors and 13 million members makes it a highly attractive marketplace for e-commerce companies seeking visibility.

You can also use Rakuten Ads to increase the visibility of your products on the marketplace.

Rakuten vs Cdiscount vs Amazon

On the marketplaces market, Rakuten is up against renowned platforms such as Amazon and Cdiscount.

Founded in 1994 Amazon is the world's leading marketplace. The American giant stands out for its state-of-the-art logistics service and high traffic volumes. The platform boasts 181 million users in the European Union alone.

On the other hand, its high commissions and the fierce competition that reigns in the industry unsuitable for small start-ups .

For its part, Cdiscount applies more affordable costs but is not suitable for companies targeting an international clientele. Cdiscount's reach remains confined to French customers.

With its focus on reducing environmental impact, Rakuten is ideal for selling second-hand products. The platform also boasts a large number of sellers.

Unlike Amazon and Cdiscount, which offer their own products, Rakuten is the only marketplace that promotes sellers without competing with them.

How do I start selling on Rakuten Marketplace?

Here's how to register as a seller on Rakuten Marketplace:

Create and configure a Rakuten seller account

The first step in selling on Rakuten is to fill out the registration form. You must then provide information about your company and the identity of the legal representative.

Once the form has been completed, the platform takes 3 to 10 working days to approve your application.

Then simply complete the following 4 steps:

• Put your products online by importing your product catalog or adding items manually.

• Configure your delivery options and shipping costs. You can outsource your logistics operations to Rakuten Fulfillment Network or keep all or part of your order management.

• Setting up your online store via Rakuten e-shop. This tool enables you to establish your brand image on the platform and personalize the customer experience.

• Activate payment.

Add and optimize your products for maximum visibility

To optimize your products on the marketplace, you need a well-crafted catalog and product sheet.

Here's how to optimize your catalog for better display:

• Use relevant keywords

• Integrate calls to action to help web users make the right decision

• Write a detailed description with product technical details, conditions of use, etc.

• Add quality visuals

• Insert feedback from satisfied customers

Managing orders and customer service on Rakuten

In e-commerce, speed of delivery is a key criterion for customer satisfaction.

Rakuten Fulfillment Network the platform's logistics service, lets you outsource your supply chain, from storage to order dispatch.

You can also outsource your customer service.

Fees and commissions on Rakuten Marketplace

The fees charged by the platform are as follows:

• Management fees. These vary according to the price of the item sold. They range from 0.15 euros for products sold at a price of 10 euros or less to 5 euros for products over 400 euros.

• Monthly subscription fees . You can choose between the free Starter pack and the Expert pack at 49 euros/month . The free pack is only interesting if you want to test the platform and its functionalities when you first start using it.

To ensure the long-term future of your business, it's best to opt for the Expert pack.

• Commissions on sales . They vary according to the subscription formula chosen. They are 14 % for Starter and 8 % for Expert subscribers.

Managing your cash flow as a seller on Rakuten

As on all other marketplaces, cash management requires a real strategy, given the payment deadlines.

Payment terms and their impact on your cash flow

Unlike direct sales, on marketplaces you don't receive payment for your sales immediately after the transaction. In fact, there is a certain time lag.

The marketplace collects the payment of all sales made on the platform. Waiting times are due to the fact that payment is only made to the merchant once the return period has elapsed.

Compared with other platforms, Rakuten's payment times are relatively short. On the other hand, the triggering of the payment to the merchant is conditional on the buyer's confirmation of receipt. . It is this formality that generally delays payment.

However, the payment period on Rakuten must not exceed 23 days.

In all cases, the platform makes the payments every Monday and Thursday .

This time lapse between the moment of sale and collection can be problematic for the seller. The company must incur costs to prepare and dispatch orders. However, returns can only be obtained after a certain period of time has elapsed.

In the meantime, they may find themselves short of cash to cover current expenses or replenish supplies. This is particularly true for small companies with limited financial reserves.

Use invoice advances to anticipate payments

As you can see, without the right strategies, payment deadlines can be sources of difficulties in managing your cash flow. Invoice advances can be a good way of anticipating these difficulties.

This is a financial mechanism that consists of assign your unpaid invoices to a specialized company to obtain a cash advance, in return for a commission on the amount.

It's a practice akin to partial factoring . In other words, you give away only the client workstations of your choice.

This technique allows you to cash in on your sales without waiting for the payment deadline on the marketplace . So you can continue to operate and restock at your convenience.

Hero solutions for optimized cash management

Founded in 2020 Hero is a payment solution designed specifically to meet the needs of marketplaces. Dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses, the payment platform addresses the problems associated with payment deadlines.

En effet, Hero proposes. an electronic factoring service which enables companies obtain a cash advance without waiting for payment from marketplaces.

On D+1 following order confirmation, the platform pays you the cash advance. Then, once the platform has made the payment, it reimburses itself (including its commission) and pays out any surplus.

Hero can also give you a helping hand with your stock purchases. She can advance payment and then offer you the option of repayment. in 3 or 4 doses or after 60 to 90 days.

Optimiser vos ventes sur Rakuten Marketplace

Here are our tips for optimizing your sales on Rakuten Marketplace :

Use Rakuten's advertising programs to boost your sales

When you sell on Rakuten, you can sponsor your ads by using Rakuten Ads. These are the platform's native advertising service . It increases the visibility of your products on the marketplace by making them appear at the top of the results when searches are made on the site.

The Rakuten Ads service offers the following advantages:

• A controlled budget . You only pay if customers click on your ad.

• Sales optimization during promotional events organized on the platform.

• Better visibility for your online store and products. The algorithm selects the most relevant keywords to promote your products.

You can also integrate Rakuten Club R the platform's loyalty program. This program brings together buyers who take advantage of cashback and discount schemes, and sellers who wish to benefit from increased visibility.

Pricing strategies and promotions to increase your conversion rate

A marketplace is a virtual place where several sellers compete with many buyers. All sellers compete on the same marketplace to attract as many sellers as possible.

You must therefore implement specific strategies to stand out from the competition. A dynamic pricing strategy and the introduction of promotions are effective levers for this purpose.

Here are our tips for effective pricing strategies:

• Analyze competitors' prices . On a marketplace, buyers take the time to compare prices before making a purchase. By analyzing the competition, you can adjust your prices to stay competitive.

You can also use tools that adjust prices automatically . These are loyalty points that you can award to encourage customers to shop with you.

• Participate in seasonal events and flash promotions organized by the platform . Not only can you boost your sales, but also your visibility on the platform.

• Measure and optimize your performance . Rakuten provides a reporting tool that enables you to identify which products are selling well, and then adapt your sales strategies accordingly.

Manage customer reviews and improve satisfaction

Social proof is a powerful tool that you can use to your advantage on marketplaces. In fact, they are 92% of French people who admit to consulting customer reviews on the Internet before choosing to buy from a given company.

Marketplaces are no exception to this trend. In the face of competition from other sellers, having a good reputation is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd.

Here are our tips for getting there:

• Encourage your customers to leave positive reviews.

• Improve product quality . A customer who is satisfied with product quality and delivery terms will be more likely to leave a positive review.

• Respond professionally to negative reviews and put things right . Customers appreciate companies that take their opinions into account to improve the quality of their products.

• Providing excellent customer service . You have to be ready to solve your customers' problems and make adjustments to anticipate frequent problems.

How does Hero help you sell on Rakuten?

Hero is a preferred financial partner for selling on Rakuten. The payment platform pays you a cash advance for your marketplace sales . This will give you the cash you need to continue your business and cover your day-to-day expenses.

And that's not all: the payment platform also helps you with the payment of your replenishment processes. It can advance payment of your supplier invoices.

To pay it back, the platform offers you two types of payment facilities:

• Payment in 3 or 4 instalments

• Deferred payment after 60 to 90 days.

In a nutshell, Rakuten est une marketplace offering real advantages for small and medium-sized businesses looking to increase their visibility on the Internet. Although payment times are shorter than on other marketplaces, payments are still subject to confirmation of receipt by the customer. This can sometimes take some time. By using Hero, you can protect yourself against the possible adverse effects of these payment delays on your cash flow.