Do you want to know how to use Alibaba to get quality products for your e-commerce? Great step! This article will give you a detailed outline of how to use Alibaba to buy and source products, get access to trustworthy suppliers, and sell profitably. We will also have an overview of Alibaba.com, why you should use it, and make the best of the online market palace to buy goods.
The marketplace’s tradition is a simple physical activity of having a product and selling it to another individual who offers money or any agreed means. By then, you can say there is a transaction. These days, however, things have taken a new shape at a fast pace. You can now buy a product without physically seeing the product or the seller. And no company has been changing the mode of trading other than Alibaba.
Meaning of Alibaba.com
Alibaba is one of the world’s most prominent retail companies. The company was created by a former English Teacher who saw the need to help small Chinese business owners to generate more income and increase international sales. The company’s website, Alibaba.com, has over 500 million active users as of 2020. It is an online B2B (Business to Business) marketplace where buyers and sellers worldwide connect to transact. It is a secure and trusted platform used by many business owners, especially e-commerce entrepreneurs.
People who use Alibaba’s online market are business owners that sell products ranging from raw materials to finished products. Some of the typical buyers are retailers, producers, company owners, wholesalers, and sourcing agents. The online marketplace is a one-stop for all products. Manufacturers can get raw materials from the site and end up selling them there.
Importance of Alibaba
Access to Many Products
As mentioned earlier, Alibaba is one of that online marketplace where you can get all your products. And when I say all your products, I mean every item you can think of them on earth. The company has over 10 million active users, which means there are numerous products to select from. For instance, when typed into the search bar, the word ‘toys’ has over 3 million results that can be filtered to give the desired result.
Easy to Use
Alibaba.com has an excellent interface that is easy to navigate, providing the users with the best online experience. It is effortless to place an order on Alibaba than it is when buying on other platforms. Buyers can purchase products by adding them to the cart, paying through different means, and placing an order from the sites. Or they can contact the seller directly to haggle over prices or customize products. Regardless of the means you choose, you will realize using the site is a piece of cake.
The site is Secure
One of the fears of many business owners on how to use Alibaba is fraudsters on the site. Luckily for the users of Alibaba, the site is built with a secure payment portal, so you do not have to worry about getting scammed or your details getting exposed.
Besides, having listened to business owners’ complaints that some sellers are not trustworthy, the company provides a program, Trade Assurance which ensures that all site orders are protected. It supports many payment methods, ensures that your payment gets to the supplier safely, and helps you track funds. If you are not satisfied with the product quality promised by the seller, you do not have to worry. Aliababa.com offers product inspection services that investigate and refund you.
Pay later Offer
Alibaba helps small business owners to have access to goods without paying immediately. Yes! Knowing what startups face when it comes to finances, the site provides a Pay Later option that allows entrepreneurs to buy products even when they have no money. This discourages disruption in the supply chain so that startups can attend to their customers.
Kabbage services Pay Later, and they provide credit within the range of $500 to $150k with an interest rate of 3.5% in 6 months.
An Avenue for Global Market
Alibaba allows startups and small business owners to be international entrepreneurs in no time. It has special tools and features to make trading with international business owners hassle-free. One of the devices is the automatic translation of storefronts and messages. Currently, the site supports 16 languages. This means you can send a message in the French language, which translates to the other person’s language. The same applies to currency conversion too.
Steps on How to Use Alibaba
Buying on Alibaba is as easy as ABC. It is straightforward, and you do not need extra guidance. Nevertheless, certain processes give you the best buying experience. Below are some of the ways highlighting how to use Alibaba.
Create an Account
Like any other online market, the first step to kickstart your Alibaba trip is to create a free account by providing your full name, trade role, country or region, company name, email address, and phone number. After, you will create a personal and easy-to-remember password. The trade role section allows you to either be a buyer, seller, or both. Most users usually choose both since there may be a need for a role switch in the future.
Search for Products
Without wasting much time, you should start searching for products as soon as possible. At this stage, it is believed that you already passed the stage of choosing a keyword or product type. There are many ways on how to use Alibaba to source products.
- Enter the product name into the search bar and click the search box, which gives you a long list of the product.
- Enter the keyword of the product into the search bar on the main page, and check the left side to filter the results by country, supplier type, price, and minimum order.
- Post a request for quotation (RFQ): RFQ is a buying request from the buyer to the seller. This is a reliable program that allows a buyer to include details like the sourcing type (customized, non-customized, business service, etc.), sourcing purpose, description of the request, attachment, shipping, and payment. Alibaba reviews every request before different sellers bid for it. RFQ allows buyers to access the most suitable supplier since they have to bid for it based on their specific request.
- Upload Image: To enjoy this service, you need a quality and exact picture of the product you want. When done correctly, uploading the image feature brings the product from different sources precisely, ridding you of the time to search through millions of products.
Search for Different Suppliers
Since Alibaba has millions of sellers, it is natural that some sellers will be more qualified than others. These sellers have certain qualifications and certificates like years of experience, previous sales, and service years that make them unique. Alibaba suppliers are categorized into three:
Gold Suppliers: These are paid members that rank higher than other sellers on Amazon. Most often, they have the industrial ability to cater to large orders.
Verified Suppliers: These are businesses whose company’s name and commercial capabilities have been assessed and certified to transact by an independent third-party institution online and offline. Buying from these suppliers helps you filter products that meet industry standards.
Trade Assurance Suppliers: These are suppliers that accept payments from Alibaba’s secure payment portal. This way, you are sure you are paying through a secure means, and in case you are not satisfied with the product, you can be sure your money will be returned after a thorough investigation of your complaint. You can also check the reviews of each supplier to assess their past dealings with clients.
Negotiate with Suppliers or Buy Directly
You can either buy your product as soon as you see a suitable supplier with the ‘ready-to-ship’ label or negotiate the cost of goods with the ‘start to order’ feature. You can also click on the contact supplier and chat now, leading you to a direct messaging platform.
Place Your Order
Now that you have sort out the product details and the right supplier, it is time to place an order. It is best to place your order through Alibaba, ensuring buyers’ and sellers’ protection through the Trade Assurance platform. The moment you extend the transaction out of the site, it is beyond the control of Alibaba. The accepted, secure means of payment are:
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- Online bank payment
- Wire transfer
- Western Union
Receive Your Products
The last step on how to use Alibaba is to receive your goods. You can use Alibaba.com Freight for sea shipping, air shipment, and express shipment from China to anywhere globally. As long as it is through Alibaba’s platform, you can trust your goods will get to you safe and sound.
Conclusion
Alibaba’s online marketplace is not as challenging as you think. It is a secure website where you can access many products, different suppliers, safe modes of payments, and seamless shipment methods. You can also contact the supplier directly and manipulate the product details to suit your preference.