Welcome to the Insider Q&A series, where we shine a spotlight on the individuals who make our organization thrive and pick their brains to learn about how businesses can flourish on Alibaba.com.
In this series, we delve into the perspectives our staff members have gathered from years of personal experience and observation to find the various threads that connect successful USA-based sellers on Alibaba.com.
In today’s Insider Q&A, we interview Ben Gilroy, Account Executive at Alibaba.com North America. Ben has worked at Alibaba.com for over a year and is focused on helping educate sellers on how to create long-term business relationships through Alibaba.com.
Question #1
Alibaba.com: What elevates sellers to become more successful on Alibaba.com?
Ben: When you’re building out your Alibaba.com Minisite, you’ll want to use some high-quality video and imaging for product listings. This will help attract more qualified buyers and promote trust between the seller and the buyer as well.
When you’re posting those product listings, you’ll want your minimum listed quantity (MLQ) to reflect what type of buyer you’re trying to bring in as well. By posting higher MLQs and listing your product by the container load and multiple listings, you’ll be able to attract those buyers looking to spend more and procure more using the Alibaba.com platform.
Question #2
Alibaba.com: How can sellers effectively communicate and negotiate with buyers from diverse cultural backgrounds?
Ben: Alibaba.com offers an automated translation service directly on the website. When buyers reach out to you from any part of the world, we’ll automatically translate that message into your native language. This will allow you to act instantly on that demand for your product and help improve your conversion rates as well.
Alibaba.com is also a worldwide marketplace, so sellers aren’t limited to one country or region. When you list your products, you’ll actually be advertising to over 40 million buyers around the globe.
Question #3
Alibaba.com: Are there new features on Alibaba.com that sellers should pay attention to for staying competitive?
Ben: In 2024, there are a couple of new features for advertising that sellers can take advantage of. You can use our keyword advertising (KWA), our banner ads, and our premium sponsored ads to get your products in front of qualified buyers at a very competitive rate.
Another feature to utilize is the RFQ (request for quotation) market. This is where buyers will put out their request for sellers to proactively bid for their business. As a seller, it’s really important to take advantage of this RFQ market to create another funnel for success on Alibaba.com.
Question #4
Alibaba.com: What are some emerging markets that present unique opportunities for sellers on Alibaba.com, and how can they tap into them?
Ben: Sellers across North America have a unique advantage in Alibaba.com right now. The largest buyer base on Alibaba.com is located right here in North America. Since the pandemic, a lot of companies have started a reshoring initiative to increase the amount of their local supply chain.
Any North American sellers that have products based here in the USA or North America as a whole will have an advantage with these types of buyers through the Alibaba.com platform.
