{"id":135,"date":"2025-07-19T16:45:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T08:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgpaynowqr.com\/blog\/?p=135"},"modified":"2025-07-19T16:53:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T08:53:07","slug":"youre-already-selling-on-shopee-do-you-still-need-your-own-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgpaynowqr.com\/blog\/youre-already-selling-on-shopee-do-you-still-need-your-own-website\/","title":{"rendered":"You’re Already Selling on Shopee. Do You Still Need Your Own Website?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In early 2024, Kim started selling her tote bags on Shopee Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many sellers, she appreciated the platform\u2019s convenience and the continuous stream of customers at her fingertips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But beneath that steady growth lurked a growing problem: hefty marketplace fees were quietly chipping away at her profits, while ever-changing rules made it harder to plan for the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sound familiar? If you\u2019re like Kim, selling on major marketplaces like Shopee or Lazada might feel like a double-edged sword. They offer access to customers, but you are at the mercy of their limits and fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, is relying solely on these popular platforms enough? This is the question many first-time Singaporean e-commerce sellers wrestle with. Could shifting to your own website hold the key to better profits and independence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Shopee Seller\u2019s Journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Quick Start<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no surprise that so many sellers start on marketplaces like Shopee. In Singapore, Shopee dominates the online shopping scene with a vast customer base, offering unmatched visibility that would otherwise cost a small business a fortune to access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The platform\u2019s straightforward setup and user-friendly tools mean you can get your products online and reach buyers almost immediately. This is a huge draw for entrepreneurs who want to hit the ground running without learning web design, payment systems, or digital marketing from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And let\u2019s be honest: creating your own online store can feel daunting. Website setup, inventory management, payment integration: these are all walls that seem to require technical skills or specialist help. Marketplaces strip away those barriers, letting you focus on selling, not building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But It Comes With Fees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While listing your products may be quick, Shopee has policies that may present challenges for sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, the seller fees. As of March 2025, the base commissions for all sales is 7.63%. If you sell IT, electronics, gadgets and accessories, your fee is capped at SGD30. But if you sell anything else, there is no cap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only way to reduce this commission is to use Shopee as the fulfilment partner. This is known as “Fulfilled by Shopee” or FBS. If you send your goods to Shopee’s warehouse, and let them handle the logistics and delivery, your seller fees drop to 4.36%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But on top of the commission fee, there is also the transaction fee of 3.27%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, for every sale, you would pay 7.63% + 3.27% (total 10.9%) of your revenue to Shopee for using the platform. This is not including any shipping fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For every sale, you could pay 10.9% of your revenue to Shopee<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once you add up all these fees, it could push your costs above 20% of your sales revenue. So, you have a tough decision: raise prices and risk losing shoppers, or accept thinner margins and hope volume makes up the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And You Need to Play By The Platform Rules<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just about how much you pay. Marketplaces come with strict rules that shape how your business runs. Naturally, they protect the buyer first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, shipping windows are tight. Shopee, for example, enforces fixed periods in which orders must be shipped to maintain seller ratings. For someone handling inventory alone, or doing personalised packing, these deadlines can be stressful. Miss a deadline and your store risks penalties, reduced search rankings, or temporary sales restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to be labelled as a preferred seller on Shopee, there are other KPIs too. These include a minimum response rate of 85% on all chat messages, at least 30 orders in 30 days, and a rating at least 4.6 stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to hit targets for order fulfilment or customer service ratings often results in account downgrades, reduced visibility, or even suspension. These rules may change without warning, leaving sellers scrambling to adjust their processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such unpredictability makes planning difficult. Marketing campaigns, stock management, or even holiday sales become a juggling act of meeting marketplace demands rather than focusing on your own growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’re Not a Brand, You’re a Product<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Arguably the biggest limitation is that you\u2019re selling under their brand, not yours. When customers buy on Shopee, the marketplace brand is front and centre. Your store becomes just one among thousands under a generic banner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This also means you don\u2019t fully own your customer relationship. You are not allowed to contact customers outside of the Shopee chat, making it hard to build meaningful, personalised marketing strategies. So, encouraging repeat business outside the marketplace ecosystem is near impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some sellers get creative and sneak in flyers or name cards into their packages. This is against Shopee’s terms, and you could be suspended if you get caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, your visibility depends heavily on Shopee\u2019s algorithms. These complex ranking systems decide who sees your products and when, often favouring malls, preferred sellers or those willing to pay for promotions. This makes it hard for a new seller to build up their presence on Shopee. It can feel like you\u2019re constantly chasing a moving target, with little control over traffic or sales growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Your Own Website Solves These Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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You Have Full Control Over Your Store and Operations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Owning your own website means running your business exactly how you want to. You get to set the rules, not the other way around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you decide your shipping policies and pricing strategies without arbitrary limits imposed by a marketplace. Want to offer free shipping above a certain order amount or try a tiered pricing model? It\u2019s entirely up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This freedom extends to promotions too. You can craft discounts, bundles, or flash sales tailored specifically for your audience, without an external platform dictating when or how you can run deals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This control over marketing lets you respond quickly to trends, customer feedback, or seasonal demand. This is something that\u2019s usually constrained on marketplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But perhaps most importantly, having your own website puts your brand in front of your customers. Your customers shop directly with you<\/em>, not under a generic marketplace umbrella. This usually means providing customer service over WhatsApp, which customers appreciate. This builds a cohesive experience, from browsing through to checkout, strengthening your brand identity and customer trust over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“My website customers have started to just tell me their repeat orders over WhatsApp, since they are so familiar with me now. It’s very good for loyalty”<\/em><\/p>\nBee, a Shopee seller of eczema products who also has her own e-commerce website<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Protecting Your Profits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the clearest advantages of your own e-commerce site is avoiding marketplace commissions. With no percentage cut siphoned off each sale, you keep a larger share of your revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, you get to choose your payment methods, prioritising those with lower or even zero transaction fees. In Singapore, for example, PayNow offers an exceptionally affordable (often free) alternative to credit card payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These lower overheads improve your profit margins significantly, giving you financial breathing room. That means more potential to reinvest in your business, improve your products, or even pass savings onto customers through competitive pricing. The freedom to price strategically can be a powerful growth lever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You Own Your Customer Data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another hidden cost of marketplaces is losing access to your customer data. But with your own store, you collect and analyse this data directly. Every purchase, customer preference, and browsing behaviour is yours to use in crafting smarter marketing strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This direct data access lets you engage customers beyond their first sale. You can create targeted email campaigns, personalised offers, or retargeting ads that bring shoppers back more often. No longer are you at the mercy of marketplace algorithms controlling who sees your products or when.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, building your own customer database unlocks the potential for long-term loyalty. You\u2019re not just selling a product; you\u2019re nurturing a community around your brand. This is how sustainable businesses thrive over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting Up Your Own E-commerce Website<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Building your own online store might sound intimidating, but it doesn\u2019t have to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many sellers choose to build their online stores using WooCommerce. It’s one of the most popular solutions – especially for small to medium-sized businesses in Singapore. Why? Because it\u2019s free and open-source, so you keep your costs low<\/a>. But don’t let the free price tag fool you; WooCommerce is used to power some of the biggest stores online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest advantages of WooCommerce is its widespread support. Because millions of users rely on it worldwide, you\u2019ll find a wealth of tutorials, guides, and community forums just a quick search away. Whether you\u2019re tech-savvy or a complete beginner, chances are someone else has faced the same questions and shared helpful answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customisation is another strong selling point. You can tailor your site\u2019s look and feel with thousands of WordPress themes, many of which are designed specifically for e-commerce. Plus, hundreds of plugins enable you to add features without needing to write a single line of code\u2014from payment gateways to marketing tools and inventory management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Features to Implement from the Start<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When setting up your store, there are some essentials you want to get right from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n