Why Customers Buy From Niche Stores Instead of AliExpress?

Top 5 reasons why customers prefer niche stores to AliExpress

1. It’s easier to find the necessary product

AliExpress gained itself the reputation of an immensely huge online trading platform where you can find practically anything. The platform hosts lots of sellers, and the number of products they offer far exceeds 100 million items. It means it is possible to source almost any kind of product regardless of its category and special features. But interestingly, that’s not always a benefit!

That’s what industry analysis shows! Customers looking for a particular product with specific features are much more likely to visit a niche store than AliExpress.

There is a valid reason for this, as you can guess. It’s not easy to look through thousands of product options to find the one that fully suits your needs. This is why potential buyers might avoid a website of an enormous marketplace where they can easily get lost. Instead, they prefer a dedicated website with a limited amount of product categories which is clear and convenient to navigate. Apart from that, a store that focuses on a particular niche or category is much more likely to have not some generic items, but highly specialized products instead.

2. It’s more convenient to place an order

Simplicity of placing an order is crucial for purchasing process. AliExpress requires buyers to register, which is a distracting factor for many online shoppers. There, it is possible to check out and make a payment directly through PayPal. Therefore, no additional time and effort is spent on providing data, verification, etc. Thanks to this feature, buyers enjoy an unmatched shopping experience that surely motivates them to come back for more. Even if customers don’t have any previous experience of online buying, they can easily buy from such stores without any technical issues.

It is quite important since this feature, above all else, facilitates impulse shopping. If customers happen to visit such a store accidentally and get immediately interested in some of the products, the simplicity of shopping process will surely encourage them to make a purchase without any second thoughts.

3. Niche stores provide a nicer customer experience

It is typical for sellers placing their offers on AliExpress to work with a wide range of product categories. Ideally, that would require a store owner to have extensive knowledge covering all the specifications and peculiarities of the offerings . Unfortunately, quite often this is not the case, and it makes potential purchasers turn to smaller niche stores.

What’s special about people who create narrowly focused online stores and deal with a limited amount of items? They are typically deeply interested in this particular sphere. It means that they have a true passion towards this certain product range. Therefore, they are enthusiastic to create friendly and favorable atmosphere in the store. You can imagine how important it is for an online business. The better client service you provide to this niche fans, the higher are the odds to see them and their friends again soon.

4. It’s much easier to get help

Everyone who ever purchased something online knows how important it is for a seller to be well-informed about each and every product on offer. And what happens if a dropshipping store owner works with multiple product niches and dozens of hundreds products on offer? Potentially, there can be have some difficulties with providing accurate and relevant data on clients’ enquiries. From the point of view of a seller this can easily be understood. Naturally, managing such a store is quite a demanding task requiring an enormous effort. Still, from the point of view of a buyer, it can cause a great inconvenience.

On the contrary, niche stores with a smaller product range have everything it takes to provide high quality customer support. Since these stores employ well-informed experts with a deep passion towards the products on offer, customers can safely count on quick and full answers to any niche-related questions that can potentially arise. These sellers can also help buyers with the technical aspects of placing an order and making a payment. This is not always the case with AliExpress purchases – the wait for an answer from the platform’s technical support can take a significant amount of time.

5. It’s more pleasant to navigate the store

Due to the technical peculiarities of the platform, all of the AliExpress stores have the same layout that makes it really difficult for a store owner to create a memorable and recognizable marketplace. It means that customers will have a hard time trying to remember the exact store where they occasionally saw this or that item, and most likely they will end up purchasing it elsewhere. Apart from that, no changes can be made into the store layout in case it is uncomfortable for either buyers or sellers, which can cause a certain inconvenience.

In turn, nicely and professionally designed niche stores can easily prompt visitors to make a purchase – the aforementioned impulse buying heavily depends on store usability. Additionally, layout of these stores can be customized in a way that is clear and understandable for any kind of buyer. What is also important, due to their peculiar design, such stores have their own spirit and atmosphere, and it certainly motivates customers to come again for more.