How to choose a marketplace: a seller's checklist

Choosing a marketplace usually comes down to one question: “Where are the buyers?” But where there are many buyers there are many competitors too, and every platform has its own terms. The six questions below let you compare any marketplace with the same yardstick before you upload your first product.

Six questions when choosing a marketplace#

1. How is the commission calculated. The percentage alone is not enough. Find out which amount it is taken from (before or after a discount), whether it differs by category, and whether delivery, storage or returns are charged on top. Work through one product: price, commission, extra costs, and what you keep.

2. When and how you get paid. When the revenue reaches your balance, when it moves to your bank account, and whether there is a minimum withdrawal. For a seller with little working capital this can matter more than the commission.

3. Whose warehouse holds the stock. Two models are common. FBO: you hand your goods to the marketplace warehouse and it stores and ships them. FBS: the goods stay with you, and you pack and hand over each order yourself. The first saves time, but your stock and money sit in someone else’s warehouse. The second keeps you in control, and makes you answer for every order.

4. What you need to register. Which legal status is required, which documents you upload, how long the application takes. Knowing this early lets you plan a realistic start date.

5. How buyers find you. Catalogue search, recommendations, promotions, ads. Ask what a new shop looks like in its first days: on many platforms ranking depends on sales history, and a newcomer has none.

6. What the seller dashboard offers. Bulk product upload via Excel, shipping orders in batches, reports, buyer chat, separate permissions for staff. With a hundred products these tools save hours every day.

Live selling as a separate criterion#

In a regular catalogue the buyer decides from photos and a description. In a live stream you show the product in motion and answer the question on the spot. For clothing, cosmetics, shoes and anything where size matters, the difference is real: the buyer sees the thing they were unsure about.

So ask about live tools too: can you schedule a stream in advance, set a price that applies only during the stream, and see the results afterwards. If you are new to going live, read how to prepare for your first stream.

How Dona answers these questions#

Dona is a live-shopping marketplace, and its answers follow from that:

• Commission is set per product category and shown in the seller dashboard for each product.
• Revenue is credited to the seller’s balance; the payout schedule and withdrawal terms are shown in the dashboard.
• Stock stays with the seller: when an order comes in, you pack it and hand it to the courier, with no separate warehouse required.
• Registration is possible in the app or on the web. On the web at seller.dona.uz: a phone number and an SMS code, then a five-step online application. There is no fee to register.
• Buyers find you through the catalogue and live streams.
• The dashboard has bulk upload via Excel, batch shipping, sales analytics, buyer chat and staff roles.

Step-by-step guide: opening a shop on Dona. Page for sellers: dona.uz/en/seller.

One platform or several#

Selling on several marketplaces is allowed, and many sellers do it. But each platform is a separate job: its own stock, its own prices, its own orders. Master one first, then add a second once the process runs smoothly. Tracking stock by hand in two places is the most common source of mistakes, so check whether the platform integrates with inventory software.