Brazilian micro and small businesses generated R$ 67 billion in e-commerce in 2024, a record growth of over 1200% in five years, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services (MDIC) based on Revenue Service records.
For Reginaldo Stocco, CEO of vhsys — a technology company specializing in online business management solutions — this progress suggests that small retailers are finally migrating to marketplaces. However, the executive believes that many of them still stumble on common pitfalls that undermine the returns of this digital transformation.
“It’s exciting to see this movement, but many still lose themselves precisely in those details that will define who truly takes off,” says Reginaldo. Below, the expert highlights three classic but decisive mistakes that can undermine small entrepreneurs’ results:
1. Not pricing with a holistic view
Many retailers set prices by only looking at competitors, without considering marketplace fees, shipping costs, or margin strategy.What to do: calculate the final price based on the total cost of operation. Use comparative tools and don’t sacrifice profitability for momentary visibility.
2. Lack of professional descriptions and images
Ads with low-quality photos or generic texts won’t convince those who don’t know your brand yet.What to do: invest in sharp photos, varied angles, and clear descriptions. Highlight benefits, usage, differentiators, and keywords that help with the platform’s internal search.
3. Manual inventory and order management
Manual updates leave room for errors: sold-out products remain listed, orders are delayed, and reputation suffers.What to do: integrate your system (ERP or management platform) with the marketplace to automatically sync inventory and order status and avoid unpleasant surprises for the customer.
