Selling on platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop has become the fastest way to start online. With millions of active users already browsing, businesses don’t need to build an audience from zero — the customers are already there.

But here’s the painful truth many sellers eventually realize:

📌 The longer you rely only on marketplace platforms, the more expensive and risky your business becomes.

From rising ad costs to platform rules, commissions and limited control, many brands are now shifting to hybrid strategy:

👉 Marketplace to attract customers

👉 Own ecommerce store to retain them

This blog post explores why building your own ecommerce store reduces long-term marketing costs — and how brands selling on Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop can benefit.

The Hidden Cost of Selling on Marketplace Platforms

At first, marketplace platforms seem cheap… even free.

But as you scale, costs start stacking up:

💰 Platform Fees

Marketplace platforms charge:

Sales commission

Transaction fees

Referral fees

Performance or listing fees (varies by category)

A RM50 product may end up earning only RM30–35 after deductions.

📈 Increasing Advertising Costs

Competition is rising — especially in categories like beauty, gadgets, snacks, and home products.

To beat competitors, sellers need to:

• Run paid ads
• Boost listings
• Pay for vouchers
• Lower prices to win Buy Box

Some sellers now spend 30–50% of product price on ads, just to stay visible.

🛑 Zero Ownership of Customers

Marketplace platforms own your customer data, not you.

Meaning:

• You can’t message customers freely
• You can’t remarket after purchase
• You can’t build a long-term relationship

So every repeat order costs you another round of ads.

Your business becomes dependent on the platform — not scalable on its own.

How Having Your Own Ecommerce Store Reduces Cost

When customers buy from your website, something powerful happens:

✔️ You keep customer data

✔️ You can remarket for free

✔️ You control discounts and pricing

✔️ You save on commissions

With email marketing, WhatsApp automation, loyalty rewards and retargeting — you turn costly customers into cheap repeat customers.

Real Example: Marketplace + Website Strategy

Platform First Purchase Cost Repeat Purchase Cost

Shopee/TikTok RM10–RM25 (ads, fees) RM10–RM25 (again)

Your Website RM10–RM25 (first time) RM0–RM3 (email, WhatsApp remarketing)

🚀 A business with its own ecommerce presence can build repeat sales without constantly paying marketplace fees.

Brands That Successfully Transitioned

Many Malaysian brands follow this scaling model:

• Start selling on Shopee/TikTok to get fast traction
• Run branded packaging (QR, loyalty card, discount code)
• Send customers to your website for second purchase

Build WhatsApp list + loyalty program

Earn profit from repeat customers — not ads

Result?

📌 Lower marketing cost

📌 Higher profit margin

📌 Stable long-term customer base

The Future: Omni-Channel Selling

The best strategy is not to leave marketplaces — but to use them wisely.

Best Model:

1. Marketplace for traffic
2. Website for retention
3. Loyalty system for repeat purchase

When done right, this creates:

• Brand loyalty
• Lower customer acquisition cost
• Higher lifetime value (LTV)

This is how small online sellers evolve into scalable ecommerce brands.

Conclusion: Stop Renting Your Business — Start Owning It

Selling on Shopee and TikTok Shop is a great starting point — but relying solely on them is risky and expensive long-term.

A branded ecommerce website:

✅ Protects your pricing

✅ Builds loyal customers

✅ Reduces marketing cost

✅ Increases profit margin

Want to Build Your Ecommerce Store Without Complicated Setup?

💡 The Viral Niaga App helps businesses launch ecommerce + loyalty system all in one place — perfect for converting marketplace customers into repeat buyers.