You need more than a product, great photos and some text to sell products online. Brand owners need to make sure they are on a platform that is right for their products. And when you have the place, will you know how to keep control of your brand? How to expand into new marketplaces?

One way that consumers are choosing online products is by personalization. A Forbes article shares that personalization on ecomm sites is achieved by showing content, product recommendations and specific offers based on consumers’ browsing behavior, previous actions, prior purchase history, customer demographics and other enriched personal data.

Ecommerce doesn’t have a retail salesperson as in traditional stores. Human touch-points provide many opportunities to beat out the competition. And brand owners and retailers can mimic what a consumer’s in-store experience would be through a personalized customer journey online.

In addition to a personalized experience, consumers want to see more than just a flat photo on a computer screen. Try 360-degree viewing images that let potential buyers view all angles of the product, since the value of touch and feel is not available.

Customers spend 48% more when their shopping experience is personalized. As well, 57% of online shoppers are comfortable with sharing their personal information with a brand if it benefits their shopping experience.

Pattern is an ecommerce platform that works on the back end of things as an industry partner for global ecommerce. With 18 global locations, Pattern uses its proprietary technology and data-driven insights to help brands deliver profitable ecommerce growth on their own websites and marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Tmall, JD.com and Mercado Libre. Pattern was named one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. by Inc. 5000.

Pattern believes in the role of a partnership, not an agency. The firm was founded in 2013 by David Wright and Melanie Alder first started the business in Lehi, Utah, by selling refrigerator magnets and other small products as iServe on Amazon. Today, Pattern has become an industry leader in ecommerce intelligence, sales optimization, marketplace management and global expansion.

Here is Pattern’s 5-step partnership process:

1. Buy Your Inventory: They buy a customer’s inventory of what will sell in the first few months. As it sells, they buy more.

2. Sell Your Product: The company’s team of experts, including brand managers, digital marketers and creatives serve as an extension of your team, to sell your products on Amazon, Walmart.com, JD.com, eBay, Google Shopping and the like.

3. In-House Fulfillment: Fulfillment is performed in-house as well. The global distributions teams take care of quality control and customers simultaneously. They offer FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon), FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) or WFS (Walmart Fulfillment Services) with over 75 quality controls such as cold shipping.

4. Achieve Growth & Control: Using data insights from the company’s proprietary software allows strategies for revenue growth and brand control.

5. Global Expansion: When Amazon and/or other marketplaces are growing, Pattern looks at expansion opportunities and other marketplaces for the customer’s product line.

According to Websitesetup.org, popular paid ecommerce platforms for 2020 include Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Zyro and Volusion. In the non-paid space, WooCommerce, Magento Open Source, Prestashop and Open Cart were named tops. Thus, there are many paid and free options with varied pricing plans, features, and level of management and customer service.

Of course, it depends on your company needs, budget and product line — and where you want to take your product line — on which to select. Visit the platforms named above for information on each. If you have your own in-house team that does it all, congratulations! Your business is already ahead of the curve.