How to create your own online store on Prom.ua?

Today, more and more entrepreneurs in Ukraine are striving to go online to get traffic from all parts of our country. And the easiest way to do it is to register an online store on Prom.ua.

According to Similarweb statistics, Prom is visited by more than 48 million people every month, which significantly exceeds the indicators of its main competitors – Rozetka, Epicentrk.ua and Bigl.ua.

High popularity makes this marketplace a worthy alternative to its own site. Today it is enough for small and medium-sized businesses to simply register an account on this site to increase the number of sales and increase turnover. Next, let’s understand how to create an online store on Prom.ua and what it requires.

What is Prom.ua?

Prom.ua is the largest all-Ukrainian marketplace, which was founded as early as 2008. Here sellers can create their own online stores and sell products to the widest audience (the site’s attendance has been growing steadily in recent years).

Practically everything can be found on Prom – clothes, smartphones, household chemicals and appliances, automobile components, furniture, and much more. There are more than 100 million items from tens of thousands of companies from all over Ukraine.

The peculiarity of the service is that it offers both retail buyers (B2C) and wholesale buyers (B2B). This makes the site attractive to different categories of buyers and distinguishes it from competitors like Rozetka and Bigl.ua, which are focused mainly on retail customers.

How much does it cost to create an online store on Prom.ua?

After creating an online store on Prom.ua, all users will first activate the trial version of the maximum package of services, which will be valid for a week. After that it is necessary to choose a suitable tariff plan (it depends on how many products you plan to sell through the catalog of the site). Available options are:

1. 1000 product positions. This is the most inexpensive package – for a year it will cost only 6700 UAH. It already includes 1300 UAH for promotion through the ProSale service.
2. 6000 goods. The average tariff plan costs 8700 UAH for a year. From them 2500 hryvnias can be spent on advertising placement through ProSale.
3. 10000 goods. The most expensive package will cost 13000 hryvnias for a year. Of these, UAH 4,000 is the budget for internal advertising in the platform’s catalog.

After the tariff is paid, you will immediately get access to Prom.ua catalog with a million potential buyers’ base, you will be able to set up and launch your website, as well as use the mobile application of the marketplace for iOS and Android to communicate with buyers and manage the resource.

At the same time, you don’t need programming or web design skills to launch a full-fledged store. In the admin area you will find a convenient constructor with many ready-made templates adapted for devices with any screen resolution – from smartphones to personal computers.

Your online resource will be placed on the official Prom.ua domain, which will ensure high trust from Internet users and good positions in the search engine.

What commissions does Prom platform charge sellers?

The marketplace charges a commission for each sold unit of goods from the catalog, as well as for clicks on embedded advertising blocks. The amount of commission, which is called “Rate” here, depends on the type and category of products sold.

For example, for “Underwear” the rate is only 1%, while for “Phone Cases” it is 15.6%. Selling more competitive and popular products, you will have to give the service a larger share of revenue.

In addition to the basic rate, there are additional promotion modes – “More Sales” and “Turbo”. By activating them, you agree to an increase in the commission charged in exchange for higher positions in the catalog. Thus, if you choose the “More sales” option, the rate will increase to 19.5%, and if you choose “Turbo” – to 23.4%.

On the other hand, you can choose the “Economy” mode, where the rate will be half as low as the standard one. But it is important to realize that the savings are achieved at the expense of a lower priority for displays. This option is suitable for a narrow niche with little competition. However, if at least one competitor will promote a similar product at a standard rate, it will always be shown higher in the catalog.

Can I trade on Prom.ua for free?

Unfortunately, a full-fledged free package of services is not provided here. However, after registering on the marketplace, you are given a seven-day test period, allowing you to familiarize yourself with all the possibilities of the platform.

At the same time, you cannot make sales – products are not included in the general catalog during this period. To start earning, you need to pay for one of the available tariffs. Only then will access to product placement and the entire functionality of the service be granted.

If for some reason the paid package is not extended, the site will automatically be transferred to the free placement mode. But you should realize that this entails serious limitations:

1. All PRO features available on subscription will be disabled.
2. The online store will display a maximum of 10 products, regardless of the actual assortment.
3. Products will no longer be shown in the general catalog, which will greatly reduce traffic.
4. The shopping cart will be disabled – people will be able to leave an order exclusively by phone.

Moreover, when you switch to free mode, your online store will look completely different. The design will change to a standard color scheme (you won’t be able to change it in the settings), and ads of competing companies will start to appear on product pages.

Advantages of Prom compared to a classic online store

1. Savings on development and hosting. To create your own site from scratch, you will need the services of a web designer, layout designer and programmer. For many aspiring entrepreneurs, such costs are unacceptable. Here this problem is solved with the help of the built-in constructor. With its help, you can independently create a full-fledged online store, link your domain to it, without having to pay separately for hosting.
2. Quick Launch. Registering a website based on ready-made templates will take very little time. The whole process from registration to receiving your first order is usually completed in one week. During this time you can have time to activate a paid tariff, undergo site moderation, learn how to work with the admin panel and add your products. When starting a business from scratch on another CMS, it can take from a couple of months to six months before sales start.
3. It is convenient to add products. You can bulk import products from Excel (xls/xlsx), XML and YML files. In other words, you can ask suppliers for ready-made price lists with full description of the assortment, characteristics, price lists, stock quantities and directly upload them to Prom. Thanks to the import option, adding even a few thousand items becomes a quick and easy operation.
4. Useful additional options. For example, it is possible to receive notifications of new orders by email and sms. There is also a mobile application available to the business owner, allowing incoming requests to be processed directly from a smartphone. It would be much more complicated and expensive to set up all these options when developing your own online resource.
5. Built-in advertising tools. For example, you can advertise in the internal product catalog through the ProSale system. With its help, you can display your offers on top positions in categories, search results and recommendation blocks. Payment is made either for clicks to the product card (CPC) or by a percentage of the order amount (CPA). The cost of a click in ProSale is usually 3-5 times lower than in Google Ads for similar topics. In addition, the service itself constantly attracts traffic with the help of contextual advertising and promotion in organic output. A classic site would have to set up and pay for these channels separately.
6. Favorable conditions from partners. Marketplace cooperates with the largest transportation services and payment systems of Ukraine – Novaya Pochta, Ukrposhta, PrivatBank, Liqpay. Thanks to this, you can always count on special discounts and rates that will be lower than when working with these services directly.
7. Simple registration. Unlike Rozetka, Prom does not require mandatory submission of FOP documentation to start work. Moreover, you can link both a company current account and a personal bank card to your profile. This makes it much easier for small businesses and self-employed people to get started.
8. Buyer Rating. Reviews on Prom can be left not only for the seller. There is an opportunity to evaluate and buyers, as well as to see the profile of the client before confirming the transaction. This helps to avoid unscrupulous customers and protect against possible problems from their side when sending cash on delivery.
9. PromPayment. This payment method is similar in essence to OLX delivery from a well-known bulletin board in Ukraine. After placing an order, the money is reserved on a separate account and transferred to the seller only after the parcel is received by the customer. If the latter refuses the purchase, the funds are instantly returned to his account. PromPay serves as a kind of insurance and ensures comfortable and safe purchases for both parties to the transaction.

Are there any disadvantages of sites on the Prom.ua platform?

1. Difficulties with SEO-promotion. There are no opportunities for full-fledged optimization for search engines. Even though there is an internal SEO module in the Prom admin, it will not be possible to fully optimize the site to get tangible results in the organic results. In addition, product pages and categories can be poorly indexed by Google. The main emphasis in promotion has to be placed on advertising within the marketplace through the ProSale system.
2. The store does not belong to you. For example, it cannot be transferred to another hosting or CMS, and in case of non-payment it will be disabled. If there are any technical problems on the Prom side (and judging by user reviews, this is not uncommon), you will not be able to influence the situation in any way. You will have to wait until the problems are fixed, and only then resume trading. By developing your store on Prom, you are actually investing in the marketplace itself, not in your own independent business asset. All accumulated data is stored on Prom servers and is not available for uploading. If you stop paying for the platform services, you risk losing access to the entire order history and product base at any moment.
3. Duplication of content. If you already have a separate online resource, and you plan to develop your business on Prom in parallel, you will have to create unique content for both sites. Placing the same descriptions and characteristics will negatively affect the indexing of both services by search engines. In fact, you will have to run two independent businesses with the same assortment and prepare twice as much content.
4. Limited functionality. Websites on Prom.ua usually look uniform, and in terms of visual appeal they can be inferior to stores on other CMS. In addition, because of the closed source code it is impossible to refine the functionality and integrate the online store with third-party services, such as CRM or accounting systems. Yes, the choice of templates here is sufficient, but you can not show individuality and add your own graphic elements – access to CSS files for editing is simply not available. Premium themes for an additional fee slightly improve the situation, but over time they can also become outdated.
5. Stiff price competition. In most topics there are a lot of dropshippers offering the same products with identical descriptions and photos. In such a situation, the only competitive advantage is the price, which provokes dumping and a decrease in margins. The consumer has only to choose the cheapest offer from a dozen identical ones. In such a “race for survival” it is difficult for small businesses to compete with large wholesalers.
6. Low trust on the part of clients. Due to the presence on Prom a considerable number of unscrupulous sellers and outright fraudsters, the overall image of the site leaves much to be desired. Many people are prejudiced against stores that do not have a separate site, considering them unreliable. It is especially hard for newcomers who do not yet have reviews and a good rating. And it can be very difficult to gain trust here.
7. Blackmail by customers. The system of ratings and reviews, designed to help visitors choose a verified seller, can sometimes play a cruel joke with the seller. Thus, an unscrupulous client can “ask” to reduce the price, threatening otherwise spoil your rating with a negative review. In the absence of a clear mechanism of arbitration on this site, you have, albeit a small, but a chance to be hostage to such a situation.

In what cases it is worth creating an online store on Prom.ua?

Marketplaces are excellent:

1. For inexpensive goods in niches with little competition. A low price will help overcome customers’ doubts and encourage them to buy, even in the absence of a promoted brand. In niches with low competition, it will be easier for you to stand out among other companies due to high-quality product descriptions and photos.
2. For large wholesalers as an additional source of traffic. Due to favorable wholesale prices and large inventory you can successfully compete with other businesses and attract both retail customers and small wholesale customers.
3. To test demand for new products. If you are a manufacturer and want to test the demand for this or that product, Prom is exactly what you need. By opening a test store, you will be able to assess the reaction of the CA with minimal investment, collect all the necessary statistics and adjust the assortment.
4. For beginning entrepreneurs. If you are just trying your hand at online commerce and have a limited budget, Prom will be the optimal starting point.
5. As an addition to your main online store. Even if you already have a full-fledged website, presence on Prom will give an additional inflow of target audience.

How to create an online store on Prom.ua on your own?

Thanks to the clear interface and detailed instructions, even a novice user without special technical knowledge can create an online store on Prom.ua by himself.

Registering on the platform

First, go to the “Register as a seller” section. Here you will need to enter your email and create a strong password. Make sure you use a working email, as you will need it to restore your account and contact your personal platform manager, especially at the beginning. From the drop-down list, select “Just starting my business”:

Next, it is necessary to come up with a company name. Before entering the name, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules of filling to avoid possible difficulties in the future and to ensure that the store meets the standards of the trading platform.

Finally, enter a phone number. It is strongly recommended to use a real and up-to-date phone number, as it will allow you to restore access to your account if necessary. It will also serve as a channel to contact your personal manager.

Adding products

First of all, you need to think about the structure of the store. Suppose you sell products from different categories – think about how best to sort them to ensure convenience for customers. Determine which categories and subcategories to place in the main menu, and what other sections are needed on the site.

All product items should contain the most complete and accurate information:

1. The name of the product. It should be clear at first reading and preferably unique. At the same time, do not give the same name to similar products, so as not to confuse customers. Remember – the name is indexed by search engines, which means that it must be relevant to the queries of potential customers to be able to get organic traffic to the site of the store.
2. Cost. Always specify the current price at the moment. If necessary, you can add a discount for a particular item later.
3. Characteristics. It is important to specify the main features of the product – size, color, material, features, brand, etc. Imagine that you are a buyer and think about what would be really important for you to know about the product.
4. Description. Write a short but informative text describing the benefits and features of the product. Make it as clear and concise as possible. Here you can also use lists and bold important points.
5. Product photo. We advise you to place 2-3 photos from different angles. Be sure to choose high quality images so that buyers can enlarge them and see the details.

You will be able to upload the product range in the following ways:

1. Manually through the administrative panel of the platform.
2. Add a ready-made table with products in Excel format.
3. Import XML or YML files (usually used by suppliers or dropshippers).

The latter option is especially convenient when you have to work simultaneously with several marketplaces (for example, Bigl, Rozetka, Epicentr). This way you can use the same price list for different platforms without wasting unnecessary time and effort.

Filling in contact details

The more information you provide about the company, the better. Be sure to include the office address and phone numbers. It will be a significant plus if you have a separate number for all mobile operators, because customers will be able to call you for free regardless of whether they use Vodafone, Kyivstar or Lifecell. This information will be displayed in the “About Company” section, as well as duplicated in the “Seller Information” section.

Upon completion of registration, you can upload documents confirming the registration of FOP or legal entity. This will allow you to add the “Availability of documents” sign to the store pages, and it can significantly increase the confidence of customers. Also, don’t forget to fill in the “Company details” section. This is necessary so that you can keep accounting records and invoice your customers.

Payment and shipping

Statistics show that about 45% of buyers refuse to place an order because of high shipping rates, and about 60% do not complete the purchase when they do not find a familiar method of payment.

Therefore, it is important to add as many carriers as possible – Ukrposhta, Novaya Pochta, Meest Express. The more convenient and reliable payment and delivery methods you offer, the higher the probability that one-time visitors will become your regular customers.

In general, the platform allows you to add up to 10 different payment methods and delivery options so that customers can choose the most convenient option. There are also separate modules for sending invoices and providing an opportunity to issue a credit for goods.

Choosing a design

Statistics show that about 50% of customers will not return to the site if they do not like its design, and about 40% of customers form an opinion about the company based on the visual design of its online store.

For sites on Prom.ua for design you can:

• Use a free editor. There are several standard templates here, from which you can choose the most suitable one, and then slightly personalize it by putting your logo and choosing the colors of the main elements. This option is suitable if you are new to online sales and want to quickly launch the store without additional costs.
• Choose a paid design from the catalog (contains more than 3000 variants). Paid template should be considered only if you seriously plan to develop your business on this platform. To test the niche, you can also stop at one of the free options

Important! Since the source code of the platform is closed, you will not be able to edit the HTML and CSS of the selected template. You will have to work with the variant offered by the system.