Being present across multiple e-commerce channels allows brands to reach consumers at different stages of their shopping journey. As each channel offers distinct roles and business value, brands need to assess whether to expand into new channels or optimise existing ones.
Exploring Three Channels in the E-Commerce Ecosystem
1. Marketplace: Broad Market Access Amid Intense Competition
A marketplace is a digital platform that brings together sellers and buyers within a shared transaction ecosystem. This channel enables brands to reach an established consumer base through existing transaction infrastructure and promotional features.
According to a report published by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in 2025, the value of e-commerce transactions conducted through marketplaces in Indonesia reached IDR 203.58 trillion in 2024. This scale highlights the significant role of marketplaces in Indonesia's digital commerce landscape. However, broad market access also brings intense competition, making product visibility, pricing strategies, and customer reviews important factors in maintaining competitiveness amid an extensive range of choices.
2. Brand-Owned Website: Personalising the Customer Experience
A brand-owned website is a digital channel controlled directly by a brand to provide product information, facilitate transactions, and build direct relationships with consumers.
Throughout the consumer shopping journey, this channel also serves as one of the sources of information used before making purchasing decisions. Its role in product research is reflected in GWI research (2026), as reported by DataReportal, which found that 32.9% of adult internet users globally visit brand or product websites to research products before making a purchase.
Through this channel, brands have greater flexibility in managing the shopping experience and personalising services, while still needing strategies to attract visitors and optimise conversions.
3. Social Commerce: How Interaction Influences Purchasing Decisions
Social commerce refers to digital commerce activities that integrate social interactions with shopping experiences through content, creators, and live shopping. Beyond facilitating purchases by consumers with an existing intention to buy, this channel also enables product discovery through content that captures attention and generates purchase interest.
According to Mordor Intelligence (2026), Indonesia's social commerce market is estimated to reach USD 9.81 billion in 2026. This development reflects the growing scale of commerce driven by social interactions, while highlighting content relevance, creator credibility, and customer experience as important considerations for brand.
3 Key Considerations for Brands When Selecting E-Commerce Channels
Within the context of omnichannel commerce, integrated channel management plays an important role in creating consistent customer experiences across different touchpoints. With this in mind, brands should consider three key factors when determining their channel strategies:
1. Consumer Behaviour
The consumer shopping journey can involve several stages, from information discovery and product evaluation to completing a transaction. Therefore, brands need to understand how consumers use different channels at each stage to determine the most appropriate approach.
2. Business Objectives and Channel Growth Potential
Each channel should be evaluated based on its ability to support business priorities, whether expanding market reach, increasing conversions, or strengthening customer loyalty. In this context, performance analysis is essential for understanding the contribution of each channel.
3. Operational Readiness
Managing multiple channels requires coordination across inventory management, order processing, marketing, and customer service. Brands therefore need to ensure that the necessary systems and resources are in place to maintain efficient sales operations and consistent customer experiences.
Optimising E-Commerce Channel Potential with an E-Commerce Enabler
Determining the appropriate combination of e-commerce channels must be accompanied by the operational readiness to manage sales activities across each channel. In this context, an e-commerce enabler can serve as a strategic partner supporting business needs through technology, operational management, and business development strategies.
Through its end-to-end commerce solutions, SIRCLO Commerce supports brands in managing e-commerce operations across multiple channels, in line with operational requirements and business growth priorities.