If you sell products you don’t manufacture yourself, finding reliable suppliers is one of the most crucial aspects of your business. While many companies turn to Chinese wholesale juggernaut Alibaba for inexpensive goods available in bulk, there are downsides to consider. Goods shipped from China can entail long delivery times, high shipping costs, and potential tariffs for the importer.

Product quality can also be an issue, as disreputable or fraudulent suppliers can make their way onto the platform. Finally, there may simply be more competitive prices elsewhere—if you know where to look. Read on to learn about popular alternatives to Alibaba.

What is Alibaba?

Alibaba is a business-to-business (B2B) online marketplace designed for merchants and retailers to purchase products in bulk, mostly from Chinese manufacturers and wholesalers. Ecommerce store owners can also use Alibaba to source and connect with suppliers who offer a dropshipping relationship.

The platform lets buyers research potential suppliers, negotiate prices, and collaborate with manufacturers to produce private-label products. By purchasing items in large quantities from Alibaba, merchants can potentially lower their product-sourcing costs. Buyers can also identify verified suppliers with a good reputation based on their past transactions on the platform.

8 Alibaba alternatives

• Shopify Collective
• IndiaMART
• Thomasnet
• tradeKorea
• Wholesale Central
• Trendsi
• DHgate
• Amazon Business

Here are a few of the largest and most reliable sites to consider if you’re looking for alternatives:

Shopify Collective

Shopify Collective connects US-based Shopify merchants with retailers who want to sell their products using the dropshipping model. All transactions take place within the Shopify ecosystem, so it’s easy to connect with reliable suppliers, add high-quality products to your online store, and make sales using Shopify Payments, a secure gateway that processes multiple payment methods like credit cards and digital wallets.

Shopify Collective accepts only suppliers who have an active Shopify store and accept Shopify Payments, which involves meeting Shopify Payments’ terms of service. Since only legitimate Shopify merchants can become suppliers on Shopify Collective, the platform has a higher standard for suppliers than Alibaba.

Pricing: Shopify Collective is a free tool for eligible Shopify merchants who submit an application to join the marketplace on the Shopify admin dashboard. You can create a Shopify account for $1 per month for the first three months.

IndiaMART

IndiaMART is a B2B marketplace that sources products primarily from Indian suppliers. Some suppliers also offer dropshipping services. Dropshippers can search through a variety of product categories on the platform, from semi-finished materials like textiles to consumer goods like clothing and cookware.

Buyers on IndiaMART can use its Post Your Requirement feature with a detailed request (including order quantities and location preferences) and get a list of supplier recommendations from the platform.

IndiaMART’s suppliers are primarily in India, while Alibaba’s are mostly in China, which can impact trade costs and shipping time frames. IndiaMART is especially useful for buyers based in India, while Alibaba has more experience with international export orders.

Pricing: Buyers and sellers can sign up and use IndiaMART for free; sellers can sign up for premium subscriptions to boost lead generation, visibility, verification, and targeting.

Thomasnet

Thomasnet is an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of industrial equipment and supplies throughout the US and Canada. Merchants that manufacture their products can use Thomasnet to find production equipment and raw materials like plastic or metal. Thomasnet also includes a catalog of suppliers selling finished goods like office supplies, framed art, and boom microphones.

Although Thomasnet does not include a dropshipping feature like Alibaba, it can help merchants discover new suppliers to contact for a dropshipping arrangement. Thomasnet generally implements higher quality standards for suppliers than Alibaba and offers buyers a Supplier Discover tool that includes advanced search options like location filters, side-by-side supplier comparisons, and Supplier Profile Summary Reports that merchants can use to evaluate different suppliers and choose the right fit.

Thomasnet vets the basic business information of suppliers applying for Thomas Registered Suppliers Badges, and goes a step further for Thomas Verified suppliers by validating their entire product catalog, which helps items rank higher on search results. Sellers with Supplier Badges place higher on the platform’s search results and collections.

Pricing: Thomasnet is a free platform for buyers, but there is a 4.5% marketplace fee for suppliers without a Supplier Badge, which is accessible through a premium paid subscription. There are two Supplier Badge options: a Thomas Registered Supplier Badge for $100 per month and a Thomas Verified Supplier Badge for $250 per month.

tradeKorea

Sourcing items primarily from South Korean suppliers, tradeKorea is a wholesale marketplace with more than 100,000 manufacturers selling bulk inventory and raw materials. Some of the most popular product categories on the platform include consumer electronics, beauty and wellness products, kitchen goods, and even fertilizer material like groundnut meal and palm bunch ash.

The platform offers a few unique features, including a B2B matchmaking process where buyers can submit a form with procurement requirements and receive supplier recommendations based on that information. By leaning on the expertise of manufacturers in South Korea, tradeKorea generally offers higher-quality and more expensive products than Alibaba, especially in certain industries like technology and textiles.

Pricing: tradeKorea is a free online marketplace.

Wholesale Central

Wholesale Central is a US-based B2B directory that lists global suppliers selling products in bulk, including health, beauty, and wellness products, jewelry, electronics, and apparel. Wholesale Central includes a wide range of primarily North American dropshipping suppliers on its platform, helping dropshipping merchants find and interact with suppliers directly.

Although Wholesale Central doesn’t have an in-site messaging feature like Alibaba, it offers a more user-friendly search engine for finding niche items like organic wellness products or specialized supplements from a curated list of US-based dropshipping suppliers, including a specific directory for trending products. Wholesale Central uses a paywall and verifies suppliers on the platform, which helps buyers avoid the types of supplier scams on more open marketplaces like Alibaba. It also provides a calendar of upcoming supplier trade shows in North America where merchants can meet potential suppliers in person.

Pricing: Wholesale Central is free for buyers; suppliers pay a fee starting at $299 for a six-month listing. The platform doesn’t handle transactions or collect any related fees.

Trendsi

Founded in 2020 and based in California, Trendsi is a marketplace focused on connecting dropshippers and retailers with clothing suppliers. Ecommerce merchants can download and list dropshipping products directly through Trendsi’s free app. Trendsi works with reliable suppliers based in the US as well as trusted overseas vendors to source apparel and fashion accessories.

While Alibaba includes a huge selection of product categories, Trendsi focuses on high-quality apparel and fashion accessories sourced from North American suppliers. Buyers on Trendsi have the option to dropship individual items as well as purchase inventory in bulk for discounts.

Pricing: The Trendsi app is free for buyers but takes a percentage of every sale made on the platform and charges for shipping.

DHgate

DHgate is a wholesale marketplace that primarily sources products from Chinese manufacturers. Like Alibaba, DHgate uses customer reviews and a rating system to vet supplier quality, but it’s ultimately up to merchants to choose legitimate suppliers on the platform and avoid scammers. DHgate focuses on bulk orders and wholesale, but its suppliers generally offer a lower minimum order quantity (MOQ) than those on Alibaba, meaning buyers can purchase fewer items and still receive bulk discounts.

For example, suppliers on Alibaba often list MOQ requirements of around 500 or even 1,000 units, whereas DHgate suppliers often list an MOQ of around 100 or 50 (some even have no MOQ at all). DHgate’s product search engine includes a minimum order filter that you can use to find suppliers with MOQs that fit your company’s inventory needs. This means DHgate can sometimes be a better product sourcing option for small companies that have limited inventory requirements or want to test out a new product line before purchasing bulk inventory.

Pricing: DHgate is free to use, but the company takes a percentage of the sale amount on transactions made through the platform.

Amazon Business

Amazon Business is a B2B online marketplace designed for small and medium-sized businesses to purchase bulk inventory online from hundreds of thousands of suppliers across the globe. You can find a wide range of products on the platform, from office supplies to industrial equipment, consumer electronics, and beauty products. Merchants can purchase bulk inventory from Amazon Business or choose suppliers on the platform who provide dropshipping services and handle order fulfillment. According to a 2024 survey, the majority of products sold on Amazon are manufactured in China, with the United States being the second largest producer, and India coming in third.

Amazon Business’s selection of wholesale suppliers and products is more international compared to Alibaba, which almost exclusively features products from Chinese suppliers. Additionally, shipping is generally faster on Amazon Business than Alibaba, especially for Amazon Business Prime members who can choose from two-day, one-day, or even same-day shipping for certain products. By contrast, Alibaba’s international shipments using air or sea freight can take anywhere from five to 40 days.

Pricing: An Amazon Business account is free to use, but Amazon does charge referral fees using two methods: either a percentage of the total price or a minimum amount of 30¢. Amazon chooses whichever method is higher. Referral fee percentages range from 3% to 45%, depending on the product category.

An Amazon Business Prime Essentials account starts at $179 a year. Benefits include faster shipping, free shipping for select items, discounts on some bulk purchases, and better analytics tools, although referral fees still apply to Amazon Business Prime sellers.

The goal of robotics technology within Amazon’s operations is simple: pair employees with the right technology to make their workday safer, easier, and more productive, while delivering packages to customers faster than ever.

The scaling of these systems has reached a new crescendo with the recent launch of Amazon’s next-generation, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Shreveport, Louisiana, equipped with the latest innovations in robotics to support employees who package and deliver customer orders. This site uses eight different robotics systems that work in harmony to support package fulfillment and delivery.

Additionally, Amazon Web Services cloud computing infrastructure enables these robots to operate efficiently by storing and processing rich data generated by sensors, cameras, and machine processes. Amazon plans to scale these robotics systems to existing facilities across the network.

“Years of innovation have allowed us to build, test, and scale this unique, highly integrated suite of robotics systems that work to support employees fulfilling customer orders,” said Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics. “Thanks to advancements in AI, these technologies integrate seamlessly, and will help us drive an estimated 25% productivity improvement at next-generation fulfillment facilities. This allows us to deliver more efficiently for customers, while supporting the employees who make it happen.”

Follow along the journey of the package through the eyes of the nine robots that are supporting the next generation of package fulfillment at Amazon.

1. Sequoia

Before orders are fulfilled, Amazon’s sophisticated inventory planning system ensures the right products are in fulfillment centers near customers. Then, Amazon’s robotic system, Sequoia, uses AI, robotics, and computer vision systems to consolidate inventory and free up storage at the site to facilitate faster order transactions closer to our customers.

Sequoia enables Amazon to identify and store inventory up to 75% faster at our fulfillment centers. It works by having mobile robots transport inventory directly to a containerized storage system or to an employee picking out items for a customer order.

Inventory is transported directly to employees at a workstation ergonomically situated for their power zone (between mid-thigh and mid-chest height), mitigating the need for employees to reach above their heads or squat down, which can lead to common workplace injuries.

2. Hercules

Next up, employees will use a variety of robotics systems to pick items for customer orders. Hercules is a drive unit that finds and brings pods of items from areas of the fulfillment center to employees who pick out items for customer orders before they are packaged.

Hercules makes key decisions about how it moves independently, but takes overall direction from centralized planning software. It then uses a forward-facing 3D camera to differentiate between people, pods, other robots, and other objects in its path to make safer decisions.

Hercules uses its camera to read a grid of encoded markers on the floor, which enables it to navigate, find its position, and locate any pod.

3. Titan

Similar to Hercules, Titan is another drive unit that brings items from across Amazon’s fulfillment centers directly to employees as they assemble customer orders. What’s special about Titan is that it can lift twice as much as Hercules, meaning it focuses on larger and/or bulkier items like small household appliances or pallets of food.

Titan picks up pods of totes and navigates through a restricted robotics floor using computer vision.

4. Vulcan

Vulcan is Amazon’s first robot with a sense of touch representing a fundamental leap forward in robotics. Working alongside employees, the robot can pick and stop items at the highest and lowest level of inventory pods, creating a safer and easier job for our workers, while moving orders more efficiently.

Built on key advances in robotics, engineering, and physical AI, Vulcan can easily manipulate objects within inventory pods to make room for whatever it’s stowing, because it knows when it makes contact and how much force it’s applying and can stop short of doing any damage.

Vulcan uses an “end of arm tooling” (what you might call a hand) that resembles a ruler stuck onto a hair straightener to grab items, but can also understand how much force to apply when picking it up.

For picking items from those bins, Vulcan uses an arm that carries a camera and a suction cup. The camera looks at the compartment and picks out the item to be grabbed, along with the best spot to hold it by.

While the suction cup grabs it, the camera watches to make sure it took the right item. It also has the smarts to identify when it can’t move a specific item, and can ask a human partner to tag in, helping us leveraging the best of what our technology and employees can achieve by working together.

Vulcan’s focus on the highest and lowest pods allows employees to work more efficiently in their ergonomic power zone instead of climbing up a ladder or crouching down. It can pick and stow approximately three quarters of all various types of items we store at our fulfillment centers and at speeds comparable to that our front-line employees. Vulcan works alongside our employees, and the combination is better than either on their own.

5. Sparrow

Sparrow is another robotic system that supports employees who aggregate items for customer orders. This robotic arm picks up and moves individual items from containers into specific totes to send off to employees before they’re packaged.

Sparrow uses computer vision and AI to identify the correct item and add it to the tote on its delivery journey.

6. Packaging Automation

Once all the items for a customer order are selected, Amazon uses a variety of packaging innovation systems to pack up customer orders with sustainability in mind.

This machine originally created plastic bags, but has been retrofitted to create made-to-fit paper bags. It uses sensors to measure an order’s dimensions and then creates a correctly sized, protective bag using a more durable, weather-resistant paper and heat-sealing technology.

This technology allows us to use curbside recyclable materials so more customers can recycle at home. We have retrofitted more than 120 of these machines across the U.S. in more than 20 fulfillment centers, helping us avoid more than 130 million plastic bags this year.

7. Robin

Once a package is boxed up, it starts to make its way to the outbound dock for the next leg of its journey to a customer’s doorstep. Robin was the first robotic arm ever deployed by Amazon Robotics, made to sort packages before they’re brought to the outbound dock to be placed on a truck.

Robin grabs packages from conveyor belts and puts them onto robotic drive units to be moved to the next part of the facility. It also transfers damaged packages to ensure optimal quality control.

8. Cardinal

Similar to Robin, Cardinal is a robotic arm that uses advanced AI and computer vision to quickly select one package out of a pile of packages delivered via a chute, lift it with air suction, read the label, and precisely place it into the appropriate cart before it’s brought to a truck in the loading dock.

Cardinal can handle packages up to 50 pounds, which helps reduce the risk of injury for employees who would normally have to pick up larger packages.

9. Proteus

Proteus is Amazon’s first fully autonomous mobile robot, meaning it can navigate freely throughout a site using sensors to detect and avoid objects in front of it. Other mobile robots, such as Titan and Hercules, are confined to areas where only authorized robotic specialists can enter, and read barcodes that are stickered to the floor as navigation coordinates.

Proteus works in conjunction with Cardinal—a robotic arm that loads packages into carts—to move those carts from the outbound dock area of the fulfillment center to the loading dock, where packages are loaded onto trucks.

To get a startup off the ground, entrepreneurs need boundless energy, a sense of mission, a great idea—and money.

The term “startup capital” may evoke images of the TV program Shark Tank or venture capitalists in sleek Silicon Valley office campuses. In reality, entrepreneurs and startup founders have many different paths to secure funding for startup costs. Here’s what startup capital is, how it works, and what to consider before using it.

What is startup capital?

Startup capital refers to the financial backing a startup business needs to operate and grow in its early stages. It includes both the initial investment of seed capital and any additional rounds or series of fundraising. You can use startup capital for operating expenses like developing products, hiring staff, buying equipment, or just paying the bills.

Entrepreneurs can explore many different ways to fund their startup companies. Many consider business loans from banks or borrowing against a business line of credit, which gives you the flexibility to borrow only when you need funds. Some turn to community support via crowdfunding or friends and family. Others tap into personal sources, such as savings and retirement accounts or borrow against their homes.

Startup capital vs. seed capital

“Startup capital” and “seed capital” are often used interchangeably, but they have important differences. Seed capital is the very first startup funding a company receives to begin operations. Seed funding is often used for the initial costs of business operations like market research, product prototype development, and early marketing efforts. Startup capital, on the other hand, broadly encompasses all financial resources a growing business needs, including seed stage backing and later rounds of fundraising.

Both start-up and seed capital can come from various sources, such as angel investors, venture capitalists, investment banks, major corporations, private equity firms, or your own funds.

10 types of startup capital

1. Bank/credit union loan
2. SBA-backed loan
3. Business credit card
4. Crowdfunding
5. Grants
6. Personal savings
7. Friends and family
8. Venture capitalists and angel investors
9. Home equity loan
10. Retirement savings

A business owner can consider multiple ways to fund a new business, and you may use several simultaneously or at different stages of your business ventures. Each funding option has advantages and disadvantages, with some being more accessible to brand-new businesses than others:

1. Bank/credit union loan

Many financial institutions, such as banks, credit unions, and online lenders, offer small business loans to help start or expand your business. These funds may be a lump sum or a revolving line of credit you can use for any business expense. However, securing traditional loans can be challenging if you’ve been in business for less than a year. You will likely need to provide a personal guarantee, meaning you are personally responsible if your business can’t make loan payments.

2. SBA-backed loan

SBA loans are also issued by traditional banks, credit unions, and online lenders—but with a US Small Business Administration guarantee, which may help new businesses qualify more easily. These loans range from $50,000 microloans to as much as $5 million for larger projects. They often come with benefits like low down payments, competitive interest rates, and sometimes minimal collateral requirements—or are assets the lender can take if you don’t repay the loan. But the approval process is often lengthy and complex, and like traditional bank loans, you will need to provide a personal guarantee.

3. Business credit card

A business credit card can be a simple way to fund startup costs, especially if you have excellent personal credit. They work similarly to personal credit cards and typically provide features to help you track purchases, manage employee cards, and download financial data. But just like that personal credit card, it’s easy to run up high-interest debt if you’re not careful. You’ll need to generate revenue sufficient to pay the monthly bill.

4. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding involves raising capital from many individual donors via websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. You might offer donors a reward (like a product) or provide a stake in the company through equity crowdfunding. This approach not only raises funds but also helps validate your business concept and build an early customer base.

5. Grants

Local, state, and federal governments may offer various small business grants that don’t require repayment. Many aim to fund businesses founded by underrepresented groups like minorities or women, those located in economically depressed areas, or specific industries, like agriculture. Check state and local government sites, local business advocacy groups, and the federal grants database at grants.gov. Note that competition for these grants is often intense, particularly for new companies with unproven business models.

6. Personal savings

Using only your personal savings is called bootstrapping, from the adage “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.” If you have enough savings, using your own money may let you avoid taking on interest-bearing business debt. However, financial planners generally recommend you maintain at least three to six months of living expenses in an emergency fund before investing personal savings in a business venture.

7. Friends and family

If friends and relatives have the means, they might consider lending you money for your business. If you go this route, clearly define expectations on both sides and create a formal agreement that outlines terms and conditions. While this funding source can be more accessible and flexible than traditional options, mixing personal relationships with financial arrangements requires careful navigation.

8. Venture capitalists and angel investors

Angel investors are wealthy individuals who provide seed money using their own funds, while venture capitalists invest in early stage businesses on behalf of venture capital firms. Generally, these professional investors are providing startup capital in exchange for an equity stake in high-growth companies. You may attract investors and receive equity financing with a unique idea and solid business plan; however, only a very small percentage of startups receive venture capital funding, with estimates ranging from 0.05% to 1%.

9. Home equity loan

If your company can’t qualify for a standard business loan, you might consider a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC). How much funding you receive depends on your home value. Lenders usually let you borrow as much as 80% to 90% of your home’s market value—minus your outstanding mortgage balance. While these loans often have lower interest rates than a standard business loan, they put your home at risk—if you can’t make your payments, the lender can foreclose on your property.

10. Retirement savings

If other funding sources aren’t possible, another alternative is dipping into your retirement savings. Withdrawing from an individual retirement account (IRA) incurs income taxes that can range from 10% to 37%—plus a 10% penalty if you’re younger than 59 and a half years old. Some 401(k) plans let you borrow up to 50% of your account value for any purpose (maximum $50,000 within 12 months), with repayment plus interest required within five years. Carefully evaluate the impact of withdrawals as part of your comprehensive retirement planning.

Advantages and disadvantages of startup capital

No matter the source of your funding, raising startup capital has advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages

• Access to critical financial resources. Startup capital is what gets your business up and running, letting you invest in operational necessities like product development, research, market research, and staff.

• Ability to scale faster. When you have multiple, flexible funding sources, you can pounce on opportunities to expand your business.

• Reduced personal risk. If you secure funding externally, you may avoid putting personal assets—like your savings, your retirement accounts, or your home—at risk in the event of business setbacks.

Disadvantages

• Less control. Accepting money from equity crowdfunders and investors typically means providing them with shares in your company. Many investors want a say in decision-making and strategic direction, which can limit your freedom as a founder.

• Debt. If you raise funds using credit cards and loans, you typically will have to repay that money with interest—which can add significant financial pressure and limit your ability to reinvest any earnings into the business.

• Pressure to perform. When you raise money from external investors, you’re beholden to others. Investors typically expect a return on their investment, which can add pressure and stress, and if you miss a growth milestone, you may have trouble raising more capital in a future funding round.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to sharpen social media marketing strategies isn’t new—companies have been using AI-powered content recommendations and ad targeting since the early 2000s. But the arrival of more advanced AI tools is having an undeniable impact on how brands use social media: 66% of marketers say that AI has improved their influencer marketing campaigns, while 63% reported an increase in revenue.

Since their introduction, AI applications in social media have evolved to include advanced analytics, logo recognition, and, most notably, content creation at unprecedented scale. Experts project that by 2026, roughly half of all social media posts by businesses will be generated by AI. But James Nord, founder of Fohr, an influencer marketing platform, doesn’t see AI as a replacement for human creativity; he sees it as a tool to enhance it.

“We gave everyone in the world a camera [in their smartphones], but there’s really only a small number of people who can use that tool to tell interesting stories that are worth consuming—AI is the same.” The key for brands, James emphasizes, is connecting with your audience through storytelling. Read on to learn how to unlock the ROI of AI social media tools while fostering an authentic connection with your audience.

Top new uses of AI in social media

• Sophisticated data analysis
• Image generation and filtering
• Text generation and copywriting
• Virtual influencers
• Scaling influencer engagement

As both analytical and generative AI tools have evolved, their capabilities are redefining what’s possible in social media marketing and content creation. But just because these capabilities are trending now doesn’t mean they have staying power.

Emerging uses for AI in social media include:

Sophisticated data analysis

AI can analyze vast amounts of data and produce insights more quickly than previous technology, enabling brands to analyze user behavior in more nuanced ways.

Here’s an example. Knowing when and how to post—a foundational element of social media strategies—is no longer a matter of guesswork. AI can track user behavior and engagement patterns to pinpoint the highest-performing content and recommend the optimal times to publish social media posts, thereby increasing visibility and audience engagement.

At Fohr, James and his team take this a step further, using AI to analyze content and audience sentiment at scale. Within their proprietary influencer marketing app, James’s team uses AI to categorize their creators’ content (e.g., travel, parenting, outdoor, fashion), identify the highest-performing creators within a specific category at any given moment, and report emerging trends to clients.

“If you look across, say, 50 influencers’ posts, you might be able to say, ‘When your face is in it, it does 20% better, but when it’s just a photo of a landscape, it doesn’t do as well,” James says. “AI can help you understand what seems to be working across all these different people and these tens of thousands of posts.”

But he also emphasizes the importance of achieving statistical significance with a big, diverse data set, and cautions creators and strategists from overanalyzing their feed on an individual level. “A lot of creators only post in-feed maybe 10 times a month,” James explains. “There are too many variables to be able to pinpoint exactly what’s happening. Ultimately, it would give you more false positives than insights.”

Image generation and filtering

Thanks to tools like DALL-E and Midjourney, influencers, brands, and social media teams can generate content in seconds. These AI-generated images, which can be further improved with automated editing tools and filters (like what’s available with Shopify Magic) are often used for branded social media posts, ad creatives, and product mockups.

Heinz gained notoriety for an early expression of AI-supported creativity when it asked DALL-E 2 to generate images of ketchup. This reimagining of its human-centered “Draw Ketchup” campaign, which asked customers to draw the condiment from memory in 2021, yielded a collage of Heinz-esque visuals that it used in print and social media ads.

In addition to expanding a creator’s abilities to produce digital art, image generation tools can expedite performance insights by allowing brands to generate and split test multiple versions of content almost instantaneously.

Brands are also capturing cost savings by using AI to augment creative output for campaigns. For example, digital content agency Shuttlerock revealed its AI-enabled creative process for a Pinterest campaign for Corona Extra. Repurposing existing brand assets and adding AI-generated images allowed the agency (and the brand) to do more with less time and money.

While AI-assisted creativity can drive conversation or cost savings, James emphasizes the importance of human creative direction, point of view, and audience connection for success on social. “If a creator is using AI to supplement their workflow, what you’re paying for is still the community and the viewpoint,” he says. “Creators are still the ones directing it; they’re just using a different tool instead of using a camera. So actually, it doesn’t change the fundamental basics of the space.”

Text generation and copywriting

Tools like ChatGPT and Jasper can help brands write captions, ads, and campaign headlines faster than previously possible. AI tools aim to create content that’s optimized for tone, sentiment, and keyword usage, and most can be trained to mimic your writing style.

Much like image generation, AI text generation works best when it’s used to make writing more efficient, not as a replacement for utilizing your unique voice. One way to inject creativity into AI-generated text is to repurpose your long-form content, such as blogs, podcasts, and books. Tools like OwlyWriter AI by Hootsuite, Feedhive, and Spiral automate the process of repurposing long-form content into social media content that’s optimized for various social channels.

Ultimately, AI-generated captions and content enable businesses to manage more accounts, campaigns, and content streams without increasing their headcount. With AI tools for social media management, even small teams can effectively scale their marketing efforts. A recent McKinsey report shows that 37% of companies using AI in their marketing efforts saw a decrease in marketing costs of up to 19%.

Virtual influencers

One of the most headline-grabbing AI trends is the rise of AI-generated virtual influencers like Shudu, Miquela, and Imma, which have partnered with notable brands such as Fenty, Prada, and TEDx, respectively (with mixed reviews). In addition to deeper control over messaging, brands can save a significant amount of money by working with AI influencers—a report by Harvard Business Review reveals that, while celebrity partnerships can cost up to $250,000 per post, a post with one of the most popular AI influencers costs only $9,000.

But James is skeptical of the potential to build enduring brands with AI-generated influencers, because he believes it’s out of step with the reason why people spend time on social media in the first place. “If, all of a sudden, we started spending our time looking at content from people who don’t exist,” he elaborates, “that would signal a fundamental shift in what we desire as humans: connection with other people.”

Scaling influencer engagement

Human influencers are also using AI to scale their reach and engagement via chatbots that interact with fans on their behalf. These bots can mimic influencer voice and tone to engage across comments, tagged mentions, and direct messages. Combined with AI-powered social listening, brands or influencers can respond to audience members around the clock.

Chatbots like these bring up important questions about disclosure, so that users can understand when they are chatting with a bot versus a human. James also questions if influencers actually want to automate user engagement with their fans.

“If you talk to most creators about their DMs,” James says, “there are plenty of people who say, ‘I bought this thing you suggested, thanks!’ But there are also people who say something like ‘I moved to New York because of you, or you helped me through a really hard time in my life.’ I don’t think people want to have that kind of parasocial relationship with a machine.”

Ethical considerations of AI in social media

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in social media, its long-term impact remains unclear. “AI is going to be a huge part of social, but I think in some ways it’s going to be more and less impactful than people think,” James predicts. “The ethical side of [using AI in social media] will be a big part of the conversation.”

The conversation surrounding AI on social media raises complex ethical questions that brands cannot ignore. From deepfakes to data privacy, the social media tools that enable creativity and efficiency blur lines around trust and transparency. “This will be a complex [problem] for the platforms to figure out,” says James.

Privacy

AI thrives on data, but without proper safeguards, it can cross ethical lines in how it collects and uses customer data, potentially violating data privacy laws and norms. The FTC recently reported that large social media companies, such as ByteDance and Meta, gather substantial amounts of user data without providing insight into how it’s used by their artificial intelligence systems and social media platforms.

Misinformation and misleading consumers

AI-generated content can blur the line between fact and fiction. Deepfakes and synthetic media (content created or modified by AI) challenge the authenticity of user-generated content, raising concerns about the transparency of online information. AI-generated avatars based on the likeness of influencers or paid actors further blurs the line between user-generated content and ads.

Deepfakes, identified as a key global risk in 2024, are on the rise; they increased by 550% between 2019 and 2023, according to a Deloitte report. This proliferation has been fueled by wide access to generative AI tools, which have made it easier for bad actors to scale deepfake content and spread misinformation.

Biases

AI reflects the biases inherent in the data it is trained on. That means that automated community moderation or content generation can inadvertently reinforce harmful stereotypes or exclude marginalized voices. For example, a study conducted by the Pulitzer Center found that AI algorithms embed harmful stereotypes about women into social media platforms.

In some cases, though, AI’s bias can be harnessed for good. The Human Rights Research Center reports that AI can be a powerful tool for detecting and moderating hate speech, flagging misinformation, and identifying human rights issues on social media platforms.

Does AB 2426 apply to me?

If your business sells or advertises licenses to digital goods in California and uses terms like “purchase” or “buy” to describe those transactions, this law likely applies. We recommend speaking with a qualified attorney for an individualized assessment.

Even if the law doesn’t currently apply in every jurisdiction, it’s worth understanding best practices for transparent communication about digital products. Below, we outline functionalities WooCommerce provides that can help you meet your compliance obligations.

Please note: The information in this post is for general guidance only and is not legal advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your business.

The TV show Ted Lasso tells the story of an American football coach hired to lead an English soccer team. His coaching style seems unconventional at first. Lasso benches a star player whose ego threatens morale, shrugs off press criticism, and bakes biscuits for his skeptical boss. He urges players to support and believe in one another. Despite knowing little about soccer, his relentless optimism and passion inspire his team to greatness.

Ted Lasso is an example of a great leader—entrepreneurs can take a page from his playbook. Leadership qualities like humility, empathy, and encouragement work just as well in the office as on a pitch. Here’s what makes a strong leader and how to develop your leadership skills.

What does it mean to be a leader?

A leader is someone with vision, passion, and the ability to motivate people. They provide guidance and inspiration, and no matter their seniority level within a business’s structure, they set a standard for how people should act and make decisions.

Strong leaders:

• Provide mentorship. Great leaders support lower-level employees by offering guidance and sharing their experience. For instance, a leader might notice a struggling team member and take the time to learn more about their needs and offer advice to help them succeed.

• Encourage employees. Encouragement helps motivate teams. A leader might boost morale by praising an employee who contributes an innovative idea during a meeting.

• Foster a positive environment. Leaders set the tone for workplace culture. Being receptive to feedback or introducing employee-friendly policies like paid wellness leave or company-sponsored education, for example, can create a more welcoming, inclusive environment.

• Share clear goals. Transparency builds trust. Sharing goals with your team promotes internal alignment and helps employees understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture.

• Express appreciation. Leaders regularly acknowledge great work. Showing gratitude and celebrating wins makes employees feel seen and valued.

Why is strong leadership important?

Strong leadership creates a healthy work environment. The right leadership style can have a positive impact on everything from efficiency to morale. An effective leader empowers employees, provides the tools they need to succeed, and nurtures a culture where every team member feels valued. Leadership skills become more important as you move higher up the org chart because upper-level management shapes a company’s overall culture.

While an organization may have an ultimate authority figure—like a founder or CEO—they aren’t the only source of leadership. Individual contributors exhibit leadership skills when they take charge of projects, and managers use leadership skills to guide their teams to meet business goals.

Qualities of a leader

An executive may have impressive business acumen, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to strong leadership. Here are some of the leadership skills and human qualities that great leaders possess:

• Empathy. Demonstrating compassion and understanding helps employees feel valued.

• Integrity. Leaders act with integrity by communicating honestly, treating team members with respect, and demonstrating commitment to their core values.

• Vision. A clear, forward-thinking vision helps leaders make consistent decisions.

• Adaptability. Leaders are nimble decision-makers and comfortable pivoting under shifting circumstances.

• Communication skills. Effective communication is essential for explaining leadership decisions and establishing a shared vision.

• Confidence. A confident leader can inspire employees.

• Reliability. Reliable leaders offer stability and support for employees—even in uncertain times.

• Grace under pressure. Leaders set a strong example by responding calmly to difficult situations.

• Decisiveness. Strong decision-making skills help organizations act quickly and confidently.

• Humility. Leaders don’t seek recognition—they’re happy to share the glory and give credit where it’s due.

🌟Discover wisdom from great leaders and thinkers throughout history.

Leadership vs. management: What’s the difference?

Leadership and management are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing.

In business, management refers to a specific role within an organizational hierarchy. Managers are responsible for overseeing a group of employees, coordinating tasks, and making sure goals are met. A management position is sometimes labeled as a leadership role.

Leadership, on the other hand, is an action or behavior, though there are many ways to define leadership. In general, leaders are individuals with the capacity to inspire others. Every entrepreneur brings a unique style and may have their own personal definition of leadership. Employees at any level of an organization can demonstrate leadership qualities.

How to become a better leader

1. Request feedback
2. Provide feedback
3. Trust your team
4. Be a resource
5. Communicate
6. Set an example
7. Demonstrate flexibility
8. Be a cheerleader

Leaders always look for opportunities to improve. Becoming a better leader means listening to employees, practicing communication skills, and embracing change.

Here are some of the human qualities and skills required to be a strong leader:

Request feedback

Solicit feedback and listen to your employees. Being open to constructive criticism helps you stay aligned with your organization’s changing needs. Employees involved in day-to-day operations often offer valuable insights that can drive growth. Gather feedback through one-to-one meetings or anonymous employee surveys and take the notes to heart.

Provide feedback

Take the time to let your employees know how they’re doing. Recognizing hard work and accomplishments helps team members feel appreciated and can inspire goodwill. Offering constructive criticism can provide opportunities for employees to improve and help keep your organization on track.

Trust your team

Great leaders delegate tasks. Trusting your team to make decisions can help them feel invested in their work. This has the added benefit of building a sense of ownership and engagement. Delegating responsibility also creates space for employees to learn and improve their skills. Micromanagement, on the other hand, can leave employees feeling disempowered.

Be a resource

Being a resource means giving your team the information and tools that they need to achieve success. Encourage them to come to you if they need help, listen to critical concerns, provide solutions, and eliminate roadblocks when necessary.

Communicate

Leaders set goals, make decisions, and chart a plan for growth. Clear communication about these actions helps employees understand how decisions are made and why goals matter. Company-wide meetings and emails are good opportunities to practice transparent communication by updating your team and discussing progress.

Set an example

Effective leaders demonstrate the attitude, work ethic, and behavior they expect from their employees. Leading by example shows your team members how to act. If you model good communication and kindness, it can inspire people to follow suit. An authentic leader sets a strong example by acting with integrity, engaging with fellow employees, and delivering critiques respectfully and privately.

Demonstrate flexibility

Leaders adapt and respond to their circumstances. If, for example, early data suggests a business might not reach its sales goals, a flexible leader could decide to adjust their marketing or product position strategy.

Flexibility, in the form of inclusive leadership, also supports employee well-being. Listening to your team’s concerts and making adjustments to goals or policies shows that you’re listening to feedback. Adjusting your approach based on employee needs can foster a culture of trust. For example, a flexible leader could decide to make an exception to a return-to-office policy for an employee with mobility challenges.

Be a cheerleader

A good leader rallies people and spreads enthusiasm. Expressing excitement and optimism shows a team that their leader has a better vision for the future and the energy to see it through.

Ever notice a small padlock icon in your web browser’s URL bar? That means you’re on a site running HTTPS, a secure way to allow websites to handle personal and financial data. If you run an ecommerce business, the protocol behind that little padlock icon is also what’s protecting your customers’ personal information.

Using HTTPS signals to users and search engines that you’re a legitimate, trustworthy business that invests in protecting its customers. In addition, if you aren’t running HTTPS, Google and most other search engines will flag your site as “not secure”—not a great first impression for potential customers.

If your store is still running HTTP, this guide will walk you through how to successfully migrate your site to its more secure alternative and why doing so matters for anyone in business on the internet.

What is HTTP?

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), is what the web uses to communicate. It lets users and their web browsers request information from web servers. It underlies the whole process of accessing and providing information on the web, from loading websites to clicking on links, submitting forms, or loading images.

When you access any website using HTTP, all the information transmitted to your browser is sent as plain text. There’s no security or encryption for your data, making it vulnerable to malicious parties between you and the server. There’s also no built-in system for verifying whether anyone is tampering with the data, nor is there any encryption to protect personal information.

Except for the most basic informational websites, HTTP has become fairly outdated as a way to transmit information. In fact, web browsers like Chrome, Safari, or Firefox, discourage people from visiting unsecured websites that only use HTTP.

What is HTTPS?

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) builds on the standard HTTP protocol by adding encryption. It creates an encrypted communication channel through an SSL or TLS certificate as you make a connection between your browser and the website you’re accessing. That “S” at the end of HTTPS (and the little padlock in the browser’s address bar) signifies a world of difference, ensuring your customers feel safe sending credit card information or other private data through an ecommerce site.

All the data sent between your browser and an HTTPS website is encrypted, authenticated, and verified. HTTPS ensures data integrity, can prevent man-in-the-middle attacks (i.e., when someone inserts themselves between the browser and server) when properly configured, and ensures the website is actually the one you intended to visit.

Why convert to HTTPS?

• Security and data protection
• SEO performance
• Credibility
• Site speed

Not only does HTTPS provide the necessary protection for your users, making sure they can trust your e-commerce site, but it can also help in other ways as well.

Security and data protection

Running a secure shop and protecting your customers’ data are by far the biggest reasons to migrate your website to HTTPS. Any private data you need from your customers is secure due to the encrypted protection of HTTPS. Any site that handles user logins, payments, or other personal data should use HTTPS for security.

SEO performance

Google has made HTTPS a priority since 2014. It wants any site its users find through Google search to be secure, so site security is an element of the Google Search algorithm. Factors like trustworthiness and page speed sit right alongside site security as a current ranking factor. Having a secure site makes it easier for potential customers to find it via search.

Credibility

Browsers use different signals to warn users of unsecure sites: the padlock icon, a page warning, or even red/green URL bar color coding (i.e., red means stop and green means go).

If you aren’t using HTTPS, potential customers getting a “not secure” warning via Firefox or Chrome is a red flag your business doesn’t prioritize security. When faced with an unsecure site, customers will likely bounce back to the search results to find a safer shop.

Site speed

While the basic encryption of HTTPS can introduce slight delays in loading, there are many ways to make your site faster to load, including features like HTTP/2, which optimizes resource usage and bandwidth efficiency and uses compression algorithms that make the content smaller and faster to download, and various compression techniques, like Brotli or HPACK compression.

How to migrate from HTTP to HTTPS

1. Buy and install a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate on your server
2. Check your internal and external links
3. Verify your site via Google Search Console
4. Redirect HTTP URLS to HTTPS
5. Update your XML sitemap

All Shopify stores use SSL encryption for all pages, not just payment processing. If your ecommerce store still uses HTTP, you can enable HTTPS to create a secure connection and protect communication between your site and your customers.

Here’s how to migrate from HTTP to HTTPS on your own server.

1. Buy and install a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate on your server

Purchase an SSL certificate from a trusted certificate authority, like DigiCert, GlobalSign, or Let’s Encrypt. You’ll typically get a .crt or .pem file and an intermediate certificate or .ca-bundle file. If you generate the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) yourself, you’ll get a private key. Make sure you store that securely and don’t share it.

You’ll then upload the files you receive to your server in the following locations, depending on the type of server you’re running:

• Apache/Linux: /etc/ssl/certs/ and /etc/ssl/private/

• Nginx: Often in /etc/nginx/

• cPanel/Plesk: Use the built-in UI

• Windows/IIS:. Use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

Next, edit your virtual host file using Apache or Nginx. DigiCert has a helpful guide that lets you generate a CSR with OpenSSL and configure Apache with SSL.

2. Check your internal and external links

Make sure every link on your site uses https://, including internal and outbound links. Review your website’s HTML code to replace all http:// links with https://.

Update external resources like images, scripts, and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) files that might still reference non-secure URLs. Most web development tools offer a search-and-replace function to help with this, and automated tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Apify, and Browse AI can scan your site for HTTP references, letting you replace them with HTTPS.

3. Verify your site with Google Search Console

Let Google know your site is secure by using Google Search Console to validate it. It’s a free tool that shows how your site appears in search results and flags issues that could hurt your rankings. Log into Google Search Console with the Google account associated with your website. Then add your site either as a Domain (recommended for full site coverage) or as a URL Prefix (usually used if you only want to validate a specific section of your site).

To verify your domain ownership, you’ll add a DNS TXT record provided by Google. Log in to your domain registrar (like Shopify, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Squarespace), find the DNS Settings or DNS management section, and add the TXT record. Save it, go back to Search Console, and click Verify.

If you choose URL Prefix, you can either upload an HTML file to your site’s root folder (typically via FTP) or paste a meta tag into your site’s section. WordPress has SEO plug-ins that can do this for you, or you can edit the web pages yourself. After that, you’ll go back to Search Console and click Verify.

4. Redirect HTTP URLS to HTTPS

If you’re using a website builder like Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, or similar, your site settings typically have a section for enabling automatic HTTP to HTTPS redirects. Shopify, for example, includes a “Force HTTPS” option under Settings > Domains.

For WordPress, you’ll want to make sure you have an active, valid SSL Certificate (step one above), and then force HTTPS using a plugin like Really Simple SSL. You can also edit your .htaccess file manually. Download the .htaccess file from your server (usually in the public_html folder) via FTP or your host’s file manager, open it with a text editor, and add the following code at the top:

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

This code directs the server to change all incoming HTTP requests to HTTPS using a permanent 301 redirect, which helps preserve SEO value by passing “link equity” from the old HTTP URLs to the HTTPS secure ones.

5. Update your XML sitemap

A sitemap helps Google and site users understand and navigate your website more easily. Make sure all links in the sitemap point to HTTPS versions of your pages. You can regenerate your sitemap using your CMS (like WordPress), a sitemap tool (like Screaming Frog), or an SEO plug-in (like Yoast SEO).

Your sitemap is typically in the root directory of your site and named something like /sitemap.xml. Your robots.txt file might also refer to the URL where the sitemap is located on your server.

Once you’ve updated the sitemap, you can log in to Google Search Console and paste the sitemap’s URL into the Add a new sitemap field. Hit Submit, and you’re all set.

WooCommerce has partnered with Automattic, our parent company, to expand our agency partner program. This company-wide program will help us bring more expertise and provide more resourcing than ever to agencies. As part of this program change, we’re making some changes to how we recommend agencies to businesses looking for ecommerce development support.

Up until now, we’ve used “WooExperts” as the term for our recommended agency partners. Going forward, merchants can identify a direct relationship or recommendation from Woo if an agency carries the “Woo Partner” badge. We’ve also updated our Woo agency directory to connect stores with the best and brightest WooCommerce agencies.

If your business requires strategic support for a WooCommerce store, whether it’s launching a new one or maintaining and scaling an existing one, our agencies are here to support you every step of the way. Our partners are trusted agencies with a deep track record of building highly customized, scalable online stores. Agency membership is limited to a special few and is the only agency program vetted by WooCommerce.

The WooExperts Marketplace has been replaced with a new Woo agency directory. If you’re in need of development help for your store, this directory will be your go-to resource to find the ideal agency partner. You can conveniently search for agencies based on your requirements, including their location, industry expertise, language capabilities, and budget.

Here are some scenarios where an agency can assist:

• Transitioning your existing store to WooCommerce.
• Building an entirely new website.
• Adding custom features unique to your business needs.
• Ongoing site upkeep and maintenance.
• Integrating with third-party services and systems.

Our partners are trusted agencies with a proven track record of building highly customized, scalable online stores. Membership is limited, and this is the only agency program vetted by WooCommerce. By working with a Woo agency, you can expect:

• Tailored Solutions for Unique Needs: Our agency partners excel at creating custom solutions that meet your business’s unique functional requirements.
• Time and Resource Efficiency: Rather than navigating the complex process of store building or attempting to do it in-house without the proper skill set, businesses can lean on the expertise of our agencies to deliver high-quality results more efficiently.
• Cut down on costs: Working with an agency can be less expensive than hiring someone full-time.
• Scalability & Flexibility: As businesses grow, their websites must adapt. Working with our agency partners ensures that this scalability is built into the digital strategy from the start, providing businesses with a flexible platform that can evolve and expand as needed without costly overhauls down the line.
• Ongoing Support: Creating a website is just the beginning. Our agency partners offer ongoing support, marketing, and development services to help you grow and handle any issues that arise post-launch. They also keep the site updated with evolving web standards and incorporate new features to support the continuous growth and success of the business online.

1. Select and contact an expert from our Woo agency directory based on your criteria.
2. They’ll review your request and contact you directly to discuss your project.
3. You’ll work with them directly to define the project’s scope, timeline, and cost.

If you’re an agency looking to become a Woo Partner, you can learn more about our new agency program here.