In business, we all learn through experience—some sweet, some expensive. Today, I want to share one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my journey as a seller, especially for those navigating e-commerce platforms like Meesho and Amazon.
Let’s get straight to it:
I spent ₹1,72,000 on Meesho ads and ₹72,000 on Amazon promotions, hoping it would scale my business. And yes, it did bring in orders. But not profits.
📉 What Went Wrong?
1. The Illusion of Growth Through Ads
When you spend on ads, you push your listings to the top, and that brings more orders—mostly Cash on Delivery (COD) orders. But here’s the catch:
- COD orders have the highest return rates
- Returns mean reverse logistics, and in most cases, the product never comes back in good condition (or is the wrong item altogether)
- The more I pushed through ads, the more returns I faced—and the deeper I went into losses
2. Sky-High Logistics Charges
Let’s talk about shipping.
- With my personal courier setup, I can ship 500g parcels for ₹41 to ₹50
- On Meesho, the same parcel costs around ₹160
That’s a massive difference. Now, if I try to increase the product price to cover these losses, the order volume drops. And even if I do get orders, the return will still eat up the little profit I make. It’s a no-win loop.
💡 What I Learned
Business is not just about revenue—it’s about sustainable profit.
My takeaway?
It’s better to make a little and stay in profit than to push for big revenue and drown in losses.
When you keep margins low but controlled, and work on confirmed, quality orders, the business becomes stable and predictable.
📱 Instagram Changed the Game
Shifting to Instagram was a turning point for me.
- I started interacting directly with customers
- I understood what they wanted and set expectations clearly
- No commission cuts, no unpredictable returns, and full control over shipping
Since then, my business is lean, profitable, and far less stressful. One confirmed bulk order on Instagram often equals a week’s worth of risky orders from e-commerce platforms.
⚖️ No Hate, Just My Honest Experience
Let me be clear:
I’m not here to demean any platform or promote one over the other.
I’m simply sharing my personal journey. Your situation, products, and customer base might be different—and your results might vary.
But if you’ve been stuck in a cycle of high ad spend, mounting returns, and shrinking profits, maybe it’s time to rethink your strategy.
Sometimes, less is more.
Sometimes, profits matter more than popularity.
