eCommerce vs Marketplace: Where Should You Start Selling Online?
There are many benefits of selling products online. You can reach more customers than a traditional bricks and mortar shop, sell at all times of the day, and refrain from having to build a physical storefront.
However, “online” is very general. There seem to be infinite ecommerce options, with new sites popping up all the time. Choosing the best place for your business to sell products online can be a daunting task.
Some merchants look to get started on either a marketplace or by building their own website. Let’s define what we mean by each:
- Marketplace: A third-party site that includes product listings from many sellers across product categories. Examples include Amazon, eBay, Onbuy, Real, Fruugo, Wish and Etsy.
- Own website: An independent ecommerce website that a seller runs, where buyers purchase goods directly from the website belonging to the business. Many are built using ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.
