Ecommerce and online shopping continue to see massive growth year after year. According to Statista, over 2 billion people purchased products online in 2021 globally, accounting for about 27% of the world‘s population.
The ongoing rise of ecommerce presents a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses to sell online. Launching an online store or selling through online marketplaces allows you to tap into this surging online demand and expand your reach beyond just a local customer base.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover the top ecommerce platforms and online marketplaces that make it easy for anyone to get started with selling online.
Benefits of Selling Online
Before we dive into the various platforms, let‘s overview some of the key advantages of taking your business online:
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Low barrier to entry: It‘s more affordable than ever to build an online store with turnkey platforms that handle the backend complexities for you. The cost to build and maintain an online store is significantly lower than brick-and-mortar shops.
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Global reach: An online store allows you to sell to customers around the world, beyond just your local geography. Location becomes irrelevant.
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Operate 24/7: An online store never closes. It allows you to sell products and process orders 24/7 without being physically present.
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Scalability: As your business grows, it‘s easy to scale up an online store to add new products, enter new markets and handle more customers. The infrastructure is designed to scale.
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Data and analytics: Understand customer behavior with data like traffic sources, sales funnels, best selling products etc. This allows you to optimize your store for higher conversions.
Ready to start selling online? Let‘s explore the various platform options available to launch your ecommerce business.
Turnkey Ecommerce Platforms
Turnkey ecommerce platforms provide everything you need to create an online store out-of-the-box without having to code it from scratch. They are designed to help you set up a professional-looking store and manage key aspects like inventory, payments, shipping, promotions etc.
Here are the top turnkey ecommerce platforms:
1. Shopify
Shopify is arguably the most popular SaaS platform for launching ecommerce stores. Some key capabilities:
- Easy drag and drop store builder
- Mobile optimized templates and themes
- Integrations with shipping carriers, payment providers
- Automated tax calculations
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Built-in reporting and analytics
It‘s trusted by over 1 million businesses globally. Pricing starts at $29/month for basic stores and additional transaction fees apply.
Ideal for: Any size online retail business – small to large
2. Wix
Wix offers an all-in-one solution to build stunning online stores beyond just setting up an online catalog. Features include:
- 500+ professional ecommerce templates
- Unlimited product listings
- Multi-channel selling support
- Automated shipping rules and taxes
- Email marketing and promotions capabilities
- Built-in SEO recommendations
Pricing starts at $23/month. It‘s suitable for all types of ecommerce businesses.
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce packs enterprise-grade features even for small businesses:
- Beautiful storefront designs
- Robust backend management for inventory, orders etc
- Integrated payment processing
- Multilingual and multi-currency support
- B2B sales options like quotes and invoicing
- Abandoned cart saver
Pricing starts at $29.95/month. Ideal for fast-growing online brands.
4. Volusion
Volusion makes it easy to build responsive, conversion-optimized online stores with built-in tools for SEO, email marketing, promotions etc.
- Drag and drop store builder
- Unlimited product listings
- Branded custom themes
- Built-in CRM and analytics
- 14-day free trial
Ideal for multi-channel merchants that also sell on marketplaces or retail stores. Plans start at $29/month.
5. Squarespace
Beyond online stores, Squarespace provides an all-in-one solution for building websites, blogs, portfolios etc.
- Beautiful templates designed by world-class designers
- Easy customization without coding
- Integrated email marketing and analytics
- Sell subscription services or digital goods
- Sync online and offline sales data
Pricing starts at $12/month billed annually. Ideal for creative businesses.
6. WPEngine
WPEngine specialized in managed WordPress hosting has integrated ecommerce features:
- Quickly launch WooCommerce stores
- Managed hosting optimized for speed and security
- DIY store designs and themes
- Integrated with shipping, tax and payment processors
- 24/7 support
Plans start at $30/month. Ideal for WordPress-based online stores.
7. Webflow
Webflow provides a visual, no-code ecommerce platform. Core features:
- Pixel-perfect store designs
- Customizable product pages and filters
- Integrated payment and shipping management
- Order tracking and analytics
- Inventory and tax management
Pricing starts at $29/ month. Ideal for web designers, agencies, and developers.
8. PageCloud
PageCloud offers an easy-to-use ecommerce builder with free SSL, domains, and hosting.
- Unlimited products
- Multi-lingual capabilities
- Robust email marketing
- Automated abandoned cart saver
- Print-on-demand integrations
- 14-day free trial
Pricing scales based on product tiers – from $11 to $40/month.
In summary, turnkey ecommerce platforms provide complete solutions to build and manage online stores tailored to businesses of all sizes and verticals.
Next, let‘s explore some niche ecommerce platforms focused exclusively on serving specific customer segments and business models.
Niche Ecommerce Platforms
1. Etsy
Etsy is a popular platform for creative entrepreneurs to sell handmade goods, vintage items, craft supplies and more.
With over 60 million unique buyers every month searching for special items, Etsy provides a ready marketplace for artisan sellers.
It only charges $0.20 per item listing along with a small transaction fee when you make a sale. So it‘s very affordable for small sellers and creators.
2. Gumroad
Gumroad enables creators to sell digital downloads like ebooks, courses, videos, templates, photos, etc. directly to customers.
It lets you customize landing pages, showcase products attractively, process payments securely, and build mailing lists.
Over $429 million products have been sold by creators so far on Gumroad. Pricing starts at free and scales to $10/month based on number of products and customers.
3. Depop
Depop is a popular mobile marketplace for fashion products catering to Gen Z shoppers. Sellers can list clothing items via the mobile app on both iOS and Android.
Pay just 10% selling fees with no monthly subscriptions or setup costs. The lean model makes it easy for small/new sellers to get started.
4. Big Cartel
Big Cartel enables artists and creators to easily build online stores, upload portfolios, and blog. Over 1 million artists have launched their online business with Big Cartel.
It provides easy customization to match brand aesthetics without needing programming skills. Pricing starts free and scales from $9.99/month based on products and features.
In summary, niche ecommerce platforms cater to specific product categories and customer demographics. They make it easy to start selling quickly even at smaller scales.
Let‘s now explore leading online marketplaces that provide instant access to millions of buyers.
Sell on Online Marketplaces
Beyond selling on your own branded store, you can significantly expand your reach by also selling on leading online marketplaces frequented by millions of buyers every month.
Marketplaces work on a commission/fee model, charging sellers a percentage of the selling price per transaction. In return, they provide the platform, traffic, and buyer trust to scale your business.
1. Amazon
Amazon has democratized ecommerce allowing any business regardless of size to access over 300 million global buyers and sell at massive scales.
You can sell as an individual or business seller across all main Amazon sites – Amazon.com (US), Amazon.ca (Canada), Amazon.com.mx (Mexico), Amazon.co.uk (UK), Amazon.de (Germany), Amazon.fr (France), Amazon.it (Italy), Amazon.es (Spain), Amazon.com.au (Australia), Amazon.sg (Singapore), Amazon.nl (Netherlands), Amazon.se (Sweden), Amazon.pl (Poland), Amazon.in (India), Amazon.co.jp (Japan), and Amazon.ae (UAE).
Amazon charges referrer fees on media items (15%) and variable closing fees on non-media items based on product category that range from 8 to 20%.
2. eBay
eBay is one of the oldest and widely popular online marketplace pioneering person-to-person and small business ecommerce globally.
Whether you want to do auction-style selling or have buyers instantly "Buy It Now", eBay attracts over 140 million buyers willing to purchase almost any item.
eBay charges 10% Final Value fees on general items. Additional fees apply for specific non-compliance instances.
3. Social Platforms
Beyond third-party marketplaces, social platforms provide their own native commerce capabilities allowing you to tap into their audiences to drive sales.
For example:
- Sell through Instagram Shops and checkout
- Facebook shops and marketplace
- Pinterest buyable pins
- TikTok shoppable videos
Social commerce removes friction allowing audiences to instantly shop products featured in user-generated content and ads. Transaction fees may apply.
Choose the Right Selling Platform
The online selling platforms overviewed above solve different needs as your ecommerce business grows. Here are some tips when deciding:
Starting out or testing ideas? Go with low-cost marketplaces like Etsy, Gumroad or niche sites relevant to your products. Validate demand before investing in your own site.
Want branded storefront? Choose an end-to-end ecommerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce for greater creative control and features.
Already selling offline/multi-channel? Opt for platforms like Volusion or SquareSpace designed for omni-channel commerce.
Selling digital downloads? Gumroad, E-junkie optimized for selling intangibles vs physical products needing shipping.
Have WordPress site? WooCommerce + WPEngine provide optimized hosting, speed, and security.
Custom high-touch platform? Hire developer for custom store coded to your spec. Advise aligning with Shopify first before going custom.
Unsure of tech skills? Choose intuitive drag and drop platforms like Wix or PageCloud for easy onboarding.
Hope this guide provides a 360 degree view of the plethora of platforms available to sell your products directly to consumers online.
Ecommerce enables anyone to start a global business from home leveraging the power of the internet. Start small with just a handful of products, validate demand, get feedback from early customers and continue to enhance your online store.
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