As a business owner, you naturally look for all the possible opportunities to drive sales and grow your brand. If you are out seeking a new sales channel, the number of e-commerce platforms and marketplaces is countless. But, among the multiple e-commerce marketplaces, searching for one that suits your business is no less than havoc. We’ve helped narrow down the 10 best for you.
What does an online marketplace do?
Online marketplaces are e-commerce sites in which multiple independent vendors sell products to consumers all under the same URL. Think of them as online bazaars where many vendors can have their own stall inside a digital shopping mall. But, some platforms allow you to build your own online web store.
Here’s the thing, though: Regardless of the model, they manage the tough stuff— payment processing, customer service, and, in many cases, marketing—so you’re free to make and curate the products you need.
What are the benefits of an online marketplace?
Why sell on an e-commerce marketplace? Because it offers you a vast large customer base right off. This means more traffic for you and more chances to make a sale.
- It provides social proof and trust signals for a customer to feel safer buying in a marketplace they already know.
- If you use platforms like Shopify to create your online store, you get all-in-one solutions to streamline your processes.
- These platforms can connect you with apps to drop ship, handle shipping, payments, and more.
10 best ecommerce marketplaces for small businesses
Here is a list of the 10 popular and best e-commerce marketplaces for small businesses to grow and increase revenue.
- Amazon
- eBay
- Alibaba
- Etsy
- Walmart Marketplace
- Shopify
- Rakuten
- Ali Express
- Facebook Marketplace
- Newegg
Amazon
Amazon is the king of the ecommerce marketplace and the largest marketplace globally. It is the largest marketplace for a reason – there are millions of users, and with a great market to begin with as a platform for small businesses. This is a good thing for small businesses. The platform has an FBA or Fulfilled by Amazon program that will manage shipping, storage, and customer service while you can focus on growing your business.
Amazon, being widely known and trusted, will convert customers with the peace of mind that they will not be scammed. Their data helps small businesses keep track of and analyze their own sales, how to improve, and how to generate more customer purchases.
With a worldwide platform such as this one gives small businesses access to any market they want. A good platform for brand recognition, with Amazon advertising options, small businesses can increase visibility. But, it is also competitive, so small businesses really need to set themselves apart.
eBay
eBay is great for small businesses looking to get in front of a multitude of different buyers on a global scale. The unique selling style of auction, “Buy It Now”, or both on one listing works for a wide range of buyers. You will be able to successfully list and sell products for your business inventory: niche, collectibles, used, vintage, new, and refurbished conditions (as long as they follow eBay listing policies).
eBay has the necessary seller tools out there that will help you manage your business – inventory, business policies, and big data performance metrics.
Alibaba
Alibaba is a platform suitable for small businesses that want to take their products to many buyers worldwide because of the global expanse of the site. Wholesalers and manufacturers looking to scale and their businesses are in luck as there is enough room for this in the platform. Not heavy on the pocket or demanding needless payments, small startups can also get in on the action.
Trade assurance policies help buyers and sellers trust each other, facilitating more transactions. The platform has many more benefits: great business processes to guide your work, good data to learn from to improve the quality of product information, and the experience of Alibaba-verified logistics and supply chain partners to make shipping easy and credible.
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace for selling all things handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. If you make creative and innovative products, Etsy is where all your customers are. There are millions of buyers around the globe who love unique items and looking for handmade pieces. Etsy gives you a worldwide platform to share your creations and make money.
Walmart Marketplace
Gain more customers off of Walmart’s large customer database when you sell online with them. Their sign-up process is free and does not have fees to set up. Register so that you can gain more customers and liquidate home goods, electronics, and more.
Shopify
While Shopify is not a traditional marketplace, it does provide instant access to a marketplace. Shopify gives you an advantage in that you can handle everything through Shopify itself. You can still build your own store and have your products synced with Amazon or eBay.
Rakuten
Rakuten (aka “Amazon of Japan”): A global e-commerce platform with a strong Asian influence. The platform is very easy to use and has lots of promotional opportunities to help your small business get discovered. They also have a loyalty program that encourages repeat customers.
Ali Express
AliExpress is good for small businesses since it allows you to sell to millions of customers from all over the world. This makes your market much bigger, and you can sell to many more people. If you are a new business, it can be cheaper to set up since you will have very little overhead and setup costs. Shipping internationally is easy with built-in logistics and fulfillment, so you will have fewer moving parts.
The seller hub is easy to use and there are many resources to help get your store up and running with high-converting listings. Customer buyer protection gives the customers peace of mind, and they will buy more from you. Not to mention the marketing and promotion options available; this will help you get in front of customers and sell more.
Facebook Marketplace
Get in front of a massive amount of Facebook users with their Marketplace and sell your inventory online freely and directly to local customers. Build a local following for your online small business, liquidate inventory, or try out new products. The marketplace also makes it easy to interact with buyers and build a customer base.
Newegg
An electronic and tech-focused platform – if your small business caters to an audience that loves tech products, Newegg is the place to go. Their customer audience is so specific, that you will have no doubt that your products are being discovered by the right audience. They also provide many resources to create the perfect listing in their seller portal.
Growing your small business
Optimize your e-commerce operations by using Workhy to power your growth. By offering an all-in-one solution for business formation and finances, Workhy streamlines every process along the way. Don’t just grow—flourish with the right tools. Sign up with Workhy to make sure your business reaches its full potential.
