Sell Online: Best Website and Marketplace Platforms (In 2021)

”You should sell (fill in your product) online!”- you hear this comment from your family and friends all the time (heck, you hear this in your head)! But that comment to sell online stops you in your tracks. 

You don’t know where to begin. 

You know how to make the product, you have done your research on the product and you have crunched the numbers and figured out how to make a good profit.

But when it comes to figuring out where to sell online, that is a big mystery. 

Do you create an eCommerce website? Or create a shop on a marketplace platform? And how can you use Instagram or Facebook to sell your product on social media?

This post will help explain the difference between an eCommerce website versus selling online with a marketplace platform. Plus, a list of the best and top-rated eCommerce and marketplace platforms to set up your online business. 

By 2023, eCommerce sales will reach $740 billion in sales. Year after year, sales of selling online have been on the rise due to the accessibility of our mobile devices and the convenience of purchasing 24/7 at the palm of your hands. 

Here are the Top 3 eCommerce website building platforms that could help get your business online.

Kylie Cosmetics, All Birds, Heinz, and Hasbro, each of these top brands sell their products online using the Shopify platform. Shopify has over 800,000 websites on their platform that range from globally recognized brands to the local yarn store down the street. It has been rated the #1 eCommerce website builder platform.

PROS

• No coding required
• 10 free website themes or also known as website templates
• Easy to enter and track inventory
• Integrates with all the top payment systems (Shopify has their own payment system too)
• Shopify created a mobile app called SHOP that includes all of their Shopify sites to help track shipments and a decent search feature for users to find new websites. 
• Over 1200 apps to add to the website to enhance the customer experience ex: live chat or pop-ups for your customer to leave a review.
• Integrates with social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) for shoppable features 
• 24/7 access to customer support

CONS

• 2.9 % transaction fee for any payment system that is not their own Shopify Payments
• Only 10 free website themes, you can choose a premium theme starting at $140
• Not great for blogging. This isn’t a platform centered around a blog (read further below for a platform that is better in this department)

Pricing

• Basic Website builder starts at $29 a month (14-day free trial)
• Not all apps to enhance the website is free, pricing for apps range from $10 to $120 a month

Want a highly detailed report on Shopify? Save this article and read it later.

If you have ambitious plans to sell online, BigCommerce is the platform to set up your start-up to become a thriving enterprise. With each BigCommerce website, it comes with expansive built-in sales and analytics tools. 

PROS

• 0% transaction fee
• Integrates with PayPal, Stripe, and other top payments systems 
• Expansive built- features for scaling, selling, and tracking shipment
• Advanced SEO guides and tools
• Integrates with WordPress
• Drag and drop merchandising
• Seamless one-page check-out
• Integrates with eBay, Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram
• Launch services available
• 24/7 access to customer support

CONS

• An Intermediate set-up might require hiring an expert
• Some coding required
• Not recommended for a business with only a few products to sell

Pricing

• Basic Website builder starts at $29.95 a month (3-month free trial)
• Not all apps to enhance the website is free, pricing for apps range from $10 to $120 a month

Want a highly detailed report on BigCommerce? Save this article.

You are envisioning a modern and sleek design for your website to sell your products online. And a beautifully crafted look is important to you and for the customer to experience. Then Squarespace is the eCommerce website builder for you.

PROS

• An expansive selection of modern and sleek templates
• Three different product page templates with built-in zoom features 
• Built-in design tools to customize the look and feel of non-product pages
• Ideal for selling digital products like downloads, e-books, and music
• Integrates with Mailchimp
• Integrates well with Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook
• Built-in SEO tools and checklist
• 24/7 access to customer support

CONS

• 3% transaction fee (with the basic plan, commerce plans 0% transaction fee)
• A little tricky to navigate and maneuver
• No app store- if it’s not a part of the built-in features it doesn’t exist with Squarespace
• Upgraded plan to sell on Instagram or Facebook page
• No tracking for shipping

Pricing

The basic business website starts at $26 a month ($18 a month for 1-year plan paid in full)

Did you know 56% of consumers who intend to make a purchase online, go straight to a marketplace site? This is probably why selling your product online through a marketplace is an excellent idea for someone who is just looking to sell products without having to deal with building a brand.

Here are the Top 3 online marketplace platforms that can get your started selling online as soon as today!

Did you know 90% of US consumers have shopped on Amazon? And 66% of US consumers start their new product search on Amazon. It’s no wonder why Amazon is the #1 eCommerce Marketplace platform. The most popular seller’s program is the Fulfilled By Amazon, also referred to as the FBA program. Here is some info about this program:

PROS

• The Amazon brand name has a reputation for fast turnaround delivery of orders, easy returns 
• Built-in membership program of 112 million Amazon Prime members
• No fees to set-up a seller’s account
• Re-sell new branded products and private label goods
• Send inventory of product to an assigned Amazon fulfillment center
• No need to rent out storage space for inventory
• Fulfillment of orders, shipping costs, and customer service is taken care of by Amazon

CONS

• A learning curve of how much inventory to submit to Amazon
• Depending on the demand for the product- the storage fee at the fulfillment center can start to add up if it's over a month of being received into the center
• Understanding how to use a keyword search to select in-demand product at the right cost
• Sourcing and pricing at the correct market value of the product 
• Refund administration fee $5 or 20% of the cost of the item- whichever is less

Fees

• Referral fee- depending on the category
• FBA fee per item depending on size and weight
• Start off as an individual seller with a listing fee of $0.99 per item or $39.99 a month for a professional account and unlimited listings
• A storage fee will be charged if the product has been at the fulfillment center for over a month
• Full Guide to all of the fees

Want a guide to starting an FBA business? Save this article for later. 

There are two old myths that people believe to know about eBay. 

   1. Isn’t the pricing based on auction pricing?

Answer: eBay has been around since 1995 and first started primarily as an auction site, but now close to 90% of the listings are with fixed pricing. 

   2. Is eBay still relevant? 

Answer: Heck yes! As of Q3 2020, eBay has over 180 million active buyers and 19% of the US consumers shopped on eBay during the Covid-19 pandemic. Here is more information about selling on eBay:

PROS

• A quick start-up: set-up an account, list an item, and start selling within the same day
• No fees to a seller’s account
• Sell new and used products- however, 79% of the items are new
• Sell branded products, wholesale and private label goods
• Start small with an individual seller’s account or scale to an eBay Store
• Up to 200 free listings with an Individual Seller’s plan or 250+ listing with an eBay store
• Possibility to scale- eBay stores have 5 different levels of benefits and store visibility of the traffic on site
• Can integrate with a Shopify website ( more on that below)
• User-friendly eBay app for sellers and buyers
• A robust help center with guides and how to sell on eBay

CONS

• Insertions fees depending on the product category
• Seller is responsible to fulfill and ship out orders
• Time for researching pricing and demand
• A learning curve on how to price competitively and calculate shipping costs
• No longer being paid out via Paypal- eBay has their payment system that will automatically deduct insertion fees

Fees

12.35% insertion fee (on average) of the total cost of the product including the shipping cost

Want a highly detailed report on eBay? Save this article for later.

The #1 eCommerce marketplace to sell crafts, vintage items, and handmade products online. 46% of the site’s traffic comes directly from customers, while 40% of the traffic comes from internet search results (the balance from social media or various sources). This traffic data is undeniable that Etsy has built a reputation and audience for customers to visit their site directly for crafted products. And stresses the importance of keyword usage for shop listings to come up on search query results. Here are some quick stats about selling online with Etsy:

PROS

• 422 million visits on average a year 
• Quick start-up and launch
• Joining Etsy and setting up a shop is free
• Easy to upload images, enter titles, descriptions, and pricing
• No Monthly Fee
• Easy to get paid systems thru PayPal or the Etsy Payment system- each week or bi-weekly
• Easy to use customer app and Seller’s App to help manage listings, sales, and customer orders
• Can integrate with a Shopify website (more on a little further below
• An expansive Q&A guides on how to set up and run a shop

CONS

• Three different seller’s fees: listing, transaction, and payment processing
• No customization of the shop look
• Your shop domain includes Etsy in the URL
• Competing with other sellers with a similar product side by side

Pricing

• No set-up fee
• Seller’s fees: 
• Listing each item $0.20 (up to 4 months on the site)
• Transaction fee- 5% total cost per item (including shipping)
• Payment processing fee in US- 3% + $0.25

If you can’t seem to decide if you would rather build your website or sell your products on an eCommerce Marketplace site, you are in luck!

There are apps you can add to your Shopify website that can integrate the inventory and ordering to the following platforms:

• Etsy
• eBay
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Tik Tok

If you want to post your products on your Instagram stories with a shopping icon, here is a guide on how to set up a Facebook and Instagram shop. 

Make sure to download the appropriate app from the Shopify app store to connect the inventory from your Shopify website to your Facebook shop catalog.