Whilst looking for a great summary of things to consider in setting up an e-commerce store, this week I came across this amazing article by Satish Ithamsetty. I think it is well worth a read. What do you think?
If you are considering running an eCommerce store,
it’s likely that you’ve been trying to decide which platform to run it from. Of
course, you could pay a designer to build you a personalized website, but this
is expensive and is hardly ever the best option for a small business. So that
leaves you with a few choices. Do you set up a store on an online marketplace
like eBay, Amazon, or Etsy, or do you use a standalone platform provider like
Magento or Shopify? Here we take a look at these options so you can determine
which is best.
Online Marketplaces and Online Store
At first glance, you may think that selling on an
online marketplace like Amazon or eBay is your best option. After all, you
don’t need to build your own website, spend money on hosting or a domain name,
and you can literally set yourself up within minutes. Online marketplaces also
provide you with a host of eager buyers, which can help you to start selling
products right from the get-go. However, there are fees involved with selling
through platforms such as these, and there are also guidelines that need to be
followed. Here are the BlackFriday Deals for Bloggers, which comes every year for you.
The main reason why many people choose to sell on
online marketplaces is because of their potential for sales and the ability to
reach customers who didn’t previously know they existed. However, in order to
use them effectively, you need to be aware of the fees they charge and whether
you can afford to pay these within your margins. You’ll also need to determine
which platforms to use – you may prefer the professionalism of Amazon for
example, or the ability to showcase your brand on eBay.
Online Shopping Platforms:
A step up from the online marketplaces are online
shopping platforms. These give you full design over your layout, branding, and
sales prices, and typically just charge a fee for the software,
domain, and hosting. Again, these are easy to set up and Shopify and Magento
support are readily available from online companies if you need help.
Shopify is an especially popular option for small
businesses and even comes with an app that you can use from your smartphone.
Magento is the far better option for eCommerce website stores that have high
hopes for the future as it gives you full control over everything you could
ever think of. This does mean that you’ll need to spend time learning how to
use the software (unless you hire someone to help
you), but the results will far outweigh your effort.
Of course, when using an online shopping platform,
you will be responsible for your SEO and marketing in order to draw people to
your site.
Which is Best?
Many people opt to use the online marketplace
whilst having their own website, and this is often the best course of action
for small eCommerce stores. You will be given the ability to reach a wider
audience and can send leaflets with the items you post directing your customers
to your online store. Long term, having your own shop is always the better
option, but there is no harm in trying a few different options until you find
one that you are happy with. This is the smart guide on Best Online Marketplace
for Sellers.
Article Source: https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/how-to-select-an-ecommerce-platform-for-your-online-store
