The fast increase of online marketplace sales has small business owners and entrepreneurs wondering if they should sell on online marketplaces.
When running a business nowadays, you’ll come across hundreds of “best” places to sell online. Some specialize in specialized areas, such as video games and technology. Others permit merchants to sell anything from apparel to books to furniture and more.
While there are advantages to selling online through marketplaces, it is critical to consider aspects such as commissions and transaction costs when determining the right platform for you.
In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the best online selling sites, the benefits of starting your own website, and how using both can help reach new customers and make more online sales.
Create your own website
Starting an website may appear to be a difficult endeavor, but it can be satisfying and extremely successful when done correctly. The only downside is that you must market your own company and attract visitors to your website. Building a brand takes time as well.
The main advantage is that the profit is all yours. You don’t have to pay endless fees on each transaction or follow any regulations other than your own. If this sounds appealing, you can create your own website from scratch.
Shopify
Offering a customizable platform for creating standalone online stores, Shopify supports various payment gateways and extensive app integrations, making it perfect for businesses wanting complete control over their brand and customer experience.
Top websites to sell products online in 2024
Amazon
It’s no surprise that Amazon is on a list of the finest online selling sites as global ecommerce sales continue to expand. Amazon, the world’s largest ecommerce corporation, produced $127.1 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2022, a 15% rise over the previous year. According to reports, Amazon sells over 400 goods each minute, giving vendors an active, built-in audience to sell to.
How did Amazon become the best online retailer? People have grown to trust Amazon and the products they purchase from its marketplace. Amazon is well-known for screening merchants and removing counterfeit goods. It also offers Amazon Prime delivery in as low as one day (in some locations). People adore it’s fantastic discounts and bargains, which is why they continue to do their online shopping there.
The cost of selling on Amazon is determined by your strategy, product category, fulfillment approach, and other factors. A Professional seller plan will cost you at least $39.99 per month (plus the additional selling costs indicated above). If you wish to sell more than 40 units per month, market your items, qualify for top placement on product detail pages, and want sophisticated selling tools such as APIs and reporting, this plan is for you.
Overall, if you want to reach a large, worldwide audience, Amazon is the greatest online marketplace to sell things on.
eBay
You’ve probably stumbled across eBay once or twice throughout your life. With a history dating back to 1995, it is the original best location to sell items online. According to the most recent eBay data, the site has over 1.3 billion listings and 182 million users worldwide.
On eBay, you can sell anything, from ordinary products like shoes and watches to bizarre items (yep, that’s a product category) like popcorn-scented pillows, bottles of air, and vintage ’70’s hand chairs. Look through what’s sold and you’ll be surprised at what kinds of items sell.
If you want to sell on eBay, consider the selling costs charged by the online marketplace. It charges a non-refundable listing fee for each product and an insertion cost if the identical products are listed in two distinct categories. It also charges a final value fee (often 10%-12%), which is determined as a percentage of the entire cost of the sale, including any shipping and handling fees.
eBay, like Amazon, is one of the greatest places to sell online since it has a large audience to whom you can sell, it is fast, and it may serve as an extra sales channel for your online business.
Walmart Marketplace
With its vast customer base and association with a trusted retail brand, Walmart Marketplace offers competitive commission rates and robust fulfillment options, ideal for sellers looking to leverage a major retail network.
Bonanza
Bonanza is a rapidly expanding internet marketplace headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It’s one of the more recent online selling platforms, but it’s fast becoming a popular eBay substitute. According to SimilarWeb, the platform generates over 5.1 million monthly visits to its website and allows you to sell almost anything.
Consider Bonanza to be a cross between the greatest online selling platforms Amazon and eBay. Bonanza has more original and handcrafted things for sale than eBay, but less branded brands than Amazon. You may, for example, sell the most recent Nike Air Max model or a handcrafted one-of-a-kind copper necklace and find active customers for both. Buyers may add things to their cart for a fixed price or use the platform to negotiate a bargain with you.
Bonanza does not charge you anything to list your items on its website. After you sell, it just takes a little portion of your ultimate transaction price. And, because many Bonanza sellers already have their own online businesses, you can link Bonanza with systems like Shopify to make it easier to manage and sell things.
Ruby Lane
Ruby Lane is a newer online vintage and antiques marketplace, but it’s giving larger online selling sites like Etsy a run for their money. In an EcommerceBytes survey, Ruby Lane was rated the best online store to sell on in 2019. For categories such as antiques and collectibles, vintage and art, dolls, and jewelry, selling on Ruby Lane provides you access to highly targeted consumers.
Fees and payments are also uncomplicated. It is completely free to set up and list your items. However, a monthly maintenance cost of $54 is required for up to 50 items. This cost varies depending on how many things you post on the site. In addition, Ruby Lane charges a 6.7% service fee on total purchase order, with a $250 maximum.
Ruby Lane is a terrific way to interact with interested customers, whether you operate an antiques and collectibles store or simply desire internet selling sites.
Etsy
Etsy is a popular marketplace for homemade and antique things. It began to include maker-developed manufactured items in 2015, but only for certain accounts on the marketplace. Etsy had over 96 million buyers as of Q2 2021, making it a profitable method to start selling online.
Each item you sell on Etsy will incur a $0.20 listing fee. Listings are only valid for four months. If your item does not sell and you renew the listing, you will be charged $0.20 more. When you make a sale, you’ll be charged a 5% transaction fee plus the amount you charge for shipping and gift wrapping. Etsy might be a good place to start if you’re new to online selling platforms.
If you’re new to online selling platforms, Etsy might be a terrific place to start. You’ll have access to an active buyer network, a pop-up storefront, and marketing tools on the platform.
Mercari
Mercari is a user-friendly platform that facilitates the sale of second-hand goods across a wide range of categories, making it ideal for casual sellers and those looking to declutter. Its simplicity, flat-rate shipping options, and strong mobile app presence appeal to a diverse user base, fostering a community-oriented marketplace that encourages easy transactions and quick sales.
Depop
Popular among younger audiences for selling fashion items, Depop combines a social media-like interface with a focus on trendy and vintage fashion, fostering a highly engaged community of buyers and sellers.
Newegg
Specializing in tech products and electronics, Newegg attracts a tech-savvy audience and provides extensive customer reviews and ratings, making it a top choice for sellers in the technology sector.
Chairish
Chairish is an online consignment store that specializes on high-quality home decor and furniture. It just takes a few minutes to post an item (for free) on Chairish, and depending on your seller plan, you will receive between 70% and 80% of the selling price.
The best part about Chairish is that it’s completely free, unless you choose for its Elite plan, which costs $149 a month. You post your items, and Chairish’s curatorial team examines them to verify that they satisfy the marketplace’s criteria. They will then edit your product images and publish them for you. They also manage delivery, so when you sell on Chairish, you never have to worry about logistics.
This is one of the top online selling platforms if you have design-oriented furniture or home décor to sell. It may immediately get your company in front of the right collectors and customers, allowing you to earn more sales online.
Swappa
Do you have an old iPhone X lying around that you’d want to get rid of? Or a Ninthendo Switch that you no longer use? Swappa is a reputable buy and sell website for phones, computers, cameras, and other electronics.
Swappa is trustworthy since it thoroughly vets the things sold on its marketplace. It does not accept garbage items, which means that everything you sell must be in working order, and each payment is insured by PayPal.
There are no fees to create a listing, however you may pay $5 to have your things promoted (similar to an ad). Swappa only charges flat fees that are included in the listing price. When you sell something, the customer pays the charge together with their purchase. Swappa charges some of the lowest costs in the industry. Swappa, for example, costs the buyer $15 if you sell a $350
Poshmark
Poshmark is a famous social commerce platform where people in the United States, Canada, and Australia may buy, sell, and list apparel and other lifestyle products.
Their upfront pricing and reputation for taking care of both customers and sellers make it an excellent platform to explore whether you’re just starting out selling online or seeking to expand your business. “Our fees are very simple and straightforward,” they explain in their FAQ. Poshmark charges a flat $2.95 fee on any transactions under $15. The remainder is yours to keep. For sales of $15 or more, you retain 80% of the profit, while Poshmark keeps 20%.”
With over 80 million registered members, merchants on the site benefit from a big community of interested customers right once. Poshmark’s ease of use is one of its most appealing features. Sign up, sell your stuff, post on social media, and watch the money come in!
Wayfair
Specializing in home goods, Wayfair provides an extensive platform for selling furniture, decor, and home improvement items. It caters to a targeted audience of homeowners and interior designers, offering sellers access to a market keen on quality and variety. Wayfair’s strong brand recognition, sophisticated logistics network, and comprehensive support for large-item shipping make it a prime choice for businesses focused on home-related products.
Decluttr
Decluttr is another extremely popular online marketplace for selling gadgets such as PCs, CDs, and so on. It’s billed as the “best place to sell tech online,” and it’s a great option if you have a lot of devices lying around the house that you’d like to sell.
Decluttr, unlike some of the other marketplaces on our list, buys gadgets and other stuff directly from you. Simply scan the barcode of the products you want to sell using their app, and they will offer you a fair and transparent price. Decluttr covers all shipping charges and pays you as soon as your things are received.
It’s a terrific choice to explore if you’re seeking for a simplified way to sell your electrical products. You may also sell books, video games, and other items.
Local online selling sites
If you want to sell in your neighborhood, these are the best free online marketplaces:
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is an online marketplace where anyone can find, buy, and sell products on Facebook. Every month, more than one in every three individuals use Marketplace, providing a great potential for merchants to reach an engaged audience. It’s absolutely free to list, and Facebook doesn’t charge any fees, but there are certain rules to follow if you want to sell on the network.
Facebook has also worked with systems such as Shopify to allow retailers to display their inventory, market things, and discover new consumers.
Craigslist
Craigslist was one of the first internet marketplaces. Craig Newmark founded it in 1995 as an email distribution list for friends showcasing local events in the San Francisco Bay Area. It rapidly became a web-based marketplace and has now spread to 700 cities in 70 different nations. It’s free, simple, and straightforward—certainly not the greatest online store for selling products at volume. It’s simply a large local forum with a lot of information.
Craigslist is a more dangerous online marketplace. Because of the platform’s “hands-off” attitude to buying and selling, frauds are common, and if they occur, you will receive no assistance from the company.
Regardless, Craigslist is a popular selling platform for local buyers and sellers, as well as those who want to meet in person to finalize a transaction.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is similar to Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist in that it focuses on community selling; nevertheless, it may not be considered a legitimate online selling site by some. Nextdoor also fosters the “friendly neighbor” feeling by allowing residents to write about what’s going on in their neighborhood, whether it’s traffic delays or restaurant recommendations. It serves as the focal point for any particular location.
Nextdoor also has a free online marketplace where you can sell your stuff. It works similarly to Facebook Marketplace in that there are no listing costs and you must meet customers in person. It also feels a little safer because you have to create an account before you can use the platform.
VarageSale
VarageSale is a buy and sell software for virtual garage sales. It was founded in Toronto by an ex-elementary school teacher who was tired of frauds and false advertisements on other classified sites. VarageSale user accounts are based on genuine identities, and everyone is subjected to a manual check procedure before they may purchase or sell.
Buyers may explore seller ratings and message vendors before making a purchase. They may use the app to ask inquiries, make purchases, and schedule pick-ups. On VarageSale, people sell anything from furniture to apparel to shoes. Members may also purchase and sell on the app for free.
Offerup
Based on zip code, Offerup (previously LetGo) allows customers to easily browse wonderful tools, all kinds of products ranging from electronics to apparel, and even vehicles. Interested buyers may quickly contact vendors via their smartphone to negotiate a price and arrange a meeting location.
They might be a terrific choice to explore if you want to sell your products locally. Furthermore, Offerup has extremely strict safety rules and processes in place to protect its consumers. You may explore user profiles and read vendor feedback before agreeing to meeting. Offerup also uses TruYou to authenticate the identity of their members, which helps to boost safety even more. They also suggest community rendezvous locations to make the transaction as secure and simple as possible.
Best global online selling sites
Do you want to sell to people all around the world? Here are the greatest online selling sites from across the world:
Alibaba
Catering primarily to B2B transactions, Alibaba is a powerful platform for wholesalers aiming to access international markets, offering bulk selling capabilities and a comprehensive supplier directory.
Taobao
Taobao began as an online selling site similar to eBay in 2003 and has now grown to become the world’s largest online marketplace, according to Digital Commerce 360 study.
Taobao has over 70 million MAUs as of September 2020 and had transacted over $526 billion in gross merchandise volume during the 2020 fiscal year.
Rakuten
Rakuten is a major Japanese marketplace that offers ecommerce, banking, telecommunication services, and more. Although PayPay Mall has greater monthly visitors, some sources indicate Rakuten is the industry leader in terms of sales. You may sell in a variety of product categories, such as apparel, books, sports, subscription boxes, and more, much like on Amazon.
Rakuten now has over 56,000 merchants and over 115 million worldwide customers. Businesses who wish to sell on Rakuten must be registered in the United States or Japan; otherwise, you must apply through a service partner.
Mercado Libre
Mercado Libre is the most prominent Latin American online platform, servicing over 18 countries from Mexico to Argentina. If these are important markets for your company, this is the perfect place to offer items online.
According to Mercardo Libre’s most recent investor report, the brand’s net sales was $2.7 billion in Q3 2022. It also generated more than $8.6 billion in gross sales volume. Sellers on the marketplace provide a wide range of items from 20 major categories and 123 minor categories.
Flipkart
Flipkart began as an online bookshop in 2007 and has since grown to become India’s largest online selling site. Flipkart allows retailers to sell everything, including consumer items, fashion, home needs, food, and lifestyle products.
Walmart-backed Flipkart, a direct Amazon competitor, continues to top India’s ecommerce market share. According to current reports, Flipkart accounted for 66% of total gross product value reported by ecommerce enterprises during the mid-October to mid-November 2020 holiday season. Flipkart is the ideal online selling portal for your business if you want to enter into the Indian market.
MyDeal
MyDeal is an Australian marketplace with over one million goods in 3,500 categories and over 5.4 million monthly visitors. It is simply a marketplace, which means it does not offer its own items but solely those of third-party vendors.
While you may sell things in a variety of categories, the site mostly sells furniture, homewares, and other large items. Sellers must manage their own delivery or utilize an independent logistics business because MyDeal does not provide fulfillment services.
Finding the best online selling sites and strategies
Identifying the most effective online selling sites and tactics. Whether you run an online store or offer custom items, every online company owner should investigate various online selling platforms. They may sometimes assist new enterprises in getting off the ground by providing a built-in audience of active purchasers and marketing possibilities.
Regardless, it is critical not to rely solely on internet marketplaces. Create your own website to promote your brand, interact with customers, and keep more revenues. With a digital home base, you can stop paying commissions and fees to each online selling site and focus on growing your business over time. After all, the finest internet selling sites are the ones you control.
