Best Online Selling Platform: 19 Options For Entrepreneurs and Dropshippers

Over the years, I have used several platforms in building online stores and experimenting with what features they offer. As such I built this list based on experience. I am ranking these platforms according to features, ease of use, price to value, flexibility, and application or plug-in support. 

Here are the things I will share with you today:

• 18 best online selling platforms
• Should you sell in a marketplace or build your website? 
• Features, pros, cons, and cost of each platform

As you know, not all businesses have equal needs and not all entrepreneurs have the same product type and target market. In the end, you should be able to decide which platform works best for your situation. 

19 Best Online Selling Platforms

Here is a quick list for your overview: 

1. Shopify – best overall for selling online 

2. WooCommerce with WordPress – best for flexibility in designing and hosting

3. BigCommerce – best for medium-sized and enterprise stores

4. Wix – best for drag-and-drop website design

5. Squarespace – best for stores built on templates

6. Red Bubble – best for print-on-demand

7. Ruby Lane – best for antiques and collectibles

8. Bonanza – best for general dropshipping 

9. Amazon – best for U.S. dropshipping and fulfillment services

10. Etsy – best for arts and crafts

11. eBay – best for automotive supplies and accessories

12. Facebook Marketplace – best for novelty items

13. TikTok – best for trendy dropshipping products

14. Instagram – best for beauty and physical fitness products

15. Craigslist – best for hard-to-find items

16. Poshmark – best for fashion

17. Chairish – best for furniture

18. Walmart – best for affordable goods

19. Wish – best for super-affordable goods

1. Shopify – best overall for selling online 

Shopify is the leading and, I think, the best online selling platform for any entrepreneur. You can sell both physical and digital goods on the platform. What makes Shopify so great is that the founders built it for one purpose: selling. 

Shopify Features

• Unlimited Products – you can upload as many products as you want
• Staff Accounts – the basic plan allows you to have two staff accounts, including yours. The number increases as you upgrade. Overall, you can have up to 15 staff accounts. 
• Sales Channels – you can integrate your Shopify store with other sales channels like Amazon and Facebook. Anything you upload, edit, and delete in your Shopify store will also show on these integrated platforms. It is like having multiple stores with only one control source.  
• App Store – Shopify has a store for applications. Most of these apps are free, but some do require a subscription if you want more features. There are thousands of apps you can use to make your store more functional, such as email marketing, bundling products, customer reviews, and more. 

Shopify Pros

• Easy to use
• They offer many plans according to your budget and business type 
• The platform supports many payment processing systems
• Lots of app integrations 

Shopify Cons

• You will experience limitations in designing your website

Shopify Cost and Fees

Shopify starts at $25 per month for the basic plan. In this plan, you will have a fully functional store and probably not need anything else. The most basic Shopify store is only $5 per month, but it only allows you to sell through social media platforms. 

As far as fees go, Shopify does not charge any transaction fee. However, you will incur between 0.5% and 2% sales fee if you use a third-party payment processing system. 

2. WooCommerce with WordPress – best for flexibility in designing and hosting

In my experience, WooCommerce is the better choice over Shopify if you want a unique online store. WooCommerce is the platform for selling, and WordPress is your content management system or CMS. 

WooCommerce Features 

• Integrations – since WooCommerce uses the WordPress CMS, you will find thousands of free apps or plugins you can use to improve your website’s look and functionality. In addition, WooCommerce has an official plugin store. All the apps in this store went through WooCommerce variation to ensure that work seamlessly with the platform.  
• Payments – there are many payment channels you can use in WooCommerce, such as Stripe, PayPal, 2Checkout, etc. 
• Customization – there are three ways you can customize your online store: WooCommerce theme, manual coding, and web builders like Elementor.
• Mobile App – you will have access to your WooCommerce back-end from an app. Use this app to process orders on your phone.  

WooCommerce Pros

• Highly flexible in terms of web design
• Works with web design software programs like Elementor and Thrive Themes
• There are many apps you can integrate 

WooCommerce Cons

• The apps are too expensive (many cost at least $49)
• You are responsible for your store’s online security (WordPress is vulnerable to hacks)

WooCommerce Cost and Fees

Both WooCommerce and WordPress are free to use. What you need to spend on is your hosting service. Typically, a small store needs a basic web hosting plan only, which will cost you about $5 per month, paid annually. 

There are no sales fees and transaction fees with WooCommerce, except if you use WooPayments as your payment processing system. If you don’t, you only have to pay the processing fee of your payment processor. 

3. BigCommerce – best for medium-sized and enterprise stores

BigCommerce is like Shopify—it is a store builder that comes with a content management system. The company has been around since 2009, but it offers more services that most big companies need. 

What does this mean? The big difference between Shopify and BigCommerce is that the latter is an open software-as-a-service platform. Big businesses can alter the functionality of the program such that it will fit different business requirements like omnichannel, B2B, wholesale, international, etc. 

BigCommerce Features

• Industry-Specific Platform – BigCommerce offers different platforms based on your industry. You will get different tools for automatic, fashion, health & beauty, etc.  
• Cryptocurrency – you can charge your buyers with cryptocurrency instead of cash or fiat money. BigCommerce uses BitPay to process the crypto transactions. 
• Omnichannel – you can use BigCommerce to sell in over 150 sales channels. You can integrate your store with Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, Wish, etc. 

BigCommerce Pros 

• They offer a wide array of systems, tools, and services
• You can accept cryptocurrency
• You can have multiple storefronts and manage them from a single dashboard

BigCommerce Cons

• They impose an annual sales limit per plan (for the Standard Plan, your limit is $50,000 in revenue per year)
• The platform is a bit difficult to use compared to Shopify

BigCommerce Cost and Fees

The Standard Plan costs $29 per month if paid annually. If you pay monthly, the price is $39 per month. BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, and you can upload as many products as you want with no limitation on storage and bandwidth. 

4. Wix – best for drag-and-drop website design

I remember many years ago that Wix was merely a blogging platform like WordPress. Today, it is a huge store builder, and the company also branched out to serve other website needs such as those for restaurants, professionals, event organizers, and more. 

Wix Features

• Email Campaign – the system has built-in email gathering and sending capabilities. You no longer need to use a separate email marketing system like MailChimp.  
• Payment Processor – if you do not want to use Google Pay, Apple Pay, or other payment processing systems, Wix offers a default credit card processor for your store. 
• Logo Maker – there is an AI system you can use to design your logo. 
• Drag-and-Drop – the system has a powerful drag-and-drop tool that allows you to design your website. It is up to you where you want to put columns and rows, and what elements you want to use per page.

Wix Pros

• It has a powerful website bolder; no need to pay for software like Elementor
• They handle web hosting and SSL 
• You get a free custom domain for a year

Wix Cons

• The templates can be limiting
• The brand of Wix is on your website if you use the free plan

Wix Cost and Fees

You can use Wix for free, but I suggest you pay for a plan to get the most out of it. Wix offers several website types. For a simple blog, the cost is $8.50 per month. For a storefront, prepare at least $17 per month. As far as fees go, Wix charges various sales processing fees based on the payment processor you use. 

5. Squarespace – best for stores built on templates

Squarespace is what you need if you want a store that is up and running in a few minutes. All you need to do is choose a template and change the images, then add your products. 

Like Wix, Squarespace caters to a wide array of users. With this system, you can build a blog, portfolio, scheduling website, and a whole lot more.

Squarespace Features

• Unlimited Products – you can upload as many products as you like, provided you are at least in the business plan 
• Email Subscription – you can collect an unlimited number of email subscribers without a third-party email marketing app
• Domain Checkout – customers will still see your domain name as the checkout, not the name of the payment processor. This process adds credibility to your website. 

Squarespace Pros

• Lots of website templates to choose from
• You can use the platform for many purposes, not just selling
• They offer a free trial

Squarespace Cons

• There is a transaction fee
• Customers cannot leave reviews unless you upgrade your plan 

Squarespace Cost and Fees

Squarespace starts at $16 per month for the personal plan. This plan allows you to sell merchandise, but it is not a fully integrated e-commerce store. For dropshippers, I suggest that you subscribe to the Business Plan. Squarespace charges a fee of 3% for every successful transaction.

6. Red Bubble – best for print-on-demand

Red Bubble is a print-on-demand company that is also a marketplace. It is like Printful and Printify. However, you can upload your products in Red Bubble and not build your dropshipping store anymore. 

Red Bubble Features

• Lots of Products – Red Bubble has a lot of blank products where you can upload your art. They have stickers, clothing, masks, wall art, stationery, phone cases, and more. 
• Production and Shipping – as a print-on-demand company, you do not have to worry about production. Red Bubble takes care of that. They also ship the item to your consumer. 
• Payment Processing – all you need to do is upload your art and Red Bubble will do the rest. The payment processing happens in their system, and Red Bubble will credit you your profits every 15^th of the month. 

Red Bubble Pros

• There are hundreds of products to choose from
• You do not need to look for customers because they flock to the Red Bubble site to buy
• Red Bubble ships internationally 

Red Bubble Cons

• You pay a fee based on sales bracket; there is no fixed percentage
• Like other marketplaces, you may not be able to get your customer’s attention

Red Bubble Cost and Fees

There is no fee to set up an account with Red Bubble. However, you will pay fees based on your sales performance. Looking at Red Bubble’s fee table, I can say that the fee is huge. If you sold between $2 and $2.99, you would pay a fee of $1. If you sell above $500, you pay a fee of $92.

7. Ruby Lane – best for antiques and collectibles

No, you do not have to sell real antiques in Ruby Lane—you can sell antique-looking items and collectibles, or any one-of-a-kind stuff. 

As for dropshipping, I can say that it would be a tad difficult to use this platform, but it is possible. What you must do is look for a creator, or an artist, willing to dropship products for you. 

Ruby Lane Features

• Targeted Audience – Ruby Lane is like Etsy. They only allow unique hand-crafted products on their website. You cannot sell mass-produced items here. As such, it is a great place for artists to sell their products. As such, you will deal with customers who have money to burn—people looking for unique products not found anywhere else.  
• Unlimited Listings – you can upload as many products as you like. There is no limit and there is no listing fee. 
• Get Paid by PayPal – Ruby Lane will pay you via PayPal, which is one of the biggest payment processors in the world. 

Ruby Lane Pros

• No fee until you make a sale
• You can sell fine craft and handmade items
• Easy to set up a shop

Ruby Lane Cons

• The fees are high
• There is a maintenance fee of $25 per month

Ruby Lane Cost and Fees

Signing up is free but there is a monthly fee of $25 per month for as long as you are an active seller. The good news is that you can get a rebate or refund if you upload 15 items for the month. There is also a service fee of 9.9% based on the total order value.  

8. Bonanza – best for general dropshipping 

Bonanza like eBay and Amazon where everything goes. You can sell anything here. However, Bonanza is best for selling: 

• Crafts
• Trade-specific goods
• Toys
• Jewelry

Right now, Bonanza only has about 40,000 active sellers, which means there is not much competition to worry about.

Bonanza Features

• Low Fees – Bonanza charges a reasonable fee of between 3% and 5.5% of your sales. The fee structure is better than Amazon or eBay. 
• Booth – you can create a booth, or a store, inside the Bonanza platform. Buyers who click on your both will see nothing but your products. 
• Turbo Traffic – you can activate this feature to boost your booth’s traffic by up to 300%. you can also take advantage of their advertising solutions to help you get more customers.

Bonanza Pros

• Easy to set up a shop or booth
• They have many product categories
• The fees are lower than the giant marketplaces

Bonanza Cons

• Lots of fees to pay

Bonanza Cost and Fees

Bonanza charges a flat fee of $0.25 per successful sale. In addition to this, they also charge a Final Value Fee or FOV. They base the FOV on the Final Offer Value of your product. You will also pay fees if you use the Bonanza advertising system.

9. Amazon – best for U.S. dropshipping and fulfillment services

Amazon is a great option if you are in the US, and if you are targeting US customers. It is also an ideal marketplace if you want Amazon to do the warehousing and shipping (but this will not apply to dropshipping).

Amazon Features

• Photo Editing – Amazon now has photo editing software, making it possible for you to alter your photos. You no longer need to use expensive photo editing programs. 
• Pricing Management – the system will show you how much fees you are likely to incur. Because of this, you can price your product accordingly.
• Analytics – the backend offers so many data points; you can study your sales, traffic, and other key performance indicators. 
• Sponsored Products – you can pay Amazon a fee to make your products show at the top of search results. Do this in the beginning, considering that your products are not likely to show up at the top of a customer’s search. 

Amazon Pros

• Millions of people buy products on Amazon 
• Amazon offers fulfillment services
• Amazon customers are loyal; they keep coming back to purchase

Amazon Cons

• Difficult to set up if you are not from the US
• Too competitive 

Amazon Cost and Fees

The basic fee for Amazon is $0.99 per sale, provided that you are not a subscriber. The alternative is to pay a monthly fee of $39.99, and they will waive the fee per sale. However, you will still pay a referral fee, and this cost depends on the category of your product. 

10. Etsy – best for arts and crafts

Etsy started as an online marketplace to sell handcrafted goods. Today, they now allow dropshippers to sell mass-produced items, provided that these items are still artistic. For example, you can sell print-on-demand items now, which Etsy did not allow in the past. 

Etsy Features

• Integration – you can integrate Etsy with some apps. For example, you can use Printify as your print-on-demand tool and supplier, and then automatically load your Printify products on Etsy. 
• Make Offer – buyers can make a price offer for your product if they think your selling price is too high. This feature is only available to sellers whose currency is USD. 
• Etsy App – you can use the Etsy app as a seller to view your sales and make comments on customer reviews.
• Share & Save – if you share your product link and bring your traffic to Etsy, you can save on the cost of fees. Etsy will rebate you 4% of the total cost of fees for that product. 

Etsy Pros

• Customers here are willing to spend money
• Etsy has 81 million active buyers
• You can use the Etsy advertising service to get more views on your listings

Etsy Cons

• You must pay a listing fee per item every four months

Etsy Cost and Fees

It is free to sign up for an Etsy account. However, you will pay $0.20 per listing, which renews once you make a sale, or after four months. In addition, Etsy charges a transaction fee of 6.5% based on your item price, shipping, cost, and additional services like gift wrapping fees.

11. eBay – best for automotive supplies and accessories

eBay has been around for a long while—longer than Amazon. It used to be an auction site (it still is), but most sellers and buyers here no longer use the auction system. Instead, most buyers prefer to buy the product the same way they would with any normal online marketplace.  

eBay Features

• Auction – you can post an item for sale and use auction format only; it means that the highest bidder wins the auction, and you get paid more.
• Pre-Loved Items – if dropshipping is not your business model, you can sell old items on the platform like books, collectible comics, DVDs, and games. 
• Buy It Now Option – if you want your product viewers to forego the auction, they can click on the Buy It Now button. This button allows you to receive payment instantly and close the transaction. 

eBay Pros

• You can sell almost anything on eBay, including second-hand goods
• eBay has a massive loyal following; it has over 132 million buyers globally
• There is a lot of third-party support for eBay, such as spy tools and guides
• Your customers have many options for payment, such as PayPal, Google Pay, etc. 

eBay Cons

• There are many fees to pay

eBay Cost and Fees

The fees you pay depend on what you successfully sold. There is a thing called an insertion fee, and then there is a final value fee. There was a time when it was free to set up a store on eBay. Today, you must pay a subscription, and the fee starts at $7.95 per month. 

12. Facebook Marketplace – best for novelty items

The Facebook marketplace is ideal only if you are an active seller. What I mean here is if you have the time to do a live broadcast, then Facebook is a good place to sell. The trick is to do live videos and sell your products to your viewers.

The Facebook marketplace, however, is not as great as other marketplaces. To begin with, it is a social media platform. It makes sense to sell here only if you also have a Facebook page for your store. 

Facebook Marketplace Features

• Easy to Use – all it takes to post an item for sale is to have a Facebook account. Upload images of your photos and product details, and Facebook will take care of the rest. 
• Multiple Categories – you can choose a particular category for your listing, which makes it easier for potential buyers to find your item.
• Houses and Rentals – Facebook allows you to post houses for rent, sale, and other similar types of services.

Facebook Marketplace Pros

• Millions of potential buyers
• The system is easy to use
• You can post as many products as you want

Facebook Marketplace Cons

• Not all countries have a payment system in place for the marketplace 
• Lots of nuisance buyers and scammy sellers

Facebook Cost and Fees

It is free to post an item for sale on Facebook. Please note that the Facebook marketplace is different from the Facebook Shop. The marketplace allows people to post products for as long as they have a Facebook profile.

Building a Facebook Shop is only possible if you have a business page on Facebook. You also need a Facebook business account.

13. TikTok – best for trendy dropshipping products

TikTok as a selling platform is no longer an option but a necessity, especially if you are dropshipping products to the US. TikTok shops are so popular that they spawned all these “TikTok Made Me Buy This” types of videos. 

TikTok Shop Features

• Advertising – your TikTok Shop comes with an ad manager account and an ad account. It is here that you can create ads that will boost your traffic and conversion rate. 
• Video Support – once you have a TikTok Shop and ad account, you can launch videos with embedded BUY buttons. The videos look native in the TikTok user’s feed, even if you paid for ads. 
• Live Shopping – you can perform live videos and your viewers can tap on your pinned products on that video. 
• Analytics – TikTok offers a wide range of data analytics for your shop. You can view your demographics, which countries view your videos the most, their age groups, etc. 

TikTok Shop Pros

• TikTok users have a higher engagement rate than other social media platforms
• The selling platform has a drag-and-drop ad creator

TikTok Shop Cons

• You cannot sell internationally; your limit is your region

TikTok Shop Cost and Fees

It is free to set up a TikTok shop. However, the platform charges 5% as a commission fee. You must also prepare to pay advertising fees. It is not likely for people to discover your products on TikTok unless you have a video that goes viral. 

14. Instagram – best for beauty and physical fitness products

Instagram Shopping is the official name of the marketplace. Consumers can shop your products directly from the photos and videos that you upload. It is similar to how TikTok operates, but Instagram is a better place to market products that are a little on the high end (more expensive). 

Instagram Shopping Features

• Product Tags – you can tag your products so customers can easily find them. The tags work like Facebook friend tags, but only for your product catalog. These tags are those that one can see in a photo. For example, if there is a photo of a woman wearing a jacket and a hat, the jacket will have a tag, and the hat will also have a tag.  
• Ads – you can leverage the power of Instagram ads to bring more consumers to your shop. You can even redirect ad viewers to your website if you have one. 
• Explore – your product images will appear on specific Instagram categories. If a user clicks on EXPLORE in the Instagram shopping network, your product photo may appear in his feed.

Instagram Shopping Pros

• You can create product collections
• Your products have individual pages

Instagram Shopping Cons

• You must get an approval before you can set up your shop 

Instagram Shopping Cost and Fees

While it is free to create an Instagram Shop, you will pay fees if you allow Instagram to process payments for you. The default rate is 5% of the transaction. There is also a flat fee of $0.40 for every transaction that is less than $8. You will pay a fee only if you use Instagram Checkout. 

15. Craigslist – best for hard-to-find items

Craigslist is a phenomenon that still baffles me to this day. The website’s design never improved from the 1990s user interface—blue links and white background.

Although Craigslist has a reputation for shady business listings, it still is a legit site. Pretty much, we can categorize this as a buy-and-sell or listing site. As such, we can call it an advertising platform—an ancient yet still effective way to advertise. 

Craigslist Features

Craigslist is a rudimentary website. There is not much to say here as it is a straightforward listing network. The best feature, in my opinion, is that you can list your items to target specific places, counties, cities, towns, and countries.

Craigslist Pros

• People who come to the site have a strong inclination to buy
• Millions of people use Craigslist daily

Craigslist Cons

• There is no online payment mechanism; you must contact your buyer outside the Craiglsit platform 

Craigslist Cost and Fees

It is mostly free to post on Craigslist. They charge money only for job listings, real estate, and automotive sales and rentals.

16. Poshmark – best for fashion

Poshmark is one of the best niche marketplaces for fashion for men, women, and kids. They also have a specific focus on pet products and home décor. With over 80 million registered users, the main target market for this site is Canada and the United States. 

Poshmark Features

• Sales Tax – the system automatically calculates taxes. This is important, as your target consumers are mainly in Canada and the US. 
• Shipping Label – the Poshmark system allows you to print shipping labels. You no longer need to sign up for an account with a shipping company.
• Payment System – they process credit card payments free of charge. 

Poshmark Pros

• The company handles the logistics
• Poshmark has a phone app that makes it easy to upload product photos and descriptions
• The company representatives moderate returns and refunds

Poshmark Cons

• The fees are high; it is not ideal for low-cost items 

Poshmark Cost and Fees

It is free to list an item on the site, but you will pay a transaction fee based on the final order value or price. If your product sold for less than $15, the flat rate fee is $2.95. For items above $15, the fixed fee is 20%.

17. Chairish – best for furniture

Dropshipping furniture is one of the most lucrative dropshipping business models out there. Some consumers do not want to go to IKEA or similar stores. In addition, consumers know that there are more options online than a physical furniture store. 

Chairish is the marketplace for furniture. Here, you can sell: 

• Art
• Lighting
• Décor
• All types of furniture
• Bed and bath items
• Outdoor items

Chairish Features

• Shipping – Chairish will manage the shipping details for you. They use movers and other commercial services to pick up the goods from your location and ship the furniture to your customers. 
• Marketing – the website’s design is impeccable. You do not have to worry about the layout. In addition, Chairish makes an effort to attract millions of shoppers to the listings. The company has around 4 million active users in a month. 
• Price Control – you control your prices, and you can delete the listing at any time. There is also a negotiation feature in the system. A customer can ask you for a lower price, and if you agree, it is easy to make changes to the selling price to make the sale happen. 

Chairish Pros

• There is an app that allows buyers to “try” the furniture virtually before they buy
• The Buy Now Pay Later program makes it easier for buyers to make a purchase
• You can select rm different shipping companies

Chairish Cons

• They pay sellers only via PayPal and Stripe
• The consignment fee is high

Chairish Cost and Fees

It is free to sign up for a seller account with Chairish. However, prepare yourself to pay high fees for transactions. You must also choose a seller plan, and this plan will dictate how much you pay for your sales. Overall, the fees range between 22% and 40%. 

18. Walmart – best for affordable goods

Walmart is a name that people trust when it comes to affordable home goods. If your target market is the general population, then it makes sense to sell on the Walmart online platform. 

Walmart Features

• Big Market – while Walmart is not as big as Amazon, it does have 120 million active customers. 
• Shipping – Walmart has a fulfillment service. You can send them your items for warehousing, and they will take care of the shipping. If you do this, Walmart offers consumers a free 2-day shipping process, which means you can sell more because customers typically want their items as soon as possible. 
• Integrations – you can integrate Walmart with your Shopify store. If you are in the print-on-demand business, you can sell the items on two storefronts: your dropshipping store and Walmart. 

Walmart Pros

• It is an all-around marketplace
• It is free to list items and there is no sign-up fee or membership subscription
• The referral fees are reasonable

Walmart Cons

• They are picky about who to approve for a seller account

Walmart Cost and Fees

It is free to create a seller account with Walmart. You can also list items for free. Walmart charges you a fee for every sale, which they call a referral fee. The fee percentage depends on your product category. The range is between 3% and 15%.  

19. Wish – best for super-affordable goods

Wish is a platform that caters to a market of consumers looking for extremely affordable goods. It is where you can sell items for less than $2. 

Wish has practically no limits when it comes to the items you post. Here, you can even sell items that are typically banned in many marketplaces, such as adult toys. 

Wish Features

• International – Wish is available in over 40 countries. It is ideal for dropshippers who want to target a wide range of markets. 
• Free to Use – there is no registration or subscription fee when you sell in Wish. 
• Shopping App – there is a shopping app that users can download and install for Android, making it easier to shop on mobile devices. 

Wish Pros

• You can boost your products with their advertising tools
• The selling fees are reasonable
• The platform is easy to use

Wish Cons

• You cannot sell expensive items; Wish has a reputation for promoting knockoffs
• You must ship the item within five days; otherwise, you get a warning

Wish Cost and Fees

Product listing is free on Wish. The fee you pay is a transaction fee that ranges between 13% and 18%. While this may sound high, it still is lesser compared to other platforms. There are no hidden fees, so all you have to do is to account for this fee when pricing your goods. 

Dropship in Own Store or Marketplace: Which is Better?

In my opinion, dropshipping in your own store is a lot better than selling in an online marketplace. Below are my reasons for this choice. 

1. Better Control

You have better control of your website’s appearance and your overall business. You do not need to comply with rules and regulations, and you certainly do not have to make do with whatever limitations an online marketplace has. 

For example, you cannot create special discounts on Amazon for your customers. Another example is that there is no payment option on Instagram. On TikTok, you cannot build a store unless you meet their conditions—conditions that are not transparent.  

2. Less Competition

Just imagine if you post an item for sale on Amazon. There are hundreds of other vendors that sell something similar to your product, and they are probably sourcing these items from AliExpress like you. 

The problem with sites like Amazon and Etsy is that consumers have so many choices. Right beside your item is something that is probably better, or one that has a lesser price. Because of this, it is easy for a consumer to not pay attention to your product. 

3. Better Fees and Rates

Amazon, Etsy, and other platforms charge a fee for the items you sell. There are listing fees, advertising fees, and many others. 

In your store, the only fees you pay are:

• Your website’s maintenance fees
• Your payment processing fees
• Your advertising fees

The good news is that you can reduce your advertising costs. What you can do is blog about your products, apply search engine optimization strategies, and get free store traffic organically. 

Is it bad to sell in online marketplaces? No, not at all. Online marketplaces are best for dropshippers who: 

• Do not want to build an online store
• Do not know and are not interested in building an online store

Your skills and the amount of work you want to put in are the things that will determine which selling platform to choose. 

FAQ: Best Online Selling Platform

Which online platform is best to sell?

In my opinion, the best one is Shopify. Its founders built the platform with one goal: to make it easy for merchants to build an online store. As such, it has everything you need to build the store you want without learning how to code. 

What is the best platform to sell online small businesses?

Small businesses will benefit the most from Shopify. A Basic Shopify plan will cost you no more than $25 per month (at the time of this writing). 

Where can I sell my products online for free?

You can sell for free in marketplaces like Facebook and Instagram. Social media marketplaces are completely free, but marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy charge a listing fee and sales fee. 

Summary

The next step is to decide which platform matches your product type, business size, and budget. If you can spare $25 per month, I strongly recommend Shopify. If you want more flexibility in web design and you are adept at website building, I recommend WooCommerce with WordPress. 

Once done, do not forget to sign up for a free 7-day trial account with us. No matter what selling platform you choose, you need a spy dropship spy tool like Dropship.IO. The last thing you want is to sell blindly—use our tool to validate your idea and spy on other sellers, especially Shopify store owners!