There has never been a time in history where it has been so easy to sell products than in todays day and age.
Gone are the days when entrepreneurs were limited to having a physical space, they rent or own, to sell products they’ve made.
With the advancement of technology and innovations in the market place, a multitude of tools and resources are available.
There is an abundance of online stores such as eBay, Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and many more.
Some are dedicated to selling specific items while some contain any item a consumer may want.
It is easier, now more than ever, for entrepreneurs who have a niche product to be found by those interested.
It’s easier still to open an online business, or to find a website that will help not only in the creation of an online business but also to provide a platform for it.
Shopify
Shopify is a Canadian multinational e-commerce company that was founded in 2006 by Tobias Lütke.
It is a platform that helps in the creation of new online stores and serves as a platform for those stores to sell their goods or services.
One of the biggest benefits to using Shopify is for beginners, as it makes it possible for just about anyone to create a new online shop, especially those without experience in coding online stores by simply using a template and inputting the necessary information.
Although the start-up of your Shopify ecommerce shop can appear simple, it should be known that you should still have a plan to optimise sales, if you’d like some ideas here are some shopify tactics.
Another benefit of the platform is that it is the second biggest e-commerce store in the world, which means that there will be customers for almost any kind of product.
This platform really stands out by not setting a limit on the number of items a store can have, as well as allocating unlimited online storage and bandwidth to its store owners.
The most relevant disadvantage would be that Shopify doesn’t allow for email hosting, so emails would be sent to personal email accounts.
Etsy
Etsy is an American e-commerce website founded in 2005, which acts as a platform for sellers of handmade or vintage items and craft supplies.
This online store is perfect for creatives to sell their products, and is perfect for those with a niche item, and the market for these items is large with more than 35 million active buyers.
Creating a store on Etsy is free and also easy and prospective store owners are guided through the process.
What really sets this platform apart is the helpful community that focuses on sellers. It is very easy to find an experienced seller who will post tips and answer questions to new store owners.
The other feature that makes this platform is unique is that Etsy prioritizes driving traffic to new stores by making those products visible at the top of search listings.
The only downside to this platform is that since the products are handmade with millions of sellers, the market could be slightly saturated.
Not on the High Street (NOTHS)
Not on the High Street is a British e-commerce website founded in 2006 by Holly Tucker. However, is quite different from the above-mentioned platforms. NOTHS does not store any products from sellers, nor does it complete orders.
It simply chooses producers to do business with and hosts them on the site, then acts as a mediator between the seller and the buyer.
The thing that really sets them apart is that they do business with small start-up companies, which makes it easy for those who are new on the market.
Aside from this, the platform matches buyers who are looking for custom or specialty products, so new businesses will be able to start earning much faster.
Other benefits include increased exposure compared to other platforms and are the top curated market place in the UK.
With so many platforms available, it is easier now more than ever for existing businesses to transition to an online store, or few new businesses to create one.
Because of this every kind of product, from handmade to custom or specialty items, has a place on the market.
Platforms like Etsy and NOTHS make it easy for new stores which sell unique items to have the products be found, while Shopify allows store owners to sell anything they want to an extremely large audience.
