Where to Sell Online in 2022

eBay is one of the oldest online marketplaces. But unlike its retail counterparts, it is an authority in online auctions. The platform that attracts buyers and sellers from all over the world.
It is a place to find the most unbelievable deals. Buyers competitively bid for a listed item. And when the bidding window closes, the buyer with the winning/highest bid takes the prize. Some sellers with an eBay have made unbelievable profits from the sale of their products. And for this reason, they have remained loyal participants in eBay sales.
But although this is so, many sellers are also leaving eBay in favor of other online marketplaces.
eBay charges high listing fees. These fees are not friendly to first-time sellers (individuals and small businesses) who rarely make sales initially. It is also difficult for them to enter the eBay market with well-established sellers with a customer base or market share. So it isn’t a surprise that new sellers are joining other marketplaces where they have a better chance of making it.
So, are you looking for a marketplace to sell online? Look no further. We bring you the seven best eBay alternatives you can use.
Alternative #1: Sell on Amazon.
Amazon was known for being the world’s biggest online bookstore, selling ebooks and paperbacks (through drop shipping). But this is no longer the case. Amazon has explosively grown to dominate the eCommerce world. It sells more than 350 million different products, making it the world’s biggest online marketplace, selling almost everything.
With over 27 years of quality service, many buyers trust Amazon. And this has improved its popularity, attracting all kinds of buyers from around the globe. And its high buyer traffic has made it the most visited online marketplace or site.
So what does this mean for you? More buyers. Amazon is the best alternative to eBay regarding its market presence, visibility, and trust.
How to win on Amazon.
As with all thriving marketplaces, Amazon has a lot of individuals and small businesses selling their products and services. This means that there is high seller competition.
Even with the high level of competition, every seller has an equal chance of succeeding on Amazon. Your most significant advantage is in pricing your products right. Any price reduction gives you a winning edge over other sellers dealing with similar products. But of course, don’t lower your prices to the point of not making profits.
Tip: To profit from selling on Amazon, sell the right product in the correct category at competitive prices in large volumes.
Your efforts in this high-traffic marketplace are worth it in the long run. Once you break through as a seller, the Amazon algorithm will automatically recommend your product to buyers buying similar products. This gives you more visibility, thereby increasing your sales.
Why Amazon?
Any seller can make it on Amazon.
It has different categories of sellers; individuals, resellers, and brands.
It has a solid international presence.
Amazon operates over 16 websites/marketplaces around the world. So, you can grow your business to an international level regardless of your physical location.
Instant Sales.
Amazon is a retail enterprise, which means that you can make instant sales. eBay is an online auction house whose products may take longer to sell.
Free listings.
Listing items on Amazon is free of charge for all accounts. Amazon subtracts a commission fee of $ 0.99 when you make a sale on your free seller account. Amazon is cheaper than eBay, which charges you twice the listing fee and the commission.
Amazon makes selling or order fulfillment easy.
The marketplace has the Amazon Fulfilment Network, a supply chain that makes it possible for you to bring inventory closer to your customers. What does this mean for your business? It shortens the shipping distance, thereby ensuring timely deliveries to customers. It also makes customer service more effective as clients can easily access these centers for help.
Prime membership perks
Amazon offers special services for buyers with a Prime membership, something eBay doesn’t do. It gives them quality customer service and free two-day shipping on all qualified orders. These perks increase buyer satisfaction. And happy clients make repeat buyers.
Alternative #2: Sell on Bonanza
Although relatively new on the eCommerce scene, Bonanza (founded in 2008) is an alternative to eBay. It is in the big leagues of online marketplaces, collecting accolade after accolade.
Bonanza featured in the Entrepreneur’s 360 Best Company List. It also got the best rating for communication in the Sellers’ Choice Awards and was voted the most recommended selling venue.
Like eBay, Bonanza has a wide variety of products. One of its bestselling points is its excellent user experience. Bonanza’s platform is straightforward to navigate or use. And it is no wonder that it has over 50000 sellers worldwide.
Why Bonanza?
Higher Profit margins
As a seller, you make more money from Bonanza. This is because Bonanza charges low selling fees. The platform charges about 3.5%, a lesser fee than what eBay charges. On top of that, it is free to list your products on Bonanza.
It’s best for sellers of unique items.
As much as Bonanza is a marketplace for all product ranges, it has a reputation for selling different or unique items. So if you sell unique items, there is a ready market for you on Bonanza.
You are assured of your profit margin.
Unlike eBay, you sell your products at a fixed price. You don’t depend on buyers to determine the price for you.
More exposure
Every item listed on Bonanza appears on the search engines of Google and Bing. Sellers can also get more leads through Bonanza’s affiliate Advertising program and advertise their listings on other channels like Nextag and Pricegrabber.
Bonanza has a higher buyer-to-seller ratio than eBay.
This means that it has lesser seller competition and increases the chances of buyers viewing your product listings.
Alternative #3: Sell on Ecwid
For those who have not been on Ecwid, at least you have seen its adverts on Google. Ecwid is an eCommerce platform for sellers who want to add a store to their websites. It caters to all platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Weebly.
With Ecwid, you are assured of selling in many marketplaces. It supports selling through many channels, say Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram. In addition, it has a range of advertising and promotional features, so you are assured of maximizing your sales.
Why Ecwid?
- It is free
- It integrates seamlessly with your existing website
- Ecwid promotes brand image. You can use its attributes and features to create a store that suits your style and brand image.
- It supports many third-party channels and over fifty languages.
Alternative #4: Sell On Your Own Store.
If your goal is to have autonomy over your business, then opening your online store is the way to go.
Caution: The success of your business depends on you. On top of setting up your online store, you have to lay strategies that enable search engines to rank your store favorably. You have to devise ways of getting traffic on your site. And as with every new online business, even when you are doing everything right, it will take a while for your business to pick up.
When your business picks up, you will have the freedom to set your prices, increase your profit margins and grow your niche.
And the best thing is, you won’t have to compete with other sellers’ products similar to yours. You have a higher chance of converting most leads as most people who visit your page show interest in your products.
Why your store
- You build your brand.
- You can customize your store design and layout to suit your brand.
- You get more profits. You don’t have to reduce your prices to compete with other sellers.
- More customer engagement.
How to build a successful store
Selling on websites used to be complicated, but the emergence of Software as a Service (SaaS) has made it easier.
The structure and quality of your website play a significant role in the success of your online store. For this reason, you should use the services of an expert website builder.
A website builder creates a website or store according to your requirements. Select a website plan that caters to your needs. For a quality website, use the W2B website plan.
What the W2B website plan does for you;
- It takes care of your domain name needs. The Wholesale2B team can either use your existing domain name or buy a new one that you pick.
- They then create a store for you. You only have to browse through their range of dropship products and select what you want to sell. They use your selections to make a store full of your desired products.
- You can then customize your store using your store’s admin panel. You can change the color scheme to suit your brand, add your business logo and banner. Change product categories, prices, set up payment options, and so on.
- Advertise your store. And make sales. Buyers will place orders and pay you directly in your store. They will use the payment selections or preferences.
- W2B then processes your orders. You need not worry about how you will fulfill your orders. W2B (Wholesale2b) gets in touch with different suppliers or drop shippers to fulfill your orders. They help you with the shipping tracking codes and take care of your store’s returns.
The best part of using the W2B website plan is that it includes website hosting with unlimited bandwidth. Wholesale2B has a lot of features that can increase your store growth. Dropship website plan. You can start with a free plan and upgrade later. Find the pricing here.
Tip: To increase your brand awareness, advertise your store on various social media platforms and internet ads. Doing this helps you generate leads for your store.
You may also hire an e-commerce website development company for building your store for you.
Alternative #5: Sell using Weebly
Like Ecwid, Weebly eCommerce is easy to use. It’s a free service that enables sellers to build a website and online store.
Weebly eCommerce is best for small and medium online stores. You get to sell unlimited items and services. It is free since the store is part of the Weebly eCommerce package. The only problem with using a free plan is that Weebly adverts will populate your site.
To do away with these adverts, you will have to get your own domain name and buy a plan. Because of its easy setup, it’s perfect for users or beginners that love simple interfaces.
Why Weebly?
- The Weebly platform is easy to use.
- You can personalize your store (use your own domain name)
- The online store integrates seamlessly into the website builder.
- You can sell every kind of product or service on Weebly. Both physical and digital goods.
- It is professional. Weebly store has a shipping calculator.
Option #6: Sell on Etsy
Etsy is another site like eBay. It is the home of craft supplies, handmade and vintage items.
If you are a maker or seller of decorative pieces, jewelry, fashion accessories, arts and crafts, gifts, and fabric, Etsy is the best place for you to sell your merchandise.
How to win on Etsy.
- To sell on Etsy, you need to pick a niche and stick to it. Building your brand around a specific product will win specific buyers to your store.
- Also, promote your shop. Use your social media to get leads to your online store.
Why Etsy.
Etsy is niche-specific.
Whereas eBay sells pretty much everything, Etsy caters to vintage or handmade products. As a creative and arts and crafts seller, you will likely make more sales on Etsy.
Unique products on Etsy.
Etsy is the home of handcrafted and custom-made products. So it is frequented by buyers who love unique products.
It is a platform for advertising your brand.
As a seller of crafts, jewelry, books, toys, arts, clothing and accessories/ fashion and design, housewares, then you can use Etsy to showcase your products to a broader audience using Etsy’s advertising platform.
Charges lesser fees than eBay
Etsy charges a listing fee of about $0.20 per product. It also takes a commission or transaction fee of 5%.
Option #7: Sell on Walmart
The Walmart eCommerce marketplace is an extension of Walmart (one of the largest retailers in the USA).
Like eBay and Amazon, sellers list their products for sale on Walmart. The only difference is that only selected or vetted sellers do so.
Before entering eCommerce, Walmart had already consolidated its market share. So, the market is not something to worry about. All you have to do is strategize on converting buyers to your products.
For this reason, The Walmart marketplace can serve as one of the best alternatives to eBay.
How to win on Walmart.
Because Walmart sells products under its brand, it gives its products priority over other sellers’ items.
What does this mean for you? As an individual seller, you have a slim chance of making it. But if you have a small business, selling on Walmart could be a great opportunity of growing your brand.
To outdo your competition, competitively price your products. Choose a price that gives you a good profit margin while consolidating your place in the Walmart marketplace. With this in mind, strive for good customer service. There is nothing that beats good customer service. Happy customers will give your glowing reviews, which can turn the tides in your favor.
Why Walmart.
- It has a massive reach and a loyal clientele.
- It is effectively growing as an effective channel for third-party sellers.
- It has free listings and no membership fees.
- Walmart charges you a commission or referral fee for every sale made. (its referral fees are from 8% to 15% of the selling price)
- No start-up and maintenance fees.
- Delivery takes one to two days. Customers also can pick up their items from any Walmart store.
Why not Walmart:
Stiff competition
As a seller, get ready to compete with some of Walmart’s own products in your niche. And since Walmart owns this marketplace, its products will out shadow yours.
Walmart has less traffic than Amazon and eBay.
Because it is relatively new on the eCommerce marketplace scene, it has lesser buyers than eBay. But with its progress so far, it will be in the big leagues of eCommerce sites like eBay in no time.
Low profits.
Walmart’s system ranks competitively priced products higher than other products. so if your prices are higher than the rest, your products may never feature at the top.
Conclusion
Each of these eBay alternatives has unique features and product offerings, so it’s all about finding which site suits your needs best, which one gives you more buyers.
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