When you operate an online business, you will encounter numerous online selling sites nowadays. Certain platforms are dedicated to particular markets, such as video games and technology. Meanwhile, others offer retailers the opportunity to sell a wide range of products, including clothing, books, furniture, and more.
Although there are advantages to vending online via marketplaces, the inclusion of commissions and transaction fees tends to discourage sellers from registering. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the top online selling platforms, the advantages of establishing your own online store, and the potential benefits of combining both approaches to attract new customers and increase sales.
Top websites for selling stuff online
1. Amazon
Given the continuous growth of global ecommerce sales, it is unsurprising that Amazon ranks high on a list of prominent online marketplaces.
With $96.1 billion in revenue generated in the third quarter of 2020, Amazon solidifies its position as the leading global ecommerce company, marking a notable surge of 37% compared to the previous year. The report reveals that Amazon moves more than 400 products every minute, granting sellers access to a consistently engaged and expansive customer base.
What factors have contributed to Amazon’s status as the leading online marketplace? Amazon has gained the trust of customers who rely on its platform for purchasing goods. It is renowned for thoroughly evaluating sellers and eliminating counterfeit items. Additionally, Amazon Prime enables swift delivery within a day in select regions. Moreover, customers are attracted to the competitive prices and enticing deals offered by Amazon, resulting in their continued preference for the platform in their online shopping endeavors.
To sell on Amazon, how much you pay will be determined by your chosen plan, the category of your product, your preferred fulfillment strategy, and various other factors. The minimum amount you need to pay is $39.99 per month if you opt for a Professional seller plan. This plan is suitable for those who wish to sell more than 40 units every month, promote their products, meet the requirements for prime placement on product detail pages, and utilize advanced selling tools such as APIs and reporting.
If you are looking to reach a wide, international audience, Amazon is a favorable online marketplace to sell on.
2. eBay
It’s likely that you have encountered eBay at least once or twice before. The online selling platform has been operating since 1995, making it the original one of its kind. According to the most recent statistics from eBay, the platform boasts over 1.3 billion listings and a global user base of 182 million.
From shoes and watches to peculiar items like popcorn-scented pillows, bottles of air, and vintage ’70s hand chairs, eBay offers a wide range of products that can be sold.
When selling items on eBay, make sure to factor in the selling fees involved. These fees consist of a non-refundable listing fee per product and an additional insertion fee if the same items are listed in multiple categories. Additionally, eBay charges a final value fee, typically ranging from 10% to 12%, which is calculated based on the total sale amount, including shipping and handling charges.
eBay, like Amazon, provides a large customer base, allowing you to sell quickly and offering a valuable additional sales avenue for your online store.
3. Handshake
Handshake is a wholesale marketplace that aims to seamlessly connect retailers with suppliers. It offers a wide range of one-of-a-kind products, not produced in large quantities, in various categories such as fitness and yoga, jewelry, pets, and food and beverage. The Handshake team carefully selects each supplier showcased on the platform.
If your business sells unique products in large quantities or you wish to engage in wholesale selling, you can apply to become a Handshake seller, which is utilized by both online store owners and physical retailers.
What’s even better is that Handshake is compatible with Shopify. This means that wholesale creators can easily handle inventory, monitor sales, and complete orders conveniently all within a single platform. Unlike traditional wholesale marketplaces, which involve laborious manual maintenance and numerous CSV uploads and excel sheets.
4. Bonanza
According to SimilarWeb, Bonanza is an online marketplace situated in Seattle, Washington, that is experiencing rapid growth. Although relatively new, it is swiftly gaining popularity as an alternative to eBay. Almost any item can be sold on this platform, which attracts more than 5.1 million monthly visitors to its website.
Bonanza can be seen as a compromise between Amazon and eBay, offering a greater variety of unique and handmade items compared to eBay, but featuring fewer branded products than Amazon.
You have the option to sell various items such as the newest Nike Air Max design or a unique copper necklace handmade by someone. In both cases, there are interested buyers available. Customers can either add the desired products to their cart at a fixed price or engage in negotiation with you through the platform.
You incur no listing fees when you list your products on Bonanza. Instead, Bonanza deducts a small percentage from your total selling price once your items are sold. Additionally, Bonanza allows seamless integration with platforms like Shopify, which facilitates efficient management and sale of products for those who have their own online stores.
5. Ruby lane
Ruby Lane, a recently established online marketplace specializing in vintage and antiques, is effectively competing with established platforms such as Etsy. In an EcommerceBytes survey, Ruby Lane was crowned as the top recommended selling site for 2019. By opting to sell on Ruby Lane, one gains access to a niche group of buyers specifically interested in various categories such as antiques, collectibles, vintage items, art, dolls, and jewelry.
The fees and payments are also easy to understand. There is no charge for setting up and listing your products. However, a monthly maintenance fee of $54 is required for up to 50 items. The amount of this fee varies depending on the number of items you list. Furthermore, Ruby Lane applies a 6.7% service fee on the total purchase order, with a maximum limit of $250.
Ruby Lane is a suitable platform for individuals in the antique and collectibles business or those looking to sell items online, as it provides an opportunity to engage with enthusiastic buyers.
6. Etsy
Etsy is widely recognized as the primary platform for buying and selling handcrafted and vintage products. Starting from 2015, it also introduced maker-developed manufactured goods, although this was initially limited to specific accounts on the platform. By the second quarter of 2020, Etsy had amassed a staggering number of over 60 million buyers, establishing itself as a highly profitable avenue for online selling.
For every item you sell on Etsy, there will be a listing fee of $0.20 charged. Listings will become inactive after four months, and if you decide to renew the listing for an unsold item, an extra $0.20 will be charged. When a sale is made, a transaction fee of 5% of the displayed price, as well as the amount charged for shipping and gift wrapping, will be applied.
Etsy is an excellent platform for newcomers to online selling, offering an active buyer network, a virtual storefront, and various marketing tools to promote your business.
7. VarageSale
VarageSale is an online selling platform founded by a former elementary school teacher from Toronto who became fed up with the fraudulent and dishonest listings found on classified websites.
In order to ensure that merchants use an authentic profile image and name, along with a personal bio, the website mandates sellers to create a Facebook verified profile. This measure boosts buyers’ confidence during transactions as it allows them to gain a clearer understanding of the person they are interacting with.
Members of VarageSale have the opportunity to sell their products online without any charges. As a seller, you have the option to make a listing containing a headline, description, and photo of the product. If someone wishes to buy your item, they can either reserve it and arrange a face-to-face meeting for exchanging or utilize Stripe for conducting an online payment.
Currently, merchants are not being charged any seller or transaction fee by the platform.
8. Chairish
Chairish is increasingly becoming a popular online consignment store that focuses on selling exquisite furniture and home décor items. The process of listing products on Chairish is straightforward, and similar to other consignment stores, it deducts a percentage from the final selling price.
The amount of commission Chairish retains is determined by the selling price of your item. It is 20% for the first $2,500, then 12% for the next $22,500, and 3% for the subsequent $15,000. For instance, if you sell an item for $40,000, your earnings would amount to $35,350.
Listing your items is completely free, and once you do, the curators at Chairish will review them to ensure they meet their standards. Additionally, they will enhance your provided photos and make the item ready for sale.
Chairish handles the shipping logistics, freeing you from the concern of shipping bulky furniture items (similar to the convenience provided by dropshipping). Alternatively, you have the option to organize your own shipping if preferred.
Chairish is a great online selling site for those that want to sell furniture and other home décor. It upholds high standards, which is ideal for buyers and collectors.
9. Swappa
Are you in possession of a smartphone or a camera that is not in use anymore? Perhaps you could think about converting them into money as they may not serve a significant purpose to you.
Swappa, a platform for trading tech gadgets, has gained a stellar reputation thanks to the team’s effective measures in removing trolls and scammers. As a result, they meticulously evaluate the items, making it easy for those selling fully functional products.
Swappa allows sellers to create listings without any fees. If desired, sellers have the option to pay a $5 fee to have their listing featured. Transactions on Swappa generally involve PayPal, which charges sellers a fee when buyers make a payment. Nevertheless, Swappa has one of the most affordable fee structures compared to other marketplaces on our list.
A choice you have is to utilize Swappa Local, a modified version of the platform which enables you to vend tech devices to buyers in your local area.
10. Facebook marketplace
Facebook launched Facebook Marketplace in October 2016 with the aim of connecting individuals in communities for buying and selling purposes. An intriguing aspect of Facebook Marketplace is that the company is now extending its support to e-commerce merchants.
Facebook has collaborated with e-commerce platforms like Shopify to enable the presence of merchants on Marketplace. By integrating with Shopify, users are able to sell items within their local area and easily handle their inventory using a familiar backend system.
As a merchant on Marketplace, you must adhere to specific requirements and guidelines, although there are no charges for listing your items.
11. Craigslist
Originally launched in 1995 by Craig Newmark to offer information on local events in the San Francisco Bay Area, Craigslist has evolved into a popular online marketplace for individuals and even some businesses, offering a simple and user-friendly forum-like platform.
Craigslist’s major drawback lies in the prevalent scams and the independent approach to addressing fraud and disputes, contributing to its status as a riskier platform for selling.
For individuals who prefer selling locally and conducting face-to-face transactions, this online marketplace is highly recommended. Engaging in market arbitrage, some individuals exploit the opportunity to profit by purchasing items at low prices and reselling them at higher prices on Craigslist. This practice can result in significant financial gains.
12. Nextdoor
Nextdoor, similar to Craigslist, focuses on fostering community. It provides a platform where neighbors can communicate and exchange information pertaining to happenings in their vicinity, be it notifying others about a local block party or expressing grievances regarding traffic issues on their streets.
In addition to serving as a neighborhood forum, Nextdoor also functions as a free platform for selling your items online. Similar to Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, no charges are imposed for listing or membership, but it is necessary to meet the buyer face-to-face and carry out the transaction in person.
Because registration and account creation are mandatory, this platform offers a greater sense of security compared to Craigslist. Consequently, it tends to prioritize privacy and has a reduced presence of fraudulent activities.
