Most of us reach freelancing or e-commerce platforms to earn money part-time. And some of you would have been working full-time as the business grew. I initially tried freelancing and gained many benefits so I decided to earn through e-commerce platforms too. Which I have never regretted till now. It’s been more than three years of doing an e-commerce business.
Initially, I did not know which platform to choose. So, after a little research, I started trying a few different platforms so that I could gain experience. It was never regretted till now. But, for sure I spent most of my time experiencing every platform. No worries my friend, I will share my experiences so that you could understand the basic pros and cons of each and every platform. And finally, you can decide yourself which platform will suit you.
I tried earning through almost five platforms and finally chose one for my business which suited me really well. Let me explain you the pros and cons of all five e-commerce platforms so that you can have an idea for your business without wasting your time.
Before going into the platforms, let us have a deeper idea on what is e-commerce platform.
What is E-commerce?
E-commerce is also known as electronic commerce. This means, you buy and sell goods through an online platform. This also needs online transactions in which you will have no any physical exchange of money. This can take place through websites, mobile apps, and social media platforms.
01. Amazon
02. Temu
03. Ali express
04. Walmart
05. eBay
Let me elaborate and explain each and every e-commerce platform below!
01. Amazon
Amazon has a large customer base of over 310 million active users globally. Here, around 230 million users are from the United States. This is a great platform for people around the United States as Amazon has given access to only a few countries like US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. This a great platform for new sellers of above mentioned countries as Amazon is highly user friendly.
There are special warehouses for Amazon that store the products of the sellers safely. All of the shipping and customer issues are handled by Amazon itself which most of the platforms don’t provide. There are a variety of selling options for individual sellers, professional accounts, and other product sections.
Not only this, Amazon provides marketing tools for promoting your products which includes sponsored ads and discounts. This will be a great opportunity for a new seller to improve his business growth which every seller would love.
People in the Amazon-supported countries can definitely try product sales here which would be great. And for others, there are tons of alternatives that provide unlimited benefits. No worries Asians Ali -Express and eBay are coming for you!
02. Temu
Temu is also a popular platform, with around 167 million active users especially in the US market and its popularity growth rate is so high. This is also a recommended platform for beginners who are about to start. Unlike Amazon, Temu supports most countries which is great.
Temu mainly focuses on affordable items which is a great advantage for the customers who are looking for budget-friendly customers. Temu put sales and promotions that attract customers rapidly this will definitely increase sales in which the sellers are attracted more. Temu also provides drop shipping opportunities.
You can also try Temu to grow your business worldwide for sure. Let me introduce you to other alternatives too.
03. AliExpress
AliExpress is a flexible platform that connects buyers and sellers worldwide. AliExpress mainly supports Asian and European countries in which there are over 150 million customers which possess a strong customer base. Usually affordable or low-cost products are sold in this platform which is directly sold from manufacturers. Customers are usually attracted to this platform as most of the products are sold out for a cheaper price. Due to this, the selling rate is quite high the buyers gain more profit than most of the other platforms.
Also, the main advantage here is that they don’t charge fees for listing the products of the seller. This makes an attraction for beginners which is impressive. And it is also drop-shipping-friendly which is easy to access a wide range of products. And various payment methods are supported for the buyer which is very friendly for most of the countries.
So, choosing AliExpress as a beginner or an experienced seller is not a bad idea. You can gain a great profit as people almost worldwide have access.
04. Walmart
Walmart is also a large e-commerce platform in the US which has more than 150 million active customers. Walmart is also active in international markets by collaborating with partnerships. For example, Walmart is in partnership with India, which is also a well-known platform in India which is Flipkart. The specialty of Walmart is that customers can reach the store online, as well as physically too. They also give access to advertising your product which paves the way to increasing your sales rate. Also, this large platform allows brands to promote their product directly on their website.
And if your business has already grown well and you are in need of improving your business then, your brand exactly needs Walmart for sure!
05.eBay
eBay is a well-known platform for most of us around the globe as it a higher ranked as well as a popular platform through many years. It also has a strong customer base in which almost 135 million active users are present. eBay is the best-recommended platform for any beginner reading from any country around the world. eBay provides free marketing and listing for all sellers marketing the product which is quite great.
This platform sells used as well as new products in which the vintage products can gain a high profit here. There is great trust between the seller and buyer as the rules and regulations are highly strong which has a great trust in transactions.
I hope this article provides an overview of the E-commerce platforms present and now you can easily compare your eligibilities and try the best one that suits for you. Amazon and Temu go with the US and its surroundings which is a great platform for beginners with high sales over millions. Walmart suits especially the business brands which is quite interesting as they have physical access too. And, last but never least, AliExpress and eBay suits all beginners around the globe which has high demand at the same time high sales. And now, it is your turn to choose the right one!
Should we pay a fee to become a seller?
Sellers are required to pay an amount for listing their products or for the platform’s services. Some platforms charge for both and others charge only for one. And, platforms like eBay do not charge to list their products.
How to reduce fees on e-commerce platforms?
Reducing the fee margin will greatly increase the profit margin. To reduce the fee margin, choose the right platform, optimize payment plans, choose to list a fee-free platform, or take advantage of free listings and many others plays a great role.
