{"id":293,"date":"2017-12-01T16:59:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T16:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/blog\/online-store-vs-marketplace-ecommerce-website-sell\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T23:03:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T23:03:48","slug":"online-store-vs-marketplace-ecommerce-website-sell","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/blog\/online-store-vs-marketplace-ecommerce-website-sell\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecommerce vs Marketplace: Where Should You Start Selling Online?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-toc single-toc\" data-controller=\"blog-toc-controller\" data-action=\"scroll@window-&gt;blog-toc-controller#scrollChanged:passive\" id=\"toc-component\"><div class=\"single-toc-overview\"><p>Table of Contents<\/p><div class=\"single-toc-read-time\"><p>** Minutes<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"#h-what-s-the-difference-between-marketplaces-and-ecommerce-sites\">What\u2019s the difference between marketplaces and ecommerce sites?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#h-what-are-the-benefits-of-selling-on-a-marketplace\">What are the benefits of selling on a marketplace?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#h-what-are-the-downsides-of-selling-on-a-marketplace\">What are the downsides of selling on a marketplace?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#h-why-should-you-use-your-own-website-to-sell-online\">Why should you use your own website to sell online?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#h-what-are-the-downsides-of-selling-on-your-own-website\">What are the downsides of selling on your own website?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#h-how-to-choose-the-right-ecommerce-platform\">How to choose the right ecommerce platform<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#h-learn-more\">Learn more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many benefits of selling products online. You can reach more customers than a traditional brick and mortar shop, sell at all times of the day, and refrain from having to build a physical storefront.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, \u201conline\u201d is very general. There seem to be infinite ecommerce options, with new sites popping up all the time. Choosing the best place for your business to sell products online can be a daunting task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some merchants look to get started on either a marketplace or by building their own website. Let\u2019s define what we mean by each:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Marketplace<\/strong>: A third-party site that includes product listings from many sellers across product categories. Examples include Amazon, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/facebook-shops\/\">Facebook Shops<\/a>, eBay, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/walmart-marketplace\/\">Walmart Marketplace<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/etsy-fulfillment\/\">Etsy<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Own website<\/strong>: An independent ecommerce website that a seller runs, where buyers purchase goods directly from the website belonging to the business. Many are built using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.websitebuilderexpert.com\/ecommerce-website-builders\/best\/platforms\/\">ecommerce platforms<\/a> like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/shopify-shipping\/\">Shopify<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/adobe-commerce-fulfillment\/\">Magento<\/a>, BigCommerce, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/woocommerce-shipping\/\">WooCommerce<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-the-difference-between-marketplaces-and-ecommerce-sites\">What\u2019s the difference between marketplaces and ecommerce sites?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span>The main differences between marketplaces and ecommerce sites are simple, but really depend on who are and what you\u2019re selling. Marketplaces will make millions of visitors available to you, but you\u2019ll also be fighting with thousands of sellers to be seen. An <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.g2.com\/e-commerce-website\">ecommerce website<\/a> is a way to differentiate yourself, but you\u2019ll need to put in serious effort to ramp up traffic and drive sales.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>This article will help dive deeper into which pros and cons are worth it to your business. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which is best for your business? Learn the general pros and cons of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellbrite.com\/blog\/are-marketplaces-worth-the-cost\/\">selling your products on a marketplace<\/a> and your own website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-benefits-of-selling-on-a-marketplace\">What are the benefits of selling on a marketplace?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many advantages when it comes to selling on a third-party marketplace. Learn why many sellers use this option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-it-s-convenient-to-get-started-and-maintain\">It\u2019s convenient to get started and maintain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>An online marketplace can simplify ecommerce, especially for new sellers. The infrastructure is already there, thus saving retailers time and hassle associated with building a website from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Online marketplaces are not owned by any individual seller, so the transaction and payment are handled by the marketplace itself. The seller\u2019s experience involves few steps to add and modify product listings. Check out our guide to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/best-online-marketplace\/\">best online marketplaces<\/a> to get your selling journey started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-there-are-tons-of-visitors-who-already-make-purchases-there\">There are tons of visitors who already make purchases there<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Marketplaces are well-established, highly trusted websites. People are comfortable making purchases on them and accustomed to going there instead of somewhere new to find products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As many marketplaces are already household names, they have millions of shoppers who are searching for products like yours. It doesn\u2019t require much effort to get your products in front of potential customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-downsides-of-selling-on-a-marketplace\">What are the downsides of selling on a marketplace?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While they may seem like the easy option, there are some disadvantages of using a third-party site to sell your products online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-there-are-multiple-competing-brands-on-the-same-site\">There are multiple competing brands on the same site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Though your product is unique, there are plenty of similar offerings out there competing for your potential customers\u2019 attention. In a crowded marketplace, your product might not necessarily stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even more, your competitors may target shoppers who visit your listings and place advertisements for their products on your pages. Depending on the intensity of competition in your product category, you may not get the exposure or easy sale that you\u2019re hoping to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-people-who-buy-your-products-may-never-realize-you-exist\">People who buy your products may never realize you exist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people who shop on marketplaces assume they are buying from that marketplace (even though they are purchasing your products). The customer is going to remember the marketplace the next time they buy again \u2013 not your brand. In most marketplaces, the focus is not on the sellers, but rather the products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is little, if any, customisation offered to individual brands. This makes it extremely difficult to build brand awareness and recognition, and ultimately differentiate your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-you-can-t-build-a-customer-list-to-market-to-in-the-future\">You can\u2019t build a customer list to market to in the future<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since marketplaces serve as a third-party, they don\u2019t let sellers communicate with buyers outside of the site (however, the marketplace can contact your customers again in the future). This means you cannot send your customers future promotions, new product announcements, or simply remind them that your product exists to drive future sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reality is it\u2019s much easier (and less expensive) to retain a customer than it is to get a new customer. Without building a customer list, you are relying on new sales only; You can\u2019t take advantage of past purchasers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-should-you-use-your-own-website-to-sell-online\">Why should you use your own website to sell online?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are plenty of reasons to create and sell on your own ecommerce website. Learn the top advantages of doing it yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-establish-and-maintain-full-control-over-your-brand\">Establish and maintain full control over your brand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you run your own ecommerce website, you have total control over what it looks like, what it says, and how it works. It doesn\u2019t have to be generic or boring. This is your chance to show the world your brand\u2019s personality. There are very few restrictions, cookie-cutter guidelines, and character limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You get to create the shopping experience that you want for your customers. Many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigcommerce.com\/blog\/ecommerce-platforms\/\">ecommerce platforms<\/a> offer flexibility over design, pre-built templates to choose from, and integrations with other systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>[Related article: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/started-online-store-5-steps-successfully-launch-new-product\/\"><em>How I Started My Online Store: 5 Steps to Successfully Launch a New Product<\/em><\/a><em>]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-you-can-retarget-shoppers-to-become-repeat-buyers\">You can retarget shoppers to become repeat buyers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the greatest advantages of managing your own store and website is that you get direct access to your customers. This enables better customer service and ultimately more upsell possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can target people who visit your site with ads, market to those who have already purchased from you, and stay connected in the future. Email list building helps you build awareness, bring in steady revenue, and run promotions to get rid of inventory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-downsides-of-selling-on-your-own-website\">What are the downsides of selling on your own website?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/ecommerce-pain-points\/\">pain points<\/a> of building your own ecommerce website. Learn the most common points of frustrations faced by sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-setup-can-be-time-consuming-and-technical\">Setup can be time-consuming and technical<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Building your own site can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. With the rise of ecommerce platforms and do-it-yourself tools, it\u2019s never been easier to get a site up and running. However, you may still run into technical issues or at the very least, time constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many steps, including choosing a domain name and hosting service, setting up shopping cart and credit card processing software, and <a href=\"https:\/\/apix-drive.com\/en\/blog\/useful\/ai-tools-in-e-commerce-content-creation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">creating content<\/a> for the site. Some solutions streamline and take care of these processes for you, but nevertheless, there will be work involved to set up and maintain the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-you-have-to-work-to-get-shoppers-to-your-site\">You have to work to get shoppers to your site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you launch your website, your work is not done. You need to get people there. Visitors won\u2019t magically flock to your site, or even find it right away for that matter. &nbsp;There is marketing effort that goes into setting up the right campaigns to get the word out. You have to know, learn, or pay for the expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you get them to visit your site, you then have to convert them into becoming paying customers. You should optimise your website to have a great user experience, which involves a compelling message, placement of buttons, mobile experience, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-choose-the-right-ecommerce-platform\">How to choose the right ecommerce platform<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The best place to sell online will differ retailer to retailer depending on their products, needs, and goals. Each individual marketplace and ecommerce platform has its own unique differentiators and drawbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also monetary costs associated with both. Marketplaces can charge a wide range of fees such as listing your products and taking a percentage of each sale. Many ecommerce platforms that help you build a website charge a monthly hosting fee. You can also spend a significant amount on ads for each, as well as on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/ecommerce-shipping\/\">managing your ecommerce shipping.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To achieve customer reach and brand recognition, many online merchants sell on both marketplaces and their own website. Some choose one to start and expand into others once they become more established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of the ecommerce platforms&nbsp;you sell on, it\u2019s important for them to be integrated with the other technologies you use. When systems are connected, they can talk to one another for greater visibility and less manual processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/\">ShipBob\u2019s fulfilment software<\/a> seamlessly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/partners\/\">integrates with all major ecommerce websites and marketplaces<\/a>. Here\u2019s how ShipBob works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It only takes a couple of minutes to sync up your store(s).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You send your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/ecommerce-inventory\/guide\/\">ecommerce inventory<\/a> to a ShipBob <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/differences-warehouse-fulfillment-center\/\">fulfilment centre<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As soon as an order is placed, ShipBob automatically fulfils the order for you and can even help you compete with marketplaces by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/guide-offering-affordable-2-day-shipping\/\">offering 2-day shipping<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You gain real-time visibility into orders, shipments, inventory levels, sales channels, customers, and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ShipBob Fulfillment Center Guided Tour - 3D 360\u00b0 VR Video\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YdTbM4XlizY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-learn-more\">Learn more<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn how to bring in more customers that are actually likely to place an order on your store \u2014 and turn them into repeat buyers. Download our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.shipbob.com\/shopper-experience-guide\">How to Nail the Customer Experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/resources.shipbob.com\/shopper-experience-guide\"><strong>Get the Free Guide<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are many considerations and options to sell online for ecommerce brands. Should you build your own website, sell through a third-party site, or both?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":23941,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"blogcategories":[6],"class_list":["post-293","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blogcategories-ecommerce-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Online Marketplace vs. Ecommerce Platform: Where To Sell Online<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are many considerations and options to sell online for ecommerce brands. 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