17 Best Websites & Marketplaces to Sell Online in 2023

Starting a business has never been so easy. But since digitalization has taken over everything, people have more options to consider than ever before.

Not one, two, or three – there are many online selling sites and marketplaces where you can create your online store and start selling products within a week or two.

However, you need to consider the niche market or type of products you can sell, the shipping costs, the transaction fee, and the target audience of the marketplace.

So, in this post, I will give you a detailed walkthrough of each of the best online selling marketplaces to start selling online.

Let’s get started.

Best Sites for Selling Online In US & Canada

If you are situated in the US or Canada OR want to create your store to sell your products to US and Canadian audiences, here are some best online selling marketplaces you can consider.

• Amazon
• eBay
• Etsy
• Shopify
• Swappa
• Bonanza
• RubyLane
• Chairish

Amazon

Amazon is the biggest online selling site with a 1.598.9 Billion Dollar market worth. It is the only online selling site on my list with the highest customer trust rates and the highest number of items sold per minute.

There is a vast list of categories on Amazon, including everything from gift items, gaming accessories, electronics, kitchen items, tech gadgets, and even medicines and health care products.

However, the overall selling price depends on the product type, category, inventory & fulfillment strategy, and other factors.

You have two account type options to select on Amazon.

1. Professional Selling Account: This type is best if you plan to sell FORTY Plus products per month. You will have to pay a monthly fee of $39.99 to process this account type.
2. Individual Seller Account: An individual seller account is the best option if you have a short inventory of fewer than forty products. The selling fees will be charged per product. For example, you will have to pay $0.99 per item plus some percentages as seller fees.

Moreover, other great features facilitate Amazon sellers, like Fulfillment by Amazon or Amazon FBA.

This feature lets you hand over all product management tasks to Amazon on a specific fee range depending on the product type, cost, category, size, and weight.

On average, the fee for a standard package could be anywhere between $2.41 to $4.71. When it comes to Amazon Terms of Services, you will find that Amazon is serious about it.

You have to obey all of its terms, and in case of violations, you could face serious consequences, including account suspension.

But all of these terms are designed to maintain the quality of the platform. Which in turn is beneficial for you as well.

Pros of Selling on Amazon

• You can sell almost everything without worrying about order rates.
• Being an Amazon seller, you will be trusted by your audience.
• Amazon’s Logistics service is the best amongst all marketplaces on my list.
• The marketing cost on Amazon is nothing. However, you can consistently market your products on your own.

Cons of Selling on Amazon

• Amazon charges a referral fee on each sold item. The total cost of the referral fee depends on the product category.
• Selling on multiple marketplaces can be done on Amazon, but it is very challenging since Amazon doesn’t integrate with online shopping cart systems.

eBay

eBay has been the pioneer of online selling sites since 1995. It is similar to Amazon but comparatively has a lower customer trust rate than Amazon.

You can create an online store and sell a huge list of product categories on eBay, including weird and unique stuff. To sell items on eBay, you will have to pay two main types of selling fees.

• Insertion Fees: You need to pay insertion fees when creating a listing. Though the amount depends on the category, item’s price, your performance as a seller, and optional listing upgrades, the first 250 listings are free, and then you will be charged $0.30 per listing.
• Final Value Fee: eBay charges this fee once your products are sold. The total cost is a sum of the final sale price plus $0.30 per order.

The eBay seller’s terms of services are in alignment with Amazon TOS. You won’t find a significant difference between both.

However, eBay is one step ahead when it comes to seller protection, and it gives you more control over listing and product management than Amazon.

It means if you want to sell stuff online across different marketplaces, eBay could be a great fit. You can also look into having multiple shops on different online sites.

For example, many Amazon sellers also sell on eBay and vice versa.

Pros of Selling on eBay

• Only a few categories restrictions.
• Comparatively easy than Amazon.

Cons of Selling on eBay

• eBay doesn’t offer any fulfillment service.
• The competition rate is higher on eBay.

Etsy

If you have niche-specific products to sell online, then Etsy has got you covered. It is the most favored platform by handcrafts and vintage item sellers – which is mainly run by moms.

But still, it is one of the most popular online selling sites among buyers and sellers. According to Statista, Etsy has 39.4 million active buyers and 4.4 million sellers, increasing each year.

You can sell almost everything unique on Etsy. For example, handmade items, vintage items, and craft supplies. However, there is a specific list of prohibited items you can’t sell on Etsy.

The selling fee on Etsy is simple. You will be charged a $0.20 listing price for each item you sell. But it comes with a disadvantage.

Etsy’s listing expires after four months. Though you can renew it and everything will be perfect. But you will have to pay a $0.20 listing fee per item, again.

Moreover, you would be charged a 5% transaction fee of display charge on a successful sale of a product.

Furthermore, Etsy comes with additional features for its creative sellers. In addition to an active buyer network and pop-up storefront, you will access robust tools to market your products online.

Pros of Selling Etsy

• Etsy caters to a huge audience of special interests. It means you can sell unique products without worrying about the customers or buying rate.
• The seller community of Etsy sellers is great enough to provide you with a helping hand and help you succeed.
• Etsy comes with several listing templates making it easier to use for new users.

Cons of Selling Etsy

• Recurring list fees makes it a bit costly for new and beginner sellers.
• The profit rates are slightly low.
• Multi-platform selling along with Etsy is a hectic process, and you’d need an expert to help you manage your storefront.

Shopify

If you are interested in creating your own website and managing it on your terms, Shopify is the best pick for you.

It lets online business owners create optimized eCommerce websites for just $29 per month.

You will also get access to 100 templates to create your own website easily, a blog, SSL Certificate, abandoned shopping cart recovery, and marketing tools to scale up your business for this small fee.

One of the most significant advantages of using Shopify is multi-platform management.

Selling on multiple platforms and its management is easier with Shopify. You won’t have to get hectic over it or hire an expert.

Furthermore, there are more than four thousand free Shopify apps you can use to scale up your site’s performance.

In case of any questions or confusion, you can always get in touch with Shopify expert seller support and do a better job.

Shopify is a complete eCommerce platform with multiple beginner-friendly options to scale up their eCommerce site. You can quickly start with a lower fee and upgrade as your business grows.

Pros of Shopify

• Simple and easy with additional features for unstoppable growth.
• There are several available themes to create eCommerce stores and SEO plugins for better search rankings.

Cons of Shopify

• Advance SEO and Marketing plugins are available for additional fees only.

Swappa

If you want to sell mobile phones, laptops, and other tech stuff online, Swappa is the best online selling site to start with. It is one of the most trusted platforms for online shoppers to purchase tech gadgets online.

You can sell new mobile phones, unlocked phones, iPhones, laptops, computers, smartwatches, home tech items, cameras, video games, and more.

Unlike any other online selling site, Swappa is the cheapest one that easily lets you sell new and used tech stuff.

To start selling on Swappa, you don’t need a huge investment in eCommerce management. You can add your listings for free. However, if you want to boost the visibility of your products, then you can pay $5 for the ad.

Furthermore, Swappa flat fees are included in the listing price and charged from customers or buyers.

To maintain the quality and reputation of sellers and platforms, Swappa doesn’t allow sellers to ship any broken or flawed quality product. However, it still caters to easy Terms of Services for sellers.

Pros of Selling on Swappa

• Selling on Swappa is free, and the transaction fee is on buyers.
• Payment processing on Swappa is unconditionally fast, and PayPal payments are being used.

Cons of Selling on Swappa

• Swappa staff manually checks listing items which takes time. You have to wait for listing approval.
• After ten days of listing approval, you have to update the display time manually. The maximum duration is 60 days.

Bonanza

Bonanza is one of the newly launched online selling sites to sell everything. It is based in Washington and exponentially growing as an eBay competitor.

Same as Amazon and eBay, you can sell everything on Bonanza but at a comparatively lower transaction fee.

The list of categories includes but is not limited to accessories, clothing, shoes, vintage, formal and wedding accessories, and much more.

The selling price rate of Bonanza is 3.5% which is comparatively lower than any other eCommerce platform.

Moreover, the monthly fee and setup cost don’t exist on Bonanza. However, you have to pay a Final Value Fee (FVF) depending on your item’s Final Offer Value (FOV).

It means you can always get started without any hassle and upgrade as needed.

Pros

• One of the leading and trusted marketplaces by customers.
• Zero maintenance and listing fee.
• Easy inventory management and seamless options to track sales across platforms.

Cons

• Inventory is slightly lower than other platforms.
• Bonanza is a growing marketplace that is not being known by a huge audience compared to Amazon and eBay.

RubyLane

RubyLane is another best-recommended selling venue for sellers who want to sell vintage and antique products online.

The audience on RubyLane has a particular interest, and they are ready to purchase unique items. So if you are selling on RubyLane, you can expect a fair order rate.

The categories on RubyLane include jewelry, dolls, porcelain & pottery, and antique & collectibles. You can start selling by paying a little fee. There are no setup and listing fees on RubyLane.

However, you will be charged a maintenance fee of $25 per month that includes unlimited items. But if you add fifteen products a month, RubyLane will rebate your $25.

The service fee is 9.9% based on the total cost of the purchased item, excluding sales tax, and applies to each item. However, this service fee is capped at $250.

It means that if all of your listed items in a product category are being purchased at once, the service fee will be $250. In the case of individual purchases, the service fee will be deducted as 9.9% of the product’s total price.

Pros

• RubyLane is one of the most trusted marketplaces for vintage and art collectibles.
• You can sell unique products to a niche-down interested audience.
• A great eCommerce platform for selling high-end vintage items.

Cons

• The service fee rates are higher than any other marketplace.

Chairish

If you want to sell home decor products online, Chairish is the best platform to start with.

The wide category list on Chairish includes tables, seating furniture, art, lighting, decor, rugs, outdoor products, and many other furniture categories.

Listing products on Chairish is easy and free. Moreover, the commission rate is designed to fill the sellers’ accounts, facilitating an 87% to 91% commission rate.

Pros

• Listing products on Chairish is free. Sellers don’t have to pay any fee.
• The commission structures help sellers make more money.
• Sellers have complete control over pricing structures.

Cons

• Customers on Chairish actively report about the payment process and customer service, leading to a compromised customer experience.

Best Sites To Sell Online Locally

If you have a product you want to sell locally, selecting the best local online selling sites is the right way.

These sites cater to a more specific local audience who might have a great interest in your product than a global audience who might doesn’t even know about what the product is for.

Here are some platforms to sell your products locally:

• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist
• OnceWed
• Shpock
• Poshmark

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook is the leading social media platform with roughly 2.89 billion monthly active users. It has its marketplace to help FB users start their online businesses – completely free.

When you decide to start selling on Facebook Marketplace, you can easily list your items and products with the free listing option and interact with the target audience. Facebook Marketplace also gives you access to robust features to help boost your sales.

These features include visual merchandising and seamless transaction processes. Depending on your locality, Facebook Marketplace lets you target the region where you want to sell your product and connect with people in buy-and-sell groups in your area.

You can either use your shipping facility or select the local pickup option.

It is also partnered up with other giant online selling sites, including Salsify, Zentail, DataCaciques, and more. Furthermore, the seller guidelines of Facebook Marketplace are straightforward. You can easily abide by all of them.

Craigslist

Craigslist was among the pioneer online selling platforms that started in 1995. It is a big forum with several classified sites to sell your stuff for free. However, unlike any other platform, it is not much upgraded or best to sell products to a wide range of audiences.

However, it is still an excellent choice for a local audience to buy and sell products and exchange or sell services. You can sell almost everything from electronics bout parts to antiques and video games.

You can easily add products in the sale sections of your local area.

The biggest disadvantage of Craigslist is its hands-off approach to product listings. Sellers and buyers are both prone to get scammed, and if that happens, there won’t be any support provided by Craigslist officials.

OnceWed

If you want to sell wedding goods, including clothes, makeup products, jewelry, and other accessories, Once Wed is the best platform for you. Thousands of sellers are selling bridal wear on Once Wed and are catering to a huge audience base – locally.

However, product listing on Once Wed isn’t free, and you will be charged a fixed price listing fee based on the product you are selling.

For example, you will be charged $19.95 one time per dress as a selling fee for bridal dresses. There is no list expiration rule or additional selling fees.

For bridesmaid, flower girl, mother’s dresses, and wedding accessories, you will be charged $5 one time per item.

Shpock

Shpock is an app-based online selling platform to sell everything locally in the UK. Listing products on this app-based platform is easy, simple, and a quick process that would take you around 30 seconds.

On Shpock, you can sell electronics, fashion accessories, jewelry, games, sports products, and much more. Shpock is free for sellers. However, buyers pay a little additional amount as a “buyer protection fee.”

Poshmark

Poshmark is another online selling marketplace where you can easily sell branded fashion products. It caters to all fashion categories for women, men, kids, and home decor products.

To start selling on Poshmark, you need to download their app available for Android and iOS devices. The selling fee is straightforward. You will be charged $2.95 for orders under $15. However, for orders above $15, Poshmark will keep a 20% commission.

Best Sites To Sell Online Globally

Got a product to sell in the global market? Here are the best platforms to start with.

• AliExpress
• Rakuten

AliExpress

AliExpress is one of the biggest online selling sites by Alibaba. You can sell everything and get huge sales from buyers around the globe. According to Statista, AliExpress is visited by 20 million people in around 230 countries per day.

You can sell your products to customers or other business owners in bulk. The commission fees on AliExpress can be anywhere between 5% and 8% per transaction, depending on the product you are selling.

You can easily start selling your products without any hidden fee or compilation on AliExpress and get attention plus online sales around the globe.

Rakuten

Rakuten is another massive platform to sell a wide range of products to a global audience. It is one of buyers and sellers’ safest and most trusted platforms.

On Rakuten, you can sell everything from kids and baby gear to home appliances, books, and tech gadgets.

To sell on the Rakuten marketplace, you need to pay a lot of money in the form of registration fees, monthly fixed fees, listing capacity, and payment processing fees.

However, it still has 111 Million shoppers and 50,000 merchants because you can sell to a huge audience with a great shopping experience.

What is an Online Marketplace?

An online marketplace is a platform where sellers and buyers come together to make sales and purchase things. It is like a digital market where you can sell and buy available things.

There are several online marketplaces or eCommerce sites to purchase goods, for example, Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and many more. The founder doesn’t own anything on these marketplaces, but the seller is.

If you want to sell stuff online, you can create a store on any online site and connect with buyers.

Each online marketplace works on a definite and unique module that protects its buyers, sellers and maintains a good platform reputation.

Moreover, these marketplaces charge sellers a little fee that could be a service fee, monthly maintenance fee, or listing fees. From buyers, a few marketplaces take transaction fees and protection fees.

How Do I Sell Things Online Locally?

To sell your stuff online in the local market, you can create a seller account and start selling.

Here is how you can do it.

Step-1: Create a Seller Account

The best marketplace to sell items online in your local area is the Facebook Marketplace. You can either use your social FB profile or create an account easily by heading over to the marketplace page.

Step-2: Add Product Details

Once you have set up your marketplace profile, click on the ‘create listings’ option and start listing your items. You will be asked to select the listing type. Make sure you specify the area and address of your profile.

Here you can add your product pictures, a description about them, and set their pricing.

You need to select the appropriate product category and add relevant tags to become visible to an interested audience.

Step-3: Select Delivery Options

Depending on the product you are selling, you have to define the delivery type. To sell products in the local areas, you can select ‘shipping only’ or ‘local pickup only.’

However, if you are selling video games or digital products, you can opt for the ‘shipping and local pickup’ option, which is more appropriate for this category type.

Step-4: Define the Package Weight

Here you need to determine the cost of the prepaid shipping label depending on the product weight. You can select the best suitable option from the given choices.

Step-5: List the Product

Once you are done with everything, it’s time to list your product in the market. You can list your products in the marketplace and buying and selling groups.

Once selected, proceed with the ‘Publish’ button, and your audience will be able to make an online purchase.

How Can I Sell Online Without Getting Scammed?

With increased digitalization, business owners, especially small business owners, become prone to frauds and scams. Though many online selling sites use trusted and efficient payment methods, some platforms have higher chances of getting scammed.

Here is how you can protect yourself and your business from getting scammed.

Avail Seller Protection Facilities

eCommerce marketplaces offer seller protection facilities to protect you from scams and frauds. If your platform offers you protection services, then it is best to avail of them and stay on a safe and secure side.

Never Ship on Unapproved Address

Sometimes, buyers request local sellers to ship their orders to a different address than the registered one. In the end, they claim that they never received the package. Ultimately, the seller is responsible for all losses.

So, you must never ship to an unregistered address. If the buyer asks you to do so, ask them to abide by the platform’s guidelines or change the address in their profiles.

Accept Payments via Approved Methods

Most established eCommerce platforms and marketplaces use specific payment options. These options are being chosen to protect both buyers and sellers on the platforms.

Aside from the official method used by the platform, do not accept wire transfers, cheques, or any other form of transaction.

How To Avoid Fake Online Buyers?

One of the biggest problems of online sellers is fake online buyers. However, you can access the info within a click and avoid being scammed by these fake online orders.

Here is how you can protect your business.

Be aware of Sketchy Behavior.

Many fake buyers use bots or keep the same tone of voice while engaging with the sellers. If you get a hunch of suspicions, then do not ignore it. Instead, connect with the support center and ask them about it.

Check Buyer’s Profile

Check the buyer’s profile details, location, and whether it is verified or not. If it is an unverified profile showing the signs of being a scammer, connect with the platform’s support and report it.

Say No to Special Requests

Do not act over any request or favor asked by such buyers. It will only put you in a tight spot. You must abide by the policies of the platforms designed to maintain a safe experience for sellers and buyers.

The Best Strategy To Sell Online

Online selling is a great way to do business on a broad level with ease. But it gets hectic at times. However, if you follow the best strategies from the beginning, you can maintain the quality in the long run and scale up your business.

Here are some of the best strategies you should follow to sell online.

Focus on Brand Building

In a digitalized world, your own brand name is everything to help you build a trustworthy relationship with your audience. No matter which online selling platform you are using, it is best to build a brand.

This way, your audience can find you anywhere they find feasible and connect with you. Moreover, things get complicated on selling platforms sometimes. Brand building will become your way out of misery during that phase.

So, it is best to prepare everything from the beginning to make things work your way.

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For brand building, you can get started by setting up a website that shows your brand image logo and using a unique logo to represent your brand.

Integrate your website with a seamless checkout process, add products, and a live chat option for prompt and excellent customer service.

Create a Multi-Channel Audience Interaction

The attention span of a normal buyer is so short that you have to make a lot of off-site efforts to make a sale.

Connecting with your target audience on multiple platforms, interacting with them, and listening to their thoughts is a great way to build a strong connection.

The stronger your connection with your audience, the better they will remember you.

Depending on the products you are selling, select the content type, i.e., videos or images, and start posting it up on your social media platforms. Moreover, encourage your website visitors to connect on social platforms.

3. Adapt Personalization

Generalization is prominent in this digital world. This is why customers are personalization seekers. They want personalized answers to their questions, personalized suggestions, and communication.

Though adopting personalization is easy and seems less important. But it is a great sign of making your customers feel valued – which ultimately leads to customer loyalty, more sales, and success.

4. Use a Customer-Oriented Approach

The best way to take your small business to the next level is to provide the best customer experience. A great customer experience is only possible if you clearly understand how your customers interact with your business and mold the entire experience based on that data.

Image Source: https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/ecommerce-branding/

You can get this data only if you interact with your customer via a personalized channel. This way, you can track the click-through rate, bounce rate, poor-performing products, and the why behind them.

Moreover, you can also ask your customers for feedback via live chat or create customer experience surveys to understand the ins and outs of their journeys.

5. Understand the Process In-Depth

No doubt there are uncountable opportunities available out there. But it doesn’t mean that the one you have is of no worth.

No matter which online selling site you are using to sell your products online, you need to understand it in depth.

A clear understanding of how the system works, how people are competing, and what customers are looking for can help you stand out from other sellers.

Here Is How To Create Your Own Online Store Using Shopify

Shopify is one of the most trusted and widely used platforms among eCommerce sellers. Because of its robust features, it lets you create a wholesome store without any technical skills.

Moreover, Shopify equips its sellers with the right tools and features to scale their business. You can easily interact and serve a huge global audience, sell products with easy checkout options, and build a trustworthy relationship with your customers.

Here is how you can create your Shopify store within minutes.

Create Your Store Account

First, you need to create your Shopify account. You can get started with any suitable subscription plans or a free trial. You will be asked to add the logo and the store name to create your store’s default URL.

Add Products

Once you are done with the basic store settings, move forward with listing products.

1. Add Title: Create a catchy and relevant product title that you think your target audience will use to search for products.
2. Upload Product Images: Adding product images is mandatory to show the quality of the product your customer will receive.
3. Product Description: Create a compelling product description and define your product and how it can help your customers.
4. Set Pricing: Setting product pricing is a crucial step. Here you have to be fair with your customers while keeping the cut for business management. You can set affordable prices by doing market research.

3. Add Inventory Details

After adding your product details, you have to specify the inventory options. Here you’d need to create a unique SKU identity for each product and set its availability in numbers.

4. Select Shipping Details

Now you need to add the shipping details that define your shipping fee. You’d need to add your product’s weight, origin, and Harmonized System Code which the border officers will use.

Make sure you correctly weigh the product and add it to the shipping details because it will affect the shipping fees.

Once done with all these details, make sure you check how your products show up on the search engine. Now, you can make your products go live.

5. Additional Features

Shopify is a great platform with additional features to help you offer a personalized experience to your customers.

Aside from listing your products and creating your store, you can create and post customized guidelines you want your customers to follow. You can create multiple pages to help your customers understand your business and brand.

You can create an about page, terms of service, policies page, and contact page to help your customers connect with you when they need you.

You can also create a complete website with custom domains and add a homepage and other navigation pages.

Online Selling Sites FAQs