An online marketplace platform can get your business trading on the world wide web faster, easier and cheaper than ever before. And it’s not all just about eBay and Amazon. Here are five industry ecommerce marketplace platforms you can use to sell online.
Etsy
Best for: design, crafts, vintage item sellers
Etsy is a popular creative marketplace for artists, designers and craftspeople. You can sell handmade goods, vintage items and craft supplies to a global customer base. To get started, you’ll need to set up an account, open an Etsy store and enrol in Etsy Payments. Money from your sales will be paid directly into your Etsy account.
It costs $0.28 to list each item for a period up to four months — whether you sell the item or not. When an item does sell, you’ll need to pay any additional 5% transaction fee and a 3-4% processing fee, plus $0.25.
GraysOnline
Best for: Commercial goods, industrial, construction and mining companies
GraysOnline is an online auction platform that specialises in selling industrial, construction and commercial goods. Builders and tradies, for example, can use it to sell surplus construction materials left over from a job. Larger construction, manufacturing, mining, transport and agriculture operations use the platform to sell industrial equipment, tools, machinery and vehicles.
To list an item you simply fill out and submit an online form and the GraysOnline team will get back to you within one business day. Auctions are held over six days, and sellers can choose to set a reserve price that must be met for the sale to be accepted.
There is no up-front listing fee to pay but GraysOnline charges a commission when each item is sold, which varies depending on the item.
Hipages
Best for: tradies and small trades businesses
hipages is an online marketplace that connects tradies with homeowners. You will need an ABN and the appropriate industry licences to list your services on hipages, and you must complete a screening process and pass regular insolvency checks.
Customers describe the work they need done and the platform matches the job with relevant tradies in the customer’s local areas. Lead invitations are then sent to matched tradies, who can choose to accept or decline the lead.
hipages charges tradies a fee per accepted lead. These fees vary widely depending on the trade category, location of the job, size of the job and marketing spend. Generally, you can expect to pay around $15 for small job leads and more than $20 for larger ones.
Newegg
Best for: technology manufacturers and retailers
Newegg is a global technology marketplace with a network of around 40 million customers worldwide. Great for tech manufacturers, distributors and retailers, sellers can choose to ship items directly to customers or have Newegg store, pick, package and ship inventory to customers on their behalf.
There are free basic memberships to access the seller portal but you’ll need a paid membership (from $29.95 per month) for a premium seller store. Newegg also charges a commission on sold items but this can vary across product categories. Commission on most tech categories is between eight and 10%.
OpenTable
Best for: hospitality venues
OpenTable is a popular booking platform for the hospitality industry. It is open to restaurants, cafes and bars throughout Australia. Diners browse the platform for venues near them and make reservations directly through the OpenTable platform.
To list your venue on the platform you need to fill out and submit an online form. You also get access to a range of restaurant management tools including reservation and waitlist management through the owner app.
Regular subscription and cover fees have been waived until 1 January 2021 to help hospitality venues keep operating through the coronavirus pandemic.
Ecommerce marketplace platforms make it easier and cheaper than ever to tap into new online markets and get your business participating in the digital economy. Find the right one for your business now and get started.
