Selling through online marketplaces

An online marketplace is a website or app where you can sell goods in return for a fee or commission. You are responsible for listing your products and sending them to the buyer following their purchase. The marketplace provider will manage the processing of your transactions. It will also take a percentage of sales on any item sold on its platform.

Two of the biggest online marketplaces are Amazon and eBay which offer opportunities for small businesses to trade online. There are also a number of marketplaces that can offer opportunities for niche traders, including Etsy and Folksy.

This guide highlights the pros and cons of using online marketplaces and explains how to start selling on platforms/marketplaces.

Watch the video below of Chris Dawson, TameBay, explaining the challenges and opportunities of selling on eBay and Amazon during an Invest Northern Ireland selling online webinar.