WEBSTORES VS MARKETPLACES

Marketplaces vs web stores are more a battle of techniques and less a battle of domains. For
example, Amazon is a marketplace. Magneto is a web store. These are two basically distinct
ways to sell. To say which one is best to sell with, one easy answer cannot be said. You need to
determine which one adopts better to your business goals. At last, if you yet cannot sort out
which platform you wish to use, there is one probable answer. Simply use both. Actually, that is
the beauty of them having differed from each other. You can earn profit from both
simultaneously. Let’s compare marketplaces vs web stores to assist you make the right decision
for your business.

COMPARING MARKETPLACE AND WEB STORE

While comparing them both, Google trends can be used to check which platform is more
popular among the web users. It is assumed that the platform that gets searched more
frequently is the more prominent platform. However, it is understood that a simple comparison
like this cannot be made here. A graph between Etsy (marketplace) and shopify (web store)
that the shows the interest of both over the course of time, it is found that Etsy seems to be
popular than shopify. It is because both sellers and consumers might be searching for Etsy,
since like Amazon, it is also a marketplace to shop and also to sell. While on the other hand,
only sellers would search for shopify. Hence, consumers are ignorant of the fact your web store
is however operated by shopify, they just search with your business name.

It is one of the major issues while comparing marketplaces and web stores. But, it emphasizes a
key difference. When you sell on marketplace, you tend to get more exposure than when you
sell on your own web store. That is why people opt for selling on marketplaces like Amazon.

SELLING ON WEB STORE VS MARKETPLACE

It is almost impossible to make a back-to-back comparison of all features that each platform
has. However, there are some points that are significant to bear in mind while making decision,
which include pricing, control, exposure and ease of entry. These points are better enough to
offer you an idea of which platform can work good for the consumers.

PRICING MODEL- MARKETPLACE OR WEB STORE

Do you wonder which one features better pricing? It relies on how much you sell. The
difference in pricing is reflected in the fees every platform charges you. Web stores tend to be
more expensive upfront. It is because you need to pay off a subscription for web store.
According to the pricing page of web store, there are different plans available. To determine
which plans work for you, you have to choose the number of items you wish to sell and which
functionality is essential for you. While with marketplace there is no subscription or
membership fee, you need to pay. However, based on the price amount of merchandise you plan
to sell per month, marketplace will become expensive than web store.