Top 10 eCommerce Marketplace Platforms For Your Business

Did you know that in 2022, consumers spent about 3.25 trillion dollars buying products on eCommerce marketplace platforms? This is significantly more than when consumers buy directly from an eCommerce website. 

If you are wondering, “Do I need an eCommerce marketplace?”, then the statistic above should answer your question. When we discuss eCommerce marketplace solutions, consumers prefer shopping online because of the convenience these platforms offer.

So, what is an eCommerce marketplace platform? In this article, we will answer this question and also explore the best eCommerce marketplace platforms for businesses.

What is an eCommerce Marketplace Platform?

An eCommerce marketplace, or online marketplace, is a shopping platform that offers consumers different products or services from various vendors. These eCommerce sales platforms let third-party vendors sell online to many types of shoppers. This includes consumers, entrepreneurs, service providers, and both small businesses and large enterprises.

Large companies like Amazon or Alibaba operate marketplaces and are responsible for the eCommerce operation and platform for vendors. An eCommerce marketplace platform is a website or app. It lets many people and business owners come together. They can create their own website or WordPress website to sell products and services in one place. 

Examples of the biggest ecommerce stores include Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.

Examples of top eCommerce platforms include Shopify, eBay, Etsy, and WooCommerce. Registering your online shop on an eCommerce marketplace platform helps you reach target audiences. This is true whether you are targeting B2C, C2C, C2B, or D2C customers.

Top 10 eCommerce Marketplace Platforms

Here is a list of the 10 best eCommerce platforms. These platforms can help you increase online sales and grow your business.

1. Shopify

First, we have Shopify, which stands tall as one of the most versatile and user-friendly eCommerce platforms. With its dedicated multi-vendor app, entrepreneurs can effortlessly transform their store into an excelling online marketplace. 

As an eCommerce marketplace platform, Shopify allows sellers to start with just a few dollars and no technical knowledge. Shopify is a full eCommerce platform. It helps small businesses explore tech business ideas and grow their eCommerce ventures. 

The expertise in Shopify and leadership in commerce comes from the experiences of millions of merchants on our platform.

Why Choose Shopify?

Shopify makes it easy to start an online shop, manage product listings, and streamline inventory management. It also provides powerful marketing strategies to reach more customers.

It’s a platform that helps you with your business journey, letting you manage everything from one place. You can optimize your store, sell on social media, or check out popular retail models like dropshipping.

2. Adobe Commerce

Adobe, known for its enterprise-level capabilities, offers a comprehensive ecommerce marketplace solution. While it’s more suitable for businesses with advanced technical requirements, its scalability and performance optimization are unparalleled.

Why Choose Adobe?

Adobe Commerce is perfect for brands that want a lot of customization options for their ecommerce stores. It offers a lot of flexibility. However,  it usually requires web hosting and an in-house developer to keep the site running smoothly.

3. BigCommerce

Another eCommerce platform is BigCommerce. Many people know it for its all-in-one approach. It offers many built-in shopping cart features and hosting options.

Comprehensive e-commerce is an excellent choice for businesses seeking simplicity without compromising functionality. This is the platform where SEO tools and responsive design contribute to its appeal.

Why Choose BigCommerce?

Enterprise-level companies really like BigCommerce because it has features that are perfect for large-scale retail. However, it’s important to note that some users do feel that the platform isn’t as flexible or user-friendly as others out there.

4. Wix

Wix is an easy drag-and-drop website builder. It offers domain name registration, web hosting, and editable templates.

This makes it great for beginners. You can make a basic website for free. However, you need a paid plan to use the e-commerce features.

Why Choose Wix?

Wix is perfect for beginners who want to create their own website and start an online store with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor. You can use it to accept payments, keep track of orders, and handle inventory across different channels.

5. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin. It changes a WordPress website into a full ecommerce solution. However, it is not really an e-commerce platform.

It’s a free plug-in that works well with your WordPress site. It gives vendors an easy dashboard to manage their products. Its flexibility and customization options are noteworthy.

Why Choose WooCommerce?

If you’re familiar with WordPress, WooCommerce is a great way to add ecommerce features to your website. It lets you easily include product listings, a shopping cart, and checkout options right on your site.

6. Squarespace 

Squarespace is a website builder and ecommerce platform for creative professionals to sell their products and services. It offers a simple and elegant way for businesses to showcase their work and reach a wider audience. 

The marketplace platform also provides an easy way for customers to find the products and services they need. The Squarespace Marketplace is a great resource for businesses of all sizes.

Why Choose Squarespace?

After you upgrade, Squarespace lets you turn your website design into an online store and also offers built-in customer service tools. You’ll have a secure checkout that can take payments from various gateways like Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Afterpay.

7. Square Online

Square Online is an eCommerce marketplace platform that helps businesses manage online sales and physical store transactions. It has built-in inventory management and a point-of-sale (POS) system. Businesses can also accept payments online.

A free plan is available, but the paid plans offer far more features to help your small business sell more effectively.

Why Choose Square Online?

Square Online is ideal for retailers who already use Square for physical shop sales and want to expand online with ease. Managing sales across different channels is easy thanks to the platform’s integration with Square’s payment system.

8. Big Cartel 

Big Cartel is a specialized eCommerce solution for small business owners with limited products and technical know-how. It offers the basic features necessary for creating an eCommerce marketplace platform. At the same time, it enables startups to start their online shops even with zero programming knowledge.

Why Choose Big Cartel?

Big Cartel is great for up-and-coming artists and creators. It provides a simple platform with all the key features they need. You can get a free plan that lets you list and sell up to five products. This is perfect for beginners.

9. Shift4Shop 

Shift4Shop is an eCommerce platform that offers built-in inventory management tools and web hosting. It helps you create a great website for your business. You can easily start selling your products or services online. 

The eCommerce marketplace platform provides a feature-rich website builder, product and order management, customer marketing tools, and more.

Why Choose Shif4Shop?

Although Shift4Shop lacks many capabilities, it is user-friendly and optimized for mobile devices. You can connect your store to other apps using its API. This makes it flexible for anyone who needs basic e-commerce features.

10. Volusion 

Lastly, on the list, we have Volusion. Volusion is an eCommerce platform with comprehensive product descriptions and marketing strategies. It offers tools to help users create and manage online stores.

These tools include customizable website templates and a product catalog system. It also provides secure payment gateways and order processing. Users can manage their inventory and use marketing tools like SEO optimization and social media integration.

Why Choose Volusion?

Volusion simplifies managing inventory, product listings, and customer orders while offering seamless payment processing. Also, it makes it easy to connect with over 30 payment gateways. It provides the tools you need to set up an online store without any trouble.

How to Pick an E-Commerce Platform: A Checklist of Features

Making a list of features is helpful when you’re ready to choose an ecommerce platform for your new business. You should think about your business goals and the tools that will help you reach them when choosing ecommerce software. The best platform for one seller might not be the best platform for you.

When you’re making your list, think about whether these popular features would help you:

• Checkout and payment gateways that are safe and efficient
• Options for selling online and off
• Help from AI
• Inventory management and shipping in a hosting setting
• Toolkits for marketing and getting more customers
• Features for security
• Features of business and financial management