E-commerce

Electronic commerce (or e-commerce) is the name given to online sales and transactions, whether it’s through your website, an online marketplace or another type of e-commerce platform.

To give your business the best chance of reaching potential customers, you might offer one or more ways for your customers to buy your products or services. Finding the right e-commerce platform for your business will depend on what you’re selling, your budget and how your target market is likely to buy from you.

Here are some of the key things to consider when you’re choosing how to sell your products and services online.

Selling through your website

With an online store integrated into your website, customers can buy your products or book your services directly.

The right e-commerce platform to use will depend on your website and business needs.

Some platforms have ongoing subscription costs and per-transaction fees, which you’ll need to factor into your pricing. Sometimes you can add a secure e-commerce platform as a plug-in to your website. However, setting up sales functionality for more complex websites is generally best handled by a professional website developer.

Selling through online marketplaces

Depending on your business, you may choose to sell your products or services through already established marketplaces. Examples of some popular e-commerce platforms include Amazon, Etsy, eBay for products, Eventbrite or Humanitix for events, or apps such as UberEats, DoorDash or Menulog for food products.

Fees for joining one of these platforms, including subscription and per-sale fees, can be higher than selling through your own website. On the other hand, these platforms can be a great way to get exposure for your business since they have an existing audience and are generally well-known. They also have their own payment systems and cyber security measures in place.

Make sure you read and understand the terms of service and fees involved in any e-commerce platform before you commit. It can be helpful to speak with other business owners about their chosen platform and any recommendations they might have.

Selling through social media

While some social media sites used to facilitate sales (such as the ‘Shop’ option which has now been phased out on Instagram), most social media sites will now direct any sales to your website or your choice of e-commerce platform rather than take payments through their own platform.

As a business owner, it’s important to know the rules which relate to selling through each social media platform. For example, some online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace are only intended for individuals to sell items to other individuals and strictly not for businesses to sell or promote products.

Learn more about social media marketing.