Over the past few years, the scale of trade through the World Wide Web has been growing almost exponentially. The reason for this is the unconditional benefit of the buyer when purchasing goods online. After all, choosing a product and purchasing it in this way, the client has a much more extensive assortment and, most importantly, saves a lot of time.
Types of Online Trading
There are several ways to sell online:
- Online store - that is, a separate site is being developed and created, and in the future, it is promoted, promoted and constantly maintained.
- Bulletin board. Such resources simply place ads with seller’s contact details. Used for one-time or small in terms of sales or purchases.
- Internet site.
- Online auction.
There are also other, not so popular and well-known options for online trading on the Web, but they will be discussed another time. In the same article, the option of online trading with the help of large online platforms will be considered.
What are online sites
This kind of platform is a special resource on which sellers and buyers conclude sales transactions. Also, auctions, contests, advertising campaigns and other trading events can be held here. In simple words, an online trading platform can be compared to a large business center in real life, the owner of which leases premises to retail and various services companies. Trade and the provision of services on a network platform, unlike other methods of implementation, has its advantages, which will be discussed later.
Benefits
The Internet site, as a rule, has its advantages:
- Time saving. This is one of the most basic advantages, because, as they say, “time is money”. And buying or selling online, you can significantly save this resource, leaving it for other, more necessary things.
- Saving money. There is also a mutual benefit for both the seller and the buyer, since the first does not spend money on renting a place for a retail outlet, and the second, respectively, pays less for the purchased goods.
- Unlimited geography. This benefit lies in the fact that the seller and the buyer can find each other without leaving their apartment or office, while at the same time staying in different parts of the globe.
- Easy start. This advantage is rather related to sellers and implies the fact that there is no need to have any knowledge in site building. An online platform for selling goods, as a rule, provides an opportunity to customize your store using ready-made templates, display products, add a description to it and immediately start selling. That is, there is no need to pay a considerable amount to the webmaster for the creation and maintenance of a future store site.
- Savings on advertising. A large number of stores are already located on large sites. Thousands of potential buyers visit the resource daily. Thanks to this, you can save a lot on promotion and further promotion of your site.
In such a positive vein, one can reason for a long time. But there are several negative aspects.
Internet site and its pitfalls
Trading floors are certainly good, but not everything is as smooth as it might seem at first glance.
Firstly, if the creation of your site is paid once, then for the placement of the store on the trading floor, payment will occur regularly.
Secondly, by and large the site still does not belong to the seller. And if God forbid, any force majeure happens and the site suspends or ceases to operate at all, the seller will not be able to influence the course of events. He will need either another online platform, or he will be forced to create his own store on the site.
Thirdly, despite the simplicity of creating a store using ready-made templates, the future seller will still be limited in the choice of design or specialized settings, compared with the situation when the webmaster creates a website for him that takes into account all the wishes.
Well, it’s also worth considering the fact that in addition to developing your business, there is some investment in someone else’s, because you have to pay to rent a place on the site, it’s possible to pay for some advertising services to stand out from other stores located on the site and so on. And perhaps it would be better to invest this part of the capital in the development of its own resource?
Reflections
So all the same, what is better - a separate online store or placement on a large Internet site? A definite answer does not exist here. As they say, the taste and color ... A lot depends on the specific case and situation. For example, if this is an online platform for Chinese goods, where small volumes of sales with average profit or one-time sales, short-term projects and the like, then in this case it is better to use the services of a large resource. And if it is planned to work continuously in this type of business with the prospect of developing, increasing cash flow and the volume of services provided, then it is better to develop your own resource. You can also add that it is better to start activities on the site, and in the future it will be advisable to switch to your own resource.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth saying that trade in the vastness of the World Wide Web is developing rapidly, the range of goods and services provided online is growing, and competition is also growing. And if now a new Internet platform for trading in Russia, its opening and promotion is quite real, you should not forget that every year, month, and even day, it is becoming increasingly difficult to occupy your niche in this business. Do not hesitate and doubt. Time is money. No need to waste time.