Ecommerce Opportunities Start

However, these sites have one very clear benefit over other options — a built-in audience. Amazon gets nearly 59 million monthly unique visitors. EBay gets nearly 27 million. And Etsy gets nearly 16 million who are specifically looking for vintage or handmade products.

In searches, your products will most likely show up alongside others from competing sellers. But the chances that you’d get all those visitors to your own website are slim. If you’re able to create attractive listings that set your products apart, this could be the option for you. Some sellers make their products available on these platforms, while keeping their own dedicated sites for loyal shoppers.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Today, about 72 percent of U.S. adults use at least one social media platform. The options for selling products on social media vary by platform. Facebook, for example, allows page owners to set up storefronts on their business page. Instagram has a feature that lets users create shoppable posts.

The built-in audience is the key benefit of this option. However, many of the people spending time on social media aren’t in the mindset of making purchases. You may have to do more work to convert buyers.

ECOMMERCE ADD-ONS

Ecommerce add-ons give you an option that sits somewhere between building your own site and using a hosted platform. You create your own site and then use plug-ins or pre-made options to facilitate things like payments or buy buttons.

This makes the process of getting up and running easier and can save you money in the long run. However, there are a lot of moving parts to organize if you go this route; it can get a bit complicated.

Anita Campbell runs online communities and information websites. The Small Business Administration helps small business owners and entrepreneurs start, grow and expand.

HITTING THE SWEET SPOT 250 YARDS