How to Create an eCommerce Marketplace in Less Than 5 Steps – An eCommerce marketplace can be your ticket to financial success. As someone who has built two eCommerce marketplaces, I’m here to tell you that it’s not as difficult as many people think and the potential rewards are well worth the effort.
4 steps to starting your own marketplace
First, you need to come up with a general idea of what you want to sell. Do some research and figure out which products are trending in your industry. You can also take inventory of what types of items you already have for sale that people seem to be purchasing the most. This will give you a better understanding of what you should be selling.
Selecting the right name for your marketplace is crucial and comes down to personal preference. Some important things to keep in mind when naming your marketplace are related to branding, marketing and trademark infringement.
Choosing a payment processor is key to success. Our favorite method of payment is PayPal, which can accept all major credit cards, debit cards, and ACH payments. They are one of the most reliable and secure processors on the market and they have the added benefit of international transactions. Plus, they offer instant transfers from your bank account into your PayPal account so you can keep your money from being tied up for long periods of time like with some other processors.
One of the most basic things you need for your site is web hosting. In simple terms, this is a service that lets you upload your site onto the internet. It also offers you storage space and bandwidth so your website can be online. There are plenty of free options out there, but if you want to take it to the next level, we recommend HostGator or Bluehost. We used HostGator ourselves and they were easy to set up and had excellent customer service!