Are you planning to venture into online marketplaces? Do you own a physical shop and would love to expand your shop visibility? If you plan to sell on a marketplace, you’ve to compare eBay vs. Amazon vs. Etsy to have an overview of where your business falls. Amazon and eBay are known to be very popular marketplaces online. These two platforms seem similar, but there is a big difference between them.
The Etsy platform has been one of the most competitive platforms for sellers to market their handmade, vintage, and crafted products in recent years. If you want to succeed in these marketplace platforms, you must understand their differences.
Amazon platform is the most popular platform recording a 9% increase in 2021 sales compared to 2020. This is according to a survey done by Feedvisor. Even if you’re already a seller on one of these platforms, you need to expand your businesses to other sites. That’s essential to avoid losing revenue, facing new competitions, and even kicking off the platform.
So, we recommend diversifying your business on various platforms. This article is a comparison between eBay vs. Amazon vs. Etsy. We would look at their description and the pros and cons of each marketplace. There are also some secrets to use as a seller on these platforms. Keep reading!
What‘s it like selling on eBay vs. Amazon vs. Etsy?
Below are some things to expect as a seller on each platform.
Selling on eBay
eBay is a platform where you can sell your items and auction and trade your products, and it is also acceptable. Being a well-known marketplace with over 171 million buyers worldwide, 79% of items sold on the platform are new, whereas 21% are second-hand.
If you have an interesting product, then eBay is a great marketplace. Remember, eBay is NOT a niche-specific platform, so, as a seller, you’re not limited. Sometimes it gets challenging to price products on this platform, and since you’re a seller, you can use the auction to your advantage. Set a bidding price that you feel comfortable with, and wait and see how much your customers are willing to spend.
While accessing if eBay is the best platform for your business, check out the site to find some of the top-selling products on the platform. You’ll get charged insertion and final value fee when it comes to charges. These fees vary depending on the format, category, and price, so you should strictly follow eBay policy.
Selling on Amazon
Amazon is the leading online marketplace trusted with over 200 million Amazon Prime subscribers, according to Amazon statistics. More so, in 2021, the platform recorded 197 million visitors per month to its site. The competition in the Amazon platform is very stiff as you’ll compete with other sellers against Amazon Products.
As a seller in Amazon, you can sell either through the Amazon Fulfillment program or as a standalone merchant. The Amazon fulfillment program requires you to send your inventory to Amazon’s warehouse. There will be no fulfilling orders or housing an inventory from your side with this program. You’ll not get shipping experience and be in control of packaging to ensure an excellent post-purchase experience.
If your products match some of Amazon’s popular categories, this platform is a good option. 18% of sellers offer items in the home and kitchen category, while 9% offer clothing and healthcare categories each. Before becoming an Amazon seller, take a close look at Amazon’s fee and marketing strategies. Amazon fees vary depending on categories. Usually, sellers pay monthly fees along with referral or per-item fees.
Recently, Amazon created Amazon Handmade to help sellers list their handmade products on Amazon. Ideally, you don’t need to list your products on that Amazon part; list them in regular categories and place them in Amazon handmade. Amazon Handmade works similarly to the Etsy platform, so you may need to learn further about Etsy vs. Amazon to make a perfect choice. But, if you can sell the products on both platforms, why not use both marketplaces.
Selling on Etsy
Etsy is the best platform to sell handmade and craft items. It has gained popularity because of being a niche-specific platform. Selling on Etsy vs. eBay is similar, but the difference comes in Etsy’s marketing strategies, product, and platform use. Etsy connects buyers with small and large businesses that make handmade and crafted items. But, there are various things to make and sell on Etsy like baby items, clothing, home crafts, jewelry, where to print invitations, etc.
When looking at Etsy vs. Amazon vs. eBay seller fees, Etsy fees seem to be more straightforward. It’ll cost you $0.20 to publish a listing that runs for four months or until the product is sold. A 3.5% transaction fee on the transaction fee is without shipping fees. Comparing Etsy vs. Amazon vs. eBay fee is simple, but the idea is to select a site that suits your items.
Also, another advantage of selling on Etsy is you get to interact with buyers, therefore, establishing good relationships with possible returning customers.
Which marketplace on Etsy vs. Amazon vs. eBay is better to sell on?
As we mentioned earlier, Amazon, eBay, and Etsy are currently the most popular marketplaces for buyers and sellers. These platforms are a bit similar. For instance, Amazon and eBay have a bit of similarity, but they are different in policy, usability, and requirements. Also, Amazon has included the Amazon handmade category making it similar to the Etsy platform. Conversely, eBay and Etsy are also somehow the same but differ in fees, marketing, and usability. Let’s look at each marketplace further.
Etsy
Is selling on Etsy worth it? Etsy marketplace focuses on handmade, craft, and vintage items. It doesn’t allow selling used items. This platform is user-friendly and creates seller accounts within a few minutes. What makes Etsy platform unique and more attractive is sellers can customize their store with pleasant graphics and attractive page titles.
Pros
Target buyer base – Etsy buyers know what product they target on the platform. Essentially, you have to use a few Etsy SEO tips to stand out. And yes, not selling second-hand items makes it a trustworthy and reliable platform.
Cheaper – Comparing Etsy vs. Amazon vs. eBay selling fees, the Etsy platform offers the cheapest rate; Etsy works cheaper than Amazon FBA.
Cons
No customization-There is no customization like eBay in the Etsy platform. Shops look similar, so building a brand may be difficult when selling on Etsy.
Competition- There is high competition in this platform as shops look similar, selling the same products, affecting buyers’ purchasing decisions.
eBay
As we had earlier seen, eBay has gained popularity and has been running for more than two decades. It has a million users and has established a high presence globally, making it a reliable platform for building your brand awareness.
Pros
· PayPal integration – eBay’s integration with PayPal is a guarantee of business transactions. PayPal’s seller protection makes it an added advantage in receiving payments promptly and in real-time.
· Global Reach – eBay has billions of visitors to its website and millions of customers worldwide. Many eBay users can attest to quality services and products on the platform. So, when listing your products or items on eBay, you have millions of customers accessing your products.
· Ease of use-eBay interface is easy to use and very intuitive. You can set up your e-commerce store on this platform within a few hours.
Cons
· Payment problems – This is a common problem that most sellers find challenging. Non-paying customers are the real problem on eBay. You may think you made a sale but may end up not earning or shipping the product.
· Varying fees – eBay’s varying fees tend to be costly as it depends on the add-ons and how you choose to sell your products. First, understand how eBay’s fees work to avoid making losses.
· Seller favoritism – Unlike other platforms, eBay offers a 180 day- return policy. This can be disadvantageous for sellers keeping product records for a quarter year.
Amazon
Amazon has consistently ranked #1 best among other platforms. It has registered millions of buyers and sellers with increased traffic to its platform. It has a very high seller competition, but your products can stand out by using the appropriate marketing tactics.
Pros
· More extensive visitor base – Amazon visitors, tend to be twice-monthly eBay visitors. Meaning in this platform, there is more visibility and attention, thus increasing chances of successful sale trade.
· Amazon Fulfillment – Amazon FBA is one of the platform’s best moves. A product stored in Amazon’s warehouse guarantees easy shipping and order fulfillment making it an advantage to sellers.
· Trust – Amazon has built trust with sellers and buyers through their tag Check on Amazon. This has created an immense trust for Amazon as a brand.
· Recommendations. In the Amazon platform, their recommended products sections are advantageous to some sellers. Your product may pop up in this section if a buyer is searching for a similar product, thus increasing your product visibility.
Cons
No Brand Visibility – Amazon is a brand by itself, making it challenging to build your seller profile when you’re already a reseller. Though Etsy and eBay have the same issue, they are different. Both platforms give sellers the option to create a seller page, making them more appealing.
High Fee – This is the marketplace charging the highest fee. You get charged for every product listed and sold. Also, the FBA fees can be too high, making it difficult for some sellers.
No seller-buyer interaction – In Amazon, there is no direct interaction with buyers. There is no buyer database offered
Poor visibility: In Amazon, sellers share the same ASIN, which may reduce your visibility as a new seller.
Bottom Line
Before deciding which platform suits you best, you must ask yourself the following questions
- What type of products are you selling; is it vintage, handmade, or crafted?
- Do your listed products change over time?
- What resources do you have to upload your products?
- Are you planning to build a web store?
- Are you comfortable adjusting sales because of high competition?
Should you sell on all three platforms?
Selling on all platforms is entirely your choice. Many online sellers use all three platforms. The idea is to maximize your profits. Consider the pros and cons of each platform, and then use marketing strategies to increase leads and eventually convert to sales.
