The Online Marketplace Ecommerce Blog

Master the art of building, launching, and running successful online marketplaces

Top Marketplace Business Models To Generate Revenue

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Note: We've updated this article in April 2023!

In the rapidly growing world of online marketplaces, creating a sustainable and profitable business model is crucial for long-term success. With an abundance of options and strategies to choose from, finding the perfect fit for your marketplace platform can be challenging.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll look at various marketplace revenue models, examine their advantages and disadvantages, and offer tips and insights to help you make the most informed decision for your platform.

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Essential Features for a Thriving Online Marketplace

Note: We've updated this article in March 2023!

Not all marketplaces are created equal. Some succeed in attracting and retaining users, while others struggle to survive. What makes the difference?

Having product-market fit and a viable go-to-market strategy is crucial, but it isn’t everything. If your platform doesn’t offer your buyers and sellers a convenient way to connect and exchange goods or services, they’ll go to your competitors instead.

Whether you are planning to launch a new marketplace or improve an existing one, these features will help you create a platform that delivers value, satisfaction, and growth for your users and your business:

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Online Marketplace Software: Multi-Vendor Platforms

Note: We've updated this article in March 2023!

Multi-vendor marketplaces have been gaining popularity for a decade as a business model that provides customers with a wide range of products or services from multiple vendors.

However, running a successful multi-vendor marketplace requires not just careful planning and the right revenue model, but also the right software platform.

In this article, we have compiled a list of top multi-vendor marketplace software platforms that can help you get started with your own marketplace business.

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50+ Popular Online Marketplaces and Two-Sided Platforms

Note: We've updated this article in March 2023!

In today's digital age, online marketplaces have become an essential part of the global economy, facilitating the buying and selling of goods and services on a massive scale. And with the global ecommerce market projected to reach $6 trillion by 2024, the growth potential for online marketplaces is still great.

From B2C and B2B marketplaces to niche, digital, and industry-specific platforms, the landscape of online marketplaces is vast and diverse. In this blog post, we'll explore a few dozen popular online marketplaces across a number of categories and niches.

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7 WooCommerce Multi Vendor Plugins for WordPress Marketplaces

Note: We've updated this article in March 2023!

Are you thinking of creating a WordPress-powered online marketplace with multiple vendors?

While WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads are popular plugins to build online stores, you'll need a multi-vendor plugin to turn your website into a two-sided platform.

In this blog post, we'll explore various multi-vendor plugins for WordPress and WooCommerce, helping you create a sustainable marketplace business model.

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25+ Handmade Marketplaces for Artisans to Sell Crafts, Art, Gifts Online

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Note: We've updated this article in March 2023!

The world of handmade crafts is filled with talented artists and artisans who create unique and beautiful products.

However, without a platform to sell their creations, it can be difficult for them to reach a wider audience. Luckily, there are many online marketplaces, artisan communities, and directories that cater to the needs of these artists.

In this post, we've curated a list of a few dozen such platforms where artists can showcase and sell their handmade items to a global audience. Whether you're a seasoned seller or just starting out, this list has something for everyone.

This article is part of our series on starting an online marketplace business. If you want a spreadsheet version of this article with additional information, please contact us.

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50+ Fashion Marketplaces & Second Hand Luxury Consignment Platforms

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Note: We've updated this article in February 2023!

Second-hand and pre-loved fashion is not only trendy, but also sustainable.

By buying and selling pre-owned designer items that are authenticated and in great condition, you can save money and reduce your environmental impact. Second-hand clothing gives a new life to garments that would otherwise end up in landfills. It also slows down the fast-fashion cycle that consumes a lot of resources and generates a lot of waste.

If you’re an eco-conscious consumer who loves fashion, this article is for you. We'll show you over 50 fashion marketplaces and consignment platforms where you can buy, sell, and trade authenticated, used fashion and luxury clothing and accessories.

This article is part of our series on starting an online marketplace business. If you want a spreadsheet version of this article with additional information, please contact us.

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24+ Marketplace Payment Solutions for Two-Sided Platforms

Note: We've updated this article in February 2023!

In 2023, payment processing is a fairly trivial matter for a regular ecommerce business. You have hundreds of payment companies that offer services ranging from basic payment processing to all-in-one business management and financing solutions.

But a marketplace is more than just an online store, so the requirements for a payment processing company for a marketplace are more demanding, and include support for marketplace-specific features like payment splitting and routing, payouts to merchants, KYC/AML features, advanced tax management, reporting, and more.

This is an overview of 24+ different payment companies that offer payment facilitation and other financial products tailored specifically to two-sided marketplace platforms.

Let's get started.

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Choosing a Platform Payment Provider

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At Payment Rails, I have daily conversations with marketplace founders, executives, and employees at all stages of building their marketplace to learn about the challenges that are top of mind for them.

Since we deal with designing and implementing scalable marketplace payment solutions, I've decided to team up with MultiMerch share what I've learned in hopes that other marketplace founders and executives can learn from my unique position of being able to talk to and explore the challenges of so many others in the industry.

This is a guest post by Myles Foster from Payment Rails.

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The Basics of Marketplace Content Moderation

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As with everything, creating an efficient content moderation strategy starts with defining what the goals and framework for the operations are.

Content moderation needs may vary wildly from marketplace to marketplace depending on audience, maturity, geolocation and a lot of other factors.

To make sure you design a content moderation strategy that fits your marketplace, here are 3 core things you should consider.

This is a guest post by Emil Andersson from Besedo.

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