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Hey makers! One of the first things you need to consider when you're trying to turn your hobby into a business is what eCommerce option is the right fit for you.
But we can help you.
Ask yourself these questions to start:
Are you selling physical items?
Are you selling digital
items?
Are your products
individualized for each person are you selling unique items?
And then consider:
If you are starting small and only selling a few physical
items, your best fit is probably going to be a single payment processor, like
PayPal or Square. Start out simple, legit and grow your business organically before investing too heavily.
If you are selling unique items (maybe vintage, maybe handmade), then Etsy is a better route
to go. This site has developed a craft economy which has helped to launch many businesses. But the market on Etsy has become very over saturated. You'll have to create an identity, take excellent photos, have great customer service, etc. to stand out, and you'll have to give a chunk of your list price to them for their service. The largest benefit to this method is Etsy's search functionality. It's possible for others to find exactly what you are selling.
If you are selling a download (perhaps like music or an e-book) you could
use E-junkie to provide a checkout option and your buyer will be provided a
download link after checkout. E-junkie also works for all of the above options
as well but you'll have to make a few considerations. Since E-Junkie provides you a service independently on your own site, you have to consider how people will find you. With great freedom comes great responsibility. If you use E-Junkie, and want to launch on a fairly large scale (not just selling goods to friends and friends of friends) you'll need to think about marketing yourself. (We've provided how-tos for that aspect of your business here and here.)
Finally, if you want 100% control over everything - the
look of the cart, A to Z of processing orders, etc. - you
will want to get a software that allows complete control. These are often expensive, but your cart will
be 100% your own style.
In reality, you may want to progress through these options as your business grows. Today, you may be using PayPal for a handful of sales but in a year, you may want to have more control so you may need something more customizable and sophisticated like E-Junkie.
What is your business and what has your e-commerce experience been? We want to hear your stories. Tweet us at @ejunkie.
Take a retrospective view on one of leading companies' marketing efforts at “FMCG: The Future of Fast Moving Consumer Goods".
‘Melts in your mouth, not in your hands’ - M&M's 1954 tagline
Check fmcgbook.com for more details.