B2C Marketplaces: Your Guide to Reaching Consumers Online
These marketplaces aren’t limited to businesses that sell products. There are many service-based marketplaces that you can use to reach people looking for anything from home repair to plumbing.
On this page, we’ll break B2C marketplaces into two categories:
If you need help building your presence on marketplaces, WebFX can help. We have a team of over 500 marketing experts that can help you build a presence on numerous platforms. Contact us online or call us today at 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist about selling online!
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What is an online marketplace?
An online marketplace is anywhere you can sell your products or services directly to consumers. These marketplaces serve as a medium to help you reach a curated audience interested in the products or services you offer.
Why sell on B2C marketplaces?
You’re interested in selling on B2C marketplaces, but is it the right move for your business?
Here are three big reasons to sell on B2C marketplaces:
1. You reach an established audience
One of the most significant benefits of hosting your products or services on a marketplace is reaching an established audience.
Your business’s biggest challenge with selling online is getting a steady stream of traffic and relevant leads to your website. It can take some time to build a steady flow of traffic to your site.
With B2C marketplaces, though, you don’t have that problem. These marketplaces have a larger pool of people who browse through their platforms. By posting your products or services to these B2C marketplaces, you can reach these people where they’re already shopping.
2. People like shopping on marketplaces
One thing you’ll find across the board for the best online marketplaces for B2C is that people like shopping on these websites. Many people enjoy shopping on marketplaces to find what they need.
Marketplaces allow people to see everything in one place and offer a lot of variety. Instead of looking through multiple individual sites, people can shop in one place and find everything they need. Marketplaces are convenient and easy to use for shoppers.
So, if you opt to sell on these marketplaces, you’re selling where people like to shop.
3. You gain instant trust
The last benefit of B2C marketplaces is that you gain instant trust. If you’re a newer business, it’s hard to show people you’re trustworthy and offer great products. Marketplaces can help you build that trust.
People trust marketplaces, and therefore, trust the people who sell on them. Since a trustworthy company backs you, people feel confident buying your products or services.
Ecommerce marketplaces: 7 best online marketplaces for B2C companies selling products
The first set of top online marketplaces for B2C that we’ll cover are for ecommerce businesses. If you sell products, these marketplaces are a great place to reach consumers interested in what you offer.
Here are seven B2C marketplaces you’ll want to start selling on:
1. Amazon Marketplace
First on our list of the best online marketplaces for B2C businesses is Amazon Marketplace. Amazon is one of the most popular places to sell your products online.
To get started on Amazon, you must begin by signing up for a professional plan. This plan costs $39.99 per month but allows you to post an unlimited number of products.
Once you have your plan selected, you can start uploading your products and building your storefront. You can opt to upload products individually or in bulk by importing your products through an Excel spreadsheet or something similar.
For each product listing you create, you want to make sure you have:
- A product cover photo with a white background
- Multiple product photos showcasing different angles
- Detailed product title that provides necessary details like size, color, material, etc.
- An informative and helpful product description enriched with relevant keywords
When you have your products uploaded, you can start creating your Amazon storefront.
An Amazon storefront is a great way to create a branded presence for your business. Having a stylized storefront is more inviting and eye-catching, which can help increase engagement with your business.
Once you have your products uploaded and your storefront created, you can start selling through Amazon.
To help you maximize your sales on Amazon, follow these best practices:
- Optimize your products for relevant listings to appear in more qualified searches
- Try adding videos to showcase your products in action
- Encourage shoppers to leave honest reviews of your products
- Run sponsored product ads to drive more qualified shoppers
Get Help Selling on Amazon Marketplace
2. Facebook Marketplace
Next on our list of the best B2C marketplaces is Facebook Marketplace. This online selling platform is an excellent place for you to sell your products alongside regular Facebook users.
Any ecommerce business can sell its products through this platform if they aren’t prohibited items. Auto dealers and real estate companies can also share their inventory through this marketplace.
It doesn’t cost anything to post your products through Facebook Marketplace, so it’s a great budget-friendly solution for your business. You can sell items locally or opt to ship items to people.
To start selling on Facebook Marketplace, you’ll have to upload each product individually. You’ll add information like a product description, condition, and color. You can also add tags to help people find your products when searching through the marketplace.
To help you sell more products through Facebook Marketplace, follow these best practices:
- Use high-quality, professional photos that show your product from every angle
- Optimize your product title and description with relevant keywords
- Provide a detailed product description
Get Help Selling on Facebook Marketplace
3. Google Shopping
One of the best online marketplaces for B2C companies that sell products online is Google Shopping. Google Shopping is a platform where businesses can post their products to reach more shoppers and drive them to their website.
To get started with Google Shopping, you’ll need to create an account in the Merchant Center. You’ll add your products to Google at no cost and have them start appearing across Google, including Google Shopping.
Your product listings will include photos of your product, a descriptive product title, and a product description. Your listing also has features related to your product, like color and a star rating.
To take advantage of one of the top online marketplaces for B2C, follow these best practices:
- Use high-quality product photos
- Integrate keywords into your product title and description
- Run Google Shopping Ads to increase reach with your product listings
Get Help Selling on Google Shopping
4. Target Plus™
Another great B2C marketplace option is Target Plus™. Target Plus™ is a premier online marketplace where you can reach thousands of shoppers that buy products through Target’s platform.
Target doesn’t charge you anything to host your products on their site, but they take a commission fee from your sales that ranges from 5% to 15%.
To start selling on Target Plus™, you must get invited to sell on the platform. You can try connecting with someone from Target to get an invitation, or you can partner with a digital marketing company to help you apply.
If you get an invitation and accept it, you can create a storefront for your business on Target’s platform and upload your products.
To get the most from this top online marketplace for B2C, follow these best practices:
- Integrate keywords into your product title and description
- Upload multiple, high-quality product photos to show all angles
- Encourage people to review your products on Target
5. Overstock
One of the top online marketplaces for B2C companies is Overstock. Overstock sells everything from furniture to jewelry, which creates many opportunities for companies to sell their products through this platform.
If you opt to sell on Overstock, you’ll pay 10 cents for every product fee and a 3% commission for every item you sell.
To start selling on Overstock, you’ll first complete a survey. This survey helps Overstock vet your company and determine if you’re a good fit for their website. If you’re approved, you can start setting up your account and add your products.
Once your products go live on their website, you’ll be responsible for managing orders and fulfillment through the partner platform.
To help you maximize your sales on Overstock, follow these best practices:
- Use high-quality visuals to highlight your products
- Keep your inventory up to date
- Provide informative product descriptions
6. eBay
Next on our list of top online marketplaces for B2C is eBay.
eBay is a platform that enables you to sell both old and used products to consumers. For your business to sell on eBay, you must choose one of their plans, ranging from $4.95 to $2999.95 per month.
In addition to the monthly fee, you’ll have to pay an insertion fee, which is $0.35 per listing (the first 200 are free), and a final value fee, which is around 12%, plus a $0.30 transaction fee.
If you want to start selling on eBay, start by signing up for an account and choosing your business plan. Once you’ve set up your account, you can begin creating your eBay store and uploading your products.
To get the most from selling on this marketplace, follow these best practices:
- Price your items competitively
- Optimize your product descriptions with keywords to rank better in relevant searches
- Build your reviews to earn your shoppers trust
7. Walmart Marketplace
If you want to know where to sell online for B2C businesses, try Walmart Marketplace. Walmart Marketplace enables you to sell numerous types of products, from clothes to kitchenware to auto accessories.
One of the biggest perks of Walmart Marketplace is that there are no monthly fees to sell your products on the platform. Instead, you pay a referral fee for each product you sell, which varies from 6 to 15% depending upon the item.
To start selling on Walmart Marketplace, you’ll need to fill out an application. Once Walmart approves your application, you can start uploading your products to sell on this marketplace.
If you want to get the most from selling on this marketplace, follow these best practices:
- Use high-quality product photos from multiple angles
- Keep your prices low to remain competitive
- Optimize your listings for relevant keywords to appear in the right searches
- Try running Sponsored Product ads to reach more shoppers
B2C marketplaces: 4 marketplaces for service businesses
If you’re a service business and looking where to sell online for B2C companies, you’ll find that many recommended platforms are for businesses selling products. But what if you sell services? Are there marketplaces where you can reach a pool of qualified leads?
Yes! Here are four marketplaces you can use to reach qualified leads for your service business:
1. Thumbtack
First on our list of the best online marketplaces for B2C businesses is Thumbtack. This marketplace enables people to hire professionals for whatever they need, from interior painting to entertainment to dog training.
You can build a profile page on Thumbtack to help people find you when they’re looking for a professional.
To start on Thumbtack, follow these steps:
- Go to the pro sign up page
- Provide the name of your service and where you work
- Click Get Leads
- Complete the prompts to complete your profile
Once you complete your sign-up, you can add your services and their prices.
As you create your Thumbtack profile, make sure it’s fully detailed, so you can get more leads to contact your business about completing their job.
As for fees, you can see a breakdown of Thumbtacks costs in their Help Center.
2. Handy
If you offer home repair or renovation services, Handy is one of the B2C marketplaces where you can connect with prospects. This platform enables you to find a pool of customers that need to hire professionals.
To start reaching these customers, you’ll fill out an application to get approved by Handy.
Handy requires that you:
- Have paid experience in your service field
- Are authorized to work in the country you’re applying
- Have excellent customer service skills
You can choose your schedule and the volume of clients you want.
Handy serves as the middleman to help connect you with customers who need the services you offer. They also handle all the payments, so you don’t have to worry about tracking down customers to get payment.
3. Angi
Next on our list of the top online marketplaces for B2C service businesses is Angi, formerly known as Angie’s List. Angi enables people to hire professionals for various home improvement projects, from plumbing to roofing to lawn care.
It’s free to build a business profile for your business. To create your profile, follow these steps:
- Go to Business Owners
- Click Get Started
- Fill out your information, like your services and geographic location
- Complete your account
Once you have a live profile, people will search for services like yours and check out your profile listing to see if you’re the right fit. They can also see reviews of other customers’ experiences. If clients like what they see, they can contact you for a project quote to get the ball rolling.
4. Amazon Home Services
To wrap up this list of the best online marketplaces for B2C service businesses, let’s look at Amazon Home Services.
Amazon Home Services is a network of professional service providers that can help Amazon customers do everything from grill assembly to home theater setup to sink installations.
Professional services are sold through products people buy. When shoppers look at specific products, they can see the option to add expert assembly to their cart.
To join Amazon Home Services, you’ll have to fill out an application and get approved by Amazon. Once you’re approved, you can start receiving jobs to get additional clients for your B2C company.
Get started on the right B2C marketplaces for your business
Whether you sell products or services, your B2C business can benefit from building a presence on marketplaces. If you’re unsure which marketplaces are best for you or need help getting started, our team at WebFX can help you get started.
We have a team of over 500 marketing experts ready to help you drive results through online marketplaces.
In the past five years alone, we’ve driven over $10 billion in revenue and over 24 million leads for our clients. We’ll help you drive results, too, whether through Amazon Marketplace, Facebook Marketplace, or other online selling platforms.
Ready to sell more? Contact us online or call us today at 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist!