What to figure out before you pick a platform
Before you choose a platform, you need answers to three questions. Your answers will determine which platform makes the most sense.
What are you selling?
Handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies belong on Etsy. Used items and collectibles sell well on eBay. New products competing on price do well on Amazon. Fashion and secondhand clothing have homes on Depop and Poshmark. Custom merchandise works on print-on-demand platforms. The product drives the platform choice.
Who is your buyer?
Different platforms attract different buyers. Etsy shoppers are looking for unique, personal, or handcrafted items. eBay buyers are often looking for deals, hard-to-find items, or specific collectibles. Amazon buyers want fast shipping and are largely brand-agnostic. Shopify customers often find you through search or social media. Know your buyer before you choose your platform.
How much do you want to spend to start?
Some platforms cost nothing to start. Others require a monthly subscription before you make your first sale. If budget is tight, see our guide to the cheapest way to start selling online.
The main platforms compared
Etsy
Best for handmade & vintageThe go-to marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. Over 90 million active buyers. No monthly fee. You pay $0.20/listing and 6.5% on sales. Strong search traffic means buyers come to you. Competitive in popular categories.
Start here if: You make things by hand, sell vintage items, or sell craft supplies.
eBay
Best for resellingThe largest general-purpose marketplace. Works for new and used items, collectibles, electronics, clothing, and almost anything else. 250 free listings per month. Final value fees around 13%. Massive buyer base, auction and fixed-price options.
Start here if: You're reselling used items, clearing out your home, or flipping thrift store finds.
Amazon
Best for new products at scaleThe world's largest online retailer. Best for new branded products. FBA (fulfillment by Amazon) handles shipping. High competition, high fees (8-15% referral), but enormous traffic. Professional plan costs $39.99/month.
Start here if: You have a branded product, buy wholesale, or want to do retail arbitrage at scale.
Shopify
Best for your own brandA platform for building your own online store. You own the domain, design, and customer relationship. $29/month to start. No built-in buyer traffic, you drive it yourself. Lower transaction fees than marketplaces. Best for sellers who want independence from marketplace algorithms.
Start here if: You have an existing audience, run social media, or want a branded store independent of any marketplace.
What you need to set up your first listing
Before you create your first listing, gather these elements. Missing any of them will cost you sales.
Photos
The single most important element. Clean background, natural light, multiple angles. On a marketplace like Etsy or eBay, buyers are choosing between dozens of similar items. Your photos are your storefront. Phone cameras are sufficient. Consistency matters more than equipment.
Title and description
Titles should include what the item is, key attributes (color, size, material), and terms people search for. Descriptions should answer every question a buyer might have: dimensions, materials, condition, what's included, and how it ships.
Price
Research comparable items on your platform before pricing. Price too high and you won't sell. Price too low and you'll feel resentful doing the work. Factor in all fees, shipping materials, and your time when setting a price.
Shipping plan
Know how you'll ship before you list. What carrier? How are you calculating costs? Do you offer free shipping or charge the buyer? USPS, UPS, and FedEx all have different strengths. Most small sellers start with USPS First Class or Priority Mail.
Step-by-step: Your first week of selling
Day 1: Choose your platform and create an account
Based on what you're selling, pick one platform to start. Don't try to be everywhere at once. Create your account, fill out your profile completely, and read the platform's seller policies. Know what's allowed before you list.
Day 2-3: Research your category
Search for what you're planning to sell. Look at the top-selling listings. What do their titles say? How are their photos composed? What do their descriptions include? You're not copying them; you're learning what works on this specific platform.
Day 3-4: Photograph and list your first 5-10 items
Start with a small batch. Take your photos in consistent lighting, write descriptions that answer the common questions, and price competitively. Don't overthink it. Listed and imperfect beats perfect and unpublished.
Day 5-6: Set up your shipping and policies
Configure your shipping settings, return policy, and processing time before your first order arrives, not after. A buyer who orders and then waits three days for a shipping confirmation is a bad review waiting to happen.
Day 7+: Wait, improve, repeat
New listings take time to gain traction, especially on Etsy where search ranking builds with sales history. Keep listing. Respond quickly to any messages. Ship fast when you get orders. Your first 10 positive reviews are the hardest. After that, momentum builds.
5 mistakes beginners make
Starting on the wrong platform
Selling handmade jewelry on Amazon or used books on Etsy is an uphill fight. Match your product to the right marketplace first. You'll get traction faster and waste less time.
Underpricing to get sales faster
Lowering your price to compete on price alone rarely works long-term. Buyers who choose you only because you're cheapest have no loyalty and leave harsh reviews. Price based on your actual costs and value, not desperation.
Ignoring packaging
A broken item in a flimsy envelope is a return and a bad review. Package your items as if they're going to be dropped, stepped on, and left in the rain. Because sometimes they are.
Slow communication
Answer buyer messages within 24 hours. On marketplaces like Etsy, your response time is visible and factors into your seller rating. Buyers who don't hear back quickly assume you're unreliable or have disappeared.
Giving up after the first slow week
New listings on most platforms don't get immediate traffic. Etsy and eBay both have algorithms that reward sellers with sales history. Your first month will be slow. That's normal. Keep listing and improving your photos and titles.
When to add more channels
Once you've made 20-30 sales on your first platform and have a handle on your process (listing, shipping, customer service), it's time to think about adding a second channel.
Adding a second channel exposes your products to a new audience without requiring new inventory. The same products that sell on Etsy can also sell on eBay. The same products on Shopify can also be listed on Amazon.
The one thing you need to manage is inventory. Selling the same item on two platforms with the same quantity available is a recipe for overselling. You take an order on both platforms for the last unit you have. Now you have to cancel one and disappoint a customer. The solution is real-time inventory sync, which keeps your stock levels updated across all platforms automatically.
Read more: benefits of selling on multiple platforms, multichannel selling guide for beginners, and ecommerce inventory management 101.