An online marketplace is a central e-commerce website that sells different brands of products from multiple vendors, shops or people. A marketplace takes one of two forms: standalone or an integration into an existing e-commerce technology.
Global b2b e-commerce: $12.7 Trillion by 2024 (Grand View Research) and online marketplaces will account for $3.6T, or about 28%.
The Three Phases of E-commerce
1. Develop a conventional e-commerce website
Buy, warehouse and sell inventory that you own
Manage your own logistics
Manage all operational aspects, including marketing, merchandising, and pricing
ADVANTAGES
Quickly expand your product offerings
Limited requirements to add new products
No need to negotiate pricing
DISADVANTAGES
Must ensure that sellers meet customer expectations
Recruiting new sellers can be challenging
Developing a seamless seller onboarding process is complex
2. Integrate dropship into your e-commerce strategy
Logistics model in which a manufacturer ships product purchased from your site directly to the customer
Manage all aspects of marketing, merchandising, pricing
ADVANTAGES
No need to buy inventory
Expand your portfolio of product offerings
DISADVANTAGES
Must negotiate pricing separately with each manufacturer
Lower profit margins
Dependent on each manufacturer to ship in a timely manner
3. Implement a Marketplace on your e-commerce technology
Continue to offer products that you inventory
Take a commission for each product sold
Add new products and brands without buying inventory
ADVANTAGES
Quickly expand your product offerings
Limited resource requirements to add new products
No need to negotiate pricing
DISADVANTAGES
Must ensure that sellers meet customer expectations
Recruiting new sellers can be challenging
Developing a seamless seller onboarding process is complex
Advanced ConfigurationTotal control over advanced or complex characteristics of product attributes.
Available APIsManage full or delta exports of products in CSV or JSON format
Messaging, Quotes, DashboardAllow customers to send messages and attachments for complex and advanced quote requests.
Offer ManagementCreate multiple offers at a time through spreadsheet import method.
Product ManagementIntegration points are available to synchronize product data between MarketPush and an external PIM system.
Order ManagementControl orders at any stage. Let customers cancel their orders before fulfillment.
Additional
Designed and can be used on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.
Seller ManagementAllow users access to multiple seller accounts through the same login account.
