You don’t have to pick just one. What works is a home base you own, plus the channels where your customers already are.
To sell online you have three kinds of platforms: your own online store (like Shopify or WooCommerce), marketplaces (like Amazon, Etsy or Walmart) and social platforms with built-in shopping (like Instagram, Facebook or TikTok Shop). Our recommendation for most brands: make your own store your home base and use marketplaces and social as additional channels, all connected so inventory and orders live in one place.
Below we walk through each option, its pros and cons, and how to decide where to start.
The three ways to sell online
| Type | Examples | The upside | What to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own store | Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace | Your brand, your customers, your data, your margins | You have to bring the traffic |
| Marketplace | Amazon, Etsy, Walmart, eBay | Huge traffic from day one | Fees per sale, price competition, the customer belongs to the marketplace |
| Social commerce | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok Shop | Discovery and impulse buying | You depend on each platform’s algorithm and rules |
Your own online store
It’s your site, with your domain, your design and your rules. It’s where you build a brand, keep your customer data and don’t pay a middleman a commission on every sale (only payment processing).
Shopify
The most widely used all-in-one platform for online stores. You get the storefront, hosting, security, checkout and admin for a monthly subscription, and it connects to social media, Google, marketplaces and AI assistants from the same admin. It’s what we recommend to most of our clients because it scales without switching platforms. To learn more, read what Shopify is and how it works.
WooCommerce
A free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store. It gives you full control of the code, but hosting, updates and security are on you. It’s a good option if you already run a content-heavy WordPress site. We cover the differences in Shopify vs WooCommerce.
Wix, Squarespace and other website builders
Good for informational sites with a simple store. If your priority is selling and growing in ecommerce, a specialized platform like Shopify gives you more tools.
Marketplaces
A marketplace is an online mall: many sellers, one site and millions of shoppers who already arrive looking for products.
Amazon
The largest marketplace in the US, with customers who expect fast delivery. Its fulfillment program (Fulfillment by Amazon) stores and ships your products for additional fees.
Etsy
Built for handmade, vintage and unique products. Its buyers come looking for something special rather than the lowest price.
Walmart and eBay
Large marketplaces with their own audiences. Walmart Marketplace is selective about who can sell; eBay is strong in collectibles, parts and secondhand goods.
The good and the not so good
Marketplaces are great for getting sales quickly and for products people already search for by name. But the customer belongs to the marketplace, not you: you don’t keep their email, you can’t send them promotions and your brand takes a back seat. That’s why they work best as one more channel, not your only one.
Social commerce
Instagram and Facebook
You can show your catalog, tag products in posts and send followers straight to checkout. If your store is on Shopify, the catalog syncs automatically from your admin.
TikTok Shop
Lets you sell inside TikTok through videos, live streams and affiliate creators who promote your products for a commission. It works especially well for visual, impulse-buy products.
How to choose where to start
It depends on your product and your stage:
- If you have your own brand (apparel, beauty, food, accessories): start with your Shopify store and lean on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok to drive traffic.
- If you resell well-known brands: marketplaces give you volume quickly because people already search for those products by name. Add your own store to build repeat customers.
- If you sell handmade or unique goods: Etsy can bring early buyers, with your own store growing alongside it.
- If you already sell on Amazon: open your own store to keep full margins, own your customer data and build a brand that doesn’t depend on a third party.
The strategy we recommend most
- Your own store at the center. That’s where your brand, your best margins and your customer relationships live (email, loyalty, repeat purchases).
- Social media to attract. Content and ads that send traffic to your store.
- Marketplaces as an extra channel. To reach shoppers who don’t know you yet, especially for products people search by name.
- Everything connected. With Shopify you can sync inventory and orders across channels so you never sell what you don’t have.
What you need, whichever platform you choose
- A reliable way to get paid.
- Clear shipping: costs, delivery times and carriers.
- Visible return policies.
- Photos and descriptions that answer customers’ questions.
- A plan for sales tax in the places where you’re required to collect it.
The essentials
There’s no single right platform for selling online. What works best is a store you own as your base, plus the channels where your customers already are, all connected. That way you don’t depend on a single algorithm or a single marketplace’s fees.
Want to build your online sales strategy? At Tebiko we’re an ecommerce agency and Shopify Partners. We help you build your store and connect the channels that make sense for you.