Internet site, or trade online

Over the past few years, the scale of trade through the World Wide Web is growing almost geometrically. The reason for this is the unconditional benefit of the buyer when buying goods online. After choosing a product and acquiring it in this way, the customer has a much more extensive assortment and, most importantly, saves a lot of time.

Types of online trading

There are several ways of online sales:

• Internet-shop - that is, a separate site is being developed and created, and in the future it is promoted, promoted and constantly maintained.
• Bulletin board. On such resources, simply place ads with contact information of the seller. Used for one-time or small in terms of sales or purchases.
• Internet site.
• Online auction.

There are other, not so popular and well-known variants of online trading on the Net, but they will be discussed some other time. In the same article, an option of online trading with the help of large Internet sites will be considered.

What is an Internet site

This kind of platform is a special resource, on which sellers and buyers conclude sales contracts. Also, auctions, contests, advertising campaigns and other trade events can be held here. In simple words, an online trading platform can be compared to a large business center in real life, the owner of which leases out premises for rent to merchants and service providers. Trade and the provision of services on the network platform, unlike other methods of implementation, has its advantages, which will be discussed further.

Benefits

The Internet site, as a rule, has its advantages:

• Saves time. This is one of the most important advantages, because, as they say, "time is money". And buying or selling online, you can save this resource significantly, leaving it for other, more necessary things.
• Saving money. It also looks at the mutual benefit for both the seller and the buyer, since the former does not spend money on renting a place for a trading point, and the second, accordingly, pays less for the purchased goods.
• Unlimited geography. This benefit lies in the fact that the seller and the buyer can find each other without leaving the apartment or office, while at the same time staying in different parts of the globe.
• Easy start. This advantage, rather, relates to sellers and implies the fact that there is no need to have any knowledge of site building. The Internet site for the sale of goods, as a rule, provides an opportunity to customize your store by ready-made templates, display products, add a description to it and immediately start selling. That is, there is no need to pay a considerable amount to the webmaster for the creation and maintenance of the future site-store.
• Saving on advertising. A large number of shops have already been placed on large sites. Every day thousands of potential buyers visit the resource. Thanks to this, you can save a great deal on promotion and further promotion of your site.

In such a positive way, one can reason for a long time. But there are also several negative aspects.

Internet site and its pitfalls

Trading floors are certainly good, but not everything is as smooth as it might seem at first glance.

Firstly, if you are paid for the creation of your site once, then for the placement of the store on the trading floor, payment will occur regularly.

Secondly, by and large the site still does not belong to the seller. And if God forbid, any force majeure happens and the site stops or ceases to function at all, the seller will not be able to influence the course of events in any way. He will need another Internet site, or he will be forced to create his own store on the site.

Thirdly, despite the simplicity of creating a store for ready-made templates, the future seller will still be limited in the choice of design or specialized settings, compared to the situation when the webmaster creates a site that takes into account all the wishes.

Well, one should also take into account the fact that in addition to the development of your business, there is some investment in someone else, since you have to pay for renting space on the site, it is possible to pay some advertising services to stand out against other stores on the site and so on. And perhaps it would be better to invest this part of capital in the development of its own resource?

Reflections

So all the same, what is better - a separate online store or placement on a large Internet site? There is no unequivocal answer. As they say, the taste and color ... A lot depends on the specific case and situation. For example, if this is an Internet site for Chinese goods, where small sales volumes are from medium-sized profits or with one-time sales, short-term projects and the like, then in this case it is better to use the services of a large resource. And if it is planned to work continuously in this type of business with the prospect of development, increasing the money turnover and the volume of services provided, then it is better to develop your own resource. You can also add that it's better to start up on the site, and in the future it will be advisable to go to your own resource.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be said that trade on the vast expanses of the World Wide Web is rapidly developing, the assortment of goods and services "online" is growing, and competition is also growing. And if now there is a new Internet platform for trade in Russia, its opening and promotion is quite real, then do not forget that every year, month, yes even in the daytime it becomes more difficult to take your niche in this business. Do not hesitate and doubt. Time is money. No need to waste time.