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The Best E-Commerce Platform for Your Business: A Comparison of Flurly, Gumroad, Podia, and Etsy

The growth of the digital economy has made it simpler than ever to sell goods and services online. There is an e-commerce platform out there to meet your needs, whether you're an individual trying to monetize your artistic endeavors, an entrepreneur with a tiny firm, or a seasoned professional with a lot of information to give. We'll examine Flurly, Gumroad, Podia, and Etsy, four of the most well-known e-commerce platforms currently available, in more detail in this post. These platforms might assist you in turning your hobby into a successful business by offering special features and functionalities.

These platforms are available to help you reach a worldwide audience and realize your idea, whether you're selling digital goods, handcrafted items, or online courses. So let's get started and find the platform that best meets your demands.

Flurly:

A platform called Flurly focuses on selling digital goods like software, stock images, and ebooks.
Several payment methods are available on the site, including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay.
Flurly is simple to use and has a user-friendly interface that makes it simple to produce and publish goods.
The platform also provides comprehensive statistics, including visitor and sales information, so you can monitor your progress and draw well-informed conclusions.

Gumroad:

Another website that focuses on selling digital goods like music, courses, and ebooks is Gumroad.
Many payment methods are available on the site, including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay.
With features like the ability to add memberships, publish newsletters, and provide discounts to customers, Gumroad places a heavy emphasis on community.
The software also offers thorough analytics and reporting, allowing you to monitor your progress and come to wise judgments.

Podia:

Digital downloads, online courses, memberships, and other types of digital products can all be sold using Podia, a feature-rich e-commerce platform.
Several payment methods are available on the site, including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay.
You may design a distinctive and expert-looking store using Podia's user-friendly interface and plenty of customization choices.
The software also provides thorough analytics and reporting, allowing you to monitor your progress and come to wise judgments.

Etsy:

A website called Etsy is dedicated to the sale of handmade, antique, and craft goods.
Several payment methods are available on the site, including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay.
Etsy is a fantastic choice if you want to reach a broad audience because it has a sizable, well-established community of customers and merchants.
The software also offers thorough analytics and reporting, allowing you to monitor your progress and come to wise judgments.

In conclusion, the digital economy has created a world of opportunities for innovators, business owners, and small companies. You have access to the resources you need through Flurly, Gumroad, Podia, and Etsy to convert your hobby into a successful business. Regardless of the platform you select, you can sell your goods and services online, reach a global audience, and operate a profitable business from the convenience of your home. These platforms provide the tools you need to grow your business, whether you're selling handcrafted goods, digital goods, or online courses. So be inspired, be imaginative, and start the process of making your idea come true. The sky's the limit with the appropriate e-commerce platform and a little bit of willpower!

What is dropshipping and e-commerce, for newbie?

Hi there, with this blog post I would like to share some tips for you to start your own business with no money. Many people are not aware of the fact that you can start a business with no money and build it up like a real business. So today I'm going to share with you some of the many tips I have found while I was dropshipping on Shopify.

Dropshipping is when you sell products without buying them in advance. You are making profit by charging for the time it takes to ship the product to your customer.

Dropship businesses are opening up opportunity for entrepreneurs who can't afford to invest in a big inventory order upfront. They also make it a lot easier for a start-up's marketing team to get going.

This business model has been around for decades, but it has only recently become popular with online entrepreneurs.

Dropshipping generally has lower overhead costs than traditional e-commerce and retail businesses, since you don't need to pay for your inventory upfront or store it in a warehouse. You can make money by simply investing in your marketing strategy to drive traffic and conversions on your website.

Dropshipping is a booming e-commerce business model that has taken the web by storm, it is the easiest way to make money online today. It involves basically selling products without ever holding the product or manufacturing it in-house.But that doesn’t mean it’s just for beginners. There is a lot you have to plan before diving into this business strategy.

This is not a new concept and many entrepreneurs are using it to make their fortune. There are many dropshipping apps for Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce etc.

The whole point of dropshipping is to never spend your own money on inventory. All you need to do is find a supplier who will sell products to you in wholesale or retail price and then list the products in your own website for a higher price. When a customer places an order from your store, you simply buy the item from your supplier and have it shipped directly to the customer.

- What is Shopify

Shopify is a hosted e-commerce platform that enables anyone to sell online, regardless of their technical skill level. It provides an easy-to-use online store builder, an integrated payment solution, and support for more than 100 third party apps.

Shopify was launched in 2004. The founder had previously built software for brick and mortar stores but he grew tired of the design limitations of physical retail space. Shopify was the answer to this frustration. It allowed him to go beyond the limitations of physical retail space with his virtual stores and provide a more sophisticated experience for customers that purchase online. Shopify has grown considerably since it was first released with over 500,000 merchants using it today.

Shopify helps to manage inventory, track sales, process orders and more.

Some of the key aspects of Shopify are:

- Easy to use e-commerce platform

- Good for small or large business

- Built in marketing automation, SEO tools and web design templates

- What is Woocommerce

WooCommerce is an open source e-commerce solution for WordPress which offers the benefits of both worlds:

You have the ability to sell online with a beautiful storefront using WordPress and WooCommerce, or you can use WooCommerce as a standalone solution and host your store on any web hosting service.

Through the use of plugins, you can integrate your eCommerce website with third party solutions such as Mailchimp, PayPal and many others. This is helpful because each integration allows you to take advantage of features that these third parties offer like automating newsletters or accepting payments.

- What is Bigcommerce

Bigcommerce is a powerful eCommerce marketplace that has been providing businesses with the tools necessary to create and maintain an online store. They have been in operation for about 8 years and have helped thousands of businesses to grow their online presence.

With Bigcommerce, it is easy to customize any aspect of your site, from the aesthetics to the shopping experience.

Bigcommerce is an all-in-one ecommerce platform for small business. Features include customizable website templates, unlimited products, inventory management tools, order fulfillment solutions, and more.

AliExpress

Aliexpress is a Chinese e-commerce site that offers clothing, shoes, bags, cosmetics and more. You can find products from all over the world or in China.

Aliexpress is the leading e-commerce company that offers at reduced prices,

and is one of the most popular online stores in the world. It provides more than 45 million products for consumers to choose from. You can find anything from shoes, clothes, make-up to beauty products and furniture.

The company offers a wide range of products from various categories such as electronics, toys, clothing and many more. Products can be ordered through Aliexpress with different payment options such as cash on delivery, debit card and credit card payments. The company provides an international shipping option for their customers which includes free freight for some products while others have to be paid extra for the shipment to reach the buyer's doorstep.

The Aliexpress Dropshipping business model has become increasingly popular among retailers because of its simplicity and low cost.

Takeaway:

Dropshipping business is where you buy from a supplier and sell directly to your customers. Shopify is a great way to get a dropshipping platform. WooCommerse and Bigcommerse is a great way to build a dropshipping website.

Dropshipping is a popular business model where you don't have to buy and store any products and instead rely on a supplier or wholesaler to fulfill the order.

Dropshipping is usually done through online marketplaces like Amazon, Ebay, AliExpress and Shopify. These marketplaces provide access to suppliers who can fulfill your orders directly. Some of them offer automation services to make things simple and effortless for you as a merchant.

Why it takes long time to establish an e-commerce store without any money

(For me, anyway)

Photo Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

From the very beginning when I started my online store I decided not to involve my friends and family, in any way.

For me, that was important.

Friends are friends and family is family, and should so be I think. Involving friends and family as customer relies on the guilt I think, and will not end well, not with friends.

That was number one for me.

Number two was because I have no money to invest with and I decided not to borrow any money for my business. It must, and should grow by itself.

And there came the second problem, how to grow something without advertising, and advertising, that costs money, it is a huge problem.

Email is one thing, but then you have to have an email list. I will not involve my friends, and that's my email list.

So that's no option, and to grow my email list at my store, people have to subscribe.

And that means I have to have visitors.

So there's a moment 22, without visitors, no subscribers, without subscribers, no email list.

Make a Facebook page, someone thinks.

Yes, I've done that, but a business page on Facebook depends on advertising, and again a cost. I want to reach people, not companies. And a business page suggests companies follow. And that doesn't sell.

People with the same ideas and businesses connect. And that's nice, but don't implicate buyers.

Instagram! Yes, also an idea, and fulfilled.

Instagram is almost like Facebook, why shouldn't it be, it is the same company. It is a bit easier to connect to "ordinary" people but most of them who follow you are people with the same idea and interest, to start a business. And yes, you get some input and ideas, but seldom customers.

You can put most of the social media in the same box. Followers are often people and businesses with the same goal.

It is important to sell yourself, someone says, and your business, and that's the third problem.

In my mind, that is like hustling and it is wrong to think so, I know, but I still think so. I have to climb that mountain, but it is still, a bit hard for me, to reach my goal.

Instagram and Facebook are to forget, it's advertising there to reach the customer I want. LinkedIn feels wrong for my kind of product. Twitter can't stand it, I dislike Twitter. And I have not analyzed it, I just do.

What's more?

Time!

Time is the word.

Time and SEO. They are still free and don't cost anything, at least now.

So I decided to let it take time.

Two year at least before it will bring any profit.

So to everyone who thought of starting an e-commerce business without money I want to say…. Do it! It is fun.

But, don't believe that you are going to succeed at the beginning. Let it take time.

Don't rush, let it slowly grow.

And work on SEO, so you get a better position in Google.

If you can do it full time, it is easier, then you can dig into it, and fully understand every process. I can't, I have my full-time job as an embryologist and that is a bit far away from the knowledge of how to manage a business. But I use a lot of time trying to understand.

But I know nothing about algorithms and how they affect you on social media and marketing.

Why does he do it then, someone perhaps thinks?

First of all, I think it's fun.

Second, it is far away from my daily job, and I think it is important to do other things in your spare time. It makes you a better person, both at home and at work.

Third, I have some loans to pay off and I want to do it quickly. I don't want to have that on my shoulder anymore. So I need an extra income.

And perhaps one day can work from wherever I want. Misunderstand me right, I love my full-time job, but I am a bit tired of going to the same place every day. I want to spend more time at my summer house, where I feel free in my mind.

If there is anyone who has a tip or an idea to reach customers and buyers, please give me a hint and I would be grateful to you forever :-)

And, of course, it must be free of charge.