Stop Waiting, Start Selling: How to Launch Your Online Product Business
Everything you need to know to choose your platform, list your first product, and finally get your shop off the ground.
Thinking about starting a business… but keep putting it off?
Maybe you're stuck in a job you’ve outgrown. Maybe you're home with the kids, craving more independence and stability. Maybe you make beautiful things or love thrifting and dream of turning that into something profitable.
You’ve seen other people build online shops and product-based businesses. You know it’s possible… but you’re stuck. Not because you’re lazy, but because it’s overwhelming.
Too many platforms.
Too many decisions.
Too many unknowns.
Let’s cut through that. Here's what you need to know:
What You Don’t Need to Get Started:
A perfect website
A big social media following
A fully mapped out business plan
What You Do Need:
A clear(ish) idea of what you want to sell
The courage to start before it’s perfect
Belief that your effort will take you somewhere
That’s it.
The easiest way to get started? Pick a platform and open a shop.
Start small. Start simple. You don’t need to go all in right now… you just need to start.
Why Marketplaces Are the Smartest First Step
Marketplaces are beginner-friendly. They usually walk you through the setup process, offer built-in traffic, and only take a small cut when you make a sale. It’s a great way to dip your toes in the water and start building credibility online.
In my own journey, I started selling personal items on ebay and Craigslist back in the early 2000s. By 2008, I launched my first handmade product based business on Etsy and everything grew from there. Over the years in addition to Etsy and ebay, I’ve sold on Artfire, Storenvy, Amazon, Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, and more. I’ve built websites on Weebly, Wix, WordPress, and Shopify. I’ve created online communities on Facebook, Kajabi, Mighty Networks, and now here on Substack.
Not everything worked. Some things flopped. I wasted time, energy, and money more than once. But I kept going, and I learned. That’s how you figure out what works. That’s how you build a business.
The fear of not knowing how stops so many people from starting. The truth is: it’s going to be messy in the beginning, but that’s where the lessons live.
Start Here: A Breakdown of Online Selling Platforms
Etsy
Perfect for handmade, vintage (20+ years old), and digital products. If you’re a maker, artist, designer, or vintage curator, this is one of the best places to start. Etsy offers a built-in audience that’s already looking for unique, creative, or handcrafted items. Setup is relatively easy, and you can launch your shop quickly. SEO and good photography matter here, but you don’t need to be a pro to get started.
Amazon
Amazon is best for sellers who want to scale through systems, not storytelling. It’s ideal for retail arbitrage, bulk resale, private label, or even handmade sellers who aren’t looking to build a brand presence. If you’re operationally-minded, focused on logistics, and prefer minimal customer interaction, Amazon can be a powerful sales channel. But keep in mind… you’re playing in their ecosystem. You’ll trade creative control and connection for volume and visibility, which may not be the right fit for everyone just starting out.
eBay
Ideal for resellers, especially if you love thrifting, picking, or flipping. You can sell everything from new and used clothes to electronics to collectibles and antiques. eBay has a massive global audience and strong search traffic, and it's great for learning how to price, ship, and work with different types of customers. There’s a small learning curve, but it’s a powerful platform for those willing to dig in.
Poshmark
Best for fashion-forward sellers: clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories, and beauty products. You can also sell some home decor and pet items, though fashion is the main draw. Poshmark’s mobile-friendly app and social selling vibe make it great for newer sellers who love sharing and community engagement. They provide prepaid shipping labels, making fulfillment super simple, however note they don’t allow selling or shipping anything over 5lbs. (if you join using my referral link above, you will get $10 to spend on your first purchase just for signing up).
Depop
Depop is a mobile-based marketplace that blends e-commerce with social media, making it especially popular with Gen Z shoppers. It’s best known for fashion (think vintage, Y2K, streetwear, and trend-forward pieces) but it’s not limited to clothing. Sellers also do well with accessories, handmade or upcycled items, aesthetic home decor, art prints, and small lifestyle goods. The platform is highly visual, so your success often depends on styling, branding, and photography. If you love curating a vibe and selling to a younger, creative audience, Depop can be a great place to build a unique and engaged shop.
Mercari
Another reselling platform with fewer restrictions than Poshmark. You can sell just about anything, from clothing to electronics to home goods. It's not as niche, which can be good or bad depending on your products. Mercari also offers prepaid shipping and a simple interface, which makes it beginner-friendly.
Facebook Marketplace
Incredibly easy to start, especially for local selling. Great for furniture, household goods, baby items, and anything bulky you don’t want to ship. Buyers usually expect lower prices here, but it’s a great way to declutter, test demand, and get quick wins. Some sellers also ship items for a broader reach.
Whatnot
A newer, live-selling platform popular with certain niches: toy, comic, card, vintage, collectibles, and fashion reselling. If you’re confident on camera and enjoy talking through products live, this might be a fun option to explore. It requires approval to sell, but the app has been gaining momentum fast and has a tight-knit feel.
FAIRE
Best for established sellers ready to expand into wholesale. If you want to sell your products in boutiques, gift shops, or specialty stores, FAIRE gives you access to retailers all over the country. There’s an application process and some prep required (minimums, line sheets, etc.), but when you’re ready… it’s a fantastic way to scale.
Shopify
This one isn’t a marketplace, it’s a standalone website builder. Ideal for when you’re ready to create your own store, with full branding and control. Shopify is professional, scalable, and integrates well with apps and tools for email, shipping, and inventory. It does come with a monthly cost and requires more setup, so I usually recommend starting on a marketplace, gaining traction, and then using Shopify when you're ready to centralize and grow. It is my #1 recommendation for product based e-commerce businesses.
Goimagine
A newer marketplace focused on handmade only items. It's an alternative to Etsy that donates profits to charity and prioritizes maker integrity. It's still growing and doesn’t yet have the traffic Etsy does, but it’s a good ethical option to explore, especially if supporting other makers and handmade values are core to your brand.
TikTok Shop (bonus)
If you're already on TikTok or plan to be, TikTok Shop is making waves. It allows creators and sellers to tag products directly in videos and go live to promote them. You’ll need a business account, and products must be eligible, but it’s one to watch, especially if your target audience spends time scrolling short-form video.
How to Choose the Best Platform for You
With so many selling platforms out there, it’s easy to freeze at the first decision. Here’s how to narrow it down:
What are you selling?
Resale Items, Handmade goods, Vintage, Second-Hand Finds, Digital Goods, Art, Fashion, Wholesale? Some platforms are better suited than others.Who are you selling to?
Think about your ideal customer. Are they scrolling Instagram? Shopping for gifts? Collecting rare finds? Gen Z? Moms? Trend-lovers?How much effort do you want to put into setup?
Marketplaces like Etsy and eBay are plug-and-play. A website like Shopify gives you full control but takes more time to build.How comfortable are you with marketing?
If you’re brand new, choose a marketplace that already has traffic. That way, you can start getting eyes on your products even before you build an audience.
Choose the one that feels most approachable to you right now, this doesn’t have to be your forever platform. You just need a place to start.
Listing Your First Product (Without Overthinking It)
Once your account is set up, it’s time to create your first listing. Don’t stress about making it perfect, the goal is to get your shop live and learn by doing.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Product Title
Start simple. What is the item? Just call it that. You can work on SEO and keywords later, right now, clarity is more important than clever.
Examples:
• Black Leather Crossbody Purse
• Personalized Beach Towel
• Macrame Boho Nursery Wall Art
Say what it is so shoppers (and the platform’s search engine) know exactly what they’re looking at.
Photos
Use natural light and a clean background. No fancy equipment needed. Take a variety of angles, front, side, back, close-up. Buyers can’t pick up your item, so your photos need to show everything they’d want to see in person.
Description
Share the basics: what it is, how it’s used, dimensions, materials, care instructions, and anything unique or noteworthy. Don’t overthink it, just give them the info they need to decide.
Price
Make sure it covers your cost of materials, time, platform fees, and includes profit. A quick competitor search can help you find a solid range. I recommend pricing mid-to-high at the start, you can always adjust later. (I recommend charm pricing, but you can learn about that later, for now just price what you feel is best after you researched the market).
Shipping
Choose your shipping method and turnaround time. Most platforms walk you through this, and you’ll refine it as you go. Knowing your product’s weight and the size of the package it’ll ship in will help you calculate rates more accurately.
Get one item listed… even if it’s not your favorite. You’ll learn more from doing it than you ever could from researching it.
Yes, listings can get more detailed and strategic later. But for now? Just get it up. Imperfect and live is better than perfect and stuck in drafts. Done is better than delayed. Always.
What About Branding, Banners, Logos, and Shop Design?
If you already have your branding assets, great! Go ahead and plug them into the spaces your chosen platform provides. But don’t let the lack of a logo or banner stop you from starting. That’s where so many would-be sellers get stuck.
There’s this belief that everything has to be polished and professional before you launch, and it’s simply not true. Yes, you’ll need a shop name to open your storefront, but even that can be changed later if needed. The rest… your branding, design, listing and about copy can evolve once you're up and running.
Start with the basics. Create a simple logo (Canva is your best friend). You can always invest in a professionally designed version later. Then, when you're ready, upload a banner or shop icon, write your About section, and set your store policies. These things help build trust and shape your customer’s experience, but none of them need to be perfect on day one.
The most important thing is momentum.
Get your shop open. List one product. The rest can come later.
Starting an online business doesn’t require perfection… it requires movement. You don’t need a flawless logo, a custom website, or a massive following to begin. You just need the courage to take the first step. Pick a platform, list a product, and let the process teach you what you need to know.
The difference between people who build a business and people who stay stuck is simple: one started.
So if you’re still reading, let this be your sign. It’s time. Stop waiting. Start selling. Your future entrepreneur self will thank you.
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