E-commerce is a kind of business or a commercial transaction where transfer of information is done across the internet. E-commerce covers a wide range of various types of businesses from retail sites to auction or music sites, to service between corporations. In addition, it entails businesses exchanging trading goods on a global scale. E-commerce business has become one of the most important aspects of the internet to emerge. It allows consumers to exchange the goods and services electronically overcoming the barriers of time and distance. E-commerce has expanded rapidly over the last few years and is expected to continue expanding at this rate. E-commerce is cheaper, faster and convenient as compared to traditional methods of bartering services and goods.
Best E-Commerce Business ideas
Here are some of the amazing e-commerce business ideas which you can use to start your e-commerce business.
Social Consultancy Business
Social media consultants need to advise their clients on developing online media campaigns. The campaigns usually include usage of blogs, forums, videos and other social media features. Social media consultants are quite useful for companies for managing their online presence through social media or networking websites such as Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and MySpace. In other words, they are the ears and eyes for their clients, from an online point of view. To become a social media consultant, online presence is important. Moreover, online branding is important. This allows social media properties to gain the client’s trust.
Accessories and Apparel Business:
With minimal experience, you can get into this business which can offer rare or unique products that are not readily available locally and on other competing stores online. These apparels may include belts, clothes, gloves, bracelets, shades, and hat. Supplying team apparel to people, especially by targeting school students, you can make BIG money. This is regarded as a broad category with huge opportunities for new businesses.
Jewellery Business:
The United States has exceeded $70 billion in the jewellery business where jewellery retailers have taken most of the sales. That being said,chances are a plenty for a specialty online jewellery retailer. For online trading, the jewellery retailers can try something unique such as handmade jewellery from new upcoming designers, private collections and the vintage items that are found in an auction. Designs made from unique material also gain a great business. Renting out the expensive jewellery for a special occasion is also another great e-commerce business idea as far as jewellery business is concerned.
Consumer Electronics Business:
According to a few recent research reports published by KPMG, the consumer electronics market sales grew 13% during vacations. Big competing businesses such as Amazon offer a wide range of consumer electronics. Needless to say, competing with such platforms is hard. Therefore,it’s important to come up with unique ideas which can help you to grow your business. Selling consumer electronics such as GPS enabled dog collars, video games, and unique phone or tablet cases can work miraculously well. This way, you can find niches which can help you make money through e-commerce business.
Automobile parts and Accessories:
Due to an increased number of automobiles that ply the roads, automobile parts and accessory business offers a huge market. By coming up with unique ideas in this field and finding the niche that interests public, you can certainly fetch huge profits. People who have got passion in this field, and who can specialize in selling unique accessories or wheel and steering covers for a particular car model can come up with this e-commerce business idea. The automobile parts business can gain importance in a place where there is no availability of specific parts and procuring the same is difficult.
DIY (Do-It-Yourself) online store Builder Platform:
This platform is foran entrepreneur who can create DIY (Do-It-Yourself) online store builder. Many merchants who do not have a website for their business and with no website development skills can create an online store. The store builder platform helps merchants in creating one’s own website or online store for themselves. Before putting such a business, you need to make sure there are enough website designs from which the merchants can select from. These websites need to be fully customizable with a shopping cart that can accept major credit cards such as American Express and Visa for a secure payment. It is one of the best e-commerce business ideas as per the current market scenario.
Customer Engagement Platform:
In customer engagement platform, you need to offer video technology to the ever growing community of online retailers, who are engaged with their customers. Software such as AI bots can help online retailers provide answers to their questions and concerns seamlessly. This is a useful platform for some businesses that get away due to poor customer service. The customers have an array of choices that prefer a business that listens to their complaints and attends to their inquiries. Therefore, setting up online customer engagement platform that can help those businesses to provide a better customer care would be a great e-commerce business idea.
Online Customer Service Platform:
Through this kind of platform, one can offer a platform that is specifically for small service based businesses. Non-merchants and small businesses can also sell their products online. Anyone can sell products, but they need a proper customer service to do so. The platform can provide streamlined back office administrative tools that can manage the client-customer relationship. You can also offer social media tools as well as sales tracking features along with the platform and can subsequently charge the site users for using these services.
Merchandise Platform:
As an entrepreneur, merchandising platform can be a profitable business, as you can connect suppliers with retailers. Also, a merchandizing platform connects to large retailers who can channel their products to small scale online stores. It is not easy for new e-commerce start-ups to find suppliers because the suppliers prefer working with large retail stores where they have a long term bonding than with new online stores. Through merchandise platforms, one can be a middle man between supplier and the customer and there will be no concern with inventory. Therefore,it’s another e-commerce business idea which will be quite successful in today’s time.
E-commerce service Provider:
To start this kind of platform, one should have a tremendous knowledge of IT and other E-commerce related services. The e-commerce service provider has to handle back office, IT aspects, and infrastructure for running an e-commerce business. This way, the online store owner can focus only on selling the products and growth of their own business. They should take care of everything for providing a one stop shop for store management, inventory, marketing, order fulfillment, and shipping.
Travel Booking Website:
For an entrepreneur, travel booking website is certainly one of the best if not the best e-commerce business idea. The websites sell a wide range of travel products such as cruise tickets, discounted flight and travel packages. The users search on these sites to get discounted deals on hotels, accommodation and for booking flights. After which the requests were forwarded and managed by the respective travel partners. The website works on affiliate earning in which it gets revenue for each booking and per-click i.e., the profit grows depending on the traffic.
E-Book Creators:
As there is an increasing demand in digital reading gadgets such as kindle, online books or eBooks are becoming popular and almost all the authors are giving importance to eBook sales. To succeed in this kind of business, you will need to have a niche and leverage new ideas that allude readers to buy the book from e-stores. That could be self-helps, poems or even fiction. Publishing eBook has got its own benefits compared to the printed books because publishing costs are less and there are no shipping costs.
Online Business consultation:
Online business consulting sites can give clients services such as strategic services that help them to make their brand compelling. This can be done by creating campaigns, generating awareness that builds a lifetime customer loyalty for the client. The content of the business can be strategized in such a way to unify the brand messaging and tone. It also ensures that the audience gets engaged by relevant content on social media, emails, website, brand materials as well as advertisements.
Online Escrow Payment:
Before coming up with this E-commerce idea, there is a need to find out the financial requirements and various regulations that may be required in the state you are planning to operate from. Online escrow payment solution provides a service of holding an amount for another party, which can only be released for a specific purpose. More often than not, two online parties are involved in a transaction wherein the transaction is to be carried out to the first party’s satisfaction before the funds are released. In such cases, the services of an authorized third party are required. The third party holds the funds till the transaction is completed satisfactorily before the money can be released. As people are using more online payment methods, this can be a great e-commerce business idea.
Crowdfunding sites:
Before being an entrepreneur for crowdfunding sites, you need to be aware of the regulations that guide the business. In the US, there are strict regulations on who is eligible to fund a business on a crowdfunding site and to what extent are they capable to contribute. These sites utilize small amounts from a huge number of individuals so as to finance an existing venture or new ideas of business. The sites make use of easy accessibility offered by a vast network of families through social media websites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. In this way, it can attract the investors and provide visibility for new business.
Network Marketing:
Before coming up with this kind of an e-commerce business idea, one has to thoroughly investigate the network business that they are intending to start up. Network marketing is a kind of flexible businesses and has a multilevel nature which provides payouts at various levels. The network marketing business requires recruitment of sales representative which can enhance the marketing.
Beauty and Health:
An online store for health and beauty can be a great idea for e-commerce. This sector was worth $15 billion in 2012 and has not shown any signs of slowing down. Many people care about their beauty and health either organically or by using chemicals or in another way. If you are planning to tap this idea to start your own e-commerce venture, you need to focus on creating a website apart from creating app. Nearly 85% customers prefer apps to mobile websites. By having an online website, you can know what customers are interested to buy and how often they buy, which in turn, helps to focus on those particular products.
By Building Link to Content:
Money comes from the business when the website owners are convinced on the need to form and enhance the content on a regular basis. This has to be outside the online product catalog. If the content of the website is interesting and useful, there are more chances for the links to get shared. This helps in getting more traffic to the site. Linking is performed by individual publishers. This kind of e-commerce does not involve risks, loopholes or tricks and the chances of being exploited as the links are contextually relevant. The content must be of importance for others to link to and should be willing to share it with others.
Food Ordering Portal:
With this kind of e-commerce, there can be a tie up with local restaurants which allow customers to order food online. Home delivery of food is not a new concept but with e-commerce, it is convenient for the users. This can be a common platform for many restaurants and customers. They can search for the restaurants for their favourite foods and place the order from the chosen restaurant. Payment can be made online or cash on delivery. The portal can get a commission for each and every delivery.
Online Tutorial Portal:
The online tutorial portal are easy to use for anyone and it is one of the best ways to earn money by uploading DIY (Do-it-yourself) videos. The videos need to be interesting and informative that should be posted on a sharing platform which offers subscription services. An entrepreneur can start subscription model so that users can subscribe to the videos and gain information. As the users start enrolling to the videos, you can start making money by just spreading knowledge. It is a great e-commerce business idea which can provide huge success in very less time.
Portal for Real Estate:
A real estate portal can advertise and provide information about the projects and area available for sale. It can also gather buyer information which can be shared with broker or builder. The real estate website acts as a middle channel between seller and buyers. It can also help real estate brokers and developers by offering a preferential space on their website at a premium price.This kind of portals are frequently visited by people who are in search of house or people who are interested to invest their money in property.
Cloud Computing Business:
Before embarking on a venture pertaining to cloud computing, you need to carry out due diligence so as to get an idea about the needs and fear of potential customers. This is being used virtually by everyone who has a digital device. This is also being widely used from the public to private organizations. Various businesses use this cloud computing to access data or information using a compatible device because of cloud computing stores data on the internet.
Freelance Web Designing:
Before becoming a freelance web designer, registration of a domain name is an important thing along with hosting your own website. Be technically skilled in software used such as Espresso, Coda, Aptana and Adobe Dreamwear. Gain the required skills at designing websites and be a business savvy entrepreneur. Assess the cost of starting this business, initially, all you need is a phone and a computer or laptop. Create your own portfolio website and establish your brand to show up your expertise to the potential clients before you expect to charge.
Grocery Store:
For starting an online grocery store, you need to build the website by renting a hosting plan and buying the domain name. Upload clear images for your products to the website. Find the source for your products by getting suppliers that can supply the products at discount rates. You can also introduce drop shipping method on the website where you can list the products available on your site. When there is an order for the store, you can call the supplier to supply to the customer. This is quite popular in today’s time and is considered as one of the best e-commerce business ideas.
Online Currency Exchange:
An entrepreneur who is interested to put up this kind of business should be connected to a network of computers. The network should connect brokers, banks, and traders together. This online system allows the exchange of one country’s currency for another. Many entrepreneurs in this field offer the service of converting currency with a nominal fee. This kind of business is most useful for clients who travel worldwide and who need a trustworthy online exchange system.
E-Library:
This can be a great idea for one who is passionate about e-books and with the help of internet; it is possible to register in the same library. This can be a resource centre which helps to conduct research from home itself as long as the user has an internet connection. Money can be made through the registration fees paid by the user or a course membership fees to make use of these online libraries. Create the best library with huge resources and attract memberships from different parts of the world.
Online Recreation and Sports Store:
Recreation and sports stores are regarded as the businesses which provide and sell equipment, apparel, and supplies which are needed for outdoor and indoor activities. Targeting a niche like this enables you to focus on the specific market instead of competing with well-established nationwide stores. You do not need to take a bank loan for selling equipment online; you can sell through internet auction website or open an e-commerce retail store. Rent a garage or attain a storage facility to store your products.
Online Voiceover Services:
If one has got an excellent diction and clear voice, then they can come up with this ecommerce idea. This is simple and one has to Google the voiceover outsourcing jobs and take them. As a Voice artist, you can collaborate with advertising companies and they can secure a voiceover jobs online.
Online Tailor store:
The business provides an online platform for users who prefer customized tailored outfits. They can provide style specifications and measurements over the internet. The store should be able to allow the clients to select design and fabric according to their taste and mention it to them. After stitching, you need to deliver the stitched cloth at their doorstep. Revenue can be earned depending on the number of orders received.
Online Rental Business:
Building an online rental portal helps people to connect with each other for renting their place. It is a great source of income. These days, it has become one of the core areas of e-commerce. An online renting sector has become vital people prefer to rent rather than owning an item. Renters can choose the specific item for a limited period and this way, owners can make money from the items, they rarely use. This is yet another great e-commerce business idea. In this, the website can get a commission on each transaction done.
Online Proof Reading and Editing Business:
For people who are willing to work from home and clients who are far away, this kind of business is a great e-commerce business idea. You just need to have good editing skills; you can enrol on websites like elance.com and freelancer.com and can take up proof reading and editing jobs which are suitable.
Online Subscription Sites:
An online subscription site involves free content email list or content site that funnels people into a paid continuity program. It can educate people; make them eager to sign up for a paid service after completing the free service offered initially. You need to upgrade the content with fresh information as the subscription site works well when fed with information on a regular basis.
Online Tutorials:
This business can be targeted to students of different ages to provide information on any subject. To start an online tutorial business, you are required to research on subjects, prepare writing lessons and training material. You need to pick up a niche for this business either by picking a subject or targeting certain age groups and help them obtain certification. Visit the Internal Revenue Service website for an employer identification number and legalize the business. Prepare the business documents before creating training videos and tutorials and post them online. Make sure to transcribe lecture notes and create audio for the students who prefer learning through listening. This can be the best e-commerce business idea for those who want to have a business in the education sector.
Online Directory Service:
This is a great e-commerce business idea for low investment planners which can be started from home itself. The global reach of internet has led to this kind of business. They are more updated, dynamic and interactive for the users. However, they can be targeted to a specific industry or profession. An essential thing for this business is a database and you need to make sure it is constantly updated and cleared of any errors with a guidance of SEO expert. They can even help you popularize your website on the internet.
Online domain Brokerage Services:
A domain broker helps in selling the domain names by finding the buyer. More often than not, brokerage services negotiate with the buyer and facilitate the deal on behalf of the domain owners. The domain broker comes to an agreement with the seller to sell the domain after finding a buyer. This is done at a fair market value, which may be more or less. The brokerage services spend their most of the time on drafting emails, telephone, contacting resellers and end users. They answer the questions and help negotiate the prices.
Online Betting Website:
It is easy to create a betting website and make sure that it is legal. This is a risky business but it is highly rewarding. The host server and domain name should be located in the same country. To monetize the site, ensure that the money deposited in the account is registered to a financial agency. Do not choose a domain name that may get you in troubles.
Online Consignment Store:
The website can be created by purchasing a domain name and selecting the company which provides hosting services. A programmer has to be hired, who can incorporate shopping cart on the website. Online consignment stores are popularized by eBay kind of sites. The stores can afford more control over fees, policies, and profits. The merchandise targeted to be sold should be identified first and should be gaining knowledge about the whole consignment process.
Online Freelance Writing:
The dynamics of the market require professional writers to provide engaging contents. Through this, a platform can be built that connects prospective clients to freelancers. Freelancers play a major role in academic writings, research paper writing, and essay writing. The content of the website is the core aggregator that helps information sharing. It is highly popular in today’s time and considered one of the best e-commerce business idea.
Service Reselling Business:
Being a service reseller, one can sell the product or service of a partner at a higher price with a margin set. To retain profit, one can set partnerships with web designing company from selling the services. Being profitable and relevant means having various channels of sale for service reselling. Service reselling business has got huge growth potential especially for people who depend heavily on the customer services.
Online Car Booking Platform:
This is one of the key areas in the e-commerce sector and in this kind of platform; it is easy to find out the information about cars online. Advanced tools are available which let you compare the cars as well as book a new car or a used car online. This platform works at a multi-channel level, where new cars are sold in business to customers. To be an entrepreneur, you need to provide an intuitive platform for the website with impressive designs.
Multi-Vendor Site:
Multi-vendor sites allow companies to create an online multi-vendor store where you can post their products for sale. A vendor can create e-commerce store on the site to start selling the products giving a share of commission for each of the items sold through the website. An essential thing needed for getting a functional e-commerce store design is hosting and domain. Money is required to raise awareness about the website to vendors where publicity plays an important role.
Software Company:
The companies operate under a range of business models such as charging by the transaction, offering subscriptions and charging license fees. A keen knowledge about programming, marketing expertise, start-up funds and technical support skills, business models are needed to initiate and accelerate the new start-up. Online software companies are responsible for developing and distributing software to various businesses. This may be used to learn, assess, instruct, calculate and perform a multitude of various tasks by the companies.
Online Translation Services:
Various companies are going global to target new audiences. To expand the market by engaging customers of different boundaries, a preference of translation services is required. Consumers in different boundaries want everything on their own terms and they prefer to communicate in their own language. This makes online translation services preferable and a money making e-commerce idea. The entrepreneurs can also provide special ideas by uploading video interpretation that can help the clients who are deaf.
Online Copywriter:
The services provided by this e-commerce are content writing and direct pitch sales. Copywriters create sales through the words and make sure that their words allure the traffic towards the website. To be an online copywriter, the person should be interested in business and also have the skills of writing which he/she can use to translate into traffic generation and increase the visitor’s interest. Knowledge about internet marketing is essential.
Online Affiliate Marketing:
Online affiliating marketing is one of the best business e-commerce ideas, for which one should have a basic understanding of e-commerce laws, copyright, security, and taxation. If you are selling the product internationally, there may be a different consideration in regard to security and privacy. The entrepreneur should be aware of service provider’s responsibilities and copyright infringement liability. This kind of e-commerce gives an opportunity to earn a commission by selling the products and services offered by companies. Being a familiar market, it would allow tallying with the niche you are going to start with.
Bridal Store:
Before putting up this kind of an e-commerce venture, plan the website; secure the domain name and rental hosting service. This can be a multi-billion dollar industry if worked with knowledge about wedding industry and its trends. Ensure that you have direct customers and get suitable fees for your works.
Blogging:
Content is the key to blogging and the posts should be readable, useful and mostly original. For blogging, you will just need a smart phone, a PC or a tablet. There is a need to create a domain name and you can host your blog or word press.
Online Daily Deal Portal:
This portal can help people across the world to know about the best local deals. They can purchase it based on review and comparison. It’s a dual purpose that creates a market place and helps customers getting the best deals. For starting this kind of an e-commerce business, all you need is a partner with merchants locally to provide them a certain number of customers. Based on the list of suspected customers, the deals can be posted and notified to prospective customers, which are valid for a certain period only.
Book Store:
This market helps its users to get the books online rather than going by themselves to a store. Many online book stores allow them to read preview so that they can get accustomed of its contents. The idea has become very lucrative.
Online Translation Services:
Various companies are going global to target new audiences. To expand the market by engaging customers of different boundaries, a preference of translation services is required. Consumers in different boundaries want everything on their own terms and they prefer to communicate in their own language. This makes online translation services preferable and a money making e-commerce idea. The entrepreneurs can also provide special ideas by uploading video interpretation that can help the clients who are deaf.
There are nearly 18000 small to medium e-commerce websites, but the aspect is how many people are able to manage them. It all depends on the kind of platform one sets up. There is a huge competition for new businesses complimentary services, platforms that enter the market on daily basis. Setting up an online store may not take more than a few minutes but turning it into a successful one,which can support you, is the main challenge one has to face.
There are various kinds of users using various kinds of e-commerce sites. In the US, 96% of them prefer shopping online and 49% of them reported that they prefer to see in person and analyze it before buying it. 29 % of them are concerned about their privacy. So, depending on the psyche of the consumer, their need, and market requirement, one can start its own e-commerce business with these amazing e-commerce business ideas.
If you have any doubts or concerns, feel free to drop a line or two in the comments section. I shall reply in a day or two. Keep watching this space to know more about e-commerce business ideas. Subscribe to our newsletter to keep yourself abreast of best e-commerce ideas and start-up ideas. Our best wishes are with you and your online venture. Cheers!