CultureMusicSportsFood&DrinkEntertainmentLifeHomesNewsWeatherShoppingJobsCarsExamplesofE-BusinessesSmallBusiness|BusinessPlanning&Strategy|BusinessStrategyExamplesByAnamAhmedUpdatedMarch07,2019Advantages&DisadvantagesofeCommerceRetailingWhatTypesofBusinessAreConductedOvertheInternet?ExamplesofAutomatedBusinessSystemsIdeasforBookstoreInventoryTopInternetBusinessOpportunitiesOnlineshoppinggivescustomerstheconvenienceofinstantlypurchasingwhattheyarelookingforwithoutheadingtoastore.Alongwithsavingtime,manyonlineretailersofferdiscountswhenitemsarepurchasedfromtheirwebsites,savingcustomersmoney.AccordingtoForbes,only28percentofsmallbusinessesareusingtheinternettoselltheirproducts,whichmeansmanyentrepreneursaremissingoutononlinesales.TocompetewithlargeretailerslikeWalmartthathavebothabrick-and-mortarandonlinepresenceandonline-onlyretailerslikeAmazon,smallbusinessesneedtoventureonlinetoexpandtheircustomerbasepasttheirgeographicallocation.OnlineStorefrontsandOnlineMarketplacesE-businesscantakeplaceontwomainplatforms:onlinestorefrontsandonlinemarketplaces.Whiletherightchoicewilldependonthebusinessandtheaudience,thereareanumberofbenefitstobothofthesee-commerceoptions.Smallbusinessescancreateanonlinestoreusingane-commercewebsitebuilder.PopularchoicesincludeShopify,Magento,Wix,SquarespaceandWooCommerce.Thesewebsitesgiveasmallbusinesstheflexibilitytocreateanonlinestoreaccordingtoitsneeds,withcustomizedcategoriesandfeaturesthatappealtoitsbusinessmodel.Onlinemarketplacesarewebsitesthatfacilitatethebuyingandsellingofgoodsandservicesbetweenmerchantsandcustomers.ExamplesofonlinemarketplacesincludeAmazon,eBay,Etsy,FiverrandUpwork.Likeonlinestorefronts,therightchoicewilldependonthebusinessitself.Forexample,Etsyisparticularlyusefulforbusinessesthatsellhandmadeone-of-a-kindgoods,whileUpworkisbetterforfreelancerswhosellservicessuchascopywritingandwebsitedevelopment.SellingProductsE-businessescanbecategorizedbywhattheysell.Physicalproductscanbesoldthroughanonlinestoreormarketplaceinaddition