You have long dreamed of starting an ecommerce business. It’s too late, you think. There are so many e-commerce websites.
I thought the same. Small ones, big ones – just within crafts, pottery, knitting, crocheting, and cooking, there are so many shops. It’s impossible to count.
And you’re right. There are many. However, the good news is that the experts estimate that ecommerce sales have far from matured. On the contrary.
The global ecommerce market is estimated to triple over the next five years. And you can become part of that expansion. It’s also the case if you have a small, niche-focused business.
Here’s why.
Market growth is far from peaking
Global ecommerce sales are projected to grow from around $26 trillion (2023) to over $80 trillion by 2030 [E-commerce Market Size, Share And Growth Report, 2030]. That’s a huge growth rate. And this doesn’t mean that it’s only the five biggest e-commerce sites that take all the profit. New channels, technologies and consumer habits are constantly creating new ways of doing business online.
New niches keep emerging
Consumer tastes change fast. We want more sustainable products, whether it’s organic, handmade soaps or yarn for the next sweater we want to knit. Or, we would like to have locally produced fruit and vegetables delivered to our door. In other words, we prefer buying products from small shops where we have a feeling of the people behind the shop, rather than always buying from big and anonymous sites like Amazon.
Low barriers to entry
It has never been easier for a non-technical person to get a professional-looking website. You don’t have to buy an agency to build it for you. You can, of course, but you can also choose one of all the different ecommerce platforms out there, like Shopify, Squarespace, WooCommerce, or Etsy. Or, you can choose to sell your products on social media platforms. Either way, you don’t need to code anything. Choose a template and fill in your content, products and images.
Consumer trust in small sellers
Shoppers are increasingly seeking authentic and transparent brands. Something that you, as a small brand, can do much better than the big corporations. The consumer can see that you are the person behind the shop. They like your products or the choice of products you think match your target group. If you create beautiful pottery, knitting designs, or food recipes, you have a great advantage.
Bottom line
As you can see, there’s room for your webshop too. The market for webshops isn’t saturated. There is constantly a new demand for products, sustainably made products, people who want to download a pattern to knit a sweater themselves, or specific knowledge on a health problem that you’ve written an e-book about. There’s absolutely room for you as a small, focused brand with a small range of products in 2025.
