Before we figure out this question, we need to first figure out what mainstream platforms are there in the current e-commerce industry? E-commerce can be simply divided into: domestic e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce. For domestic e-commerce, the mainstream platforms are: Taobao, JD.com, Pinduoduo, etc. For cross-border e-commerce, the current mainstream platforms are Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, and Wish. Including Shopee and Lazada in the Southeast Asian market, there are also many people doing it now.

What are the different characteristics of these platforms?

As for domestic e-commerce, Taobao and JD.com have basically passed the golden age of entrepreneurship. Pinduoduo focuses on low prices, and its target user group is the sinking market of third- and fourth-tier cities. Among the four major platforms in cross-border e-commerce, Amazon is the leader, with high customer unit price and high profit. It has its own FBA logistics system, has low requirements for manpower, and has an absolute advantage in multiple categories. It requires more professional and refined operations to do well. eBay's operation requires more manpower to accumulate, and its advantage category is auto parts. AliExpress's advantage category is home textiles, and its main market is in Europe. Wish focuses on the mobile information flow model. The platform has relatively high requirements for sellers and often imposes fines.

If you want to start an e-commerce business, which platforms should you choose?

I personally recommend that you concentrate your resources in the early stages of your business. Don't try to do it on every platform. You should learn to focus your resources. The result of doing it on every platform is likely to be that you will not do well on any platform. Relatively speaking, domestic e-commerce entrepreneurial opportunities are already very limited. I personally suggest that you consider cross-border e-commerce. Among cross-border e-commerce, Amazon is the leading choice. Although it is more professional, the labor cost requirements are lower for novices, and the average order value and profit are the highest among cross-border platforms. However, in 2020, if you want to do well on Amazon, you must have the "craftsman spirit", calm down and select products steadily, and operate in a refined manner.