“Should I open a Shopify store, or just sell on Amazon? My cousin sells only on Instagram and says that is enough.”
We hear this question almost every week. Different people give different answers, and each one sounds right. So many business owners do nothing for months, or try all three at once and get tired.
The truth is calm and simple: each place is good at a different job. Once you see the jobs clearly, the choice becomes much easier.
Three different kinds of shop
Think of it like a real market.
- A marketplace (Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and others) is like a big mall. Lots of shoppers walk in every day. But it is the mall’s building. The mall sets the rules, takes a fee on each sale, and puts your shop next to your competitors.
- Instagram and WhatsApp are like selling to people you meet at a gathering. People get to know you, see your work, and ask questions. It feels personal. But there is no proper counter, no stock register and no billing desk.
- Your own Shopify store is like your own shop on your own street. You decide the look, the prices and the rules. You keep the customer list. But nobody walks in unless you bring them.
None of these is “best”. They just do different jobs.
What a marketplace is good at — and what it costs you
Good at: finding buyers who are already searching for a product. If someone types “cotton kurta for women” into Amazon, they want to buy today. You do not need to bring them.
What you give up:
- Fees. Marketplaces charge you on each sale, and often for delivery, storage or ads too. The exact fees change by category and over time, so read the current fee page before you price anything.
- The customer. In most cases you cannot freely contact the buyer later to tell them about a new product. They are the marketplace’s customer.
- Price pressure. Your product sits right next to similar ones. Many buyers simply pick the cheapest.
- Rules you do not control. Return rules, listing rules and account checks are set by the marketplace and can change.
A marketplace is great for being found. It is weak for building a brand people come back to by name.
What Instagram and WhatsApp are good at
Good at: trust and starting fast. People can see your face, your work, your customers’ messages. For handmade, fashion, food, beauty and gifting, this is powerful. You can start today with a phone.
Where it gets hard:
- Every order is a chat. You type prices, addresses and payment details again and again.
- It is easy to lose track of who paid, what was sent and what is pending.
- Buyers cannot just browse everything and pay on their own at 2 AM.
- If your account has a problem, your shop has a problem.
Instagram is a wonderful shop window and a place to talk. It is not a good cash counter once orders grow.
What your own Shopify store is good at
Good at: owning the relationship. On your own store:
- The customer list is yours. You can message buyers again (with their permission) about new stock or offers.
- Your prices, your rules, your return policy, your packaging message.
- People can browse and pay by themselves, any time, with cash on delivery or online payment through an Indian payment company.
- One place for orders, stock and bills.
- It can also link to other places. Shopify can connect to sales channels such as Google, Facebook and Instagram, and some marketplaces, so products and stock can be managed from one admin. Which channels work depends on your country and your products, so check before you plan around one.
The catch: a new store gets very few visitors on its own. You must bring people — from Instagram, WhatsApp, Google search, ads, word of mouth and your packaging. A store with no plan for visitors is like a lovely shop on an empty road.
How to choose: a simple order to follow
Ask yourself three questions.
1. Do people already search for my exact product by its common name? (For example: “steel water bottle 1 litre”.) If yes, a marketplace can bring you sales quickly. If your product is special — handmade, custom, a local brand — people will not search for it by name yet, and a marketplace will mostly put you next to cheaper look-alikes.
2. Do my customers buy because they trust me? If people buy because of your story, your skill or your taste, Instagram and your own store matter more than a marketplace.
3. Do I want repeat customers? If your product gets bought again (food, skincare, refills, clothes), your own store matters a lot, because it is where you can bring the same people back without paying a mall every time.
Then pick one main home and one or two helpers:
- Common, searched products: marketplace as the main home to start; your own store as the place for loyal, repeat buyers.
- Brand or handmade products: your own Shopify store as the main home; Instagram and WhatsApp as the shop window that sends people to it.
- Very new and testing an idea: Instagram and WhatsApp first, to learn what people want; then a Shopify store once you are typing the same order details ten times a day.
Mistakes to avoid
- Copying the same low price everywhere. Your marketplace price must include its fees. Your own store can often offer a little more value instead.
- Opening a store and waiting. Plan where visitors will come from before you launch.
- Running four channels with half the effort each. Do one well, then add the next.
- Forgetting the paperwork. Marketplaces usually ask for GST details and bank checks before you sell. Ask your accountant what applies to you.
Your checklist for this week
- Write down where your last 20 orders came from: marketplace, Instagram, WhatsApp, friends or search.
- Answer the three questions above for your main product.
- Choose one main home and up to two helpers. Write it on one line.
- Check the current fees of any marketplace you use, and work out your real profit per order.
- Make every Instagram post and WhatsApp reply point to one clear place to buy.
- Start a simple customer list (with permission) so you can reach buyers again.
If you would like help choosing, or setting up a Shopify store that works with the channels you already use, message us on WhatsApp — we reply 24/7.
Sources
The official pages this guide is based on:
