In a nutshell, it is a website managed by an individual which put a seller and a buyer into contact.  

The marketplace, among the different types of website, is more and more popular because it reproduces the model of “Shopping mall”. This is why they are also called “online shopping mall”.

Among the most successful marketplaces, eBay and Amazon are surely the most famous: they link sellers and buyers from all over the world every day.

These online shopping malls represent an important part in terms of incomes for the eCommerce.

If you are thinking about selling on eBay or Amazon, you are thinking about joining a marketplace. The most important advantage that you can get from joining a marketplace is surely the number of prospective buyers - the visitors of this website.  

The mechanism can change from marketplace to marketplace but it is not hard to imagine what are the general principles that can lead to a sure-hit success.

Let’s see if you can imagine what could it be by wearing the marketplace owner’s shoes. What do you think should be important to do?

I know for sure that you are thinking to many important issues but choose what are the essential ones. Well, actually they are two because you - as the owner of a marketplace - have two parts involved and you have to satisfy both of them - the seller and the buyer.

How can an individual succeed in this goal?

By doing the “referee”, which means by ruling the behaviour of the two groups of users and make them follow the rules.

It is indeed really important, if you are thinking of starting to use an online shopping mall (both as a seller and as a buyer), to know that there exist a set of rules and that these rules must be followed severely in every circumstance - even if money issues are involved.