E-marketplaces, online auctions and exchanges

The potential advantages of joining an e-marketplace will vary between industries and businesses, and between buyers and sellers. Some of the potential benefits are summarised below.

General business benefits

The general benefits to businesses using e-marketing include:

• greater opportunities for suppliers and buyers to establish new trading partnerships, either within their supply chain or across supply chains
• greater transparency in the purchasing process since availability, prices and stock levels are all accessible in an open environment
• trading can operate on a round-the-clock basis removing international time constraints

Benefits for the buyer

Benefits for the seller

• regular requests for quotations from both new and current customers
• having an extra sales channel to market and sell products
• the opportunity to sell overseas through international marketplaces
• reduced marketing costs compared to other sales channels