Selecting an eMarketplace
Introduction

An eMarketplace is a meeting place for buyers and sellers on the Internet. They offer a range of different Web-based services including business directory listings, electronic catalogues for purchasing on-line, providing exchange services for trading opportunities, and in some cases, full ICT integration through supply chains.  

With the number of eMarketplaces increasing all the time, and the huge range of different services available, the prospect of using and selecting a suitable service can be daunting.  A possible starting point for SMEs in the use of eMarketplaces could be purchasing indirect goods and materials – goods which are not essential to the business – such as stationery.  This would provide an introduction to the processes involved, with minimal risk to the core business.  The key industry sectors that have been targeted by eMarketplaces until now have been the manufacturing, electronics and IT sectors, but now sites are emerging in new sectors, including farming e.g. www.farmline.com, and eMarketplaces are increasingly being designed for SMEs .

This article aims to explain some of the functionality eMarketplaces can provide, and suggest how Welsh SMEs can use them to benefit their business.