Selling from Europe to US

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

An eBay seller based in Europe is considering expanding to Shopify to diversify sales channels and reduce dependence on a single platform. They currently ship niche products to US customers successfully but have twice abandoned Shopify setup attempts due to time constraints and workload.

Key concerns raised:

  • Trust & credibility: Worried US customers may hesitate to purchase from an unknown European seller on an independent store
  • Cost comparison: Currently pays ~17% in eBay fees; questions whether Shopify’s lower base fees plus additional costs (hosting, apps, payment processing) would actually save money
  • Marketing requirements: Has no experience with advertising, social media, or promotional activities outside eBay’s built-in traffic; uncertain if marketing investment would be necessary even for niche products

The discussion remains open with no responses yet, seeking advice on whether the transition is worthwhile given these operational and financial considerations.

Summarized with AI on October 31. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello,
I have been selling niche products on eBay for a few years now, shipping from Europe to customers in the US. I am doing quite well, but I would like to gain more independence and diversify my sales, so I was thinking about setting up a store on Shopify, for example. I have tried to do it twice, but I gave up due to lack of time and the amount of work that has to be put into starting to sell on Shopify.

Is it even worth trying if I only sell from Europe to the US? I expect that customers might be afraid of buying from an unknown seller living on another continent.

My taxes on eBay are currently around 17%. I know that Shopify theoretically charges much less, but doesn’t the additional costs bring me closer to the 17%?
And finally, even if I sell niche goods, would I have to get involved in marketing? As of today, I don’t do anything to advertise my sales outside of Ebay, I don’t have any social media or anything like that, so I have no experience in this. I’ve sometimes been asked by clients if I have an Instagram, for example, but I never planned to.