However, in order to succeed in the online business, you should have an online marketplace instead of creating a corporate e-commerce website or as an online affiliate store. This is similar to offline business, where people tend to shop in a shopping mall with multiple choices instead of going to an independent store outside the mall. In short, the online marketplace is equivalent to a shopping mall, the company’s e-commerce website is similar to an independent store outside the shopping mall, and the online affiliate store is similar to a retail store in a shopping mall.