How to Pick the Best eCommerce Platform for your Business

How to Pick the Best eCommerce Platform for your Business

Before making the choice of what eCommerce platform to go with there are a number of factors you should consider.

Ecommerce is the act of selling products and/or services directly to your customers from your own website. It is a popular business model because it allows you to reach out to more people than ever before, and you can be accessible to customers 24 hours a day. There are many platforms that allow you to create an eCommerce store on their site, but not all of them are worth it!

Shopping online is becoming increasingly popular and with that popularity, there are an ever-increasing number of shopping platforms; however, it can be difficult to determine which are right. It’s not just a case of looking at price, but you also want to make sure they have the features and support needed to grow your business.

In this article, I will compare some of the best platforms for eCommerce and give my recommendations for which platform would work best for your particular needs. In order to compare the various platforms, I will be looking at 3 different factors. These are:

  • The ease of use and design of the platform (how easy it is for you to create a website)
  • The cost of using the platform (how much does it cost per month/year)
  • The features that come with your package.

There are many platforms available for eCommerce and it can be overwhelming. Picking the right for your business can help make your experience better. We’ve compared the top four platforms to help you decide what’s best for you.

Top 4 eCommerce Platforms

  • Shopify: This is an easy-to-use platform that offers a wide variety of templates, apps, and tools to help grow your business. It’s also very affordable at only $29/month! However, it does not have the option of having multiple currencies when importing products from other countries (though this may be fixed soon).
  • Wix: This is a great option for those looking to build their own site from scratch. It has an easy-to-use interface, plenty of templates and designs, and offers a free 14-day trial. However, it does not have many advanced features and may be difficult for new users to navigate.
  • Squarespace: This is a great option for those looking for an easy-to-use platform with plenty of templates and designs. It also offers a free 14-day trial and has some advanced features, such as the ability to add apps and tools (such as customer reviews).
  • WooCommerce: This is a great option for those looking for an advanced e-commerce platform with plenty of customization options. It offers both free and paid versions and has an easy-to-use interface that is suitable for both new users and experienced designers alike.

Which eCommerce Platform is Best for your Business?

Shopify

Shopify is a great option for a new eCommerce business. It’s the most popular eCommerce platform and has many advantages over other platforms. The Shopify interface is very easy to use, so even if you’ve never run an online store before, you’ll be able to get started in no time.

Shopify is also perfect for marketing and SEO because it has themes built in that help your product listings stand out from competitors. You can create custom product pages that highlight different aspects of each item (such as colour options), which helps boost conversion rates. And because everything is hosted by Shopify, there are no additional fees or charges: all you pay upfront is based on monthly hosting costs plus transaction fees per sale at checkout (which are usually less than 2%).

Shopify is an excellent choice for small businesses that want to start an online store quickly and affordably. It’s ideal for those who don’t have a lot of technical knowledge but still want their store to look professional and be easy to use.

Shopify Screenshot

Wix

It is an easy-to-use website builder that’s great for people who don’t have a lot of technical knowledge or time to build their own site. Wix offers free templates and allows you to add images, videos and text easily. You can also use Google Analytics to track user behaviour on your site. The platform allows you to set up online stores in just a few minutes—and includes the ability to accept payments from customers via credit card or PayPal.

While Wix does offer some advanced features that aren’t available with other website-building platforms, it still lacks many of the customizations offered by some of its competitors. If you want complete control over how your website looks and feels—including colour schemes, fonts and page layouts—Wix may not be right for you (although they do offer premium services). The platform’s design templates are limited, but there are some unique features that can help you create a more professional site. Wix has an extensive library of web fonts, for example—and unlike other platforms such as Squarespace or Weebly, it allows users to add custom CSS code.

Wix-screenshot

Squarespace

Squarespace is a website-building platform that allows you to create a website without any coding knowledge. It is very easy to use and has a drag-and-drop interface. It’s a good option for people who want to quickly create a website. The company offers a free 14-day trial and then plans start at $8 per month. Squarespace’s main downside is that it doesn’t offer many customization options, so if you want to make major changes or add more features, the product won’t be right for you.

Squarespace is one of the most popular website builders. It has a wide range of templates and also allows you to build your own designs from scratch. You can also add your own designs, images and videos. Squarespace can be bit more expensive than other website builders, but it has a good reputation for being secure and reliable. The platform also offers a wide range of features, including analytics and email marketing tools. You can also add additional features through the App Marketplace. Squarespace is particularly good for eCommerce websites because it has built-in support for online stores.

Squarespace Screenshot - eCommerce platform example

WooCommerce (WordPress)

WooCommerce is a free open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress. It’s a powerful eCommerce platform that helps you sell anything, beautifully. Extendable through themes, plugins, and child themes. It’s flexible and customizable, making it easy to create a professional online store. It’s a great choice if you want complete control over your site’s design—but it can be complex to use, especially for beginners.

WooCommerce was developed by WooThemes and it is currently maintained by an active community of developers and designers.

This makes it possible for you to create just about any type of online store imaginable with WooCommerce—from a simple product page to a full-blown marketplace.

It is a free eCommerce plugin for WordPress that can be used to sell physical and digital products on your website. It’s easy to set up, manage, and customise.

WooCommerce Screenshot - eCommerce plugin example

The Importance of Finding the Right Platform

The internet is a vast, vibrant place full of people looking to buy and sell products. The question is: are you ready to take your business online?

If you already have an online presence, then you know how important it is to find the right platform for your business. Whether it’s eCommerce hosting tools or some other type of platform, finding the best fit takes time and research.

3 Things to Consider when Choosing an eCommerce Platform

Here are some things to keep in mind when looking for eCommerce hosting tools:

  1. Know what your business needs are and what kinds of products or services it offers
  2. Be selective – there are a lot of options out there!
  3. Do research – don’t just jump on the first thing that looks good; make sure it fits with your brand’s image and goals

For example, let’s say that you are a clothing retailer and you want to sell some of your products online. You may have heard about a platform called Shopify or Bigcommerce and decided that it’s what you need. But after doing some research and talking with other people in the industry, you find out that these platforms aren’t quite right for what you need. You need something more advanced than either of these options.

So now what? You should keep looking! It’s important to take the time necessary to find an e-commerce hosting tool that will work best for your business and help grow it over time. This could mean waiting until later on down the road when there’s been more research done on how certain systems work together with different kinds of businesses—like yours!

Conclusion

The key to choosing the right eCommerce platform is finding a fit that works for your business. The best way to do this is by considering what’s important to you and then looking at a few options before deciding which one will work best. That way, when it comes time to launch your store website, you won’t have any regrets about having chosen the wrong tool!

Once you have decided on the best platform for your business, don’t forget to start a customer journey map. This will help the user have an excellent eCommerce website experience.

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