Choosing the right e-commerce platform is crucial to the success of your enterprise. You’re not simplest deciding on the features you need, but you’re also deciding on the challenges you’ll face as your business grows or changes. The scalability, flexibility, and value of your platform can paintings for or towards you.
Before you evaluate e-commerce platforms, it’s a desirable idea to have already sorted-out a first-rate deal of your capabilities and strategy. For example, some platforms are higher for those who are search engine optimization-focused. You don’t want to build your e-trade website online and then realise it’s now not optimized for your strategy. While a few platforms will feel restrictive to those who have coding abilities, individuals who don’t have that skill may also greatly benefit from the simplicity of the equal platforms.
Keeping your priorities in mind, join us as we take a look at the six fine e-trade systems currently available.
1) WooCommerce
For a protracted time, WooCommerce dominated its market. As an instantaneous WordPress plug-in, it still has plenty to provide, specially for those agencies which have a internet site and are jumping into e-commerce for the first time. WooCommerce has excessive customizability and integrated analytics. The platform additionally has 24/7 customer assist, like almost all e-commerce systems.
The plug-in itself is loose, however you never the less need to host your website online and pay for a few associated costs. If you need an all-in-one package, competitors together with Square space may additionally make more experience for you.
WooCommerce is proper for those corporations that want a customizable platform, realize WordPress well, and have coding chops. However, WooCommerce is a mission to scale and doesn’t allow for correct SEO. It also lacks the social media advertising guide that makes Shopify so appealing. If you are planning on significantly growing your commercial enterprise, other options may additionally serve you better.
Who Uses WooCommerce?
- Airstream, a trailer corporation that increased into e-commerce.
- Cured, a food save that has grown from one brick-and-mortar store.
- Absolute Antibody, a medical sequencing business enterprise that needed to share consequences with customers.
2) Shopify
Shopify is overwhelmingly famous. It is the e-trade platform of desire for folks that depend upon social media marketing to promote or who do drop shipping. The platform is simple, flexible, and scalable from small to medium-sized businesses. You also don’t need coding know-howto apply it. Instead, the platform has a drag-and-drop interface that permits you to build your web page.
Shopify focuses on selling and provides plenty of customer experience management (CEM) and up-sell functions. However, Shopify struggles to handle the biggest stores. Shopify Plus may additionally help you develop into a bigger shop, but in case you’re already a bigger retailer, it is able to now not be the proper choice for you.
If you address high extent sales or want to focus on search engine marketing over social media advertising, it’s worth your time to test out Shopify’s new competitor, Big Commerce, which offers advanced performance.
Who Uses Shopify?
- Cartolina, a paper agency that moved from wholesale to e-commerce.
- Snowman, a Canadian game developer that needed to promote merchandise.
- Kylie Cosmetics, a splend or store that runs on Kylie Jenner’s star energy.
3) Big Commerce
Many companies find themselves narrowing down their desire among Shopify and Big Commerce. Not handiest can Big Commerce take care of the huge stores that Shopify struggles with, but it also gives more potent search engine optimization performance. It has a one-web page checkout enjoy that could assist your conversion, but it lacks the one-click on up-sells that Shopify does so well.
Whether or now not Big Commerce will be just right for you over Shopify relies upon in your own strategy, of course. If you do choose Big Commerce, you can count on high customizability (if you have coding capabilities) and steady purchaser guide. However, you could also count on a higher rate tag for many capabilities that different systems encompass in their fundamental plans.
Who Uses Big Commerce?
- Carolina Panthers, a sports activities team that had to convert cellular users.
- Hincapie Sportswear, a B2B sportswear organization.
- Di Bruno Bros., a food enterprise that has been promoting through e-trade for more than a decade.
4) OpenCart
If the bigger fee tag of Big Commerce is out of the question, you may respect OpenCart instead. It’s open-supply and unfastened-to-use, although you could invest in add-ons, which range in cost from loose to $100. There are many add-on options, some with features you might have to pay for elsewhere.
The platform additionally calls for a great deal of coding ability, now not just because it’s relatively customizable, however because their assist isn’t as sturdy as different systems. If something is going wrong, you may want to tinker with your web site yourself while OpenCart works on getting lower back to you.
Still, OpenCart has accurate SEO capability, is constantly mobile-responsive, and can be the right option for a tech-savvy small enterprise proprietor who desires to store on their platform.
Who Uses OpenCart?
- British Red Cross, which had to promote instructions and products.
- Boat Fishing, a small business out of Hong Kong.
5) Squarespace
It’s easy to look why small businesses without a whole lot coding skill would gravitate to Squarespace. The platform offers high-quality layout from a easy drag-and-drop interface based on numerous lovely templates. Visually, it’s very appealing, so it’s popular among layout-centered professionals from photographers to interior designers.
Squarespace also seems to draw small commercial enterprise owners—in all likelihood due to the fact they don’t have coders on body of workers to customise their e-commerce sites. Despite that, Squarespace is bendy and allows you to offer unlimited merchandise to your web page. On the other hand, if your commercial enterprise is targeted on e-trade, or has high income extent, Squarespace won’t be proper for you. It doesn’t have an awful lot SEO or CRM capabilities.
Who Uses Squarespace?
- Archmotorcycle, Keanu Reeves’ motorcycle company.
- Bembien, an accent shop that specializes in woven baskets.
- Egg Shop, a New York City sandwich shop.
6) Magento
Magento, by Adobe, is especially popular in Asia. Now, North American companies have started to comprehend the electricity at the back of this e-commerce platform. You do want coding information to excel with this platform, however if you do have some, the open-source nature makes it enormously flexible and scalable. Many extensions and features are already available, or you may build your personal. Plus, with a smart, modular design, it’s clean to make an e-trade web page that looks clearly right.
Magento is a smart desire for small or large groups that can manage a greater complicated interface than Squarespace. While there may be a unfastened version of Magento, the leap from free to organization is significant—the corporation fee is $2,200 per month. That can make it difficult for growing groups to expand in the e-commerce global.
Who Uses Magento?
- Just for Men, a male hair dye brand stepped into the e-trade international with Magento.
- HP Inc, the electronics company needed one massive e-trade save for numerous international locations in Asia.
- Helly Hansen, the apparel brand chose Magento whilst their old e-trade platform became discontinued.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the great e-trade platform in your enterprise might be one that fits your coding competencies and expectancies for growth, each in extent and variety of products offered.
The right platform need to also permit you to use the advertising and purchaser revel in strategies that you want to thrive.
Whichever you pick out, don’t rush your choice to pick the right e-commerce platform—it’s a complicated choice with a view to have a profound effect to your enterprise.
Become a Certified Digital Marketing Professional and select the right e-commerce platform to your commercial enterprise. Download a brochure today!