Fierce competition is everywhere, whether it’s between you or your colleague or two businesses offering the same kind of products and services, and tools/technologies or even eCommerce platforms are no longer an exception.
In today’s times, you are bound to find fierce competition between ecommerce platforms. Though this might not be seen on the surface but once you decide to conduct an ecommerce development project, the next dilemma is which eCommerce platform to pick as all of them tend to stand out from the rest. The following post can definitely assist you in dealing with this issue. Fortunately, there are a plethora of eCommerce development companies available to choose from.
Now before we focus on which is the best eCommerce platform for conducting a website development project, it’s time to shift focus on how to choose the right eCommerce platform.
As mentioned earlier, even if you want to survive you need to stay competitive and for that, you must end up meeting customer expectations or even exceed them by creating enviable shopping experiences for them. And this certainly calls for picking the right ecommerce platform.
How to Choose the Right eCommerce Platform?
It doesn’t matter if you have just started your eCommerce business or are willing to scale it up. Choosing the right ecommerce platform is the most basic yet crucial need to take into account. Of course, a reputable and a reliable eCommerce development company can be of quite help but having researched some information beforehand is no harm.
After all, your ecommerce store will act as an all-in-one software solution empowering your business seamlessly for the very long run. Further below I would like to share some crucial aspects or factors to take into account while choosing an ecommerce platform for your needs.
● Highly secured
You see, security has been quite a major concern in today’s times. With security breaches happening every now and then, store owners are found looking for the most reliable and trustworthy solutions and that’s it! You need to choose an eCommerce platform that excels in regards to security.
After all, your store will incorporate confidential information of your valued customers which cannot and shouldn’t be compromised in any manner. So choose an ecommerce platform that ensures high-end privacy and data protection. Well, fortunately after 2022, almost all the eCommerce platforms have begun taking strong security measures and getting rid of ongoing malicious attacks and issues in no time.
So to ensure high-end safety and security, you need to choose an eCommerce platform that incorporates Trusted SSL certificates, fraud prevention, data backups, and PCI compliance, etc.
● Features and functionalities
Every eCommerce platform available across the globe is of a kind. However, you need to make sure that you choose an option comprising of a vivid range of features and functionalities such as drop-down menus or editors, easy to use or get started with, offers a reliable hosting solution, supports selling of any and every type of product including physical and digital ones, enables to sell directly using social media channels such as Facebook, eBay, Amazon and Pinterest, well-optimized for mobile devices, easy customization and personalization, SEO-friendly, seamless integration with third-party softwares and solutions, enables Google to drive more traffic to your store, built with advanced native functionality and UX features and above can easily scale up with the ever-growing business needs.
So consider your needs and requirements and then make a choice, for example, if you are looking for ways to scale up your business then you must consider headless commerce, sales channel integration, availability of platform and app customization features. However, if you are looking for eCommerce platforms that offer great flexibility, and limitless customizable options then you may choose that way as well.
● Price
Now price is a very crucial factor to consider. There are eCommerce platforms available for free whereas some of them might come with a cost. For example, BigCommerce is available for a 14-day free trial and after that, it charges $39/month, Shopify is also available at $39/month, Squarespace comes at $26/month, WooCommerce is available for free but turns out to be limited in regards to features and functionalities, GoDaddy’s basic plan begins from $10 to 15, 20, 25 and so more, etc. So you see eCommerce platforms can vary in price but you see each one is of a kind, so you have to make a relevant choice that assists well in adding more and more value to your existing business.
Well, I can go on and on but you see these aforementioned ones are pretty important aspects to take into account especially if you are willing to choose the right eCommerce platform for your website development project. On and all, remember this, the choice of your ecommerce platform should be best for your business. It is not necessary to be the same as for other businesses. So the copy-paste concept won’t work here!
Now further without any delay, I would like to mention some of the best eCommerce platforms to take into account if you are willing to conduct a web development project in 2023.
Which is the Best Platform to Consider for Ecommerce Website Development?
#1 Shopify
Those who have been in the eCommerce development realm for some time might not find this new concept. Well, for your information, Shopify has been in vogue for over 16 years, no kidding! And today, several reports suggest that the overall number of stores on Shopify grew with 201.53 per cent and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
So if you want to get up and get along quickly, Shopify turns out to be the ultimate eCommerce platform to take into account. If you aren’t sure about it, you can still think of taking up the 14-day trial period and see how things go. Check out its onboarding wizard, you will be able to walk through all your products, customize or personalize the look of your store, and set up different payment methods in no time.
It doesn’t matter even if you are a non-techie, Here you will find everything labeled clearly and set up a successful eCommerce store accordingly. From adding a product to clicking products in the sidebar, filling in the name, description, quantity and other relevant details won’t be such a tough thing to do. In no time you will be up, running and ready to sell different products.
One of the most alluring aspects of Shopify is that it ticks most boxes right then and there, its seamless scalability, extensibility and flexibility make it such a powerful and the most preferred option around. For example, here Shopify comprises 11 themes in-built and it also comprises of more than 100 themes (paid ones) for $180. And since the eCommerce platform is pretty much popular and well-known, more than 1000’s of themes can be found on different sites such as Themeforest.
Shopify offers a 14-day trial period; and its price ranges from $29/month and 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, if you end up choosing the Basic Shopify plam. There is no limitation for products here. The best part here is almost all eCommerce development companies tend to offer shopify development services so you won’t have any further issues here since they will manage everything for you.
#2 WooCommerce
The next interesting eCommerce platform to take into account is WooCommerce. Well, this one is an open-source platform that was initially developed as a wordPress plugin and now is known as the best ecommerce platform available across the globe. The plugin now known as one of the best eCommerce platforms ensures store owners to incorporate online store functionalities to a new as well as an existing WordPress website. As soon as you install and activate, you can seamlessly get started with your eCommerce store right away! Also, here you are bound to receive a wide range of features in context to inventory management, payment processing, seamless shipping methods, store management, marketing tools and whatnot!
Also, you can check out the official WordPress directory where you will come across a wide range of themes that are available for both free as well as paid ones.
WooCommerce also offers live chat support, online guides and support forums, so it is easy to get in touch with WooCommerce professionals whenever required for instant help. Moreover, here you can explore as many add-ons as you want, though all aren’t available for free, there are certain add ons which come with a fixed yet affordable price. Speaking of which, the price can go to $299/year. Also, you will come across several premium WordPress themes listed which might range from $30-400/year.
So when you are entitled to receive a wide range of WordPress Themes, amazing ecommerce functionalities, and a large and active online community, you need to look no further for your ecommerce website development project.
#3 BigCommerce
The next one in line is BigCommerce. This one definitely must be taken into account when considering the best eCommerce web development platforms. Wondering why? Well, it comprises robust product search engines that turn out to be ideal for larger retail brands. In fact, BigCommerce turns out to be an incredible choice for businesses who are willing to get into the eCommerce realm or especially the ones who want to shift from brick-and-mortar stores to creating a strong and amazing online presence.
BigCommerce comprises of the best available interface that enables seamless customization and this is possible for even those who have no idea about how to write code, Basically, it doesn’t matter if you aren’t a tech-savvy geek. And if you are, you can seamlessly tweak the HTML and CSS for more control over the web design. So if you are looking for an eCommerce platform that is seamlessly flexible and scalable, offers multichannel selling, great in regards to SEO performance then look no further than BigCommerce.
Another intimidating feature offered by BigCommerce is, it is quite simple to list your products on other known marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon, Facebook and so more. Here it is fine if customers don’t end up buying from your store and from these popular eCommerce sites as long as your products are being sold.
What you need to do is click on the channel manager in the sidebar, and connect with whichever option you are willing to. BigCommerce automatically imports products across multiple of such channels for you. Here you will come across 12 free themes built in and the paid ones are available between $150 and $300. Though BigCommerce offers a 15-day trial period as well. Again the key is to choose a reliable eCommerce development service provider and that’s all!
#4 Wix
The next eCommerce platform to take into account is Wix. Now if you are looking for an eCommerce platform that features a user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder ensuring seamless customization in regards to templates, web hosting, domain name and whatnot! With the help of Wix, it is possible to build a basic website for free. In addition to this, tracking orders to accept different online payments, selling products on multiple channels and abandon cart campaigns, the eCommerce platform gets you covered. Some of the core benefits of Wix include:
- Fully hosted
- Easy to use
- Free Forever Plan
- Lots of support
The basic plan $23/month; Business Unlimited: $27/month; Business VIP: $49/month.
#5 OpenCart
Last but certainly not least is OpenCart. Another free, open-source ecommerce platform that is easy to get started with yet highly customizable. OpenCart ensures seamless creation and management of your online store with the help of 13,000 modules and themes. OpenCart is such an eCommerce store that is free to use and highly customizable at the same time, and can be integrated with several third-party softwares and options.
Final Words
So that’s all for now! These are the best eCommerce website development platforms to take into account. The eCommerce industry is growing and gaining momentum day by day. If you don’t believe me check out how many eCommerce development companies are established across the globe and you will get your answer. One must not take this profit-spinning industry lightly. Choosing the right eCommerce platform can definitely be the game changer here.
I hope you did find the following post worth reading! Wish you all the very best for your eCommerce venture. I hope you sell better and gain more popularity.
