E-Commerce Platforms: What’s the Best Place for Your Business?

Are you thinking of foraying into the world of online business? Then it’s likely you’re contemplating which e-commerce platforms to go with. This is obviously one of the first thresholds to starting an online store.

It’s been some time since e-commerce platforms first hit the market. Since then a lot has evolved.

It’s interesting to see which of the current e-commerce platforms will serve your needs well.

Here are some you can consider:

 

1. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is not exactly a full-fledged platform. However, it’s an e-commerce plugin designed for WordPress. To use this platform, you will need open-source WordPress and reliable web hosting. When you install it on the site and activate it, you can turn any WordPress site into a full-fledged, completely functional online store. From there, you can manage coupons, product pages, and inventory. Additionally, you’ll be able to display items and describe them. It has many other features too numerous to mention here.

Pros

• The plugin is available for free, and that’s all you need to set up your store.
• You can connect it with almost all major payment gateways.
• You hardly have to do anything besides add content.
• WooCommerce comes with an extensive library that lets you offer discounts and coupons. It has several other features as well.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: HOP ON BOARD THE E-COMMERCE TRAIN AND HANG ON FOR THE RIDE AHEAD

 

2. Shopify

This e-commerce platform was built in 2004. Since then it has helped countless online stores. This platform is based in Canada and has been evolving constantly since it started.

Pros

• Offers abandoned cart recovery.
• Choose among myriad extensions, plugins, and themes.
• You can integrate Shopify with a Facebook account for a small fee. Currently, this is only $9.
• You can create a mobile-friendly shopping cart.
• Shopify offers technical support through phone, tutorials, and live chat. There’s also an online community where you can get answers to your questions.

 

3. Magento

An open-source platform for building ecommerce websites, Magento started in 2008. Two of the major factors that have made Magento such a popular name are its scalability and its reliability. Some of the websites hosted on this platform include those of Liverpool FC, Pepe Jeans, Huawei, and Burger King.

Pros

• Magento supports more than 9,000 plugins and countless extensions. This makes it one of the most scalable e-commerce platforms out there.
• Easy to use and manage.
• Open-source platform with room for limitless customization.
• Social media extensions available for free usage.
• A huge library for new plugins, store management, demos, and everything that an e-commerce store could ask for.

 

 

4. BigCommerce

BigCommerce houses more than 55,000 online stores, making it one of the most popular e-commerce platforms ever. It has powered websites of brand names such as Toyota and Martha Stewart. You don’t need to have any coding knowledge before you start using BigCommerce.

Pros

• Myriad built-in features including shipping, analytics, taxation, coupons, newsletters, etc.
• No transaction fee.
• All the themes are responsive (free and paid both).
• You can integrate your store with eBay, Facebook, Google Shopping, etc.
• Easy to set up, with countless tutorial videos as guides.

 

5. OpenCart

OpenCart is an incredible platform that is pretty straightforward to use. While it creates lightweight websites, the platform is free to use. And in case you ever run into a problem while you’re designing your store, you can turn to a community to get answers to your questions.

OpenCart is particularly good for startup companies that want to function on a relatively small platform.

The store is pretty easy to set up. The overall cost is low, too. You don’t need to invest in any plugins, and themes are not expensive, either. You can manage things on your own, without having to hire a developer.

Pros

• Low startup cost makes it ideal for entry-level online stores and businesses.
• Solid features with a large catalog functionality.
• Effortless order processing.
• Designed for ease of use.
• Light on resources.

 

Conclusion

Of course there are myriad other e-commerce platforms available, including open-source platforms. However, the platforms mentioned here are the crème de la crème. Keep in mind, though, that there is no one-size-fits-all platform when it comes to e-commerce platforms.

In order to decide which one is best for you, do some research and establish your business needs. Choose the one that has the features that your online store most needs.

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