With the coming up of the digital world, it has become much easier and cheaper for businesses to run a store, because they no longer need to invest in brick-and-mortar set up. With the evolution of eCommerce and the presence of multiple eCommerce Solutions, anyone can start their own company without worrying about the customer footfall.
Since selling online has become extremely cost-effective and efficient, it has also resulted in higher competition levels and everyone claiming to be the best. As a result, it has become extremely confusing for small business owners to find the best eCommerce solution and platform for their eCommerce Website Design. Let us look at some of the best platforms available for small businesses eCommerce website.
Shopify
Shopify has some of the best sales features in the market on their website, along with a huge market of apps. It is a dedicated eCommerce platform, which is designed purely to help you in building an online store.
Pros:
- It comes with built-in dropshipping tools, and thus small businesses can find a place to store their products.
- It has apps that enable you to sync your inventories, and thus help in managing the sales from one place.
- It has great multichannel selling options that include integration with platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Amazon.
Cons:
- A lot of sales tools offered by Shopify are too advanced for small businesses, and thus you may end up paying for tools that you may not even need later.
- It is the only platform that has imposed transaction fees on using its eCommerce solutions, unless if you use their own payment gateway called Shopify Payments.
Squarespace
Squarespace offers excellent integration of your eCommerce website design with social media channels and is the best choice for companies that want a lot of creative control. It helps you in building the most eye-catching portfolio.
Pros:
- It enables easy promotion of your store across various social channels.
- It offers a lot of flexibility and has a collection of best-designed templates.
- It provides a free domain with annual plans and also offers some budget-friendly plans as compared to other platforms.
Cons:
- It lacks payment options and only offers Stripe, PayPal or ApplePay
- All the features are built-in, and it does not have an app market.
Wix
Wix is one of the best options available when it comes to value for money and performance. It gives you absolute creative control over your site and is one of the best platforms for beginners to get started.
Pros:
- It is extremely easy to use and does not need any tech skills to build an online store.
- It offers multiple secure payment options for your customers.
- It offers a large selection of themes and plugins.
Cons:
- It has a less powerful inventory than other platforms, and it is not possible to bulk upload products.
- It does not support multi-channel selling.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an extremely easy to use platform, which is built on the Wordpress content management system. As a result, it is easy to get help and guidance when using the platform to build your store.
Pros:
- It comes with the option to take unlimited orders.
- It has a huge selection of themes and customization options.
- There are no limits on how much you can sell.
Cons:
- It needs a third party payment gateway for all payments.
- You need a lot more technical energy to use this platform as compared to others.
OpenCart
OpenCart is an open-source and highly customizable platform and has a strong administrator dashboard that gives you a detailed view of important metrics such as sales, customers, etc. in one glance.
Pros:
- It is available for free and has multiple integration options.
- It does not have large developmental costs.
Cons:
- It is not very useful for large sites with a lot of data, because they load very slowly.
- It has limited built-in marketing features.
In addition to these, there are many other platforms like Bigcommerce, X-cart, EKM, Big Cartel, etc. that offer eCommerce solutions. It is important for small businesses to consider a few things while selecting the best platform for themselves, such as scalability, speed, performance, ease of use, back end tools, user experience, cost, marketing tools, and the possibility of customization.
