Choosing the Right E-Commerce Platform For Your Brand
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing which platform to use for e-commerce business. But going through them is essential in order to maximize your business’s potential! So lets unpack them together.
Cost: First and foremost, consider how much it will cost you to run your business on a particular platform. These cost vary depending on the size of your business- anywhere from free to thousands of dollars. The good news is that most sites will offer free trials. But while you are in the free trail phase, make sure you look at everything the site can offer you to get a good idea of what you’ll get for your money!
SEO Tools: Any good e-commerce website must have built-in SEO tools. If they don't, it will be a lot harder to get the word out about your business.
Software Integration: Third-party applications are usually involved in any e-commerce business, so the platform you use should be prepared to enable these. It should also be easy to understand for the developer, so that they can make the most of their site without needing to be an expert at writing code.
Mobile-Friendliness & Site Speed: You’ll hear this one over and over. But making sure the platform you use for your business is mobile friendly and has a fast loading time is key. More users are buying products from their phones these days, and if your website isn’t capable of performing well on mobile and is slow to load, you’ll surely lose sales.
Scalability: You may not have a large e-commerce business now, but you may grow very quickly. Your website must be able to accommodate an influx of traffic, as well as grow to meet your business needs- wherever you are in the process.
UX: This is also a given. Your website must be easy to use for consumers to find what they are looking for. Make sure your platform offers options to customize your website to optimize your web design.
Some examples of great e-commerce platforms include Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Magneto, and Woo Commerce.
Of these Shopify offers the most comprehensive tools and options to build your perfect site, and they offer free trials! It is a great option to immediately get started on building your store.
Squarespace is the best platform for mobile. If you are planning on most of your customers finding and shopping with your business on their phone, this may be the platform for you.
Magneto is the best platform for established retailers who are moving into the online space. However it is not the easiest to build a store on. To make something that stands out you’ll need a developer’s help. Which is another reason its better suited to established businesses.
Wix is a great place to start for novice website builders. Its easy to use and customize and also offers e-commerce plans to entrepreneurs. It isn’t the most advanced platform, but it’s an excellent place start your online business.
WooCommerce is the best choice for software integration. They have over 300 extensions in their store to help with all aspects of your business- from marketing, payments, and more. However, you’ll have to pay an additional cost to host your site and register it’s domain.
With this information and these suggestions, you can get a good idea of where to start building your online business!
Good luck!
