Best E-Commerce Platforms for 2021

Are you on the lookout for the best ecommerce platform for your business? Tough decision, we know – especially with so many options in today’s market. When you’re spoiled for choice, it can be hard to narrow it down, especially when you don’t know what to look out for.

Though there are many strong players in the ecommerce game, each offer something slightly different. It’s important to carefully consider their pros and cons before making your decision.

Ask yourself the important questions. Which is the most popular? Which has better features and has customisable design platforms? Which loads faster? The list goes on. These can help determine which platform has the edge over its competitors.

If you’re still unsure, don’t panic. Our team has done the hard work for you. Let’s see how the top ecommerce platforms stack up in terms of features, performance, themes, ease of use, value, and more.

Shopify

Now a household name, Shopify is dominating the game at the moment. It usually leads the search results page for ecommerce platform queries – and for good reason. Here’s what it brings to the table:

·??????Over a hundred awesome looking themes optimised for mobile

·??????Ultra-fast loading time

·??????Easy user navigation and set up with drag and drop interface

·??????Over 1000 apps for functionality enhancement

·??????Post-purchase 1-click upsells

·??????Allows multiple channel and social selling

·??????Round the clock help via 24/7 customer support.

What is Shopify best for? If you’re planning on drop-shipping and advertising on Instagram or Facebook, Shopify might be for you. It’s also considered the strongest ecommerce platform in the clothing business.

Like everything however, Shopify has its shortcomings. First and foremost, Shopify is lacking in SEO functionality. It’s not exactly designed to charm Google into high rankings. Other than its weak SEO performance, what are its other downsides?

·??????The checkout process isn’t customisable

·??????Themes and apps can be costly

·??????Advanced features require a web developer.

What Shopify lacks in the SEO department, it makes up for with its dynamic features. Overall, it offers scalable solutions that help to grow your online store and boost sales.?

BigCommerce

Another well-known industry player, BigCommerce is all about sales. In terms of scaling and growth, it’s a definite frontrunner. BigCommerce is the preferred ecommerce platform for small businesses, start-ups and brick and mortar stores. Its robust features and tools will give your business the boost it needs to sell like crazy. Here’s how:

·??????Easy to create and customisable interface

·??????Comprehensive abandoned cart feature

·??????Great at multi-channel selling

·??????Strong SEO performance

·??????Outstanding design themes.

Disclaimer: while it offers impressive themes, not many of them are free. BigCommerce’s lowest plan costs $29.95, giving you access to unlimited bandwidth, checkout codes, professional reporting and gift cards.?

Before you make your decision, you should also be aware of its other cons:

·??????High volume stores can be costly

·??????Abandonment cart feature not included in the entry-level plan

·??????Does not feature 1-click selling and upsells.

Despite these disadvantages, BigCommerce is an effective platform for those wanting to take their business to the next level. If you’re anticipating fast business growth, BigCommerce is worth the investment.

3DCart

Having been in the business for 19 years, 3DCart is an ecommerce veteran with 22,000 online businesses in its portfolio.

Though 3DCart may be overshadowed by Shopify and BigCommerce, its advanced shipping features are unparalleled – no API required.

Shipping aside, the platform also has a wealth of outside-the-box features for blogging, email marketing and more.

Here’s what makes 3DCart special:

·??????Supports endless integrations

·??????Offers great business management tools

·??????Excellent analytics and reporting tools.

Unlike Shopify and BigCommerce, however, 3DCart isn’t for amateurs. Technophobes beware: its onboarding video doesn’t make it any less complex.

How do its templates rank? Unfortunately, they don’t look as though they’ve changed much in the past 19 years. Compared to the sleek and commercial looking offerings of its competitors, 3DCart’s templates have a more industrial feel to them. Visually speaking, the platform is simply outdated.

Its other drawbacks include:

·??????Absence of drag-and-drop functionality

·??????Customising pages takes quite some time

·??????Average customer support.

When it comes to pricing, the lowest plan costs just $19 which permits you to sell $50k worth of goods. And just like Shopify and BigCommerce, you can upgrade to higher plans as needed.

Despite its user-unfriendliness and retro themes, 3DCart is still a solid option – particularly if you have advanced web development skills.

Square Online

Want to sell an unlimited number of products on Instagram or your website with no monthly subscription cost? We recommend you to use Square Online.

It offers a community forum and knowledge base, plus you can reach out to them using email, chat, or telephone.

So, why use Square Online?

·??????With all pricing plans, that includes free version, you can:

·??????Sell digital and physical goods

·??????Accept donations

·??????Book appointments or sell event tickets

·??????Offer curb side pickup

·??????Use inventory management tools for real-time syncing

·??????Send customers order status text alerts

·??????Integrate with more than 125 applications

·??????Sync with Square POS

It uses Weebly architecture, whether you're familiar with Weebly or not, it’s easy to set up and use. Although there are not many templates, the software will walk you through each design step and offers a user-friendly interface.

On the flip side, the main downfall of Square Online is its limited payment options, it is not designed for high-volume businesses and it has no global sales.

Here are the other reasons why you should choose Square Online:

·??????No coding skills needed, easy to use

·??????You can sell unlimited products with no monthly fee

·??????It has multi-channel selling capabilities

Square Online is 100% free for 500mb of storage. Paid packages start at $12 per month when billed annually, making it the most affordable option for an ecommerce platform.

Weebly

Need a simple online store with built-in marketing automation? Weebly’s got you covered. It’s an easy ecommerce platform to use, providing a drag-and-drop editing tool and customisation tools using HTML and CSS.

Weebly comes in three price plans, all with ecommerce support. But the Business Plan and the Performance Plan are the two best options for managing an ecommerce online store due to their relevant ecommerce features like custom shopping cart, coupons and inventory management.?

Here’s why you should consider using Weebly:

·??????Great value for marketing automation

·??????Less pricey, yet professional-looking designs

·??????Allows you to upload products in bulk

·??????Simple dashboard and easy-to-use interface

·??????Availability of mobile app to help manage your business and print shipping labels

·??????Powerful email support tools.

Despite its long list of advantages, from SEO and marketing perspective, Weebly falls a little short. If you anticipate selling more products and are aiming to expand, it’s worth noting that Weebly charges a 3% transaction fee per each product sold.

Weebly has some other downsides, too:

·??????You can only list up to 25 products

·??????Some themes are not mobile responsive

·??????Rudimental inventory management tools.

Even without the flashy and sophisticated designs that other platforms offer, Weebly remains an excellent option for start-up entrepreneurs who want to build their online store quickly and without the help of a web developer.

To round it up, here are Elephant’s ecommerce platform recommendations according to your business type:

For small businesses: Shopify, BigCommerce, and Square Online

For beginners: Shopify and Weebly

For SEO and Marketing: BigCommerce

For drop-shipping: Shopify and BigCommerce

For local stores: Shopify and Weebly

For bigger businesses: BigCommerce

Additionally, here’s a useful graphic to refer to when evaluating ecommerce platforms:

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to ecommerce platforms. The right option ultimately boils down to the needs and goals of your organisation.

Looking for an ecommerce platform that sells? Team Elephant has got your back. We take time to understand your business and its target audience, and take care of all your web development needs. We focus not only on the visuals, but more importantly on the user experience.

Get in touch today.

www.elephantintheboardroom.com.au