How to Pick the Right ECommerce Platform for Your Business

ECommerce is "BOOMIN" as the always unpredictable, estranged NFL Player Antonio Brown would say.

Every business, big or small, needs to have a strong online presence to stay competitive in today's market.

We are smack-dab in the middle of the eCommerce golden age thanks to advancements in sales and logistics technology, along with the "COVID-19 Effect"–which forced all companies to figure out how to utilize the internet to sell their stuff in just a couple of months.

But before any business can start selling billions of dollars worth of everything from elegantly frosted cupcakes to plastic wrap appliers that allow you to walk into a house without bringing street germs into your house...

You have to pick an ecommerce platform to build your empire on.

But with so many different eCommerce platforms available, it can be difficult to decide which one is right for your business. In this blog post, we will explore the best eCommerce platforms and help you decide which one is best for you!

Shopify

Shopify is a popular platform that is used by many businesses both large and small. It is simple to use, has a wide variety of templates and themes available, and offers great customer support. Another great thing about Shopify is that it integrates with many different payment processors, making it easy for you to accept payments from customers around the world.

If you're a startup looking for an eCommerce platform that is both affordable and user-friendly, then you might want to consider Shopify - Basic. Shopify - Basic is the most affordable plan offered by Shopify, and it is perfect for businesses that are just starting. It offers all of the features you need to get your business online, including a custom domain name, unlimited storage, and a built-in blog.

If you're looking for more advanced features, then you might want to consider Shopify - Plus. This plan offers everything you need for a fully functional eCommerce store, including unlimited products and customers, free SSL certificates, product reviews, discounts, and coupons codes.

Shopify Pros:

• Shopify is simple to use, with a wide variety of templates, themes, and an app marketplace available
• Shopify integrates with many different payment processors, and even offers their own, making it easy for you to accept payments from customers around the world
• Shopify has a dedicated support team that is available 24/07 to help you with any issues or questions you might have
• Shopify offers two different plans, both of which are affordable and feature-rich. The basic plan is best for startups looking to get online fast and easily. The plus plan is best for those who need more advanced features, such as unlimited products and customers

Shopify Cons:

• After it's all said and done, Shopify can be more expensive than some other eCommerce platforms.
• Shopify isn't the best for SEO
• Many Shopify themes lack customizability: you are limited to the themes that Shopify provides, and you cannot make significant changes to the look or functionality of many of those themes.

Shopify is one of the best eCommerce platforms on the market. It's easy to use, has a wide range of features, and integrates well with other apps and tools. If you're looking for an all-in-one platform that will help you build your online empire, Shopify is a great choice.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers best-in-class commerce solutions for enterprise brands, manufacturers, and retailers of all sizes. It was designed to provide an affordable way for small businesses to sell products online with no start-up costs or long-term commitments. It provides best-in-class customer service, expert advice from industry leaders, and a robust suite of features that includes intelligent fulfillment technology, automated marketing tools, and a range of integrations with leading third-party services providers including Salesforce, QuickBooks Online, and Shopify Plus. BigCommerce has been used by some of the world's top brands such as Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft Corporation, Subaru Corporation among many others since 2008.

Bigcommerce is best suited for businesses with a high volume of products, who want to manage their inventory and sell on multiple channels like eBay or Amazon.

BigCommerce Pros:

• BigCommerce is a secure platform: BigCommerce is built for eCommerce and includes best-in-class security. With secure hosting, PCI compliance, and a content delivery network (CDN), your online store will be protected against hackers, viruses, and bots.
• Unlimited products: You can sell an unlimited number of products with no transaction fees. There’s also the option to create an unlimited number of product variations and SKUs.
• BigCommerce has a user-friendly interface: The platform’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create a custom store. You can also use the built-in themes and templates, or get help from one of BigCommerce’s expert designers.

BigCommerce Cons:

• Limited design options: While BigCommerce does have a wide range of templates to choose from, there are not as many customization options as other platforms.
• Steep learning curve: BigCommerce can be challenging to use for those who are not technologically savvy.
• High monthly fees: The monthly fees for using BigCommerce can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses.

BigCommerce is one of the best eCommerce platforms available for large or scaling companies. It's easy to use and has a wide variety of features that make it perfect for any business, big or small.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is an eCommerce platform for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a shopping cart, an intuitive interface, and marketing tools that will help you grow your business online.

It also integrates seamlessly with some of the best third-party plugins on the market like Mailchimp to make it easier than ever before to sell products and offer customer support.

WooCommerce is best for businesses that are in the early stages of growth. It offers a wide range of features that will help you sell your products online and market your business effectively.

WooComerce Pros:

• WooCommerce is more affordable than other eCommerce platforms.
• WooCommerce offers more features and customizability than other eCommerce platforms.
• WooCommerce integrates with some of the best third-party plugins on the market.

WooCommerce Cons:

• WooCommerce is not as secure as other platforms–it has the most vulnerabilities. While you can add plugins to best secure your site, some security issues are out of your control and still exist in the core functionality of WooCommerce.
• WooCommerce is not as user-friendly as Shopify or BigCommerce out of the box, which can be a disadvantage for businesses that are not familiar with coding or website development
• WooCommerce is not as scalable as Shopify or BigCommerce, which can be a disadvantage for businesses that experience rapid growth

WooCommerce is one of the best eCommerce platforms on the market for small businesses that need flexibility, but are not as concerned about security and structure.

Magento/Adobe Commerce

Magento (now Adobe Commerce) is best known for its scalability and ability to handle large volumes of traffic. It also has a robust set of features that allows you to create any type of eCommerce website, regardless of whether it's an online store, shopping cart site, or catalog site. Magento is open-source and free (though there are paid extensions available).

This means that the platform includes all the necessary tools to start your own business without having to pay anything upfront. However, unlike other platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce which offer hosting services with their packages, you will need dedicated hosting from third parties such as Bluehost in order for your website to be operational.

Magento is best for businesses that are looking to create a custom eCommerce experience for their customers. Magento is a platform that allows you to customize the entire shopping experience, from the checkout process to the product pages. This flexibility makes Magento a good choice for businesses that want to create a unique eCommerce site.

Magento Pros:

• Highly customizable: Magento is highly customizable compared to other eCommerce platforms, giving businesses the ability to create a unique online store that best represents their brand.
• Robust features: Magento comes with a wealth of features, including search engine optimization (SEO), marketing tools, and payment gateways that allow businesses to accept payments from around the world.
• Scalable: Magento is scalable, meaning it can handle large volumes of traffic and orders without any problems. This makes it the perfect platform for businesses that are expecting a lot of growth in the near future.

Magento Cons:

• Magento has a steep learning curve and requires the best developers to build hype
• Magento is not as user friendly as other eCommerce platforms, meaning there's more work for you
• Magento stores are not SEO optimized out of the box

Magento is best for businesses that are looking to create a custom eCommerce experience for their customers. Magento is a platform that allows you to customize the entire shopping experience, from the checkout process to the product pages. This flexibility makes Magento a good choice for businesses that want to create a unique eCommerce site.

Wix

Wix is one of the best eCommerce platforms for small businesses. It’s easy to use, has a wide variety of templates and themes, and best of all: it’s free to start!

If you’re a free user, you can use the ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) tool to build your eCommerce site in minutes. The best part is that Wix lets you choose from over 100 templates and themes for your online store! You can create an amazing design without spending hours writing code or paying designers.

Wix is best for businesses that want to create a website quickly and easily without any coding experience. Wix offers a variety of templates and tools that make it easy for anyone to create a professional-looking website.

Wix Pros:

• Wix is easy to use- With Wix, you don’t need any coding experience to create a professional website. Just choose from one of their many templates and themes, and you can get started right away!
• There are tons of features- With Wix, you get access to a wide range of features, including an online store, blog, email marketing, and more. You can also connect your social media accounts so your customers can follow you on all their favorite platforms.
• It’s free to start!- You can create a website with Wix for free! Plus, there are no contracts or obligations so you can cancel at any time.

Wix Cons:

• Wix is best suited for small businesses with simple needs as it lacks any real customizable features
• Limited international shipping options
• Can't customize the look of storefronts

Wix is best for businesses that want to create a website quickly and easily without any coding experience. Wix offers a variety of templates and tools that make it easy for anyone to create a professional-looking website.

Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the best eCommerce platforms available for small to medium-sized businesses. Squarespace is best known for its website builder that allows you to create a beautiful website on the fly.

It's simple to use and makes setting up your online store a breeze. With Squarespace, you can create a professional-looking website in minutes, without any prior experience or design knowledge. Plus, Squarespace offers a wide range of templates and designs that you can customize to suit your brand. And if you need help, Squarespace's customer support team is always happy to assist. So if you're looking for an easy way to set up your online store, Squarespace is worth considering.

Squarespace is best for people who are looking to sell: Crafts, Artwork, Clothing, Books & Music. It’s best suited for personal sites and businesses that are looking for a simple and easy-to-use platform. It is perfect for businesses that want to create a website quickly and without having to learn to code.

Squarespace Pros:

Squarespace offers a ton of great features, including:

• Unlimited Bandwidth & Storage Space
• Free SSL Certificates (to protect your customer's data)
• Built-In SEO Features
• 24/07 Customer Support (You can call or email them)
• Mobile Optimization (Your site will look good on mobile devices)

Squarespace Cons:

• Limited features and functionality – Squarespace is geared more towards small businesses that don't need a lot of bells and whistles.
• Lack of scalability – as your business grows, you may need to look for a platform with more capabilities to handle increased traffic and volume.
• Higher pricing than some other platforms – while it's still cheaper than building your eCommerce site from scratch, Squarespace is more expensive than some of its competitors.

Squarespace is best for people who are looking to sell: Crafts, Artwork, Clothing, Books & Music. It’s best suited for personal sites and businesses that are looking for a simple and easy-to-use platform.

Conclusion

Choosing the best eCommerce platform for your business can be difficult. There are many platforms to choose from, each with its pros and cons. We hope this article has helped you narrow down some of your best options so you could find what best suits your needs- whether that's an easy website builder like Wix or Squarespace, A scalable solution like BogCommerce, or Shopify, or a more robust backend system like Magento.

Let us know how we did!