Top 3 Ecommerce Website Platforms for Small Business
If you’re starting an e-commerce business (or already have a physical business that you want to expand online), choosing the right e-commerce platform can quickly get painfully confusing.
With such a wide range of platform options (and prices) in the wild, how can you be sure that the ecommerce software you choose is right for your small business?
To save you headaches, we’ve narrowed it down to our 3 favorite options below:
(in no particular order)
1.) Shopify
Shopify is the “granddaddy” of easy-to-use ecommerce platforms, offering a comprehensive list of features that allow you to manage and grow your business, all in one place.
Some of the best features include:
Customizable online showcase
Simple payment processing
Integrated hosting
Inventory management
Comprehensive reports and analysis
Customer relationship management system (CRM)
With monthly plans ranging from $ 29 to $ 299, the platform is reasonably priced, albeit a bit more expensive.
The downsides to the platform mainly lie in the payment processing fees, with an additional transaction fee that applies if you choose to use a payment processor in addition to Shopify’s proprietary payment system.
Also, many of the extensions available in the app store come with a price tag, which can start to add up over time.
In general, the Shopify platform has been designed with novice users in mind, allowing almost anyone with basic tech savvy to run their own eCommerce site with ease.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
2.) WooCommerce
WooCommerce is developed to run specifically on WordPress, as a plugin, rather than a platform standalone. This allows you to turn almost any WordPress website into a fully functioning eCommerce platform and best of all, it’s free!
Features include:
Simple integration with WordPress
Basic inventory management
Automatic tax calculation
Sales reports
Access to the mobile application
Now, while the basic WooCommerce plugin itself is free to use on any WordPress site, keep in mind that it lacks much of the added functionality of more expensive rivals. If you want to add functionality like Stripe payment processing, less common shipping options, it will cost extra.
Overall, WooCommerce is a great option if you already have a WordPress website setup, or are looking to build your new store on the platform and want a free, easy-to-use system.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
3.) BigCommerce
BigCommerce is another big hitter in the ecommerce space, with major clients like Ford and Toyota in its portfolio.
As a small business ecommerce platform, BigCommerce is a major competitor to the top spot, with a rich feature set and easy integrations with multiple sales channels.
Features include:
No transaction fees
Responsive storefront themes
Multi-channel integration (sell through eBay, Google, Facebook, etc.)
Excellent technical support
On the downside, despite not charging transaction fees like most other platforms, BigCommerce places a “sales threshold” on each of its plans. This means that if your store exceeds the nominal revenue figure, you will be forced to update your plan to accommodate. Although it is not a crazy model, it is something to keep in mind.
Overall, BigCommerce is a feature-rich platform that provides store owners with a powerful arsenal of tools at a price similar to other major players. Its unique “no transaction fee” model can save money for startups!
Rating: 4/5
The bottom line
With such an amazing array of ecommerce platform options on offer, it’s important to focus on your budget, target audience, and business goals when choosing the platform to build (or migrate) your ecommerce business.
Keep it simple by listing your top requirements, then go through the top 3-5 options, starting with the big trusted names. By narrowing down the options and staying focused on your needs (ignoring the “bells and whistles”, it will be much easier to find the platform for you.