There are many businesses that have gone through the traditional route of selling their products and services. Some of these businesses have achieved success after operating for a number of years. However, these businesses have found the need to reach their customers globally with the use of technology and the internet. Ecommerce is a tool that helps all these businesses transact with all types of consumers. Since most of the things go through the internet these days, businesses that have access to eCommerce are able to cope with changes more efficiently. When talking about eCommerce, businesses should know about the different eCommerce platforms that would be able to fit their business models and goals.
The 10 Best eCommerce Platforms In 2021
An eCommerce platform is the backbone needed by a business that plans to enter into digital transactions with its customers. The main role of eCommerce platforms is to ensure that the front-end systems and the back-end systems of businesses are able to connect and work with each other as seamlessly as possible. Without this structure, businesses will not be able to effectively run their eCommerce enterprises. To know more about the 10 best eCommerce platforms this 2021, you may refer to the list below:
- BigCommerce
o This is one of the best platforms that can be used to easily handle the complex processes involved when selling online.
o The platform boasts of flexibility. Businesses can have their online stores customized to their needs. Features can be tailor-made to the requirements of the business.
o The problem with other eCommerce platforms is that there needs to be a high level of knowledge needed of coding to be able to customize an online store. With BigCommerce, it provides the business with customizable templates so that businesses do not need to have advanced web development skills to create a working online store. This is done through its Page Builder tool.
o Another excellent thing with this eCommerce platform is that it allows for channel integrations like with eBay and Amazon.
o Processes are also streamlined in this platform. By giving the customers of the businesses one page checkout and cart recovery, it ensures that customers would prefer transacting with that business due to the convenience it has given them.
o Having constant access to the customer service of an eCommerce platform is essential for all businesses that plan to run 24/7 online stores. BigCommerce ensures its users that they will always have support ready to help with their online stores. In most cases, issues are solved after making just one call. There is also a community forum where businesses can learn from the webinars, guides, and tutorials saved in it.
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud
o This is a cloud-based eCommerce platform.
o Salesforce Commerce Cloud is built to help enterprise-level businesses transact with their customers.
o It is complicated to use for some businesses, but it can greatly help them address their concerns since the platform provides customizations that can cover most business applications.
o Salesforce has other products other than this eCommerce platform. The platform has been designed to make it possible to integrate with the other Salesforce products.
o For businesses that employ experienced programmers, they can maximize the capability of this platform.
o One of the important features that this platform offers is that upgrades are installed seamlessly without the need for someone to intervene.
o It also allows for social media integration. This can help businesses in reaching out to different types of demographics.
o The platform includes customer support that uses a ticketing system.
- Magento
o Magento was originally a fully open-sourced eCommerce platform. However, after being purchased by Adobe in 2018, this eCommerce platform has both community and enterprise editions. Magento Open Source is free to use and download. However, there is a need to pay for several features of the software such as themes, hosting, and other add-ons. Magento Commerce, the enterprise edition, is the paid version.
o This is a brand used by well-known brands such as Hermes, Nike, Bvlgari, Liverpool FC, Jaguar, Land Rover, and other big names in various industries. This just shows how much trust it has gained throughout the years.
o There is a need for experienced programmers if businesses wish to fully customize their online store.
o One of the advantages that Magento provides its clients is that it has built a large community that is well-versed with its technology. If a business does not employ programmers, it can hire the services of programmers and developers within the Magento community.
o Businesses that use the enterprise edition are known to receive various security features that include WAF and DDoS protection, data retention, disaster recovery, automated data backup, and expansive altering and monitoring. These features are necessary for businesses that have grown into enterprise giants.
- Shopify
o Shopify has been known to be one of the best platforms used for selling.
o It has different versions that would depend on the size of the business. Shopify is used by businesses that are operating in small to medium scales. Shopify Plus, on the other hand, has been designed to help large enterprises sell their products effectively.
o Using Shopify is easier for most businesses since it has a drag and drop interface.
o It offers its users various storefront design templates, performance analytics, and content marketing.
o To fully customize an online store, businesses should hire experts that are well-trained with Liquid, the front-end customization language used by Shopify. Businesses that do not plan on hiring their own experts may opt to hire the services of 3rd party agencies that are experienced in working with Shopify.
o One of the main differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus is their levels of support. Shopify users can hire Shopify Experts to support them with any of their concerns. For Shopify Plus users, they are assigned dedicated Launch Engineers to support them during store setup and the migration process.
- SAP Commerce Cloud
o This is an omnichannel platform that was formerly known as SAP Hybris Commerce.
o It adds the CRM software of SAP into its eCommerce structure. This ensures that businesses can control the experiences of their customers.
o This eCommerce platform is built for a large enterprise that has already established its global presence.
o It has been designed to gather data from multiple channels so that businesses are able to reach more customers while reducing their marketing costs since it removes redundant communication from the process.
o It allows a business to monitor every step a customer takes. This helps the businesses to find better ways to improve the customer’s experience in the future.
o It comes with advanced SEO features that are meant to give businesses more advantage over their competitors.
- Oracle CX Commerce
o This is one of the cloud-based eCommerce platforms that have been designed to work for large enterprises. It is delivered within the Oracle Cloud.
o One of the main features that Oracle CX Commerce offers is that it uses a single interface to host all the admin tools.
o The API-first architecture and REST web services framework employed by this platform ensures that it is flexible to be able to suit any of its clients’ needs.
o Building a storefront can be done using the drag and drop method. The platform has incorporated a layout and widget framework to make designing a store quicker. It also gives its clients the opportunity to create their own layouts and widgets.
o To reduce integration costs, the availability of the Oracle Cloud Marketplace makes it easier for clients to access pre-built connectors and extensions with technology partners such as payments with Paypal, marketing with Bulecore, and ratings and reviews with Verified Reviews.
- WooCommerce
o This is an open-source eCommerce platform that is closely connected to WordPress.
o WooCommerce is a scalable platform and can be used by businesses of different sizes. There is a need to ensure that businesses choose the right web hosting companies and plans that would help with the scalability of their online stores.
o Businesses that plan to use WooCommerce should make sure that they have experts assigned to optimize and strategize in keeping their online stores’ loading pages speed as fast as possible and also streamlining database queries to prevent bottlenecks.
- Wix eCommerce
o This is one of the eCommerce platforms that are meant to help small eCommerce businesses.
o Some of the important features offered by the Wix eCommerce include abandoned cart recovery, multi channel integration, on-page support, and a drag and drop store setup. These show that the platform is aimed to make selling convenient for its clients.
o There are 3 plans that can be chosen in Wix eCommerce. The Business Basic is the cheapest and offers the least features among the 3 plans. The Business Unlimited is the most popular among businesses that use this eCommerce platform. The Business VIP is known to cost the most among the 3 but also unlocks all the features that Wix eCommerce gives its customers.
o Each plan has storage limits that range between 20GB and 50GB.
o Businesses are required to upload different kinds of documents that would be used to promote their products. These documents may be in the form of pictures, videos, and other file types. Businesses may need to change plans as they get bigger since having more products to sell means that there will be a need to upload more documents. This would entail that a business may take up more of its available storage space, so the old plan would not be able to store newer documents. The Business VIP plan has a limit of 50GB storage space. For businesses that are close to reaching this limit, they will need to look for other eCommerce platforms since they have grown big enough and cannot be handled by the Wix eCommerce platform anymore.
- Weebly
o This is one of the eCommerce platforms that have been built with their own marketing automation feature.
o Weebly is a good choice for businesses that want to have simple stores.
o Designing the store can be done through different methods like drag and drop, HTML, and CSS.
o It has a mobile application that can be used to manage the business and also print shipping labels.
o Businesses should know that Weebly does not allow them to sell digital goods on their online stores.
o Some of the other features offered by Weebly include various email tools, easy-to-use dashboard, low cost and free designs, and inventory management.
o Customer service for Weebly can be through email, chat, and phone support.
- Squarespace
o With its scalability, Squarespace has been used by various companies of different sizes. Well-known companies that use this platform include HBO, Accenture, Target, and Cisco.
o This platform gives its clients the opportunity to create designs that would help them let their products shine.
o It has basic professional-looking templates that can be used for any online store.
o Squarespace offers the drag and drop method to its clients to make it easier to design and build their storefronts.
o Other features that clients can enjoy while using Squarespace include inventory, social selling, SEO, analytics, and various marketing features.
Find The Best eCommerce Platform That Suits Your Business
Always remember that you must understand what your business needs before choosing a specific eCommerce platform. You have to look into the considerations that are within the means of your business such as budget availability, programming knowledge of your employees, and other factors that may determine how your online store will be built. Choosing the most expensive eCommerce platform does not guarantee that it is right for your business. Always look for the most cost-effective option for your business.
