Online retailers such as eBay and Amazon revolutionized the retail market during the mid-1990s with the introduction of eCommerce. Now fast forward to the present day, and eCommerce is certainly not slowing down.
In recent years, e-commerce has become a vital component of the global retail landscape. Online shopping has become an essential part of our daily lives.
E-commerce accounted for nearly 19 percent of retail sales worldwide in 2021. By 2026, online sales will account for almost a quarter of global retail sales, according to forecasts.
eCommerce platform selection is one of the most challenging aspects of running an online business. The process of creating an eCommerce website is not difficult, but choosing the wrong eCommerce platform can make your business suffer.
This article will give you an overview of the top eCommerce platforms.
1. Shopify
Founded in 2004, Shopify has grown to be one of the most affordable, robust, user-friendly, and popular eCommerce platforms, serving millions of businesses worldwide. Since it is an inclusive platform, it requires very little in-house IT support and is very easy to set up.
It facilitates the development, hosting, operation, and management of eCommerce sites. In terms of content management systems, Shopify is among the best eCommerce platform.
Features of Shopify
- Businesses can accept payments and sell through physical pop-up shops with Shopify POS (Point of Sale).
- A broad range of SEO tools is available.
- Multiple third-party app integrations are available.
- Using Shopify Dropshipping, you can purchase products from third-party sellers and deliver them directly to your customers.
- Analyses and reports with advanced features.
- Reminder about abandoned carts.
- Online marketplaces and social media integrations are easy to set up.
- Payment processors are built into the system.
- Inventory management with advanced features.
Pros:
- The user interface is simple
- Support available 24×7
- Themes with an aesthetic appeal
- An in-house app store
- Multi-plugin support
- Ease of marketing
- Supports multiple currencies
- Flexible and highly customizable
- An integrated eCommerce platform that can be hosted
Cons:
- The process of adding custom fields can be challenging
- The platform is not free to use
- Limitations on customization (compared to some competitors)
2. BigCommerce
Founded in 2009, BigCommerce is now present in 150 countries. Similarly to Shopify, this is a SaaS solution that charges a monthly fee.
Besides physical goods, it offers a wide range of custom templates for selling digital products. In addition to improved user experience and brand exposure, Big Commerce provides advanced SEO features and analytics.
Features of BigCommerce:
- A more customized experience
- SEO optimization that is seamless
- Management of inventory and payments
- Streamlined checkout process
- Pricing for bulk orders
- Compatibility with multiple currencies
- Page builder with drag-and-drop functionality
- Integrations with PayPal
- Reviews of products
- The ability to tweak HTML and CSS
- Analyses and reporting that are professional
Pros:
- A great deal of customization and functionality
- An omnichannel sales strategy
- Optimizing your website for SEO
- Security
Cons:
- Limitations of free themes
- Limits on online sales per year
- Limitations of typefaces
3. Magento (Now Adobe Commerce)
Founded in 2009, Magento is a free, open-source shopping cart platform that has been acquired by Adobe in 2018. The Magento platform is written in PHP and before Adobe acquired the platform, it had been owned by a number of entities.
Magento Commerce, which enables the development of Progressive web apps, was launched under the current owner of the company as it was acquired by Adobe recently and know it is know as Adobe Commerce. Magento offers a user-friendly shopping experience, which is the company’s USP.
Features of Magento:
- Management of orders is easy
- Customers can be segmented
- Acquired sales channels from Amazon
- An advanced analytics and reporting system
- Accounts with customers
- A management system for orders
- Search engine optimization tools
- Management of the site
- High-converting product recommendations
Pros:
- Integration of additional payment gateways
- Community support for open-source projects
- Individual customizations
- Options for web designing
- A great user experience and user interface
- A collection of resources
Cons:
- Many people consider it expensive
- Paid technical support
- Complex installation
4. WooCommerce
In 2011, WooThemes created WooCommerce as an eCommerce extension for WordPress. In today’s market, it has become one of the most popular eCommerce platforms thanks to its affordability and flexibility. Adding eCommerce functionality to a WordPress site is easy with WooCommerce, a free plugin.
Features of WooCommerce
- Integration with WordPress is easy
- A platform for open-source eCommerce development
- A built-in payment processing system
- Library of extensions
- Themes with plenty of options
- Infrastructure that is simple yet robust
- Integration of marketing tools
- A built-in blogging feature
- Customizable locally
- Product sorting and rating
Pros:
- It’s free and open source
- Customization at every level
- Flexible and secured
- A large community
Cons:
- Too many plugins slow down performance
- Adding extensions to your website is not free
Do you need help developing your eCommerce website? We have experienced WooCommerce developers who will deliver website design services based on the specs of your project. Contact ScrumDigital experts to discuss the details of your project.
5. Wix
The Wix platform was created in 2006 by a group of developers with the aim of providing a seamless and affordable alternative to contemporary eCommerce building platforms.
Wix has more than 200 million users across 190 countries. Aside from its fantastic user experience, it also offers ease of eCommerce development and affordability, which is also one of the company’s top USPs.
Features of Wix
- 500+ designer templates to choose from
- Complete freedom in designing your site
- Tools for advanced SEO
- Optimization for mobile devices
- Fonts and scroll effects are unlimited
- Features such as media galleries and advanced design
- Editor with drag-and-drop functionality
- Reports on revenue and conversions
- Order management and inventory control
Pros:
- The speed of the site is good
- Collection of great templates
- Marketing your site is easy
- A few additional features
- A drag-and-drop interface that is intuitive
- Support in an adequate manner
- No expensive long-term plans
- Secured development
Cons:
- Templates that cannot be interchanged
- Free plans with forced branding
- Plans are not unlimited
- Display limitations in terms of creativity
All of these platforms have their pros and cons, so it really depends on your specific needs as a business owner. If you’re unsure which is the best eCommerce platform right for your small business, or if you need help with eCommerce website development, contact Scrum Digital.
Our team of experts can help you figure out which platform is best and cheapest for your business and then develop a custom eCommerce solution tailored to your unique needs.
We’ll make sure your customers have the best possible experience when shopping on your site, no matter what device they use. Contact us today to get started!
