One of the necessary choices you’ll make to your ecommerce enterprise is the platform you select to construct it on.
An awesome ecommerce platform can present many advantages, together with:
- Elevated income
- Improved buyer satisfaction and retention
- Decreased prices
- Elevated effectivity
- Higher search engine rating
- Nice buyer assist
- Integration with apps and plugins
- Better scalability
- Enhanced safety
So, it’s essential to take your time and do your analysis to search out the most effective platform to your retailer.
On this article, we’ll focus on all 9 advantages of choosing an awesome ecommerce platform. Let’s verify them out!
The 9 advantages of utilizing a superb ecommerce platform
Choosing a superb ecommerce platform to your retailer can prevent quite a lot of problem in the long run.
Listed below are 9 advantages of utilizing a superb ecommerce platform:
1. Elevated income
The primary and most evident good thing about an awesome ecommerce platform is elevated gross sales.
However why is that?
Aren’t your gross sales primarily based on issues like your product and advertising?
Properly, for a big half, sure. However what do it’s essential to create issues like your product web page, checkout web page, and deserted cart reminders?
That’s proper, an awesome ecommerce platform!
A well-designed platform with a user-friendly interface will make it simple for patrons to search out the merchandise they need and make a purchase order.
Moreover, a platform with options akin to deserted cart reminders and buyer critiques will help to enhance conversion charges.
2. Improved buyer satisfaction and retention
This subsequent part covers two advantages without delay, that are virtually instantly associated to one another.
First, an awesome ecommerce platform can result in improved buyer satisfaction. A platform that’s simple to make use of will make for an pleasant buying expertise to your guests.
That’s very true in case your platform lets you incorporate issues like a reside chat to your customer support!
A direct good thing about improved buyer satisfaction is that it results in higher buyer retention. In different phrases, clients usually tend to buy out of your retailer once more sooner or later!
Options akin to loyalty packages and buyer profiles also can assist to create a extra customized expertise that may hold clients coming again.
3. Decreased prices
One other good thing about an awesome ecommerce platform is diminished prices.
This may be achieved in two methods:
- You decide a platform that enjoys economies of scale and subsequently has comparatively low month-to-month charges.
- You decide a platform that provides options that prevent time (and, subsequently, cash!).
- Or a mixture of each!
An instance of a platform with comparatively low month-to-month charges is ShopBase. Their Fundamental plan of $19 per 30 days already will get you a great deal of essential options:
However what options will let you save quite a lot of time?
Properly, some examples embody automated order success and order monitoring, which will help cut back your order success prices.
4. Elevated effectivity
Subsequent up is a profit that’s nice in just about all facets of life, elevated effectivity!
As we talked about earlier than, a platform that automates sure duties like order success or stock administration will liberate your time as a way to give attention to different necessary issues.
However have you ever additionally thought of options akin to real-time reporting and analytics? These can undoubtedly enable you to to make higher and extra environment friendly choices for your online business!
Right here’s an instance of Shopify’s conversion funnel analytics:
These are some nice issues to know if you wish to optimize your ecommerce buy funnel!
5. Higher search engine rating
One of many advantages of an Search engine optimisation-friendly ecommerce platform is that it could actually enable you to to rank increased in search engine outcomes pages (SERPs).
It is because such a platform is designed to satisfy the wants of search engines like google and yahoo, making it simpler for them to index and perceive your web site.
In consequence, your web site is extra prone to seem in SERPs when folks seek for phrases associated to your online business.
And, when your retailer seems extra usually on search engines like google and yahoo like Google, it’s going to enhance site visitors and gross sales!
In case you are in search of sturdy Search engine optimisation efficiency, then WooCommerce is an ecommerce platform it’s best to take a look at.
The explanation for this has to do with the best way WooCommerce works.
WooCommerce is open-source software program and a plug-in for WordPress. To open a retailer utilizing WooCommerce, you need to maintain the internet hosting half your self.
The result’s that you’ve full possession of your retailer, not like on different ecommerce platforms. Due to this fact, you’ll be able to change any Search engine optimisation-related specifics to your retailer and optimize it to rank in the easiest way doable.
To conclude, not solely is WooCommerce very Search engine optimisation-friendly proper out of the field, but it surely additionally works on high of WordPress, which is already acknowledged as a wonderful platform for Search engine optimisation. (For instance, you may begin a weblog subsequent to your ecommerce retailer!)
6. Nice buyer assist
When operating an ecommerce retailer, you not solely need your guests to have entry to good buyer assist, however you generally want buyer assist your self as nicely!
And guess what? A wonderful ecommerce platform will supply nice buyer assist.
For instance, Shopify has a wonderful assist crew that provides 24/7 assist:
They provide award-winning assist through telephone, chat, e mail, or Twitter. However additionally they have a big Shopify group discussion board the place you’ll be able to join with different retailers to study and get assist.
You can even discover solutions to your questions via the Shopify Weblog, tutorials, webinars, and the Shopify Youtube channel.
It’s maybe the most effective assist provided amongst high ecommerce platforms, and we predict it has one thing to do with the person main Shopify:
… We love actual groups with actual friendship forming. None of that’s even about product, or market match, or timing. It’s all about folks. Treating everybody with dignity.”
Tobias Lutke, CEO, Shopify (supply)
7. Integration with apps and plugins
It doesn’t matter which ecommerce platform you decide; there’s a excessive chance you’ll have to set up further apps or plugins to get the precise functionalities you want.
And if you’d like your retailer to run easily with these apps, your ecommerce platform should combine with them.
In brief, an awesome ecommerce platform will supply a variety of integrations as a way to select probably the most related ones for your online business.
Many good ecommerce platforms will supply some sort of app retailer the place you’ll find apps and plugins designed to connect with your retailer seamlessly.
For instance, right here is a picture of the app retailer on BigCommerce:
8. Better scalability
One other good thing about an awesome ecommerce platform is that it could actually enhance scalability by permitting you to simply add new merchandise, classes, and options as your retailer grows.
To not point out, you’ll want a platform that may deal with the elevated site visitors and gross sales quantity!
This profit is very big when you’re operating a high-volume ecommerce retailer.
In 2015, Gymshark’s web site (then constructed on Magento) went down for eight hours straight throughout Black Friday.
The crash price Gymshark an estimated $143k in gross sales and a lack of buyer belief!
Since then, Gymshark migrated to Shopify Plus and by no means had any extra issues associated to scalability. What’s extra, they grew to a $1.2+ billion firm with a 900-strong workforce.
9. Enhanced safety
In as we speak’s digital world, safety is extra necessary than ever.
With all the information passing via your retailer, it’s necessary to have a safe and dependable platform.
Good safety not solely protects your clients’ info but additionally helps you keep away from expensive knowledge breaches and the unfavourable publicity that comes with them.
An awesome ecommerce platform will present varied safety features, akin to SSL encryption and fraud detection. Furthermore, it will likely be hosted on a safe server that may defend your clients’ knowledge from being compromised.
For instance, all shops powered by Shopify are PCI compliant, which suggests which you could hold all cost data and enterprise knowledge protected:
5 Nice ecommerce platforms to make use of in 2023
Are you excited now to select an awesome ecommerce platform to your retailer?
That’s nice!
However the place do you discover a few of the highest ecommerce platforms?
Properly, don’t fear; right here is our top-five listing! And if you wish to learn concerning the platforms in additional element, we extremely suggest trying out this text right here.
1. Shopify
Shopify is arguably top-of-the-line – if not the most effective – ecommerce platforms on the market. Its purpose is to make it simple and inexpensive for newbie entrepreneurs to enter the booming ecommerce megatrend, so you’ll want to contemplate this one severely.
Shopify is likely one of the finest ecommerce platforms for the next seven causes:
- It’s simple to start out a Shopify retailer as a newbie
- It’s inexpensive and supplies worth and scalability
- It affords world-class buyer assist
- It has the velocity and safety you want
- It supplies advertising instruments and Search engine optimisation
- It’s cell pleasant
- And lastly, it supplies sources and apps particularly for dropshipping shops!
Amongst others, Shopify affords 70+ skilled themes, 100+ cost gateways, a wonderful assist crew, cell system assist, and far more!
Pricing
Shopify’s pricing plans vary from $29 to $299 per 30 days:
Fortunately, the most affordable plan, ‘Fundamental Shopify,’ is enough for many ecommerce retailer homeowners.
For some, $29 per 30 days might sound costly, however there’s quite a lot of hidden worth in that quantity. For instance, you received’t must pay for internet hosting!
For extra details about Shopify’s pricing plans, take a look at our in-depth article right here!
Tip: Did you create your Shopify account already? If not, enroll by clicking this hyperlink right here to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the primary 3 months!
2. WooCommerce
WooCommerce advanced from a industrial theme creation enterprise referred to as WooThemes in 2008 to a full-out ecommerce resolution in 2015.
Since then, it has turn out to be one of many fastest-growing ecommerce platforms, with over 5 million web sites utilizing it, which is about 30% of the ecommerce market.
The primary distinction between Shopify and WooCommcerce is that Shopify is extra appropriate for freshmen and consists of internet hosting, whereas WooCommerce requires you to maintain your personal web site internet hosting.
Pricing
WooCommerce is totally free to make use of!
That’s as a result of WooCommerce is open-source software program and a plug-in for WordPress.
Nevertheless, as talked about earlier than, WooCommerce takes care of the ecommerce a part of your web site solely, and because it’s a plug-in, webhosting will likely be left as much as you.
So whereas the platform is ‘free,’ you shouldn’t overlook to issue within the funds to pay for the price of internet hosting, which is anyplace from $20 to $30 for a VPS (Digital Personal Server) or cheaper for a Shared Host.
In case you are considering WooCommerce, merely click on right here to enroll!
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is one other ecommerce big like Shopify. It was based in 2009, has 60,000+ retailers, and is lively in over 150 international locations.
It’s a completely hosted and established platform that’s nice for each freshmen wanting to start out small and for these extra tech-savvy of us who wish to tweak the HTML and CSS of their shops.
When evaluating BigCommerce to Shopify, BigCommerce affords higher Search engine optimisation efficiency, extra built-in options, extra assist for product choices and variants, and has only a single core product; its ecommerce platform.
In the meantime, Shopify affords many third-party plugins (though generally at a value), is less complicated to make use of, and has world-class assist.
Pricing
BigCommerce affords three most important pricing plans (that are virtually equal to Shopify), starting from $29.95 to $299.95 per 30 days:
Contemplating the lengthy listing of options included with the Commonplace plan of $29.95 per 30 days, it’s going to in all probability be sufficient for many ecommerce shops.
With many gross sales channels, together with level of sale, single-page checkout, real-time delivery quotes, {and professional} reporting instruments, you’ll have quite a lot of energy for an affordable worth.
So, if you wish to check out BigCommerce, click on right here to get your free 15-day trial!
4. ShopBase
ShopBase won’t be the primary identify that involves thoughts when beginning an ecommerce retailer, however the wonderful thing about it’s that it supplies a really inexpensive and efficient entry into dropshipping.
It’s an ecommerce platform designed with dropshippers as its most important purchasers.
So, every of the pricing plans comes with the next:
- An automatic on-line retailer builder (get a completely practical retailer in a single click on).
- A local AliExpress connection.
- Free upselling and cross-selling instruments to maximise income.
- A month-to-month listing of profitable dropshipping merchandise to promote.
Pricing
The pricing makes ShopBase a wonderful selection for a newbie on a decent funds.
With a 14-day free trial and a starter package deal at $19 per 30 days, what’s to not like? All of ShopBase’s plans are about 30% decrease than Shopify’s, which would be the deciding issue for some.
So, curious to check out ShopBase’s free 14-day trial? If that’s the case, click on right here!
5. Shift4Shop
Let’s finish the listing with Shift4Shop, an ecommerce platform that at present has over 200k clients and processes roughly $200 billion per 12 months.
You’ll be able to take a look at all of Shift4Shop’s options right here!
Pricing
The pricing is the half the place Shift4Shop steals the present.
The platform has an ecommerce plan that’s fully free!
The draw back?
Properly, in case you have a pointy eye, you could have already seen it within the small letters on the backside of the pricing web page.
The free plan is simply out there for US clients!
So, when you don’t qualify for the free plan, chances are you’ll find yourself paying a month-to-month payment much like Shopify:
Once more, when you’re new to dropshipping, the Fundamental Retailer plan is an effective place to start out at $29/month. It affords every thing it’s essential to get began.
So, seeking to check out Shift4Shop? Get your ecommerce retailer began totally free right here!
Word: Need to promote vaping, CBD, wine, or different restricted merchandise? Shift4Shop has a number of high-risk cost suppliers, making it doable to promote these merchandise (that different platforms might prohibit).
FAQs about ecommerce platforms
Nonetheless unsure what to do relating to your ecommerce platform? We hope that certainly one of these FAQs might enable you to!
What’s an ecommerce platform?
An ecommerce platform is a software program resolution that allows companies to handle their on-line gross sales from begin to end. This consists of every thing from establishing an internet site to processing funds and managing buyer orders. (Extra data right here)
What’s the finest ecommerce platform?
Shopify is the most effective ecommerce platform total. It’s the third-largest retailer behind Amazon and eBay. Shopify Plus can be utilized by well-known companies like Pepsi, Heinz, and Tesla.
Is Amazon an ecommerce platform?
Amazon is just not an ecommerce platform. As a substitute, it’s a web based market as a result of it’s an present web site the place you promote merchandise amongst different retailers.
Which ecommerce platform is finest for dropshipping?
Abstract
Earlier than we go to the conclusion, we’ve created a fast abstract of this text for you, so you’ll be able to simply bear in mind it:
- Choosing an awesome ecommerce platform has many advantages for your online business, together with elevated income, higher search engine rating, nice buyer assist, higher scalability, enhanced safety, and improved effectivity.
- Among the finest ecommerce platforms to make use of in 2023 are Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, ShopBase, and Shift4Shop.
- For extra details about the most effective ecommerce platforms, take a look at this text!
Conclusion
As an ecommerce enterprise proprietor, it’s important to decide on a platform that may give you the instruments and options it’s essential to succeed.
An awesome ecommerce platform ought to supply a sturdy set of options, an intuitive interface, and dependable buyer assist. It must also be scalable so you’ll be able to simply add new merchandise and develop your online business as your wants change.
And don’t overlook concerning the skill to trace your gross sales, clients, and stock ranges.
By selecting a platform that provides all of those options, you’ll be able to make certain that you’re giving your online business the most effective probability for achievement!
Need to study extra about ecommerce?
Prepared to maneuver your on-line retailer to the subsequent stage? Try the articles under:
