Starting an e-commerce website these days is often a lucrative business opportunity, no matter what you’re selling. Today, online shopping is booming, with more and more people turning to the internet to buy the products that they need, from household essentials to clothes and collectors’ items. Regardless of what you’ve decided to sell, you can pretty much guarantee that there’s going to be a market online.
However, when selling online, it is crucial to bear in mind that there’s already quite a large market for e-commerce, with websites out there selling almost anything that you could think of. Selecting the right e-commerce platform will ensure that your website stands out for the right reasons and is competitive.
Pricing and Payment
The first factor to keep in mind when looking for an e-commerce platform is the price. Whether you are just getting started with your small business or are already established in the retail market, it’s important to know exactly what you’re paying for and select a platform in line with your budget. Almost all e-commerce platforms will have a monthly fee, although there may be an option for you to pay upfront for a year or more. You should also consider any processing fees associated with the platform.
Source: coindesk.com
Plugins and Integrations
Another key factor to think about when choosing the right e-commerce platform for your business is any plugins and integrations. Many platforms, for example, Shopify, come with a range of plugins and apps that your site can integrate with in order to help you grow your business. Consider what your business needs and compare the various plugins available from each platform to help you determine which is the best fit. You might also find it useful to check out this comparison of the top e-commerce platforms from PieSync, which goes into more detail about what each one offers in terms of plugins, features, functionality, price and more.
Mobile Friendliness
Whether or not the platform you’re choosing is mobile-friendly is a crucial question to ask before signing up. Not having a responsive website is a grave mistake these days, and if you choose a platform that is behind the times, then your website will suffer. The good news is that modern e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce offer a range of responsive templates and themes.
Source: kinstacdn.com
SEO Friendliness
E-commerce businesses need to make SEO a priority, and the platform that you choose will hold a lot of weight when it comes to how well your website ranks for certain search terms. While there are always strategies that you can use aside from the platform itself, certain aspects will determine just how well your business ranks. Look for an e-commerce platform that offers high security with an SSL certificate, offers a secure checkout, allows you to use your own domain name, and has a blog functionality. If using a self-hosted platform, the type of hosting used is also an important consideration as this could affect your website speed.
Choosing the right platform is key to success when starting an e-commerce business.
