Things to Consider When Choosing an Ecommerce Platform
By Jenny Chang
In recent years, ecommerce has become a significant component of the retail structure across the globe. Just like any other industries, retail has experienced a drastic change after the emergence of the internet. For this reason, consumers from all walks of life now benefit from the perks of digital transactions. Internet access and utilization are quickly growing, and so are the numbers of digital consumers. In 2020 alone, about 2 billion consumers purchased products or goods online. Ecommerce sales have also reached $4.2 trillion globally.
Whether you run a B2B or B2C company, the foundation of your online retail business will be an ecommerce platform. Let this article guide you on how to choose an ecommerce platform.
Iron out your distinct ecommerce needs.
Figuring out your business requirements will simplify the process of platform selection. Start with a roadmap. Know the path of your business now and in the future, the functionalities that you offer, and so on. Note them down alongside a list of ecommerce platform examples you are pondering on. Make sure that what you will choose has, at least, comparable capacities.
Have a roadmap of your customers’ road to purchase too, like their means of finding you, the mediums they are using, and how they prefer their purchases to be delivered.
Look into vendor competence and experience.
Take time to research about the vendor—learn about their expertise, skills, and experience working with the industry you belong to. Look into their case studies, customer feedback, and discussions to determine their readiness to manage things more than just invention.
Consider the price.
Various platforms offer various functionalities at different prices. Some providers offer one low flat rate minus extra transaction charges, while others offer a base rate and oblige subscriptions for various apps to streamline their website. As a result, the overall cost could be much higher than with one of the other websites.
Also, consider the features that every provider offers. Some of them may offer extra features and are inclusive of their base rate, features that their competitors do not provide.
Choose a scalable platform.
Your ecommerce software is the core of your business; therefore, it should be able to grow together with your business. If it is hard to scale, it can stop your business from achieving growth and, later on, success.
Here are some of our recommended ecommerce platforms:
Look at the features.
As extra added features of their basic ecommerce features, many platforms offer intuitive marketing tools, such as dropshipping apps, everyday deals, rewards, abandoned cart emails, newsletters, and more.
The best ecommerce platform is the one that can replace any intuitive features with app consolidation. Still, using apps that your team is more comfortable with establishes consistency that can be integral to new or growing businesses.
Here are some of the most important features to look out for
1. Apps and plugins
Most platforms deliver a variety of tools for managing a business. Watch out for some of the most famous kinds of plugins, which include accounting plugins, email marketing solutions, rewards tools, and apps to aid in shipping your goods.
Dropshipping plugin such as Alms Marketplace, allows you to be able to start your ecommerce business within minutes without having to invest in purchasing inventory. Alms Marketplace integrates with all of the major ecommerce platforms, allowing you to choose from a range of different website building platforms, such as Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, and many more.
2. SEO functionality
SEO-friendly ecommerce tools allow your website to place at the top results of search engines. Select one that can add a blog to your platform, use your own domain name, and enable customers to provide feedback.
3. Mobile friendliness
Almost 60% of searches took place on mobile phones. These searches lead to a purchase from that same device. This indicates that it is necessary to find the platform that will let customers access your website and make a purchase using their mobile devices.
A projection from Buildfire also says that by the end of this year, mobile commerce sales via smartphones will reach $276.1 billion.
4. Variety of website themes
Your ecommerce website will be defined by the theme you will be choosing. Many ecommerce platforms provide a wide range of themes. Some of these are already included in the subscription, while others are exclusive and call for an extra fee to use. These exclusive themes will usually give your website an edge by making it an extraordinary online shopping experience for your buyers.
Think of customizing themes, too, as various providers offer various means of customization. If you are more adept with creating websites, designing yours may be worth a try.
5. Platform security
Ecommerce is a digital tool that takes payments. Thus, it is of utmost importance to ensure that your ecommerce website is safe from data theft and hacking. Your vendor should provide you with the needed security protocols, like PCI compliance, fraud prevention, data backups, and SSL.
Assess the customer and technical support
The vendor should be able to assist you whenever problems arise. Choose a vendor that can be reachable 24/7 via different channels.
An exceptional technical support is a great advantage, especially for entrepreneurs who are new to ecommerce. The majority of platforms offer support during weekdays and office hours in their time zones only. There are also others that offer support 24/7.
Examine the kind of provided support. The most common types of support are online, chat, FAQs sections, and/or tutorials.
Can it help you reach an international market?
One of ecommerce software benefits is the ability to target the worldwide marketplace at inexpensive costs. If this is included in your plans, select a platform that can be easily adjusted to global business.
Primary elements of international ecommerce are support for different languages, currencies, and taxation laws. Others also have support for local time zones and different product catalogs depending on the region or country.
Is the payment method convenient for you?
Not all providers offer digital payment options, such as PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or Amazon Pay. And this instance might be nonnegotiable for you.
Digital payment is one of the most convenient and fastest means of buying products online. On the other hand, asking customers to pay you via credit card may cost you a sale.
You may also have to apply payment methods for global purchases. Bitcoin is even used by some platforms.
Hire an ecommerce expert.
Ecommerce experts can give you insights and knowledge that you or your team may not have come across yet. One can guide you in picking the best ecommerce platform for startups if your operations are still in their early stages or what is the best ecommerce platform for small business if this is where your operation falls into. Having an ecommerce expert to consult with can let you become more well-informed and logical when evaluating various solutions for your business.
Ecommerce Software: Helping Businesses Thrive in the Digitalization Era
Do the hard task of settling on your ecommerce platform early on as changing platforms can take too much of your time, money, and energy. With the right platform at your disposal, you can administer the daily processing of online sales well and grow your business fast. In essence, it would be easier for your business to thrive in this era of digitalization amidst an ongoing health crisis.
In summary, choosing the best ecommerce platform comes down to which ones suit your needs the most. If you’re interested in building a dropshipping-based ecommerce business, Alms Marketplace makes drop shipping easy with its vast product catalog and four pricing plans. So it’s possible to launch your dropshipping venture without having to spend any money on inventory. Drop us a comment with your thoughts!