Now more than ever, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses of any size. The recent pandemic has highlighted the need for small businesses who once relied on foot-traffic to go digital. While you may already know that launching a website is one of the first steps to taking your business online, you may not know where to begin. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 e-commerce platforms to help you choose the right one for you and your business.
Shopify
- Price: Starting at 29$/month
- Ease of use: Easy
- Customer support: Excellent
- Features: Robust
The one-stop shop. The Canadian company Shopify is a leader in e-commerce platforms, and for good reason. Shopify is known for being reliable and extremely user-friendly. It’s easy to set up and has some of the best features on the market integrated into the platform. Among other things, Shopify allows you to sell your products anywhere (on your website, online marketplaces, social media and in-store) all while helping to manage your inventory efficiently. Overall, Shopify is a great option for any size business and can be used by anyone, from beginners to experts. However, if you’re just starting out and are on a tight budget, there are less pricey options on the market that can get the job done.
BigCommerce
- Price: Starting at 29.95$/month
- Ease of use: Moderate
- Customer support: Excellent
- Features: Robust
For the big guys. As the name suggests, BigCommerce is known as one of the best platforms for large and rapid-growing businesses. As Shopify’s direct competitor, it stacks up very similarly in many respects. Both platforms allow for multi-channel selling and include extensive management and marketing tools. Since 2009, BigCommerce has built a strong reputation as being a reliable and flexible platform; seeing as it easily adapts to the changing needs of businesses as they grow. However, according to reviews, BigCommerce may be less intuitive for beginners in terms of design and the terminology may be a little advanced. Although BigCommerce is an excellent platform to grow and scale a business, it may not be ideal if you’re just starting out with a small product offering.
Squarespace
- Price: Starting at 18$/month
- Ease of use: Easy
- Customer support: Good
- Features: Medium
All about the aesthetic. Squarespace is known for its award-winning website templates. Its straightforward interface makes it easy for anyone to create a high-end looking site. However, it’s not as feature rich as some of the other platforms on the market. Squarespace was designed to offer the basics, therefore may not satisfy businesses with a large product offering and advanced online retail requirements. If you’re a small business with basic e-commerce needs looking for an easy to use platform and a beautiful website, Squarespace might be a good fit.
Wix
- Price: Starting at 20$/month
- Ease of use: Easy
- Customer support: Good
- Features: Light
To the point. Wix is recognized as a great website builder. Its artificial intelligence design software can create a quick and simple website for you based on your preferences, or you can manually customize the site yourself. However, like Squarespace, Wix is light on inventory management and other e-commerce features. Wix is ideal for small businesses selling a limited product selection and looking for a simple e-commerce solution to get up and running quickly.
WooCommerce
- Price: Free
- Ease of use: Hard
- Customer support: Little to none
- Features: Endless
The developer’s dream. WooCommerce is built through WordPress and allows for any WordPress site to be turned into an online store. Therefore, it’s ideal for those who are already familiar with WordPress or have access to an experienced developer. If you have a precise vision for your site and the skills necessary to execute on it, this is a great option. The platform is free, and the customizing options are endless (If you can dream it, you can achieve it!). However, if you’re not an expert or working with a developer is not in your budget, this e-commerce platform may be a little too advanced.
As you can see, there is an e-commerce platform for every kind of store; you simply have to find the right fit for you. No matter which one you choose, by simply creating an online presence, you are opening your business up to a great deal of new opportunities.