eCommerce Platforms and Solutions

What should you look for when choosing an ecommerce platform?

Well, you have decided to sell your products/services online. But which ecommerce platform are you going to choose among the 120 online shopping platforms available as this is one of the most crucial steps you will take on your journey as an entrepreneur.

It can be really hard to compare all the ecommerce platforms at one go as more or less all of the companies provide the same solutions with seemingly minor differences in features and performance but they can have a major impact on your bottom line. Some ecommerce platforms are paid while others are open sourced and free to use.

You may need to hire an eCommerce web developer for open sourced platforms to get the shopping platform up and running if you are not tech savvy though. Paid ecommerce platforms such as Shopify has a lot more features then comparing to a free ecommerce solution such as Prestashop and WooCommerce. Open sourced ecommerce platforms comes with basic features and functions which is needed to run an online store but if you need something more complex, additional plugins are available for purchase at an extra cost.

Shoppers can leave slow loading ecommerce sites without buying. And mobile first is the new norm for online retail. Studies show that 66% of time spent through online retailing is done through mobile devices and 82% of smartphone users turn to their devices to help them make a decision on a product. Thus, it is essential for any ecommerce store to be mobile responsive to its users.

Before deciding what platform to use to sell your products or services, you have to have knowledge of the basic functions of the online shopping platforms such as its loading time, speed, SEO friendliness, support provided etc. You can then decide the best solution and platform which meets the demands of your online store.