Digital commerce is a crucial channel for companies trying to expand their customer base and market niche goods and services. You may create both a website and an online store using internet platforms, which increases brand recognition and product visibility.
These platforms make use of developing technology and communication channels to have significant mobile and social appeal. The platforms you utilize must meet the requirements of your business strategy in order for you to benefit from e-commerce. Although there are many options, the five platforms outlined below are the best ones for businesses aiming to increase their digital marketing efforts and revenue.
1. Shopify
Shopify is undoubtedly the most well-known and efficient eCommerce platform out there, and you're definitely already familiar with it.
The most comprehensive and feature-rich platform currently available, Shopify has millions of merchants in 170 countries. Additionally, it accounts for 10% of all U.S. e-commerce and $444 billion in worldwide economic activity.
On Shopify, there are several tools available to help your shop. You can, for instance:
Sell products and services both offline and online.
Sync with several social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, as well as online retailers like Amazon
Utilize more than 100 payment processors, such as Google Pay and Shopify Payments.
Complete incomplete sales with the integrated abandoned cart recovery.
Give consumers discount coupons
Utilize Shopify's online invoice creator, manage payments, and get SEO assistance
With Shopify, managing your online business is not just easy, but enjoyable as well. For your checkout, you may customize elements like logos, brand colors, and fonts. You may drop-ship, provide downloads, and sell anything you want. Shopify has several price categories, with the entry-level pricing starting at $34. Shopify may be the finest location to begin for businesses or any digital marketing professionals that wish to enter the eCommerce sector.
2. WIX
Wix began as a drag-and-drop website builder but has since evolved into a dependable platform for building online storefronts. Due to the lack of abandoned cart recovery and the inability to sell across different channels without the use of applications, it is less versatile than Shopify. It doesn't offer the same selection of alternatives because it is a website with ecommerce capability rather than one that is designed specifically for this use.
However, you can preview how your storefront will seem thanks to its drag-and-drop structure. Additionally, your online store is designed to be mobile-friendly, making it simpler for potential customers to browse and buy products. The cost is very reasonable; the ecommerce plan is about $27 per month.
You receive help by phone, email, social media, a forum, and an extensive knowledge base. Additionally, you receive on-page help while you build your store, making it perfect for small enterprises or independent contractors.
You have complete control over which elements are most prominent because to its highly customizable features, which let you see how your storefront will seem to clients as you modify. Lead capture forms, product videos, and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certifications may all be added to your website. With the help of this certification, you can ensure your clients that the information they provide when making a purchase is handled securely.
To offer your eCommerce website the finest functionality, you may install other applications like Wix Stores and Ecwid. Ecwid enables you to sell goods on Facebook and Instagram, while Wix Stores lets you provide discounts and send buyer confirmation emails automatically. As you learn how to build a site and operate a business simultaneously, you can maintain your website while on the road and receive fantastic value for your money.
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is the most suitable option for big, quickly expanding organizations. It is a hosted e-commerce system that may be used as a full SaaS solution or as a shopping cart for different kinds of websites. It frequently receives compared to Shopify as a consequence.
With a wide range of tools and features including promotions, choices for handling returns, coupons, discounts, and more, this platform provides powerful shop management skills. BigCommerce offers consumers immediate quotes and pricing calculators for numerous shipping alternatives.
It has a number of well-known customers, including the ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry's and shoe experts Clarks. Given that it offers email marketing, search filters, customer account creation, and review submission options, it is easy to see why well-known brands rely on BigCommerce.
Your chances of growing your online store into a significant enterprise are increased by the inclusion of everything your ecommerce website needs to be successful. And all of this is possible with plans beginning at $29.95. You might need to sort out some glitches, though. For starters, it lacks a mobile app and doesn't have the easiest user experience to utilize.
As soon as you set up your store, you can start making sales, and the platform's analytics report will show you how well your items are performing. A store overview, real-time reports, customer reports, abandoned cart reports, and merchandising reports are some of the reports available. There are more than 65 payment processing alternatives available to you without any transaction costs. The URL format is also completely within your control, and there are many of templates.
This is a terrific approach to start your firm from scratch if your area of expertise is business or technology.
4. Weebly
There aren't many eCommerce systems that provide greater value than Weebly. It offers four ecommerce-specific price plans with features like email marketing and Google Ads credits.
The ideal strategy will depend on your company. You are allowed to sell up to ten goods on the basic plan. You can sell an infinite number of items with the business plan without worrying about transaction costs. Only the most costly option, the Performance Plan, offers features like abandoned cart recovery, gift cards, and real-time shopping rates.
Weebly allows you to sell physical, digital, and service-based goods. You may upload items in bulk and use the included tools to consistently manage your stock. There is a mobile app as well, which allows you to manage your online store while on the road and even print shipping labels. You may interact with clients and showcase the greatest features of your company and your items by using the blog and portfolio features that Weebly also offers for your store.
Numerous application alternatives are available. Your company's Instagram feed may be visible on your homepage, and you can also include a section for frequently asked questions (FAQs) that invites client feedback on the features of your shop or products. It offers a drag-and-drop interface very similar to Wix, so you can rapidly design your store while adhering to the rules of your theme.
Because its limited features for managing shop inventory are insufficient for larger organizations, Weebly is a better choice for small businesses. Due to the fact that there are only three primary payment gateways—PayPal, Square, and Stripe—the alternatives for checkout are likewise restricted. Nevertheless, Weebly gives you more creative power than virtually all other eCommerce platforms on the market, is extremely SEO-friendly, and, when utilized properly, can provide a fair return on investment.
5. Volusion
This platform is a hosted, cloud-based choice that enables you to create customer accounts, securely store customer information, and simplify the buying process.
Volusion features a thorough site search function along with eCommerce and product management facilities including rich text product descriptions, native fulfillment choices, and subscription or loyalty options. Volusion is a drag-and-drop website builder with in-page editing. It works with several payment processors, including Apple Pay, PayPal, and Stripe.
To encourage multi-channel integration, Volusion websites may be connected to Facebook shops. It helps online markets like Amazon and eBay, assisting website owners in maximizing their online presence and better understanding their target audience. The drawback is that you can't utilize this platform to sell digital goods or leverage blogging capabilities to promote your goods or services more effectively.
The inventory mechanism on Volusion is simple and contains a lot of helpful hints. You can keep track of all your goods in one spot thanks to its comprehensive analytics and insight reports. You have additional chances thanks to this feature to take full advantage of your multi-channel selling alternatives without having to put in a lot of work. Users of the website may access live chat and phone help around-the-clock. To keep consumers informed, a robust knowledge base includes articles, guides, and other materials.
If you manage a small to medium-sized business or an entry-level store, Volusion is a better fit. Plans are dependent on predetermined bandwidth restrictions, and an SSL certificate is required for additional security; but, if those are charges you're ready to bear, give it a try.
Conclusion
It's critical to select the platform that will enable you to keep your customers in mind throughout the whole development and research process if you want to create a successful ecommerce strategy for your company. The aforementioned examples can assist you in increasing conversion rates, keeping your customer review area current, and raising brand and product visibility.
Choosing the best platform for your business will be simple as long as you have a solid business plan in place and make intelligent product selections. Try it if you're willing to pay for it.
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Salty Red Dog Marketing, LLC is a marketing agency in Red Bank, NJ, Westport, CT, and everywhere in between. We service businesses with marketing strategies, digital marketing, social media, and consultations.
Contact: info@saltyreddogmarketing.com
Phone: NJ: (732) 783-4822 // CT: (203) 429-9671