Most businesses nowadays are utilizing technology and the power of the internet to drastically improve their sales, and to create an image of a safe and trustworthy brand that always takes care of their clients. It’s no secret that people are slowly transitioning to online shopping instead of the regular mall-visiting practice, especially right after the COVID-19 situation, that required social distancing. We live in a busy society where people want their actions to be as time-efficient as possible, which is why you can order food or even purchase an apartment through a phone-app.
In the digital world, many services can help you achieve all of this, and today we’re here to help you make the best choice. If you are a business owner, and you’re looking to get engaged in e-commerce to boost your availability and sales, this is the right place to be.
How did the world embrace online shopping?
Many people are skeptical about spending their money online, but in the last decade, ordering goods from the Internet is very popular, especially when we are able to find better deals and prices, that are more affordable than going to a store and buying what you need there. Also, the food chains adapted to it, and now you can order your pizza or burger with a simple app on your phone. But, the moment that changed everything was the recent coronavirus pandemic. Since March this year, we can see that many brands are now offering online shopping with shipping and delivering to the home address. It was very practical and expected since the gathering was (or still is) forbidden in so many places around the world, and social distancing is still one of the measures we need to respect.
So, e-commerce is living the best days now, as we try to cope with the pandemic, and stay safe and protected, as much as we can do that.
Today we’re talking about the seven best e-commerce platforms for smaller businesses, so if you’re just starting, you’ll find this one to be very helpful. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Squarespace
If you happen to be familiar with Wix, then chances are you’ll like this one. They’re close when it comes to the design, but in a good way. Squarespace is good for many reasons, but the most important one is that it’s very easy to integrate into other social media platforms. Connecting Facebook, Instagram and a lot more social media channels have never been easier.
Squarespace allows you to customize a lot of things, so your hands aren’t tied at all if you want to make some changes to achieve a unique look. We recommend that you check it out as it’s pretty beginner-friendly and easy to navigate through as well.
2. Volusion
The motto of this service is “Ecommerce for Everyone”, so that means beginners as well. You shouldn’t be discouraged to try some of the less-known platforms just because you’re starting now.
The less-known ones sometimes have an even better beginner-friendly interface that can help you navigate and customize a lot easier. We’re not saying that Volusion isn’t known, but if you are new in this world you’re probably hearing this name for the first time. The only “downside” that we can think of Volusion is the lack of blogging tools, but if you’re not a blogger then you probably don’t care about this.
This platform is meant for people who want to take a look at the bigger picture and work towards achieving a lot of success in the future. It allows you to utilize fantastic tools and features to come up with a unique look for your business.
3. 3dcart
When you want to establish a successful e-commerce strategy, you need to have a proper plan, and of course, a website, that will be user-friendly, and your clients will be able to buy what they need with just a few clicks. The platform 3dcart is one of the most successful examples of e-commerce software, staying behind many well-established e-stores. According to their website, you can track every activity, place ads on social media, increase your sales, track the shipping, and ensure that your clients will always have safe and secure transactions when they pay online for the product they purchase. What else do you need?
4. Shopify
Currently, Shopify is one of the best, if not the best options for e-commerce. It’s so well-known that even people who don’t know what e-commerce is, are familiar with this name. They are trustworthy, have great design options, and probably offer the largest choice of tools that you can find amongst all services. If you want to build the perfect online shop and boost your sales to unbelievable amounts, we think that Shopify is the way to go.
Now when it comes to price, it’s pretty normal for the most popular service to be the most expensive, but fortunately, that’s not the case with Shopify. The basic version of it allows you to build a fully-functional site with just under thirty dollars a month. However, if you want to take things to the next level and step up your game, the advanced version will cost $299 per month.
If you’re looking for a great place to get some advice about choosing e-commerce platforms, you’re more than welcome to visit WebpageScientist. The great thing about Shopify is that you can check out their free trial and see if this service is right for you before spending your money.
5. Magento
Magento is amazing, and they’ve been in this game for quite a long time now, meaning that they can be trusted, and their great reputation can confirm this as well. Their software is free to download and you can use it to create a functional online marketplace, but, here’s the trick.
Although Magento is a great option for small businesses, you’ll still need some developer knowledge on your side if you want to customize things. Why? Because it’s an open-source code, which is both a good and a “bad” thing as well.
Open source means that you can fully change anything that you want, and that’s the good thing, but the downside is that you’ll have to hire someone who knows what they’re doing unless you’re that person. Pretty great service though, and you can use it for your business.
6. Weebly
When you take a look at Weebly, it might not be as popular and “large” as the other titans we mentioned on this list, but they do a very good job of being consistent and reliable. There are a lot of larger businesses that run their stores by using the Weebly services, so it’s pretty safe and easy to say that they’re trusted. The only thing that we find as a downside is the lack of flexibility.
This means that you won’t be able to sell through platforms such as Facebook so easily, which was not the case with some of the other names we mentioned above. If you don’t find this to be a significant problem, feel free to use what they offer. It’s just under twelve dollars per month, so it’s more than affordable.
7. WooCommerce
Last but not least, we have WooCommerce, a great e-commerce solution that was created using something that most of you are already familiar with, and that’s WordPress. The upside is that you have so many different and easy ways to customize, and the downside is that for some smaller details you’ll need to have developer knowledge. Oh, and we forgot to mention, it’s free to use, so if you are just starting, it might be one of the best options you have.
WooCommerce is great for businesses that sell more in quantity because this solution allows you to take an unlimited number of orders at the same time. So, if you are working with smaller items that sell fast and easy, definitely don’t put this out of the list of options.
As you can see from this article, you have a lot of options to optimize your business strategy and increase sales, which is the main goal of everyone who is offering and selling something on the Internet.
Choosing the right platform to run your e-store is also a challenge by itself, and it’s only a small part of the whole strategy. But, that doesn’t make it less important than placing ads, choosing products and services, and compare the prices. In the end, the most important thing that stays behind every successful business is the enthusiasm that the owner and all the employees need to show, so they can do the best performance. If you are ready to embrace all of these challenges, we are here to wish you a lot of luck and provide the needed support. Who knows, maybe we will be one of the most loyal clients, who will use your services, and purchase your products. It’s on you to do your best, and be the best in your job, no matter how hard it looks at the beginning.
