If you are looking to take your business to the next level and increase sales, an e-commerce solution can be the way to go. E-commerce platforms can provide you with a fully accessible e-commerce store, one that offers speed and scalability as your company grows.
But which tools will give you the most bang for your buck? Here are some of the best e-commerce solutions, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Of all the e-commerce solutions detailed here, BigCommerce is one of the most expensive, but it is also one of the most popular – and for good reason. It is easy to use and it offers everything your business needs to start selling online right away. It also comes with an array of terrific SEO features that will help optimize your e-commerce pages to appear in popular search engines.
Its biggest drawback is simply the price. Not only is the $29.95 per month a bit high, but you can pay as much as an additional $245 per month for one of its paid themes. Luckily, they include 7 themes in their base pricing structure.
Magento is an open-source e-commerce solution. This means that it is not only free to use, but you can also modify the software according to the needs of your business. The software is also extremely feature rich, containing everything you could possibly need to run your business. The software is scalable as well, which allows you to easily accommodate your customers as your business grows.
However, while the Magneto software is free, this does not mean that the solution itself is free. Unlike with hosted solutions such as BigCommerce and Shopify, with Magneto you need to provision a computer server yourself, which can be expensive depending on what type of service you choose. You’ll also be stuck installing the software on the server yourself. The freedom that Magento provides also requires a firm grasp of on-page search engine tactics to make the most of the platform.
WooCommerce is another open-source e-commerce solution that is completely free to use and modify. That means that it comes with many of the same advantages as Magneto. Users tout WooCommerce’s ability to provide choice and customization as one of its main selling points.
However, WooCommerce works only with WordPress sites. And while their base kit doesn’t cost you anything, picking a special theme or customizing your shop can rack up extra costs. You’ll also need to know a bit about the technical side of web design if you want to make the most of your WooCommerce experience. Finding the best WooCommerce theme is not that hard either.
3dcart is a hosted e-commerce solution similar to BigCommerce and Shopify. Their basic plan starts at $19.95 a month and provides a litany of tools to help your business grow. They also offer a wide selection of free themes to get an e-commerce shop up and running.
However, they struggle a bit when it comes to on-page SEO, most notably in page loading speeds. This platform also requires a bit more coding knowledge than other hosted e-commerce solutions.
Shopify, like BigCommerce, is a very popular e-commerce solution. But unlike BigCommerce, Shopify thrives by offering an affordable plan to small businesses. Plans start at only $9 per month, and this base package offers enough to get an e-commerce shop up and running.
However, Shopify is meant for the average individual. If you’re looking for a tool that offers a variety of customizations and functionality, Shopify is probably not what you’re looking for.
Picking an e-commerce tool is just the beginning. After all, there’s an entire art to advertising and e-commerce optimization. But with that said, these five tools should get you up and running selling your merchandise online.
Don’t forget to also check out this bonus tool, Amazon FBA Calculator, which can certainly benefit your sales.
If you are interested in even more business-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels then we have a lot to choose from.
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