There are various online store builders that you can choose from. It’s a matter of knowing what you want. However, as much as there are many, they offer similar services. Choosing an eCommerce platform might be overwhelming. However, knowing the best eCommerce platforms might help you to choose the platform that suits your business in the best way.
What determines the best eCommerce platforms
Choosing eCommerce platforms can be overwhelming if you are not too sure of what you want for your store. Therefore, it is important to know the size of your store and the tools that you might need to sell and manage your entire business without a hassle.
Ecommerce platforms offer different pricing models. However, those prices are attached to the tools and features. An expensive or premium plan means that it has a lot of advanced tools that cannot be accessed by users subscribing to a cheaper plan.
Security features
An eCommerce platform that offers security features for users is more preferable. The payment gateways should be secure. And the site should also be secure from virus threats and other malware issues. A platform that supports HTTPS or SSL is more secure. Google captcha is another feature that enhances security on the site.
Store design
Different eCommerce platforms offer various themes but not all themes can be ideal for your store. Stores can fall under various categories, hence you cannot get a theme that fits all the types of stores. Make sure that you choose an eCommerce that will give you designing freedom.
Ease of use and functionality
You should be at least have an interface that is easy to navigate. The site should be functioning very well without a need for technical skills to run and maintain the site.
Wix
Wix is one of the best eCommerce platforms that are easy to use. Whether you want to start small or go big, Wix caters to all different sizes of stores.
Regardless of your designing experience, you can easily come up with the best site from your imagination. The drag and drop system makes it easy to design. And you don’t need coding experience to design your online store. This makes it quicker to build a fully functioning site.
Managing the site is also made easier with tools and features such as store management, catalog & inventory management, and more. You can also grow your business with Wix and you can also easily migrate your business to another platform without a hassle.
Wix makes it easier to integrate different apps and tools. As such, users can use their favorite third-party apps. Wix can integrate with various marketing Apps such as PayPal, Stripe, Google Analytics, MailChimp, Google Ads & Shopping, Automated Advertising, Site Booster, My Mobile App, StoreMetrics, and many others.
Wix offers the best eCommerce package that comes with amazing and useful features.
Tools & Features
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- Analytics & reports
- Online scheduling
- Store management
- Dropshipping
- Catalog & inventory management
- Cart & checkout
- Automated sales tax
- Integrations
- Social tools
Pricing
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- Business & eCommerce plans
- Basic: $17/month
- Unlimited: $25/month
- VIP: $35/month
Advantages
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- Over free 80 templates
- Customizable templates
- No transaction fees
- Online payment processors such as PayPal
- Sell unlimited products
- Real-time shipping calculator
- 14-day free trial and a full refund upon cancellation
Disadvantages
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- The website loading speed is not good
Shopify
Shopify majors in eCommerce, and it qualifies to be among the best eCommerce platform. Businesses can sell various products and services that may be digital or physical. lt is affordable and small businesses can use it. However, big businesses can also use Shopify. Users can set up an account within a short time.
You don’t have to be technically advanced to use the Shopify solution. There are hundreds of ready-made themes that are ready to be edited to meet your business and branding style. The templates are customizable.
In addition, you don’t have to be worried about hosting your store with another service provider. Shopify maintains its own servers. The cost is included in the subscription fee under the plan of your choice.
The platform is also reliable and secure. It is a globally hosted service with skilled and technical experts who maintains it regularly. The platform is monitored 24/7 to solve any arising issues.
Most of the third-party add-ons meet a certain standard and they make sure that they don’t come with viruses. This kind of security cannot be guaranteed by other eCommerce platforms.
Shopify can integrate with various tools and apps such as Zapier, QuickBooks Online, ActiveCampaign, Facebook Ads Leads, Xero, Hubspot, Salesforce, Square, Stripe, PayPal, Autopilot, Zoho Invoice, and more.
Besides all that, users access various tools and features that make it easier to sell online and grow the business.
Tools and features
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- Marketing tools
- Online shopping cart
- Reports & analytics
- Mobile access
- Third-party calculated shipping rates
- Fraud analysis
- Advanced report builder
- 24/7 support team
Pricing
There is a 14-day free trial that doesn’t require payment information. There are three plans that users can choose from.
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- Basic Shopify: $29/month
- Shopify: $79/month
- Advanced Shopify: $299/month
Advantages
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- Flexible and affordable pricing
- Easy to customize templates
- A lot of built-in marketing tools
- 14-day free trial
- Free templates
- Offline POS integration
- Shopify is a hosted solution
Disadvantages
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- Lack drag and drop feature. Makes it difficult to customize templates.
- Advanced customization of the templates requires coding experience. Beginners without liquid programming knowledge might find it difficult to edit their sites.
BigCommerce
This is one of the best eCommerce platforms that you can trust for your online store. Interestingly, you can sign up for free and access various tools for free for the whole month.
This platform is ideal for larger stores due to its complex built-in features. This makes the learning of these built-in features costly. For instance, there are a lot of useful sales features but they are a bit complex and they need more time to learn and grasp them properly.
However, small businesses can take advantage of a support team and guiding documents to learn more about BigCommerce. B2B and B2C businesses can use the platform. And whether the user of the BigCommerce platform can sell digital or physical products.
BigCommerce integrates with a lot of great apps that you can use on a daily basis on your online store. For instance, some of the apps include Zapier, MailChimp, QuickBooks, Facebook Lead Ads, Google Drive, Campaign Manager, Wave, Pinterest, PayPal, Stripe, and more.
Interestingly, BigCommerce does not have sales transaction fees, The user pays fees charged by the payment gateway.
There are a lot of eCommerce tools that can help you manage and grow your store that is profitable. Some interesting features that you can access when using the Bigcommerce platform are as follows:
Tools and features
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- Tax automation
- Reporting and analytics
- Vaulting
- SSL certificate
- Checkout customization
- Mobile optimization
- Quote management
- Social market
Pricing
BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial. After that, you can decide whether you want to continue using their platform or otherwise. There are different plans that you can choose from. An expensive plan means more and advanced tools and features.
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- Standard: $29.95
- Plus: $79.95
- Pro: $299.95
Enterprise: Contact sales for custom pricing
Advantages
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- Full control of products
- Easily control customer database
- Many useful plug-ins
- Reliable and skilled customer support
- Cost-effective
- A lot of built-in sales features
- Multiple customizable themes
Disadvantages
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- Steep learning curve
- There is a need for coding experience to customize the site
- Available payment gateways favor US users than other countries
- Upgrades too expensive for small businesses
Squarespace
Squarespace is one of the solutions that you can consider when you are building an online store. However, Squarespace is ideal for simple stores.
Through the use of amazing template designs, you can easily come up with a shop of your choice. Users can take advantage of the drag and drop design to create an amazing online store. As such, people with little technical skill can enjoy using Squarespace to design their online stores. Additionally, Squarespace users can add CSS and HTML to make it easy to customize their designs.
This is one of the few online store builders that does not have additional transaction fees for users in some of its plans. The Business plan is the only one with a 3% transactional fee. However, it offers limited payment getaways. It only accommodates PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay.
Squarespace has the ability to protect its users from online fraud. Payments are secure and they are PCI-compliant. Various plans come with the SSL security feature.
It can be integrated with various apps such as integrations include Google Analytics, MailChimp, Chownow, PayPal, and more.
Tools and features
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- commerce APIs
- advanced shipping
- sell subscriptions
- Sales Analytics
- Commerce mobile app
- Marketing Analytics
- Abandoned cart email
- SSL Security
- SEO features
Pricing
Pricing is based on the features that you are using. The pricing model is flexible compared to its rivals, but the features on offer are limited. Annual payment attracts a discount of up to 25%.
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- Personal: $12 per month
- Business: $18 per month
- Basic Commerce: $26 per month
Advanced Commerce: $40
Advantages
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- It has a reliable and strong uptime
- Powerful security features
- A lot of tools and eCommerce features
- Value privacy and security
- Flexible pricing model
Disadvantages
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- Limited payment getaways
- The navigation system is not beginner-friendly
- There is no autosave during editing, saving work regularly is laborious
- Page speed ratings are low
WooCommerce
This is another platform that is used by many to build online stores. WooCommerce is an open-source that is built on WordPress. This means that users should be at least knowledgeable in using WordPress. The platform is also good for US customers compared to other customers from other countries.
If you have a limited budget, WooCommerce can be your option. The platform is ideal for small businesses as well as medium-sized customers. The WooCommerce users can build stores that can sell physical goods, digital products, tickets, external products, and more.
WooCommerce offers a lot of features that can help you grow and manage your online store. The platform can integrate with various Apps such as Facebook, Stripe, MailChimp, Zapier, Sage, Square, Yoast, and many others.
There are various themes that you can choose from. The themes are 100% customizable to meet your branding and business. Security is also guaranteed through the SSL certificate.
Features
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- more than 100 templates
- custom tax calculations
- inventory management
- reporting
- product reviews
- store management
- Integrations
Pricing
WooCommerce charges according to the features that you use. The pricing is quote-based, the tools and features that you use are what make up your bill. There is a 30-day free trial with a money-back guarantee.
Advantages
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- Themes can be customized 1005
- It is an open-source
- Has trusted security features
- A large community of users, developers, and contributors
- Has a lot of tools and features
- You pay according to the tools and features that you use
Disadvantages
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- A lot of plugins and features slows performance
- Some widgets and add-ons come with a price tag
Volusion
Volusion is one of the online store builders that is used by small and big companies. Users can get basic tools and features to start and operate an online store. Designing an online store is easier with the drag and drop tool.
The Volusion can be used by B2C stores with a lot of product categories. Manufacturers and wholesalers can find Volusion more useful.
Setting up a store using Volusion is easier and more fun. As a user, you can choose a theme and templates of your choice and start designing. The templates are customizable, it’s a matter of knowing what you want.
Unlike other online store builders, there is no transaction fee charge. Available gateway and payment processing include PayPal, Amazon Pay, Stripe, credit cards, wire payment, and more. Security is also guaranteed through the use of an SSL certificate and it is also PCI certified
Tools and Features
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- Customizable themes
- Inventory management
- Product Display customization
- Customer accounts management
- Store Management Mobile App
- Returns management
- ROI tracking
- Advanced Report Builder
- API integrations
- Real-Time Shipping Rates/Tracking
Pricing
You get started for free with Volusion. There is a 14-day free trial that doesn’t require credit card details.
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- Personal: $29 per month
- Professional: $79 per month
- Business: $299 per month
Prime: The price is based on Gross Merchandise Value
Advantages
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- Flexible pricing model
- No transaction
- A lot of useful features
- More expertise in the e-commerce shop building
Disadvantages
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- It has sales limits on every plan
- Few analytical features
- The uptime is not that good
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, choosing an eCommerce platform might be exhausting. However, you should know the tools and features that are needed by your online store. That can help you choose the best eCommerce platforms that will work better for your store.
Besides knowing the needs of your store, you should also consider various things. For instance, you should check the pricing model, features on offer, security, and more.
From the pool of the best e-commerce websites, Wix, Shopify, and Bigcommerce are some of the biggest e-commerce platforms.
