All brands want to succeed with their online businesses, but the results don’t always align with their expectations, and one of the most costly mistakes they can make is working with the wrong eCommerce platform.
An online business, like any other, needs additional software to manage backend processes, such as accounting, order management, inventory management, and customer service.
It’s possible to build a complete platform by combining many software solutions, but the process is time-consuming and requires frequent maintenance of your website.
Fortunately, there’s a new class of enterprise software that can integrate all the necessary commercial and corporate capabilities into a single platform.
Remember, an eCommerce platform is more than just a piece of technology; it’s a business model.
Why Are E-Commerce Platforms Essential for Businesses?
Imagine a house without a solid foundation; it’s as bad as an online store without a strong platform because, in the long run, it will have many problems and may even cause the people living in it (your users) to be limited in various activities.
Simply put, the eCommerce infrastructure of any online retail business is crucial to its success.
Whether on premises or in the cloud, eCommerce platforms provide scalability and security to your data, along with a range of operational advantages and business tools, including:
A set of tools used by those responsible for product management
Merchandising
Search engine optimization to help you appear in Google and other search engine results
Promotions
Personalization of your sales and services according to your preferences and those of your users
You can use eCommerce platforms to tailor your product information to the requirements of your online business. It’s a win-win situation for both store owners and customers.
The 10 Best E-Commerce Platforms
Shopify
Magento
WooCommerce
Salesforce Commerce Cloud
Prestashop
Wix
VirtueMart
BigCommerce
Tiendanube
OpenCart
Shopify
Shopify is a very popular eCommerce platform, known for being quite useful for businesses that are just starting because it doesn’t require prior experience and allows you to create a website easily; merchants can sell products online without any programming knowledge. Additionally, you can create a professional website in just a few minutes.
For users with more programming knowledge, Shopify allows them to integrate third-party platforms with their stores, such as Quickbooks and Xero. With these platforms, they can manage their finances and accounting while running their online stores.
Some of the benefits of Shopify include:
Highly flexible eCommerce
Fully compatible third-party applications
A very secure and easy-to-install platform
Magento
This platform remains a favorite for many merchants because it offers impressive features that will allow you to attract more customers.
With eCommerce platforms like Magento, everyone can benefit: from entrepreneurs and small businesses to large corporations.
In fact, many experienced businesses use this type of platform because it offers full integration with their ERP platform.
Your customers can purchase the products they need and return them if necessary.
The platform can also help you:
Optimize your customers’ shopping experience
Optimize search engine results, giving you more visibility and better sales
Process all transactions and payments with full integration
Personalize the user experience depending on their situation or interests
Keep in mind that Magento is recognized as one of the most secure and scalable eCommerce platforms, but its licensing is more expensive than its competitors.
WooCommerce
This platform gives merchants full control to create customized eCommerce platforms for their brand.
It is specifically designed for WordPress, and more than just a platform, it is a paid plugin that allows you to customize the shopping cart, payment gateway, manage transactions, and shipping from its admin panel.
These are the features that make it one of the most popular free platforms on the market:
An easy-to-install and use eCommerce platform
A wide range of additional features to customize your platform
Easy integration with tools for popular eCommerce platforms like MailChimp
Official support through the WooCommerce team via email and forums
Salesforce Commerce Cloud
Salesforce is undoubtedly a very useful platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as it combines the power of Salesforce Marketing and Sales Cloud, along with specific applications like Demandware for retail or ExactTarget for marketing, to offer an integrated commerce platform.
This platform simplifies how companies manage customer relationships, from acquisition to delivery.
Its main benefits are:
Options for vertical and horizontal industries
Complete order processes from start to finish
A single integrated platform for your eCommerce and marketing strategies
Integrated tools for product management, manufacturing, and shipping
Collaboration tools and real-time marketing platform
Prestashop
If you need a great eCommerce platform to start, this is a great option.
Many free platforms are limited because they don’t have all the features of premium platforms. Although Prestashop is no exception, it will provide you with many advanced services and platforms for free.
These are the main features of Prestashop:
Customized and flexible eCommerce platform
Its own extension for mobile platforms and the most popular eCommerce platforms
Free technical support
Free management for popular eCommerce platforms
Wix
Another very popular free platform. It is compatible with eCommerce platforms and has everything needed to create an eCommerce site.
It offers the following:
Affordable prices and an easy-to-use platform
A free hosting platform for eCommerce platforms
Customized site creation with design according to user preferences
Minimize costs and maximize profits
VirtueMart
It is a simple and easy to use platform. Although its features may not be as robust as premium platforms, it is the fastest for those looking for free platforms.
The VirtueMart eCommerce platform is compatible with popular eCommerce platforms like Prestashop and WordPress.
Additionally, it offers:
Online support for popular platforms like Prestashop and WordPress
Easy integration with popular mobile platforms like Shopify Mobile
Greater flexibility in the eCommerce platform through customizable design
BigCommerce
It is a powerful and easy to use platform. Although it does not offer many features, the basic ones are available for eCommerce platforms:
Compatibility with different platforms like Prestashop and WooCommerce
Integrated mobile platform for popular platforms
Search engine optimization to help appear in Google and other search engine results
Affordable fees
Customizable design
Tiendanube
Like platforms such as WooCommerce or Prestashop, Tiendanube has several strengths as an eCommerce platform. It offers:
Simple admin panel
100% open-source code and support for open-source platforms
Easy integration with popular platforms like WooCommerce and Prestashop
Continuity of high-availability platforms
Compatible platforms with popular mobile platforms
OpenCart
Like many of the previous ones, OpenCart is a fully compatible eCommerce platform with other platforms. It is fast, easy to use, and secure.
There is no better free eCommerce platform than OpenCart. With it, you’ll get:
Support for popular platforms
Emulation in the most important platforms on the market
Customizable design
Advanced security system
Open-source code
These are just some of the wide variety of eCommerce platforms that currently exist. All have their advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important that before making a decision, you analyze each one to understand which one best suits your business needs.
