As e-commerce business advances, online store owners are now leveraging technology to step up their game. However, it can be challenging to choose the best platform given the plethora of e-commerce platforms online.

Over the last ten years, E-commerce has increasingly gained popularity. Online sales skyrocketed and have been predicted to rise even more in the future. If you’re looking to start an online business, having an e-commerce site becomes necessary to help you capitalize on the massive growth of online businesses.

While you could choose to get a web developer to kickstart your online business, it can cost you time, money and limit your chances of growing faster. An already developed e-commerce site would be a better option if you’re looking to start and grow the business immediately, plus you save yourself the cost of getting your own website.

There’s a wide range of e-commerce options on the internet, so how would you know the best platform to choose? In this article, we’ve outlined eight essential tips for choosing the best e-commerce platform for your business.

Consider the Pricing and Payment Options

One of the most important things to consider when choosing an e-commerce platform for your business is the price. It’s vital that you understand the amount you’ll be paying, especially if you’re working with a budget. Almost every e-commerce site charges a monthly fee, whether a self-hosted or hosted site; however, the price may vary.

Compare the costs and benefits, prioritize accordingly and work with your budget. You should also consider whether the e-commerce platform offers multiple payment gateways like credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal. Some e-commerce platforms do not accommodate third-party vendors, which can make potential customers abandon their carts. You can also build your brand in the local market by using local payment options to allow local audiences to access your product.

Mobile Friendliness

Studies show that up to 60% of online searches happen on mobile phones. With the high traffic from mobile devices, it’s not unusual that purchases will come from mobile devices. You’ll need to choose a platform that allows customers to easily access and navigate your online store from their mobile phones.

Multichannel Integrations

It’s also crucial to consider the e-commerce platform’s integration and plugins. It can be hectic to manage your seller accounts on different online market places that’s why a multichannel integration is vital. Some e-commerce platform like Shopify provides plenty tools that help you streamline your business activities. For instance, you could easily sell on Amazon, Google Shopping, eBay, and Etsy simultaneously by integrating your seller account dashboard on your e-commerce platform.  Then synchronize your e-commerce store with your seller account making it easier to manage inventory and product orders. For plugins, you’ll need to consider your business needs and determine the most suitable plugin for the business. Some of the plugin type you should look out for includes:

• Email marketing tool for communicating with customers and driving them to your online store.
• Accounting plugins to handle sales, revenues, and profits.
• A reward program to appreciate purchasing customers.
• Apps for handling product shipping process.

Security

Many online customers are concerned about the security of the site where they purchase products because they wouldn’t want their credit card information to be exposed to fraudulent activities. Ensure that the platforms support HTTPS/SSL and are compliant with Payment Card Industry (PCI) to allow a secure payment.

SEO-Friendliness

SEO optimization is also crucial for e-commerce businesses. Your business needs to come up in search results so potential customers can easily find your product. Here are basic SEO tips to consider when looking for an SEO friendly e-commerce platform:

• You can use a custom domain name
• You can add meta tags and descriptions
• You can add a blog to the website
• You can add captions to images
• Customers can leave reviews
• You can gain access to the platform robot.txt file
• It allows API integration for the Google Analytics tool
• You can use pagination in product search results

Customer Service

Excellent customer service is one of the core features of a thriving business. However, with an online store, you have limited control over what happens. For instance, when the server is down, or there’s software disruption, customers won’t be able to access your store, which can affect your revenue. Using a platform with available customer care would make the business easier to run.

Platform Scalability

Like every other business owner out there, you’d want your business to grow; that’s why it’s vital that you choose a platform that supports scalability. Handling large traffic is not enough to assume that the platform can handle a larger sales volume.  Also, ensure the platform won’t charge exorbitant fees as you scale.

Great Catalog

The product catalog is a crucial aspect of your inventory. Check if you can easily make changes to the product catalog when necessary. Also, ensure that the product catalog works with your niche. For instance, if you sell clothes or footwear, the product catalog should support a feature that lets customers choose their sizes or preferred color.

Endnote

Choosing an e-commerce platform can be challenging for beginners. However, with the tips above, you should be able to select the best e-commerce platform for you in no time. Contact us today at Fulfillman to know more about our services. We provide a wide range of services including Global Fulfillment, China Sourcing, Drop Shipping, Third Party Logistics, and lots more. Our trusted experts will be happy to speak with you and provide suitable answers to your questions and concerns. A fantastic experience awaits you.