Digital commerce is a vital avenue for businesses looking to improve their client base and push key products and services. Online platforms provide you with the means to not only build a website but an online store, improving product visibility and brand awareness.
These platforms have strong mobile and social outreach that leverage evolving technology and communication channels. To take advantage of ecommerce, the platforms you use must match your business model's needs. There are so many available, but the five platforms listed here are ideal solutions for companies looking to boost digital marketing activities and sales.
1. Shopify
Of all the eCommerce platforms available, Shopify might be the most popular and effective one out there, and you're probably already familiar with it.
Shopify is the most complete and feature-rich platform available, with millions of merchants across 170 countries. It also represents 10 percent of total U.S ecommerce and sees a spend of $444 billion in global economic activity.
There are lots of tools to support your store on Shopify. For example, you can:
- Sell goods and services physically and digitally
- Sync to several social platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, and online stores like Amazon
- Use over 100 payment gateways including Shopify Payments and Google Pay
- Complete unfinished sales with its built-in abandoned cart recovery
- Offer discount codes to customers
- Get SEO support
- Use Shopify's online invoice generator and track payments
Running an online store with Shopify isn't just simple, it's actually fun too. You get customizable features such as logos, brand colors, and fonts for your checkout. You can do drop-shipping, offer downloads and sell whatever your heart desires. Shopify offers various pricing tiers, with basic pricing plans starting at $34. For companies or any digital marketing executives who want to get into eCommerce, Shopify might be the best place for you to start.
2. Wix
Originally a website builder with drag-and-drop features, Wix has become a reliable hub for creating online stores. It's not as flexible as Shopify as you can't sell across multiple channels without using apps, and it has no abandoned cart recovery. As a website with ecommerce functionality, as opposed to being specialized for this purpose, it doesn't have the same range of options.
However, due to its drag-and-drop setup, you can see how your storefront will look. Plus, your online store is set up to be mobile-friendly, which is easier for potential buyers to navigate and make purchases. Pricing is also manageable, as its ecommerce plan is around $27 a month.
You get phone, email and social media support, plus a forum and an in-depth knowledge base. In addition, you get on-page support while creating your store, making it ideal for small businesses or self-starting entrepreneurs.
With its highly customized features that show you how your storefront will look to customers as you're editing, you have full control over what features are most visible. You can add product videos, use lead capture forms, and secure your website using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. This certification allows you to reassure your customers that their data is handled safely as they submit their details when purchasing a product.
You can add other apps such as Wix Stores and Ecwid to give your eCommerce website the best possible features. Ecwid allows you to sell products across Instagram and Facebook, and Wix Stores will enable you to send automatic confirmation emails to customers and create discounts. You can manage your website while on the go and get good value for your money as you learn how to construct a site and run a business at the same time.
3. BigCommerce
For large and fast-growing businesses, BigCommerce is the most compatible solution. It is a hosted ecommerce platform that functions both as a full SaaS solution and a shopping cart for other website types. As a result, it draws many comparisons with Shopify.
This platform has strong store management capabilities, with many tools and features including promotions, options to handle returns, coupons, discounts, and more. BigCommerce also has flexible shipping options that give customers live quotes and rate calculators.
It boasts several big-name clients, from the shoe company specialists Clarks to ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s. You can understand why big names trust BigCommerce because it has email marketing, and search filters, and allows customers to create accounts and leave reviews.
Everything you need for your ecommerce website to be a success is built-in, boosting your odds of turning your online store into a large-scale business. And, all this can be achieved with plans starting at $29.95. However, you may have some kinks to work around. For one, it doesn't have a mobile app nor does it have the most straightforward user interface to navigate.
You can start selling as soon as you create your store and track how well your products are doing with the platform's analytics report. These reports include a store overview, real-time reports, customer reports, abandoned cart reports and merchandising reports. You can get over 65 payment processing options with no transaction fees attached. You also get full control over the URL format, and there are many templates.
If you specialize in business or technology, this is a great way to build your business from the ground up.
4. Weebly
When it comes to value for money, few eCommerce platforms are better than Weebly. It has four price plans, all tailored to ecommerce, including benefits such as Google Ads credits and email marketing.
The best plan depends on your business. On its starter plan, you can sell up to 10 products. If you use the business plan, you can sell unlimited products and not have to worry about transaction fees. Features such as abandoned cart recovery, gift cards and real-time shopping rates are only available via the most expensive plan, the Performance Plan.
You can sell digital, physical, and service-based goods via Weebly and can upload in bulk using built-in tools to manage your stock on a consistent basis. There is also a mobile app so that you can manage your online store on the go, and you can even print shipping labels from your phone. Weebly also provides you with a blog and portfolio for your store, so you can engage with customers and show them the best aspects of your business and your products.
Application options are wide-ranging. You can display your business's Instagram feed on your homepage while also adding a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section to let customers comment on the store or product features. It has a drag-and-drop setup much like Wix, so you can create your store quickly while following your theme's guidelines.
Weebly is a more suitable option for small businesses as its limited tools for running store inventory aren't comprehensive enough for bigger companies. The checkout options are also limited as there are just three main payment gateways: PayPal, Square, and Stripe. That said, Weebly provides you with more creative control than almost every other eCommerce platform available, is very SEO-friendly, and can get you a good return on investment when used correctly.
5. Volusion
This platform is a cloud-based, hosted option that allows you to create customer accounts and store customer details safely and make shopping experiences hassle-free.
As a drag-and-drop website builder with in-page editing, Volusion offers a comprehensive site search feature as well as eCommerce and product management tools such as rich text product descriptions, native fulfillment options, and subscription or loyalty options. It integrates with many payment providers such as PayPal, Stripe and Apple Pay.
Facebook stores can be linked to a Volusion website to promote multi-channel integration. It supports marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, helping website owners maximize their online presence while better gauging clientele. The downside is that you cannot sell digital products using this platform or use blogging tools to sell your products or services better.
Volusion has a clear inventory system with many useful prompts. It has detailed analytics and insight reports that let you track all your stock in one place. This feature gives you more opportunities to maximize your multi-channel selling options, without having to do the heavy lifting. Meanwhile, there is 24/7 support via live chat and phone for website users. There are articles, guides and more as part of a comprehensive knowledge base to keep customers in the know.
Volusion is more suitable if you run a starter store or a small to medium-sized business. Plans are based on set bandwidth limits, and you will have to pay for an SSL certificate for added security - but if those are costs you're willing to pay, give it a try.
Conclusion
To develop an effective ecommerce strategy for your business, it's vital to choose the platform that will help you to keep your customer in mind throughout the entire development and research process. The examples above can help you to grow your conversion rates, maintain an active customer review section, and improve your product visibility and brand awareness.
As long as you establish your business plan and choose the products you are trying to sell wisely, choosing the right platform for your business will be easy.
Blog updated 2023
Use ecommerce to drive engagement and sales
Setting up an ecommerce site is easy by using any of the tools outlined above. The key is to understand how to use digital marketing strategies to see it grow. DMI's short ecommerce course will help you understand website design and UX, use sales and awareness channels, and use social commerce and ecommerce tactics. Get started today to get selling!
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