The habits of customers are changing in recent years, and online shopping is now the main trend. Therefore, businesses need to position them on the internet. Besides the good marketing campaign, it is essential to have a proper online store as well. The great thing is that there is a great selection of online platforms designed especially as stores.
The main advantage related to most of these platforms is the simplicity. You can create set up a store even if you don’t have any knowledge and experience in this field. In most cases, there is a wide selection of presets and plugins that you can use to make it more attractive and transparent.
However, it can be confusing to make the right choice since there are so many of these platforms available today. Therefore, you should focus on some features like price, optimization, scalability, flexibility, technical features, and more. Intelligence Node offers price monitoring tools and then link Intelligence, read more intelligencenode.com.
When it comes to small businesses, most of them will look for more affordable solutions that still have all of the essential features that will provide the owners to easily manage the storage, add various options like discounts and promotions, and more. Here are the best e-commerce platforms for small businesses.
1. Shopify
This is the most popular option today. The main reason is the simplicity that this website offers to users. You can manage to set up the main features of the online store in only a few steps before you start adding your products. There are many additional features like a custom domain, logo, free stock photos, and more. Also, the great feature is that you can get a 14-day free period to try out the platform, and continue using it if you like it.
When it comes to the selection of models, the most affordable option is only $9 per month. There are many other excellent abilities as well, such as the connection with social networks, customer support features, great selection of plugins, and more. If you tend to be more unique, there are more expensive upgrades that can go up to $300 per month. Also, each model will provide you with full storage without any limitations.
2. Squarespace
Most people today are using mobile phones to search the internet. In that matter, it is very important to use a mobile-friendly platform. This online platform went one step further when it comes to optimization for smartphones. You can choose from a wide range of presets specially designed to be suitable for mobile browsing. One of the best features is the fast loading of pictures and other elements, which makes this option much faster when you are using the phone.
3. WooCommerce
This is another popular option, and the main advantage is that you can create an online store without any additional expenses. However, it requires some knowledge and experience in web design. It is using WordPress as a background, and you can edit it in many ways and add new features.
The ability to customize your store is the main benefit of this option. The only expenses are related to domain and hosting. Also, if you need any additional features, and you don’t have proper knowledge of web design, you will have to hire a developer.
4. Wix
When it comes to Wix, it is quite different when we compare it with other e-commerce platforms. The main difference is that it is not only focusing on selling items. You can add a variety of additional features like schedules, video content, sell digital items, and more. For example, a lot of services are using this option because people can make reservations. Also, there are advanced analytics tools that will help you to track the performances of your store.
5. Magento
This is one of the best options for people who have physical stores and storage, and they want to add an online store to their business. One of the greatest features is that they are very strict when it comes to the selection of developers who are allowed to upload plugins and presets on this website. Therefore, you can be sure that it has a high quality. When it comes to extensions, you can use them for tracking sales, accounting, promotions, security, customer service, and more.
6. Weebly
If you are looking for a simple solution to start selling items online and position your business on the internet, Weebly is one of the best options. You can create a free website with a lot of options related to editing and unique features. The great thing is that even a beginner or someone without any previous knowledge in this branch can easily manage to open a store because there is clear guidance available, along with lots of tutorials that you can find online.
7. Big Commerce
If you are looking for a simple solution that can be suitable for both mobile and desktop devices, Big Commerce is an excellent choice. Also, you can start with a free period, and various tools will help you to track performances. It is user-friendly and transparent so it won’t cause any issues when it comes to managing your business and controlling the main processes like delivery, sales, procurement, and more.
Last Words
As you can see, there is a great selection of options that you can choose today. Before you make a decision, you should consider some factors, like the size of your business, your skills, and experience, and the type of products that you are selling. It must provide proper visual properties to users so they can easily check out your products, register, add products to the cart, use different payment methods, and more. Most of these options allow you to simply add payment processing.
However, keep in mind that getting the ability to add credit card payments can be difficult. Companies will check your store and see whether it is reliable and safe before allowing you to have this feature. On the other side, adding PayPal payment is quite simple.