Introduction
With more and more people preferring to do their shopping online, e-commerce has exploded in popularity in recent years.
By 2025, it is expected that global e-commerce sales will have reached $7.5 trillion, a 50% increase from present levels. We can thank the emergence of smartphones, the ease of online shopping, and the accessibility of a diverse selection of high-quality goods at affordable prices for this development.
It’s no surprise that, given this expansion, more companies are looking to launch their products and services online.
Having an online store can be a game-changer for businesses, allowing them to reach customers beyond their immediate area, sell to a larger demographic, and remain open at all hours of the night and day.
There are numerous ecommerce platforms available for store owners to use. Which platform is best for your business will depend on your needs, budget, and level of technical knowledge.
If you want to open an online shop, consider using one of these five popular e-commerce platforms:
1- Wix
2- Shopify
3- WooCommerce
4- Magento
5- BigCommerce
Wix
Wix is a website builder that includes ecommerce features, making it simple for businesses to launch their own online stores. It began operations in 2006 and has its headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Wix has grown to become one of the most widely used website builders, with over 180 million users in over 190 countries.
Wix’s intuitive interface is a major selling point. The platform provides users with a drag-and-drop interface, making it possible for non-technical users to produce high-quality websites.
Wix also provides a variety of editable themes that can be used to make a one-of-a-kind and visually appealing web store.
Wix has many tools that can be used to create and manage an online shop. Included in this group are mechanisms for handling payments and shipments, as well as stock and customer management, as well as advertising and promotion.
It’s simple to run your store, handle orders, and expand your business with the help of these tools.
Wix has a number of pricing tiers to accommodate businesses of varying sizes and budgets. They offer a variety of plans, from the starter package ideal for new businesses to the business VIP package made for established companies with advanced requirements. For businesses with exceptionally high volumes of traffic and sales, an enterprise plan is also available.
Wix also has a mobile-friendly interface, which is a big plus. Each of the themes is created with mobile, tablet, and desktop use in mind, so customers can browse and shop from your online store from any of their devices.
In sum, Wix is an effective and intuitive website creator that includes a shopping cart. Wix is a fantastic platform for online store creation because of its user-friendliness, extensive template selection, and affordable pricing plans.
Shopify
Shopify is perhaps the world’s best-known e-commerce website. Over a million eCommerce websites are operated by them.
Right out of the box, it’s incredibly easy to use and set up. Without a lot of in-house tech solutions, it’s a perfect option for starters or orgs.
Also, Shopify is very flexible. It’s used for both small companies and larger-scale events. To create her billion-dollar empire selling lip kits from Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Jenner used Shopify. But you might also use it as a small start-up.
The award-winning 24/7 support, which you will have access to even before you sign up for a Shopify plan, is another standout from Shopify.
Shopify store makes it easy for you to sell items from your online store, as well as through online marketplaces, social media sites, and Shopify POS in person.
A simple way to create a new e-commerce website from scratch is the Shopify drag-and-drop builder. For mobile devices, all themes are optimized, which is necessary for optimizing your conversions.
They also give a great processor for payments. It also integrates with the Shopify App Store with more than 3,200 apps.
Shopify provides three separate baseline plans:
Basic Shopify, 29 dollars a month
Shopify, 79 dollars a month
Advanced Shopify, 299 dollars a month
Bear in mind, these are the foundation rates only. It will cost you extra to install software, process payments, and other functions.
A custom Shopify Plus quote to meet your needs can be obtained by high volume stores seeking enterprise-grade solutions.
The entry-level plan will be sufficient to get you started, but I would at least suggest the mid-tier Shopify subscription. It comes with better features for delivery and payment processing, such as gift cards, expert reports, and better discounts.
For all of its plans, Shopify includes a 14-day free trial.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free and open-source e-commerce plugin for the WordPress platform. It was first introduced in 2011, and since then it has become one of the most popular ecommerce platforms, currently supporting more than 30% of all online stores.
WooCommerce’s adaptability is a major strength. It is based on WordPress, an extremely flexible and powerful CMS.
This makes it simple for companies to integrate e-commerce features into their preexisting WordPress sites. In addition to its core features, WooCommerce provides a wide variety of extensions and templates that can be modified to meet the specific needs of each business.
WooCommerce is a free and open-source platform that offers numerous tools to facilitate the management of an organization’s online shop. Among these capabilities are methods of payment and delivery, stock management, client administration, and promotional instruments.
Having these tools at their disposal helps businesses streamline their operations, whether it be stock management, order fulfilment, or overall expansion.
Though WooCommerce itself has no setup or monthly fees, businesses will need to budget for hosting and any extensions or customizations they may want. So, companies of any size can afford to use it.
WooCommerce’s user base is a further plus. Being an open-source platform means that there is a sizable group of people working on and using it. This means that any time a business has a need, they can quickly and easily locate the resources they require.
WooCommerce is a robust e-commerce platform that gives businesses the freedom to design and implement their ideal online shop.
WooCommerce website is a fantastic option for businesses of all sizes thanks to its flexible features, theme customization options, and low prices.
Magento
Magento is an e-commerce site developed for online stores at the enterprise level. Global giants such as Nike, HP, Jack Daniel’s, and Canon use it.
It has unique solutions for companies operating as B2Cs, B2Bs, or both. Magento provides broad and comprehensive e-commerce capabilities across all sectors for every form of the website.
Again, if you have a big online shop, I will just suggest Magento. If you’re a small business or an e-commerce start-up, it’s not worth it.
Pricing begins at over $20,000 a year for a Magento business license. For small business owners, they advertise more options, but I’d keep away from those.
In terms of mobile commerce solutions, Magento is a market pioneer.
To improve the user experience for consumers shopping on their mobile devices, you will be able to create a PWA (progressive web app).
Magento has a page builder with drag-and-drop functionality that is easy to use. It provides staging and previews of content, instant sales, and merchandising.
Customer segmentation features that personalize the customer experience can also benefit you. Use Magento via an online marketplace or sales channel to sell your goods.
By choosing from 1,000+ extensions and themes, you can customize your Magento shop.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a well-known e-commerce platform that offers many tools for creating and maintaining an online store. Established in 2009 with headquarters in the Texas capital city of Austin. Over 90,000 online stores around the world are now powered by BigCommerce, making it one of the most popular ecommerce platforms.
BigCommerce’s user-friendliness is a major selling point. It has a straightforward interface that even non-technical users will find helpful when creating and managing an online store. Moreover, BigCommerce provides a number of editable themes that make it simple to launch a website resembling a well-established storefront. These themes are mobile-friendly, so your online shop will look great on any screen size.
When it comes to running your online store, BigCommerce has you covered with a plethora of tools. The ability to accept various forms of payment, track shipments, manage stock, track down customers, and promote products are all examples of such features. It’s simple to run your store, handle orders, and expand your business with the help of these tools.
BigCommerce’s pricing plans can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of any size company. You can choose from their standard plan, which is tailored to the needs of smaller businesses, or their pro plan, which is tailored to the requirements of larger, more complex enterprises. For businesses with exceptionally high volumes of traffic and sales, an enterprise plan is also available.
For businesses looking to open and manage an effective online store, BigCommerce is a robust and user-friendly ecommerce platform. BigCommerce is a great option for businesses of all sizes thanks to its wide variety of features, customizable templates, and affordable pricing.
Conclusion
Any business can’t afford to overlook the potential of the booming e-commerce market. Since more and more people shop online due to its convenience and accessibility, it is crucial for businesses to have an online storefront.
Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and Wix are the best e-commerce platforms for setting up an online store. It’s important to pick the platform that’s right for your company’s needs and budget because they all offer different options, pricing structures, and degrees of customization.
Businesses can increase sales, expand their customer base, and save money by opening an online store. With the right e-commerce platform and strategy, your business can join the growing e-commerce market and take advantage of the benefits of online shopping.
If you need help setting up your online store, get in touch with 1Solutions today.
We have over 12 years of experience helping businesses set up their online presence and grow online.
