Online shopping is booming, which is why more and more entrepreneurs and merchants are interested in various online store platforms and building an e-store quickly and easily.
Part of the success of online platforms for building e-stores is due to the habits that people have developed during the pandemic. Part of their success is actually a trend that has been growing for a long time.
Nearly 80% of the US population shops online, and more than 50% prefer to buy online rather than in a physical store. The situation in Europe and around the world is no different. By the end of 2022, this will be a trillion-dollar industry.
That's why, if you're looking for a lucrative business opportunity, you probably need online store platforms.
All this impressive data is good news for merchants because with the right tools. By selecting good and easy-to-use online store platforms, it is easy for any small business to quickly start selling online and join the gold rush that has begun.
With decent online store platforms, you can display your products, accept payments, and manage deliveries—all without leaving the comfort of your home office.
Some of the features and conveniences that various online store platforms offer include:
- More sales
- Higher revenue generation
- More satisfied customers
- Fully automated sales process
In our research for this article on online store platforms, we looked at dozens of different options for building e-commerce websites.
There are suitable online store platforms for every type of business, from independent creators to multinational corporations. But for the purposes of this article, we focused on online store platforms that best meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses.
Especially those entrepreneurs and merchants who have recently begun to explore online sales as a potential opportunity. This does not mean that the online store platforms we review are not suitable for other types of businesses.
Now it's time to dive deeper into the topic of what these online store platforms actually are and which are the five best online store platforms currently available in the online space.
Platforms for an online store – criteria, that defines the choice
Many entrepreneurs are following the latest trend of creating eCommerce websites using online store platforms.
Choosing online store platforms is always more cost-effective and economical compared to creating a complete solution from scratch with the help of a web design agency or specialist.
E-commerce platforms can perform this task faster and include many features that work as stepping stones to your success.
But choosing the right online store platforms is not that easy and comes down to carefully considering the available options and what you and your business specifically need.
You may encounter many options and possibilities, but choosing the best one depends entirely on your requirements. So, once you know what your specific business requirements are, here is a list of some of the main criteria to consider when choosing online store platforms. Don't overlook these key points when making your choice.
Security must be a priority
Security is a key issue and must be considered with extreme care. Online business is a virtual interface, so trust is a necessary factor for your customers.
Buyers prefer secure and popular payment options, as they have to share sensitive information such as bank details and passwords. Choosing a web-based shopping cart with integrated SSL encryption is important for ensuring security.
Online store platforms that provide complete security until the customer leaves the store should always be your first priority.
Mobile commerce readiness
E-commerce has seen tremendous growth over time, proving that customers prefer it to shopping in physical stores. It is said that revenue generated from e-commerce is expected to reach $37.96 billion by 2020.
These figures clearly show the need for a mobile-ready platform for the advancement of online business.
All online store platforms that provide the incredible feature of building a mobile-ready platform according to consumer choice come with advantages such as better sales and customer satisfaction.
Google also prioritizes websites that are mobile-friendly. By giving them better rankings and a chance to get higher traffic and sales.
Therefore, all online store platforms offering mobile adaptation are a necessity for survival and prosperity in the field of e-commerce.
Easy search and payment
Navigation plays a key role when a customer buys an item. A buyer may come to your store looking for a specific product or browsing the variety. Customers are likely to abandon your store if they cannot pay easily.
Therefore, all online store platforms that provide an easy way to purchase and pay are highly preferred by customers. Since being redirected to several pages just to make a purchase is a time-consuming task.
Long-term flexibility
Modifying a website according to changing trends and business needs is difficult because it takes a lot of time. Each adjustment can take a long time if the online store is not developed using effective online store platforms that are flexible. Personalization should always be taken into account.
A fully scalable and flexible platform that allows you to do this with ease can be a good option in the long run and help you compete better in the online marketplace.
Reviews and feedback option
Customers trust products based on the experiences shared by other customers. Product reviews and ratings, which were initially considered an additional feature, have now become a necessity.
They attract more buyers who are influenced by the good reviews posted by other buyers and therefore place their orders. So the ability to review and rate products is a feature that your chosen online store platforms should definitely have.
Online store platforms – Shopify
Shopify has been around for more than 15 years and has a rich portfolio of more than two million stores built using the platform. It's hard to find a better option among all online store platforms for most small businesses that want to get started quickly and create their own online store.
Even if you've never created a website before, it's unlikely you'll get lost in Shopify's intuitive web application. Adding a product, for example, is as easy as simply clicking on Products in the sidebar and then on the Add Products button.
Fill in the name, price, quantity you have on hand, and any other relevant details, change its status to Active, and it's uploaded to your online store and ready to sell.
While Shopify meets most of the criteria for a reliable online store platform, its extensibility and app store are what really make it stand out. That really makes it such a powerful option.
Shopify has 10 free themes and more than 50 paid themes starting at $140. To review them. Go to Themes and then under Theme Library click on Visit the Theme Store. Not a bad choice, right?
The same applies to almost any feature you desire. If it is not built into Shopify, you can find an extension, add-on, or service in the app store.
Just go to apps.shopify.com, find the app you need, and click Add App. Return to your Shopify admin and click Apps in the sidebar to manage all the ones you've installed.
Online store platforms – WooCommerce by WordPress
So, what do you do if you already have a website but want to turn it into an online store? If you're using a service like Squarespace or Weebly, then their built-in tools should be your first choice.
But if, like the vast majority of the internet, you use WordPress, then WooCommerce is your best bet. Instead of starting from scratch on another platform, this WordPress plugin integrates seamlessly into your WordPress site for easy sales functionality.
WooCommerce fits perfectly into your existing backend. You can manage your orders, create offers, and view sales reports from your WordPress dashboard. Adding new products is as simple as creating a typical post.
Since WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, it has the same interface as WordPress, which means you won't have to spend time learning a new platform.
The only difference between adding a new product and creating a new post is that you'll need to add specific information about your product, such as a description, image, categories, and tags.
Online store platforms – Wix
Most e-commerce platforms allow you to add an information page, a contact page, or even a basic blog to your website, but these are usually add-ons and extensions rather than core features.
If you want to create a complete website where the online store is part of the package but not the whole package, then Wix is your best option. It is a powerful website creation tool. But it doesn't skimp on e-commerce features like order tracking, automated sales tax, and abandoned cart recovery.
With so much going on, the list of tasks for implementing Wix is long but comprehensive. In addition to adding elements such as shipping rates and your store's business hours (if you have a physical one). You will be guided through setting up a professional email address, building an email list, advertising on Google and Facebook, setting up a payment plugin, and much more.
Online Store Platforms – Square
If you're looking for an option for physical sales, such as at a farmers market or craft fair, as well as through your online store, Square is the best choice.
Your online and offline orders are organized in one dashboard, so there's no jumping between apps. No more trying to track customer details using random spreadsheets or having to enter things manually.
Square has some of the best customization options. When you sign up, you'll need to fill out a quick questionnaire about your business and its needs.
You have the option to set up a single page for reservations, a full online store, or simple payment links, depending on what you're looking for. The default theme will also be changed to match the business category you've selected.
In terms of customizing the dashboard, Square is a little more limited than some of the other options. Instead of choosing a theme that does most of the work automatically, with Square you have to create your own design using a website builder.
Online Store Platforms – Ecwid
If you're launching an online store but want to minimize your initial costs, Ecwid is the best place to start.
The platform has a great free plan that allows you to start selling your first 10 physical products. There are also affordable upgrade tiers starting at $15 per month as you grow or need additional features.
Plus, there are no additional transaction fees on top of your payment gateway charges, so you won't spend any money on hidden fees.
What sets Ecwid apart from some of the other free options is its customization options. In the sidebar, click Website and then Edit Site to open the site builder.
To change the theme, click on Themes and choose from dozens of different options. Whatever you plan to sell, there's a decent base theme to work with. Then dive into the intuitive editor to customize every section, text block, and image.