The first thing that to do before you go for an e-commerce platform is to look for an interface that’ll make your customers want to shop. There are other things like how easily you can manage your back-end, helping customize the site. The e-commerce sector is expanding at a great speed, and you can connect your customers, bringing exclusive business engagement.
Online retailers should have high expectations when going for online business. Interestingly, over 60% of online business is generated either through social media or mobile. Likewise, when developing an e-commerce platform, there are things a website design company Kolkata, India comprehensively emphasizes. These include
- SEO Optimizable
- Great UX design
- Addition of social media and more
But before that, we’ll need to understand what exactly is an e-commerce platform is and which are the most trending e-commerce interface in 2020-2021. Stick with the article as we put a detailed insight into the platforms.
What Exactly Is an Ecommerce Platform?
An e-commerce platform is simple software. You can build an online store besides allowing tools to run the store conveniently. You must have seen how online store giant Amazon offers a virtual store where you can find a range of products. However, your e-commerce platform allows you to showcase products and sell them to your customers. It equally helps to promote your business through advertising.
However, picking the right interface is very important for business growth. As a leading website design company Kolkata, India, here we mention the most promising platforms for your online business.
Magneto
Launched in 2008, its back-end caters to enterprise-level needs. This platform is a great choice for small business holders and start-ups. Also, the platform is good for dropshipping e-commerce businesses.
Cost
You need not pay any subscription charge. Just download and use the community edition at zero cost. For more functions, the company allows adding paid plugins; however, for drop shipping, you’ll need an extension. The extension prices start from free to several hundred dollars.
The annual license for Magneto commerce is around $15000, and meanwhile, prices are tied to sales volume. It is best to work with a Magento sales rep for an e-commerce store. Hiring a pro setup for your Magneto store may cost in six-figure; however, it depends on the size and complexity.
Features
- You can customize the store with no coding experience
- It has thousands of templates with an integrated shopping cart
- The back-end offers order management, product management, and mobile commerce functions
Benefits
- You get to access to robust resources, including direct integration for fulfilling orders
- You can use third party software and servers, allowing flexible usability
- Customer Support
- You get unlimited customer support via an online customer portal and hotline
- You can access resources from the Magneto wiki
Drawbacks
- Not for non-tech-savvy customers
- You may need a developer
WooCommerce
WooCommerce offers a free WordPress Plugin and provides you to run a digital store on the WordPress platform easily. This platform is exclusive for start-ups if running under a WordPress site.
Cost
WooCommerce is free and can be downloaded and installed for WordPress sites. The basic Storefront WordPress theme is free; however, you need to purchase other themes. Extensions are free, but you can also avail of paid extensions. Meanwhile, you need to buy a domain name and pay when hosting the website. Some of the renowned hosting sites include
- GoDaddy
- Bluehost
- Hostgator
Features
It’s mobile-friendly and can help you turn the store into a mobile app whenever you want
- You have the option to store your data safely instead of a third party
- The coding is of best practice as is audited Sucuri
- You can opt for many payment gateways
Benefits
- WooCommerce is low cost and easily customizable
- You can opt for a range of collection of themes and extensions
- You have the option to run HTML and CSS codes and add widgets
- Plugin extensions offer the addition of a range of functions
Customer Support
- You can avail of customer support through several channels
- You can avail training videos on running the interface
Drawbacks
- WooCommerce is a plugin, and you need to set up parts of the website yourself
Big Commerce
Big Commerce is for brands with a relatively strong market hold. In fact, the platform has all the necessary tools needed for a big storefront. Major multichannel sales on sites like Amazon and Google shopping includes BigCommerce’s support.
Cost
Although BigCommerce offers a free trial, the standard plan starts at $29.95 per month. The plus plan and the pro plan rises further high. However, you can avail free hosting with unlimited bandwidth in all the plans.
You won’t need to pay for transaction fee in case you run a merchant account. The platform will take a percentage if you accept credit cards. However, there’s a certain limitation on all the plans.
Features
- You can avail customizable templates and further tweak it
- Big Commerce offers built-in tools that can enhance conversion
- There’s easy integration of back-end with enterprise-level applications
- The platform is designed for a brand that ensures beyond $1 million in annual sales
Customer Support
- BigCommerce includes dedicated account managers to maximize business sales
- You can avail sales assistant
Drawbacks
- It offers only a few free templates
- If the sales increase beyond the plan, you will be charged more
Shopify
Established in 2004, Shopify has been helping enterprises over the globe from small to medium-sized businesses. It is the best platform for those who have less technical knowledge. It is used by more than a million online retailers. Also, it offers a ‘Plus’ option for larger business holders.
Cost
The cheapest plan from Shopify is $9 p/mo. You can simply taste the market at a meager capital. Also, the company offers a free 14-day trial package. Higher packages may go from $29 to $299 p/mo.
Features
- You get all the features to run a smooth online platform, i.e., shopping cart, reports & payment.
- You get the option to integrate social media integration and marketing tools.
- You can control the back-end from a mobile app.
Benefits
- The platforms offer a smooth content management system
- You can avail of direct integration with many services
- The hosting is under Shopify’s servers
- You get 24/7 monitoring and payment card industry compliance (PCI)
Customer Support
- You can avail of 24/7 customer support over the phone, email, or live chat
- Shopify offers a manual collection of FAQs and tutorials
Drawbacks
- It can sometimes be challenging to change theme templates
- You might have to hire a developer to make changes
Final Wrap
At Website Design Company Kolkata, India, we have helped many firms develop a platform for their online business. We offer the right business solution for your growth.
