The eCommerce industry has grown dramatically in the last decade and there are now hundreds of eCommerce platforms on the market. But not all eCommerce platforms are created equal, some have features and capabilities that would be ideal for small businesses while others might not be worth considering at all. In this article we will be reviewing the 10 best eCommerce platforms on the market in 2022, highlighting their biggest advantages and disadvantages so you can make an informed decision about which one you should choose as your platform of choice for your small business.
Magento
With such a rich ecosystem, if you’re trying to decide whether or not Magento is right for your small business, take a moment to consider these benefits of using Magento as an ecommerce platform: You can hire an eCommerce development company to help you customize and expand your online store. It has over 1,200 extensions available through its marketplace to add new features and functionalities.
As an open-source platform, it allows you to extend functionality from basic services such as shopping carts and customer accounts to complex services such as inventory management, marketing automation and predictive analytics. With comprehensive community support, it’s easy for you find help when you need it or contribute back when possible.
WooCommerce
You’ve probably heard of WordPress, right? WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in existence and runs over 28% of all websites. One of its add-ons, WooCommerce, makes it easy to build an online store using WordPress. With more than 3 million active installs and countless users around the world, Woo is both powerful and flexible. By far, it’s one of our favorite platforms available.
Shopify
The most popular ecommerce platform on Cloud by a significant margin, Shopify is easy to set up and use, especially with its unrivaled support. The company manages all aspects of your ecommerce site, including hosting and scaling. It’s affordable and comes with top-notch security features. If you’re a smaller business without tech expertise, there’s no better option than Shopify.
Weebly
Easy-to-use drag and drop web design make Weebly an option to consider if you're looking to launch a simple storefront. It's great for creating online brochures, portfolios, and other one-page websites. The company offers built-in SEO tools to help increase your search engine visibility, too. Weebly has a free version as well as two paid plans (starting at $12/month) that come with additional features like no ads, premium support options, and SSL security protection.
If you're just getting started or want to try out a few different platforms before committing, we recommend trying out Weebly first. You can learn more about their pricing here . If you decide later on that they aren't right for your needs, they have a handy export tool that will let you easily move all of your content over to another platform. One of our favorite features is their easy site migration service which allows customers who are switching from another platform have access to their website within 24 hours so they can start selling immediately without losing any sales or leads. Their cloud hosting makes it super easy for businesses of all sizes by eliminating complicated server setups and expensive hardware purchases required by competitors' products.
Wix
As a website building platform, Wix is an easy-to-use tool that features drag and drop functionality. It has everything you need to create a beautiful website: your choice of templates (or ability to start from scratch), built-in SEO capabilities, social media integration, secure payment processing and more. As you grow as a business, Wix provides plenty of resources to help your company hire eCommerce developers or find an eCommerce development company with additional features such as: Wishlists and Reviews, Wholesale/Dropshipping Options and Manufacturer catalogs as well as order management all available through Wix’s app marketplace.
Squarespace
A trusted name in website creation, Squarespace has made building a beautiful website accessible to everyone. Their templates allow you to build professional websites that not only look great but are optimized to convert visitors into leads. The platform includes built-in SEO functionality and mobile design templates, making it one of the best ecommerce platforms available today. Prices range from $12 per month, which is relatively low compared to other platforms on our list. There’s also a free option, though we don’t recommend using it if you plan on selling products online.
Bigcommerce
One of Bigcommerce’s best features is its heavy emphasis on customer service. The company offers 24/7 phone, email and live chat support to help merchants get set up and running right away. It also provides video tutorials to get users up to speed quickly.
For example, there are in-depth walkthroughs of all aspects of using Bigcommerce, including setting up inventory management and viewing reports. Small businesses may also be interested in Bigcommerce’s e-courses; they offer an affordable way to learn more about growing a business online through a combination of text and video lessons delivered by experts.
X-Cart
One of X-Cart’s strengths is its robust API and vast developer community, making it one of the best options if you plan to hire your own developers. The software also boasts a large number of extensions and integrations, which can be used to boost functionality without much work on your part. It’s easy to set up an online store with X-Cart: Simply choose from a variety of preconfigured templates or create a custom design from scratch. The software also comes with built-in SEO tools that help boost visibility in search engines. If you want an affordable ecommerce platform that offers plenty of features, X-Cart is worth considering.
Ecwid
A free, lightweight and easy-to-use ecommerce platform. Ecwid is best suited for a large range of stores with low traffic or little product variety. It has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that allows you to build your store in minutes without any coding knowledge. It comes with built-in social media integration and payment processing options, so you can focus on what matters most: selling your products! With Ecwid's comprehensive marketing tools, you can easily reach out to new customers by email campaigns, Facebook ads or Google AdWords.
Opencart
If you want to get your store up and running with a fast, efficient, cost-effective platform, then OpenCart may be what you’re looking for. This particular open source software allows businesses to set up their own site from scratch without having to hire an expensive development team. OpenCart can help establish businesses in niche industries including health and beauty products, nutrition supplements and more—and is even ideal for online retailers that sell physical products and ship them directly to customers. Another major perk of using OpenCart is its low cost; at only $300 per year or $50 per month (with additional features available), it’s one of the most affordable platforms on our list.
Conclusion
Choosing an ecommerce platform will require some careful consideration. You need to weigh your options and choose a platform that not only supports you now, but will also help you scale as your business grows. You’ll want to consider which platforms offer seamless integration with third-party suppliers and shipping providers as well as a seamless shopping experience for customers. Some of today’s most widely used platforms include Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify and Big Commerce. Of course, there are many other great solutions out there depending on your specific needs – so it is best to carefully consider all of your options before choosing one over another.
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