Are you planning to create an online store? Whether you already have an established company or it's developing it now, counting on the right ecommerce platform will help you to build your ecommerce website and manage it.
What Is an Ecommerce Platform?
An ecommerce platform is a content management system (CMS) developed to offer the proper tools to create and manage an online store. They don't require you to create the whole infrastructure to develop a website, therefore don't need to know code or design the pages, most of them offer pre-built templates.
Ecommerce platforms count on several features to facilitate all the processes, such as website builder, web hosting, inventory management, marketing and SEO tools, payment processing, and so on. It enables you to have control over the multiple tasks of your ecommerce on a single platform, and also include your team in it.
Types of Ecommerce Platforms
Headless
To understand what a headless ecommerce platform is, first, it's necessary to know what the front-end and back-end are when it comes to a website. Basically, the front-end is the interface, the visual element, what you see on the website. On the other hand, the back-end is the behind-the-scenes, the infrastructure that enables the website to function.
A headless ecommerce platform, different from the usual, separates the front-end from the back-end to offer more freedom and flexibility to create and offer new shopping experiences. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are used to publish content, product, and banners, for example.
One thing is important to keep in mind, though, to have a headless ecommerce you will need to count on a team of developers. In this case, it's essential to know how to code.
Open-Source
An open-source ecommerce platform is focused on companies that are looking for an online store solution that enables them to have full access to the source code, which means they can modify it, and adjust it to their needs. This type of ecommerce platform is often required by developers and IT-heavy organizations.
SaaS
SaaS (software as a service) ecommerce platforms are highly recommended for companies that don't want to deal with the IT infrastructure and coding part of having an online store. It's also a more affordable option because it doesn't require your enterprise to hire developers or designers, for instance.
You can focus on building the pages of your online store, with an intuitive editor, counting on an online inventory to upload products and control stock. Besides, many of these platforms are partnered with shipping companies to facilitate your logistics, and some also facilitate configuring payment methods.
Another advantage is that they will be in charge of your website security. On the other hand, a SaaS ecommerce platform doesn't give you as much flexibility as the other options since you don't have control over the coding.
Ecommerce Platform: Hosted X Self-Hosted
For your website to be available online, it needs to be hosted on a server. There are ecommerce platforms, usually open-source, that don't provide the service of hosting your website, which means you will need to take care of it, being self-hosted.
In this case, you may hire web hosting for ecommerce and choose the best hosting plan for your online store needs. The disadvantage is having to manage one more aspect of the website maintenance while there are ecommerce platforms that already take care of that part and include web hosting on all of their plans.
What to Look For in an Ecommerce Platform
There are many ecommerce platforms for you to choose from, which may bring doubts about which is the best one. To facilitate the selection process, start by analyzing which platform offers the essential features below.
Easy-to-Use Interface
A good ecommerce platform must be easy to use. This means being able to quickly learn how to navigate through it and enjoy all the tools offered. Use the free trial periods to test the platforms, and make sure you and your team won't have a hard time with the one you choose.
Customization Tools
Adding your brand's identity to your online store is fundamental to having successful pages that convey credibility to your company and attract buyers. The visitors must be able to associate your brand with the page they are accessing right away, for instance, by visualizing the logo, and other elements that represent your company. The ecommerce platform must provide tools that allow you to add those elements.
Hosting and Domain Services
To make it easier to create and manage your online store, it's recommended to look for an ecommerce platform where you can create or transfer your domain and host your website too. This way you don't need to use other platforms, and you can keep control of everything in a single place.
SEO Tools
Counting with SEO tools will help you get more organic traffic by increasing the chances of having your pages appear on Google's first search result pages. This means when someone looks for a keyword related to the topics you approach, one of your pages can be shown on the results, leading to more visitors to your website, and sales growth, as a consequence.
Third-Party App Integration
Pay attention if the ecommerce platform of your choice allows you to integrate your website with software that you want to use to manage your store. For example, it's interesting to have the option to integrate the website with SEO and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Services tools.
Scalability
Choose an ecommerce platform that can meet your needs as your company grows. For instance, imagine you intend to receive around 1,000 visitors a month at the beginning of your website.
Certainly you wish to grow this number. As your traffic increases, it will require more storage space and bandwidth, so you need to count on a platform that will adapt to your needs as they change.
Responsive Design
According to Statista, 60% of the internet population worldwide uses a mobile device to go online. They must be able to access your pages and have a good user experience, and this requires having an online store that works properly on smartphones and desktops, without having its interface misconfigured.
To do that, it's fundamental that the ecommerce platform provides a responsive design, which means the templates are mobile-friendly, and the interface is automatically adapted to mobile devices.
Customer Support
Unforeseen problems such as a slow loading time or broken links can affect your website performance considerably, therefore they need to be fixed as fast as possible. To do that, you must count on effective customer support from the ecommerce platform you will opt for. Pay attention if they offer 24/7 support, and read the customer reviews to check if they provide good assistance.
Ecommerce Management Tools
Another important aspect to consider in an ecommerce platform is the tools it offers that enable you to manage your online store in a quick and efficient way. This includes, for example, automatic and centralized inventory, easy solutions for payment and shipping options, and a feature to track orders.
20 Best Ecommerce Platforms
1. Wix
Wix provides web hosting services and enables you to entirely customize your website pages using its editor, and also choosing pre-built templates. If you are starting to build your brand's identity, you can enjoy the Wix Logo Maker, and brand name generator.
You can have more than 50.000 products in your online store, and manage your inventory and the sources from your suppliers using Wix tools. To set payments, you have the option to choose from multiple methods, including major credit card companies, PayPal, and Stripe.
Are you thinking of selling on marketplaces and social media platforms? With Wix, you have the possibility to sell on multiple sales channels and manage everything from a unique dashboard, having a synchronized inventory.
Wix also has SEO tools to help you rank better on search engines like Google, and sell more. Besides, it also counts on Marketing solutions, the platform creates optimized ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram for you.
Highlighted features:
- Ecommerce website builder
- More than 500 pre-built templates
- Logo maker
- Business name generator
- Wix Payments
- Automate your taxes
- Sell in multiple channels
- SEO and marketing tools
2. Bluehost
ecommerce platform - Bluehost
With Bluehost, you can choose a pre-built template and customize it according to your brand's identity, select the color palette, add images and other graphic elements, insert texts, choose the font types, and much more. You also can count on AI tools to simplify the whole process.
Besides, you have the option to install different types of plugins to include ads in the website, forms, and links to social media, for example. Explore the built-in SEO tools to optimize all the pages so you can rank better on search engines, which helps to increase website traffic.
Highlighted features:
- Free domain
- Free SSL
- Free CDN
- Pre-built templates
- Insightful analytics
- Automated security updates
- Backup data protection
- 24/7 support
- SEO tools
- Powerful plugins
3. SITE123
ecommerce platform - SITE123
With SITE123, you can have your online store running with just a few steps. Use its intuitive website editor to create and customize the pages, including the home page, product categories, and each product page.
Remember to add high-quality pictures of your products and to write complete descriptions. SITE123 will help you to have a mobile-friendly website, so customers can have a great experience buying on your ecommerce site regardless of the device they are using. Besides, the platform also offers free hosting, free domain registration, and SEO tools.
Highlighted features:
- Website editor
- Mobile Friendly
- Free hosting
- SEO tools
- Custom Domains
- 24/7 customer support
4. Webnode
Ecommerce platform - Webnode
Webnode is suited for companies that are looking for an ecommerce platform that will not only host your website but also take care of the coding part for you. You will find multiple store templates, which were developed to help you sell and make your products stand out. They have a responsive design, which means the images will be adjusted according to the screen size.
You can offer a variety of payment options to your customers, credit cards, PayPal, Stripe, and wire transfer, for example. You also have the flexibility to set shipping options as you prefer and allow customers to track their orders.
To analyze your website performance, Webnode provides store statistics, so you can check what needs to be improved, and identify the most profitable products, and loyal customers.
Highlighted features:
- Website builder
- Reliable hosting
- Unlimited number of pages
- SEO tools
- Responsive store templates
- Store statistics
- Simple checkout
- Import products in bulk
5. Shoplazza
ecommerce platform - Shoplazza
Shoplazza offers you multiple features, starting with pre-built templates that can be completely customized using the drag-and-drop editor. With the inventory management system, you can use the platform to keep control of the stocks.
You can offer as many products as you wish on your online store, and accept multiple currencies and different payment methods. Shoplazza even counts on more than 150 shipping partners to help you organize the delivery process.
Highlighted features:
- Pre-built templates
- Drag-and-drop online store button
- Inventory management system
- Marketing tools
- SEO tools
- Staff accounts
- Multiple payment options
- Shipping partners
6. BigCommerce
ecommerce platform - BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers multiple solutions for you, depending on what your company needs. When accessing its Website, you are going to find two options: Enterprise and Essentials.
BigCommerce Enterprise offers you an open SaaS ecommerce platform. It allows you to design your online store with freedom, and create a unique experience for your customers. Besides, you have the opportunity to use headless ecommerce and count on powerful analytics.
BigCommerce Essentials is focused on companies that want an ecommerce platform that doesn't require design or coding skills. You will be able to use professional pre-built templates and customize the storefront to add your brand's visual identity.
Highlighted features:
- BigCommerce Essentials
- BigCommerce Enterprise
- Page builder
- Pre-built templates
- Check out customization
- SEO tools
- Management tools
- Headless commerce
7. WordPress Ecommerce
Ecommerce platform WordPress ecommerce
WordPress Ecommerce allows you to have a completely personalized online store and still offers the best management tools. You can start taking payments in seconds by enabling the PayPal button, and easily setup debit and credit card payments.
You will be able to publish content and sell products using the same platform. WordPress also provides multiple plugins to enhance user experience, increase sales, and guarantee your website is safe. You will have the option to sell not only physical products but digital items as well.
Key features:
- WordPress themes
- Different types of plugins
- Google apps
- Sell physical and digital products
- Enable subscriptions
- Customization tools
- Easy-to-use website editor
8. WooCommerce
Ecommerce platform- WooCommerce
Are you looking for an ecommerce builder that works perfectly for WordPress websites? WooCommerce was developed for that. If you already have a website WordPress, what you are going to do is to add the WooCommerce plugin and customize your store with pre-built templates.
You can add several extensions such as TaxJar, Google Ads, Mailchimp, ShipStation, Jetpack, and Facebook. They are going to help you manage your strategies in a more centralized way, and also improve the customer experience.
Built with a REST API, Woo Commerce was thought to be a scalable tool, which means it is able to adapt according to your business needs, as you grow. To enhance your performance and learn from others, you will count on a huge global community and be able to participate in several meetups.
Highlighted features:
- Built on WordPress
- Customizable, open-source ecommerce platform
- 140 specific payment gateways
- Live shipping rates
- Marketing integrations
- Support forum
- Set prices in multiple currencies
- Create multilingual content
- Scalable platform
- Hundreds of extensions
- Manage the store from your mobile device
- Track your stats
- 30-day money-back guarantee
9. Jumpseller
Ecommerce platform - Jumpseller
When you create your online store it must have your brand’s visual identity. To do that, having customizable mobile-friendly templates will make that task much easier, and JumpSeller offers it. You can edit all the pages the way you wish, including the checkout, and have your store set up in different languages.
Jumpseller is partnered with shipping companies, allowing you to save money by using the discounts offered, and other facilities like print labels. Besides, you can expand your business by accepting payments from different currencies and using local payment methods.
The ecommerce builder has an all-in-one platform where you can manage different sales channels on the same dashboard, and create marketing strategies too.
Highlighted features:
- Customizable theme
- Mobile-friendly
- Translate your store into several languages
- Create your domain
- Discounts with partnered shipping carriers
- Accept various currencies
- Connect to social media
- Sell in several channels
10. Strikingly
Ecommerce platform - Strikingly
Strikingly offers you several customizable templates, which are easy to edit and all of them have a responsive design. The platform has 4 different plans, Free, Limited, Pro, and VIP, all of which have the possibility to include an online store.
You should pay attention, though, to the number of products each plan allows you to add. For example, in the free plan, you can sell only one product. On the ecommerce management dashboard, you can connect to PayPal or Stripe, easily set shipping methods, and add coupons.
Highlighted features:
- Register a new domain or use one you already have
- Analytics built-in
- HTTPS built-in
- Easily customizable templates
- Add links to your social media pages
- 24/7 support
- Create and manage forms
- Register memberships
11. Weebly
Ecommerce platorm - Weebly
Enabling entrepreneurs for developing professional ecommerce websites has become much simpler through Weebly features. With customizable themes, you can edit the one you choose and easily create a unique store by using the drag-and-drop builder.
Weebly also offers several marketing tools, for example, you can send a welcome email to new customers or a special discount when you see an abandoned cart. You can also analyze your ecommerce performance through SEO tools and install a huge variety of apps to make the customer experience even better.
You can launch and manage your store from anywhere, using the mobile app on your smartphone or tablet. The inventory is easily tracked, and, in case of needing to add a big number of products at the same time, you can bulk import.
Highlighted features:
- Customizable themes
- Marketing tools
- SEO tools
- Several apps to install
- Real-time shipping rates
- Bulk import
- Coupon builder
- Product search
- Automatic tax calculator
12. X-Cart
Ecommerce platform - X-Cart
Back in 2001, when X-Cart was founded, it was the world's first PHP-based eCommerce platform. Now, with over 20 years of experience, X-Cart provides a stable yet very flexible eCommerce solution along with a full range of complementary services, including web design, web development, hosting, and SEO consultancy.
It is a highly-customizable eCommerce platform with open code and API-driven modern technology, which means that if you lack a feature or need any unique functionality, you can code it yourself or hire X-Cart's team or a development agency to code it for you.
Highlighted features:
- Powerful default functionality
- Highly-customizable platform
- Unlimited SKUs
- Mobile-first customizable templates
- Flexible payment processors
- Hundreds of add-ons and API integrations
- Assisted migration
- Support for various business models
13. Shift4Shop
Ecommerce platform - Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop is a free website builder which offers many resources, starting from giving you a big variety of professionally designed, industry-specific, and mobile-friendly templates. They have a web design tool to help you customize everything, but you can edit directly the HTML and CSS too.
The free plan includes unlimited products, features, and bandwidth. You will also count on migration assistance and fraud protection. Shift4Shop provides marketing tools, as well, like built-in e-mail marketing, and the possibility to include group deals, daily deals, coupons, and discounts, among others.
It also has cart abandonment recovery tools, focused on automatically engaging users, and motivating them to finish their purchase. Another benefit is that each part of your website is pre-optimized for SEO.
Highlighted features:
- Inventory management tools
- Product management software
- Analytical tools
- Cart abandonment recovery tools
- SEO optimization
- Visa CPI Certified Security
- Real-time shipping rates
- Integrated with PayPal
- Centralized inventory to sell in different channels
14. Volusion
Ecommerce platform - Volusion
Developing your online store without knowing how to code, and being able to set up everything by choosing a pre-built responsive theme: Volusion makes it possible and also provides a 14-day trial.
After customizing your website design, you can add several tools such as shipping methods, other selling channels, automated email, payment gateways, and stats about your store performance. Besides, the built-in SEO management will help you to gain more visibility.
When adding your products, you have the opportunity to use some tools that will make it even simpler and more effective, like variant pricing, import products via CSV, and rich text product descriptions.
Highlighted features:
- Responsive themes
- Add site search
- Built-in SEO
- Integration with marketplaces
- Secure checkout
- Comprehensive management system
- Search friendly URLs
- Admin Social Management
- Reporting tools
15. Magento
Ecommerce platform- Magento
Magento is the ecommerce platform from Adobe, and it's driven to help companies to develop a great shopping experience, with several features. In the page builder, you are going to encounter an intuitive interface and content editor that allow you to customize everything, using the drag-and-drop tool.
The platform was created to help businesses of all sizes, small to big companies according to their needs. You can integrate the store with other selling channels, use B2B solutions, and easily manage your inventory.
Highlighted features:
- B2B ecommerce
- Customer segmentation and personalization
- Integrates with other sales channels
- Cloud-based services
- Mobile-friendly
- Live search
- Instant purchase
- Connected Enterprise Resource Planning
16. Squarespace
Ecommerce platform - Squarespace
Squarespace will enable you to create pages that better suit your business needs. Focusing on growing and expanding, before creating your account, you will choose which template has more to do with your brand visual identity, and customize it, the images, the color palette, and fonts.
Each online store sector has its specificities, taking that into consideration Square Space includes many tools to add to your choice and also has marketing features. This way, you can implement actions such as email campaigns, through the platform.
They provide solutions not only to sell physical products, but also digital content, like ebooks and music, subscriptions, or services. Besides, if you sell online and in-person, you can use the Squarespace inventory to keep everything synced.
Highlighted features:
- Customizable templates
- Mobile optimized design
- Easy-to-use interface
- Centralized inventory
- Real-time shipping estimates for US customers
- Simple payment and checkout
- 24/7 support
- Automate sales tax filing
- Built-in SEO tools
17. PrestaShop
How to sell online - PrestaShop
With PrestaShop, you can count on a highly scalable and flexible option to have an online store that suits your client's needs. You can fully personalize the website pages by choosing a pre-built theme, adding useful features, selecting the color palette, font, inserting images, and much more.
The platform has an intuitive interface, which means you and your team can easily learn how to navigate through its tools and make the most of it to offer the customer experience. You can manage everything from a single platform, including controlling the inventory, the payment process, and shipping.
You also can enjoy the marketing tools to launch campaigns and promote your brand. Another advantage is the option to sell internationally, by having a multilingual store and adding multi-currency options.
Highlighted features:
- Pre-built themes
- Easy-to-use
- All-in-one-platform
- Sell internationally
- Marketing tools
- Analytics tools
- Customer support
18. Sellfy
How to sell online - Sellfy
Sellfy is an easy-to-use ecommerce platform that allows you to create your online store with just a few clicks. It was developed focusing on helping creators to sell their digital products and merchandise online.
To begin, all you need to do is sign up for the platform, add your products, then customize every page to have your brand's identity. You can also use Sellfy to commercialize your products on social media like Facebook and Instagram and manage everything in one place. Enjoy the built-in marketing features to promote your store and enhance your revenue.
You can sell a huge variety of digital products, such as ebooks, videos, audio, and other files in multiple formats. It's also possible to create digital subscriptions and charge your customers periodically, another possibility is offering video streaming services on demand.
Highlighted features:
- Easy-to-use
- Sell products and subscriptions
- Responsive design
- Customization tools
- Built-in marketing features
- Sell from social media
- Multiple payment options
19. BigCartel
How to sell online - BigCartel
The BigCartel platform is recommended for artists who want to sell their products online. You will find the proper tool to make it easier to run a creative business. To begin building your online store, select one of the pre-built themes, and customize it according to your brand's visual identity.
Then, add the products, and set up important configurations such as the payment and shipping methods. You can count on very useful tools to manage your store, fulfill orders, update products, check stats, and run promotions from any device.
Highlighted features:
- Developed for artists by artists
- Easy-to-use
- Pre-built themes
- Personalization tools
- Management tools
20. ShopWired
How to sell online - ShopWired
ShopWired is considered the best ecommerce platform in the United Kingdom. It offers you beautiful and responsive themes, so you can build your online store without having to design it yourself, but still be able to customize the details to be aligned with your brand's visual identity.
The platform integrates the most important features for managing an online business, so you can centralize all your tasks in a single place. You will be able to keep track of all the orders, update the product catalog, and create promotions. If you already use another platform, you can fully migrate to ShopWired in 7 days or less.
Highlighted features:
- Responsive design
- Pre-built themes
- Customization tools
- No coding or software installation required
- All-in-one platform
- Sell on social media
- Customer support
- Insightful reports
- Advanced b2b features
How to Choose the Best Ecommerce Platform
As you may have seen, there are several ecommerce platforms available, which leaves the doubt, which is the best one? This answer isn't a simple one because it depends on multiple factors.
The size and type of your business, for instance. A B2B (business to business) company has different needs than a B2C ( business to consumer), and that needs to be taken into consideration.
If your company is highly focused on IT, probably you will prefer an open-source or headless ecommerce platform. On the other hand, if you don't count on developers, an ecommerce platform that doesn't demand coding expertise may be more suitable for you.
As you navigate through the ecommerce platforms, you will see they offer a huge variety of plans and prices. It's also needed to analyze the budget available to pay for this service, and not only that to maintain your online store running, investing in marketing strategies, products, and other resources.
When you start looking for an ecommerce platform, pay attention to these aspects:
- Features you need
- Intuitive interface
- Budget
- Customers reviews
- Customer support
- Scalability
- Integrations
- Customization options
FAQ: Ecommerce Platform
What is the best ecommerce platform?
The best ecommerce platform depends on what your needs are, it varies for each case. There are many platforms available, some of them specialized in a niche, for example, b2b ecommerce, or small businesses. Therefore they are going to offer features according to those sectors. The best for you is the one that meets all your requirements and fits your budget.
Do I need an ecommerce platform to sell online?
No, you don't. It's possible to sell online using other means. For example, you can have an online store in marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon. You can also use social media channels to sell your products.
Can I integrate my ecommerce platforms with other systems?
Yes, most ecommerce platforms allow you to integrate them with different types of software, such as CRM, analytics, and social media platforms.
How much does an ecommerce platform cost?
The cost of using an ecommerce platform varies considerably. It depends on the type of plan you choose and the features offered by them. You may also use a free ecommerce platform.
Why use an ecommerce platform?
Using an ecommerce platform has many advantages. You will have the autonomy to build an online store the way you want without having to be an expert in design or coding. You can enjoy multiple features that will make it easier to build, manage, and follow up the performance of your ecommerce.
Choosing the Best Ecommerce Platform is Just the Beginning
Once you have selected what ecommerce platform you are going to use to build your online store, it's time to research your target audience and competitors and study the market you are getting in. Identify your customers' pain points and show how your products can help solve them. Focus on offering a great user and customer experience in each section of your website.
