How to Choose the Right E-commerce Platform for Your Business Needs

Choosing the right e-commerce platform is crucial for the success of your online business. Understanding your requirements and goals is the first step in making this decision, but finding the best one might be difficult. However, a website development services agency can help you pick the one tailored to your business objectives. So you can accommodate your growing demands as you expand. It should consider the number of products you plan to sell, the volume of traffic you expect to receive, and your plans for future growth.

The most suitable platform will be able to customize your Website design and user experience, which is important for creating an outstanding and professional online presence. Moreover, it helps companies secure payment processing for building customer trust and integrate with the tools you need to run your operations effectively, such as payment gateways, shipping carriers, and email marketing software.

3 Best Ecommerce Platforms You Can Choose

WordPress, Shopify, and BigCommerce are all popular e-commerce platforms that offer different features and capabilities. Here’s a brief discussion of each and its unique requirements:

WordPress:

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that can be used to build an e-commerce website using the WooCommerce plugin. It’s a favored choice for businesses that need a lot of customization and control over the design and functionality of their website. Apart from development, your site needs WordPress SEO services as well in order to outrank your competitors. Hire Ayraxs as your ideal partner for development & digital marketing needs.

Shopify:

Shopify is a cloud-based e-commerce platform known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use. It offers a wide range of customization options, including themes, apps, and plugins, but it may require technical know-how to get everything set up. One requirement of Shopify is that its users must pay a monthly fee, which can be a barrier for some. Here at Ayraxs, we also provides premium Shopify SEO services as per your preferred plan.

BigCommerce:

BigCommerce is a fully-hosted e-commerce platform that offers a wide range of features and integrations. It’s a good choice for businesses that need a lot of built-in functionality but may require some technical expertise to set up and customize. BigCommerce requires a higher monthly fee than other platforms.

A well-known e-commerce Website development agency can help you research each platform thoroughly and pick the one that fits your budget, technical abilities, and overall vision for your online store. Ayraxs along with BigCommerce web development, also provides BigCommerces SEO services.

Evaluating Scalability and Customization Options

Scalability and customization options are two essential features to consider.

A scalable platform for your business will help you grow and accommodate increasing products, customers, and transactions without any restrictions. That’s why always ensure your chosen platform can cater to your ever-evolving demands with flexible bandwidth and storage options.

At the same time, personalized touch helps create a memorable and user-friendly shopping experience for your customers. The platform must offer various customization options – from choosing themes and templates, adding plugins, and changing colors to integrating other tools and services, such as drag-and-drop page builders or CSS/HTML editors. 

Assessing Payment Processing and Security Measures

Payment processing refers to “accepting and processing customer payments through credit cards, bank transfers, or other payment methods.” Security measures are implemented to protect sensitive customer information, such as card numbers, personal details, and financial information. 

Your chosen platform must have a secure processing system to gain trust, develop a reliable relationship, and ensure that transactions are safe and confidential data is protected. These must comply with regulations like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which sets guidelines for accepting, storing, and processing payment information with high-level protection.

WordPress:

WordPress offers several payment processing options, including popular payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe. However, the level of security provided by these options depends on the plugins and themes you use. 

Shopify and BigCommerce:

Shopify and BigCommerce provide built-in payment processing options through their own payment gateway and integrations. They also exercise professional security measures, including SSL certificates, PCI compliance, and fraud analysis tools.

The level of security and payment processing options will depend on your chosen platform, so it’s critical to carefully evaluate each platform to determine which best meets your needs.

Compatibility with Existing Technology and Systems

E-commerce businesses commonly use several different types of technology and systems. The compatibility level will depend on your business’s requirements and the systems you already have:

Content Management Systems (CMS):

CMS, such as WordPress and Magento, is used to create and manage the content of an e-commerce website, including product descriptions, images, and other information.

Shopping Carts:

Shopping carts are software systems that enable customers to add items to their virtual shopping carts, view their orders, and complete the checkout process. Examples include Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify.

Payment Gateways:

Payment gateways process customer payments, connecting the e-commerce website to financial institutions and credit card processors. Examples of payment gateways include PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net.

Pricing Structure and Fees

The pricing structures and fees for WordPress, Shopify, and BigCommerce vary, but here are some of the most common types of pricing structures and fees for each:

WordPress:

WordPress is an open-source platform, so it’s free to use. However, you’ll need to pay for hosting, domain name, and any additional plugins or themes you want. Some hosting companies offer managed WordPress hosting, which includes the cost of hosting, security, and support in a single package.

Shopify:

Shopify has several pricing plans, including Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. The plans vary in price and features, with higher-tier plans offering more advanced features, such as gift cards, professional reports, and more. Additionally, Shopify charges transaction fees based on the plan you select.

BigCommerce:

BigCommerce has various pricing plans, including Standard, Plus, and Pro. The plans differ in price and specs as to-tier plans tend to provide you with more features, including abandoned cart recovery and custom checkout fields.

User Experience and Design Flexibility

User experience (UX) and design flexibility are the most significant factors in e-commerce. 

Where a good UX can significantly impact a customer’s overall experience and likelihood to purchase, design flexibility allows you to create a custom look and feel for your brand. You must settle on an e-commerce platform that offers both good UX and design flexibility to create a Website that meets your necessities and provides an enjoyable shopping experience for your customers.

If you are still deciding while choosing the right platform for your business, hiring an e-commerce Website development agency can help you get over it. 

Integrations with Third-Party Tools

All three platforms offer a range of integrations with third-party tools, but the exact options will depend on your specific conditions and the tools you want to use. 

WordPress: 

WordPress is an open-source platform allowing various integrations with third-party tools through plugins. 

Shopify: 

Shopify has a large app store with over 4,000 apps that can be integrated with the platform. This includes integrations with payment gateways, shipping carriers, email marketing tools, and more.

BigCommerce: 

BigCommerce also has a large app store with over 550 apps that can be integrated with the platform. 

Customer Support and Resources

Customer support and resources are major components of a successful e-commerce business. They ensure you have the support and resources needed to manage and grow your business and help you provide the best possible experience for your customers. 

When picking an e-commerce platform, consider the quality and availability of customer support and resources.

How can an e-commerce development agency help?

An e-commerce Website development agency can assess your business needs, help you identify the key features and functionalities your platform should have, and assist you in identifying your budget, timeline, and other constraints. The agency can also evaluate the different e-commerce platforms, such as WordPress, Shopify, and BigCommerce. This is how it ensures your platform aligns with your goals!

The company lets you pick the one that provides the customization you need, allowing you to explore the compatibility of different platforms with your existing systems, such as your Website, payment gateway, and inventory management system. 

Conclusion:

A well-chosen platform can provide the characteristics, functionalities, and customization options you need to level up your business. In contrast, a poorly chosen platform can limit your growth and create unnecessary obstacles. Whichever platform you use should have excellent customer support and resources to resolve any issues. Go for a scalable platform to help grow your business over time!

An e-commerce Website development agency researches different platforms, assesses your demands, and chooses accordingly.