The pandemic of Covid-19 has changed customer behavior and the way we do business. Therefore, many businesses are looking to find the best ecommerce platform for their startup. The pandemic might have proven to be brutal for the economy but has indeed uplifted the online economy.
Many MSMEs are searching for the perfect ecommerce platform to start selling online. Even brick-and-barter stores are adopting ecommerce to work as O2O commerce. There are multiple ecommerce platforms available. However, most startups face the common challenge of selecting the best one for their online store.
Luckily, this complete guide will help you in choosing the best platform to build an ecommerce website, as per your requirements. Here we will compare some of the top ecommerce platforms so that you have a clear idea of which one is best for your business.
What is an Ecommerce Platform?
An ecommerce platform is a software that allows you to create an online website where you can buy or sell products and services online. It is responsible for handling all aspects of an online business such as product listings, promotions, design, sales, inventory management, and more.
There are multiple types of ecommerce businesses that include B2B (Business to Business), B2C (Business to Consumer), C2C (Consumer To Consumer), and C2B (Consumer to Business). Most of the ecommerce businesses focus on B2C but now B2B businesses are also on the rise.
The primary purpose of an ecommerce platform is to provide a place where buyers can easily purchase products that are offered. There are many features offered to influence buying behavior and provide ease of purchase.
Ecommerce platforms have made the lives of small businesses easier, as these platforms provide build-it-yourself options. Long gone are the days when business owners had to pour thousands of dollars to get their ecommerce website live and working. Now ecommerce platforms offer several features that help you create and manage your website without a development team.
Many ecommerce platforms claim to be the best and we will be comparing the top ones. This will allow you to choose the one that offers all the features that you need.
Dukaan:
Most powerful ecommerce platforms that offer high-end features are quite complicated and require a certain set of skills to go through with the website building process. Dukaan was built on the concept that whether it’s building a website for a grocery store or a boutique, the process should be equally easy.
Dukaan brings out powerful features with a simple design that is as easy as managing a WhatsApp group. An estimated 150,000 websites currently exist that are made on Dukaan. Most online businesses love the idea that they don’t need technical skills to build an ecommerce website with Dukaan.
Key Features:
- Instant transaction and deposit approvals.
- Convenient payment gateway integration.
- No commission on orders required from sellers (no transaction charges)
- Free of cost marketing templates and tools.
- Supports multi-platform.
- Allows sellers to create an online store using smartphones, and more.
Shopify:
Shopify is undoubtedly one of the well-known paid ecommerce platforms that deserves to be on this list. The main reason behind the popularity of Shopify is the availability of numerous pre-built templates that can be customized according to your business requirements. You can easily find a wide variety of templates for all categories that you can think of.
Most business owners prefer Shopify because it has an integrated approach that allows them to manage everything from a single place. It is a Content Management System (CMS) that offers a lot of functionality for online businesses.
The only drawback of Shopify is that you would need to buy and install some plugins for specific purposes that might end up raising your budget. You would be able to add products for sale on a Shopify subdomain.
Key Features:
- It contains a comprehensive and detailed dashboard.
- Many custom website design options are available.
- Availability of third-party integrations.
- It also includes website hosting.
- There are multiple marketing and SEO options available and more.
BigCommerce:
When it comes to building a B2B ecommerce website, there are not many ecommerce platforms that can compete with BigCommerce. BigCommerce offers customizable and technical functionalities for a B2B business.
BigCommerce provides a variety of customizable tools and features that can aid your business and it also provides API integrations. Most people prefer BigCommerce because of its security and advanced features, sites that hit a million views and traffic prefer it over others.
Key Features:
- A simple and easy ecommerce management.
- Customer support is available 24/7.
- Provides multiple API integrations and is technically advanced.
- A speedy website on the cloud (excellent performance)
WIX.com:
Wix is one of the well-recognized website-building platforms. Even though it is not essentially an ecommerce website platform, but has the capabilities to create an ecommerce website with the use of multiple plugins.
Wix offers the best level of simplicity like no other, as it features several templates that can be customized by a simple drag-and-drop approach. Most people prefer Wix because it allows them to create a functioning ecommerce website with an attractive storefront layout.
Ecommerce functionalities are available on Wix in the business or ecommerce plan but there are limits to how much customization can be done. You might also need a bit of technical knowledge for creating an excellent ecommerce website.
Key Features:
- An easy drag-and-drop type website option.
- Great visibility and data insights are available.
- Free website templates are available.
- Offers SEO options.
ECommerceMD:
If you are looking for a premium hybrid ecommerce website builder that can provide the advanced functionality of ecommerce along with a simplified procedure. With the help of eCommerceMD, you would be able to design and customize your ecommerce website with a variety of options and features.
The unique combination of all top ecommerce platforms makes eCommerceMD the best ecommerce platform Where you have no limits to the personalization you can make. You also get easy-to-manage options that will make your business management effortless.
Bottom Line:
There are many ecommerce platforms available and all compete for the title for being the best ecommerce platform. All of the platforms mentioned, as earlier have specific functionalities for types of ecommerce businesses.
Nevertheless, if you want a simple platform for an efficient ecommerce website, eCommerceMD would be the best. It provides numerous options and features that are suitable for all types of ecommerce businesses.