Building a successful online business starts with choosing the best ecommerce platform. A good ecommerce platform will enable you to sell whatever you want whenever you want, it will be able to handle both digital and physical products and it will offer you a way to manage orders,ship orders and track inventory. However, which platform is best will depend on your business’ unique needs. So lets look at two of the most popular ecommerce platforms and their best features but first of all, here are some things to consider when doing your research:
BUDGET: Flying first class is more expensive for a reason. Choosing the cheapest option may have you looking for ad-ons from somewhere else, also some platforms may take a commission based on your sales.
TARGET AUDIENCE: If you’re targeting a younger audience, or want a bigger more engaged audience, then it’s important to look into a platform's marketing features and integrations.
NUMBER OF PRODUCTS YOU HAVE: If you have a large catalogue of products and need several product pages or plan to grow your business, then be careful not to choose a platform with low SKU limits.
ROOM FOR GROWTH: If you’re just starting out you may not need a host with high traffic capabilities, but if you’re focused on your growth your e-commerce business could scale rapidly.
TYPE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AVAILABLE: We’ve become so used to talking to alexa and google these days, but while robots are great it’s also important to know how you can get hold of a real life person to assist you with any problems that may arise.
Based on these factors, you can now do the research and find out which platform is best for your business. We’ll quickly look at two of the most popular ones out there and some of their most important features:
SHOPIFY
Shopify is the most popular ecommerce platform out there and is easy to use even if you haven’t built a website before.
A bit like Hogwarts, there is an ‘onboarding wizard’ that talks you through how to get started. This includes how to add your products, customise the look of your store, connect your own domain and get set up to take payments. This will give you a basic looking website with great functionality.
When you are setting up your website, Shopify will ask you if you are planning on moving from another platform and will then provide a link for you to import the products from your previous store.
Other additional features include a free SSL certificate, social media integration, 24/7 support and inventory management.
Shopify has its own app store for plugins for practically everything and is built to be fairly idiot proof and provides an internal backup of your store and transations.
The biggest downsides with Shopify are there are challenges to some of the customisations available and it is more expensive than some of the alternatives.
Shopify want you to use their built in payment provider which may be more expensive than what you currently use for payments.
You can integrate with your own payment provider although this can offer a less smooth purchasing experience. If simplicity and functionality are key for you, and you don’t mind paying extra for that, Shopify is hard to beat.
WORDPRESS
Woocommerce works with wordpress to turn any website into a functional ecommerce store. It’s a great platform for SEO and is highly customisable. It has a lot of marketing options and plenty of other integrations.
It is free and as it is built on wordpress (which runs 26% of the web) and you get access to the largest range of plugins and themes of any online platform.
It seamlessly integrates content with commerce and you can use it to sell anything you want! Just like with a normal wordpress site, you have a lot more room for customisation and it is a more cost effective option than Shopify.
As we mentioned earlier, woocommerce offers great functionality in being able to get your website to rank well on search engines with plugins like Yoast SEO.
If what you want is something that is well priced and is customisable to your requirements and you don’t mind using a slightly less slick interface, then it can be hard to look past Woocommerce as a solution.
Each business will require different things so it’s important that you know what you want and we can work with you to find the best platform to suit your needs. Once you have selected the best ecommerce platform for your business… next stop, world domination!
For Belfast startups, creating a strong online presence is essential for success in today's digital landscape. A well-designed website is a crucial component of that online presence, as it serves as the foundation for showcasing products, services, and brand identity. However, designing a website from scratch can be a daunting task, especially for startups with […]
In a world where everything is moving online, having a strong digital presence is no longer optional but essential for businesses to stay competitive. And when it comes to making a mark in Belfast's digital landscape, web design is the key. That's right, web design is not just about creating a pretty website. It's about […]
Now’s the time to invest in a professional lead-generating website and grow your business online. You might be surprised at how affordable a new website is, and you definitely won’t be disappointed with the finished result.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.