You may have heard many things about E-commerce. But, do you really know what exactly the best E-commerce platform is, how it has taken over the traditional retail business, and how you can make money from it?
In 1994, the very first sale through E-commerce was made by a 21-year-old “Dan Kohn.” The talented guy sold a Sting CD to his friend, who purchased it with a credit card. The selling of services and goods using the internet is what we call “E-commerce.”
Since its inception in 1994, the E-commerce industry has multiplied and has a more bright future. You make millions of dollars through this trending business.
But, starting an E-commerce business demands smart work and intelligent decisions made at the right time. In the said business, the E-commerce platforms are the core facilitators who have made selling online convenient. According to G2, there are more than 370 platforms where you can establish online stores for your business.
One cannot wade through many options for finding the best suit for his business, so here is the comprehensive guide to E-commerce for you. We have reviewed the best platforms for the E-commerce business and supporting tools for your success. You can easily choose one platform according to your needs.
Precisely, this ultimate guide to E-commerce is what you need for a successful online store.
The top E-commerce platforms 2021
Here are the best platforms where you can establish a beautiful and successful online store with ease.
1. BigCommerce
Ranked as one of the best E-commerce platform, Bigcommerce went online in 2009 by two Australians: Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper. BigCommerce offers a variety of customization, enterprise-grade functionality, and performance. You can create your unique online store here with extreme easiness and no tech knowledge required.
This platform is best for complex and large businesses with extensive catalogs. BigCommerce serves thousands of B2B and B2C firms across hundreds of countries. The platform makes it easy to modify and customize the store’s overall design and SEO-related stuff like URLs, titles, etc.
Let’s have a look at the detailed features offered by BigCommerce:
Pre-built Features:
- Unlimited bandwidth & file storage
- Multi-currency sales
- Reporting
- Ratings and reviews
- Gift cards
- Custom domains
- Integrations with shipping and POS software
- Page builder
- 12 free themes and 160+ paid themes
Best for businesses:
- Fashion & Apparel
- Sporting Goods
- Health & Beauty
- Home Furnishing
- B2B (wholesale & distribution)
- CBD
- Automotive
Support:
BigCommerce provides several support resources and mediums:
- Phone support
- Community forums
- Online help center
- Email support
- 24-hour live chat
Tools for analytics:
BigCommerce has the following to offer for analytics and insights:
- Dashboard
- Export Reports
- Product Reports
- Traffic/Referral Reports
- Google Analytics
- Third-Party integrations and customizations
Pricing:
BigCommerce price differs as per the plan you’re going to purchase:
- 1, BigCommerce Basic ($29.95/month)
- 2. BigCommerce Plus ($79.95/month)
- 3. BigCommerce Pro ($299.95/month)
- 4. BigCommerce Enterprise
BigCommerce also offers discounts and a free trial.
2. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free platform that offers you an excellent facility for creating and managing an online store. This open-source shopping cart plugin is developed and owned by WordPress. Woocommerce is one of the most prominent eCommerce platforms and serves more than 30% of the world’s online stores.
You can quickly turn your regular website into an online store by installing and setting up the Woocommerce plugin. It is the best platform for small businesses that operate on a tight budget but still want a robust online store or those who already have a site on WordPress. Several incredible plugins are available, like Jetpack that can help you set up a fantastic look and super easy management.
Here are the prominent features offered by Woocommerce:
Pre-build Features and benefits:
- Being a plugin by WordPress, Woocommerce is the best platform for SEO
- Highly customizable with ease
- Plenty of convenient and free integrations
- Mobile-optimized shopping
- Geo-location support
- Catalog management
- Inventory management
- Shipping options and calculator
- Coupons and discounts
- Product reviews
Best for businesses:
Woocommerce does support every business type, but the following businesses may find Woocommerce the best fit for their stores.
- Food & Beverage
- Fashion & Apparel
- Consumer Electronics
- Home Furnishing
- Beauty & Cosmetics
Support:
- Email support
- Community Forums
- Online guides and tutorials
Tools for analytics:
Woocommerce does support Google Analytics integration and third-party plugins for viewing and analyzing your insights.
3. Shopify
Started in 2004, Shopify is the leading platform for online selling. With time, Shopify has upgraded much and offers a wide range of functionalities and convenience for setting up and managing a store. Shopify offers code-free store building tools. You can drag and drop the designs and create a unique looking store for your business. It is known as the perfect platform for dropshipping. The platform facilitates more than 1 million businesses throughout 175 states.
It offers two plans:
- The Shopify Basic
- Shopify Plus offer
There are many add-ons and extensions available from independent developers that can extend your store’s capability. All this makes it easy for Shopify to scale between small and large online stores.
Shopify basic is best for startups and small to medium-size businesses. When you have designed the basics, you can also upgrade or customize your store with third-party extensions. Also, you can customize the store entirely with our own code!
Here are the features of Shopify:
Pre-built features:
- Real-time sales statistics
- Unlimited product listings
- Custom domains
- AI/Personalization
- Inventory tracking
- Over 70 themes/templates available
- Inventory tracking
Best for Businesses:
Through Shopify, you can set up nearly any type of online store. But, the following businesses may find better compatibility in their store’s setup.
- Consumer Electronics
- Beauty & Cosmetics
- Fashion & Apparel
- Home Furnishing
- Food & Beverage
Support:
The great thing about Shopify is that it offers 24-hour chat support. Along with chat, it also offers phone support. There are also several community forums and online help centers that can help resolve any of your issues and problems.
Analytics tools:
- Product Reports
- Dashboard
- Google Analytics
- Traffic/Referral Reports
- Export Reports
Pricing:
- Basic Shopify ($29/month)
- Shopify ($79)
- Advanced Shopify ($299).
Advanced Shopify offers more functionalities than the basic one, such as unlimited products, custom domain, and more.
Shopify Plus Price: Starts at $2,000 a month.
It offers a free 14-day trial is available with no required credit card.
4. Wix
Wix is a highly functional website builder that enables users to develop online stores simply by the drag-and-drop system. Equipped with an extensive range of templates, Wix.com is the best E-commerce platform for small businesses running at a tight budget and cannot afford a web designer.
Here are the features and perks offered by Wix:
Pre-built features:
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Digital products
- Mobile-optimized
- Payment options
- Other functionalities available via extensions
- Product galleries
- Shipping options
- Discount codes
- Inventory management
- Plugins for more functionalities
Best for Businesses:
- Arts & Design
- Food & Beverage
- Beauty & Cosmetics
- Fashion & Apparel
- Sporting Goods
- Toys & Games
Support
- Phone support
- Social media support
- Email support
- Community forums
- Online help center
Pricing:
- eCommerce basic ($17/mo)
- VIP ($25/mo)
- 1. Business Basic ($23/mo)
- 2. Business Unlimited ($27/mo)
- 3. Business VIP ($35/mo)
- Enterprise ($500/mo)
Tools for Analytics:
- Google Analytics integration
- In-app analytics
5. WebFlow Ecommerce:
Webflow, a perfect CMS solution, was established in 2013. The platform established a prominent place in the market by offering professional codeless design functionalities at a peak level of user-friendliness. The incredible website builder went beyond the traditional builders by extending its scope as a platform for building E-commerce stores.
The E-commerce platform by Webflow was established in 2013, and it has got a place in the top E-commerce platforms very fast.
Let’s have a look at the features and benefits offered by Webflow E-commerce.
Pre-built features:
- Visual and editable themes and plugins
- User-friendly UX
- Third-party ads on and integrations
- International and convenient payment gateways
- Inventory management
- Pre-build templates for stores
- Shipping
- SEO
- Importing bulk products
- SSL
Webflow does not have its custom domain. You can get one for your store from the very best BlueHost, which also provides premium hosting solutions.
Best for Businesses:
- Consumer Electronics
- Beauty & Cosmetics
- Fashion & Apparel
- Home Furnishing
- Food & Beverage
Tools for Analytics:
- Dashboard
- Product Reports
- Insights Report
- Google Analytics
- Export Reports
Pricing:
Webflow has three monthly packages:
- Standard plan- $29 per month
- Plus – $74 per month
- Advanced – $212 per month
Support:
- Live chats
- Email Support
- Tutorials
- Community Forums
Pro tip: For generating more business and sales for your online store, being always available is the key. You can chat with your visitors, serve them better, and convert them into your buyers with the help of a live chat support tool.
Conclusion:
It is hard to name one as the “best” E-commerce platform for 2021. Every platform offers a variety of different functionalities. But, this guide for E-commerce has presented the 5 top picks for E-commerce platforms. Every type of business has its blend of context, budget, needs, and human resources. People can choose from the top picks which one best suits their business.
You may analyze your business deeply; define your goals and budget. It’s completely okay to run a few trials on any of the 5, and you may find the best platform for your online store that can take you up the heights of sales and business growth.
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