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Are you looking to start an eCommerce store or upgrade your existing one? One of the most important decisions you'll need to make is choosing the right software to power your online store. A good eCommerce platform can streamline your site management and make it easier to add new products, update pricing, and manage inventory. But with so many options on the market, it can be challenging to know which platform is the best fit for your business. In this blog post, we'll tackle the mystery of finding the “right” eCommerce platform for your business.
eCommerce platforms?
eCommerce platforms/software are an essential tool that helps online businesses create and manage their website and online store. It's like a handy Swiss Army knife that allows businesses to easily add new products, update existing ones, manage inventory levels, process orders, and more.
eCommerce platforms are designed to make the process of managing an online store easier. With drag-and-drop features, user-friendly interfaces, and customisable templates, businesses can quickly and easily create an online store without the need for extensive technical knowledge.
Most platforms also integrate with a range of third-party tools and services, such as payment gateways and shipping providers, making it easy to manage all aspects of an online store in one place.
What are my options?
There are several to consider so let’s have look 👀
1️⃣ WooCommerce is built on WordPress, making it easy to use and integrate with existing WordPress sites. It's also highly customizable and offers a wide range of extensions and plugins to add functionality to your online store.
No Free trial
Pricing - It’s free to download and use, but you'll need to pay for hosting, domain registration, and any premium plugins or extensions you add to your online store. Heads up, not all the design themes are free.
2️⃣ Shopify is an all-in-one solution for eCommerce, including payment processing and inventory management. It's easy to use and has a wide range of integrations and apps available.
Free trial - 14-day free trial on all pricing plans
Pricing - They offer several pricing plans, starting at $19 per month for the Basic Shopify plan and going up to $299 per month for the Advanced Shopify plan. Transaction fees are also charged on each sale unless you use Shopify Payments (Not currently supported in South Africa).
3️⃣ Magento (Adobe Commerce) is highly scalable and offers advanced features for larger eCommerce stores. It's also highly customizable, making it a good choice for businesses with specific needs.
No Free trial - but the Community Edition is free to download and use.
Pricing - Magento offers both a free open-source version (Community Edition) and a paid enterprise version (Enterprise Edition) with pricing determined based on your specific business needs.
4️⃣ BigCommerce offers a wide range of features, including payment processing, inventory management, and shipping options. It's also highly customizable and has a user-friendly interface.
Free trial - 15-day free trial on all pricing plans.
Pricing - Plans starting at $39 per month for the Standard plan and going up to $399 per month for the Pro plan. Transaction fees are also charged on each sale unless you use BigCommerce Payments.
5️⃣ Ecwid offers a range of eCommerce features, including payment processing, shipping options, and inventory management. Additionally, it provides various customizable templates that allow you to design and modify your online store's appearance.
No Free trial - but they have a free plan that offers basic features, limited customisation options, and supports up to 10 products
Pricing - Plans starting at $15 per month for the Venture plan and going up to $99 per month for the Unlimited plan.
All of these platforms can create beautiful, simplistic shopping experiences for your customers. Ultimately, the best option for your eCommerce store will depend on your specific business needs and goals, the choice is yours. It's a good idea to research and compare the features and pricing of different platforms before making a decision. We hope you find your match 🔎
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