Top 10 eCommerce Platforms

As a retail business one of the key factors you need to consider for your website is the type eCommerce platform used. The features offered by the various platforms vary widely, with some known for excellent marketing features and others offering great SEO tools. To help you find the ideal eCommerce platform for your business, we have put together this useful guide to the top 10 eCommerce platforms for 2020.

1. Shopify

Shopify is probably the most widely used eCommerce platform, thanks in part to its simplicity. If you are a new or small business with a low order volume, the Shopify platform will enable you to quickly launch and design a new eCommerce website. The platform is also known for its quick page load time and offers 1-click selling tools to boost your sales.

2. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a platform which is designed for both small startups and global international retailers such as Natori and Toyota. The platform offers advanced security, various fulfilment partnerships and industry leading uptime figures. The platform is designed to be scalable to grow with your business, with flexible features and pricing in line with the size of your store.

3. Magento

Magento is an open-source platform, which requires the resources of developers. It isn’t as quick to launch as a Shopify store, however the high barrier to entry is offset by a wide variety of features. For example, stores can offer discounts, recurring payments and unlimited product listings. For smaller stores Magento is free, however if you are a large business you will need to pay for use of the platform.

4. WooCommerce

If you are familiar with Wordpress, WooCommerce could be the ideal option. The WooCommerce plugin can be linked to a WordPress site and includes its own shopping cart and secure payment processor. It is also one of the only free eCommerce platforms available.

5. Squarespace

If you are looking for a sleek website which you can easily design yourself, Squarespace could be a great option for your store. The drag and drop templates are ideal for stores with small product numbers and it can support SKUs and product variants.

6. Wix

If you are a startup you should take a look at Wix, which offers quick and easy store design. There are a variety of themes to choose from, so you can get started quickly. Although, it is a no-frills platform, so as your business grows you may need to move across to another platform

7. Big Cartel

If your business sells unique pieces, art or handmade products, the Big Cartel platform is designed for you. There are various themes to choose from, although it is possible to code your own to create a unique design. The features include inventory tracking, sales stat information and product promotions.

8. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

If you have not heard of Salesforce Commerce Cloud, you may be familiar with its previous name Damandware. The platform is part of the Salesforce range and can integrate with their other products such as marketing tools and CRM. The platform is more expensive than other options, however its tools and integration features make it ideal for those who already use existing Salesforce products.

9. Volusion

This is a smaller platform designed for new stores, with a tiered payment system based on the size of your store. Volusion offer some great free templates and the help centre offer advice and assistance with on-boarding. The site offers basic store features, although the standout tool offered is the subscription and recurring payments tool.

10. Weebly

Weebly is a similar option to Wix, with a variety of easy to design templates for basic eCommerce websites. There are some great features such as email tools, however the platform lacks some of the SEO features offered by other platforms.

As you can see there are a variety of eCommerce platforms to choose from, with each option offering various benefits for different types of businesses. Choosing the right platform will really come down to the individual needs of your business and your budget. If you lack the time or in-house skills to design your own store, there are many developers who can design brilliant websites using these platforms.

Here at BusinessComparison, we can help your business find the funds needed to launch a new website. Whether you are looking for a business loan, credit card or overdraft, we can help you compare the available options.

Kerry Fawcett