If you want a direct answer to the topic of the best e-commerce platform, let me try to help you at the beginning of the article. The e-commerce platform you are looking for will definitely be Shopify. If you want to start selling online, you have many options when it comes to e-commerce software.
An e-commerce platform will be the best solution for those who want to create a new e-commerce site from scratch. It’s always easier to use a site builder for your online store. Alternatively, you can create your site using another content management system and try to access the e-commerce features with the plugin.
How to Choose the Best Ecommerce Platform
There were certain criteria that I used when examining all the e-commerce platforms below. By using the method I used while going through the decision-making process, you can choose the most suitable platform for yourself. Therefore, before taking a look at the best e-commerce platforms, I tried to talk about what you should pay attention to in order to decide the best one for yourself.
You must ask these questions to the web sites.
- Is there a drag and drop builder?
- Is it easy to add products?
- How easy is inventory management?
- What are the options for theme selection?
- Is it possible to change templates?
- How easy is it to manage the site?
Built-in Features
Some platforms have more features than others. Some site builders have several app stores that allow you to add additional features or get support from third-party apps. If your goal is to use them, you should turn to platforms that have these features.
Design
Each site builder will offer some templates or themes for you to choose from. However, they are not all the same. If you want to create a modern, visually appealing, creative and beautiful e-commerce site, then you should select platforms that offer this support.
Value
You can determine the value of an e-commerce platform based on the quality of its features and price performance. The fact that some are more expensive than others and others are less expensive than others is all about the features and amenities offered.
Best eCommerce Platforms
There are tons of different e-commerce platforms and site builders on the market. So which one is the best? The answer actually depends on the specific needs of your site. In this article, I tried to list the best ecommerce builders. You can use this article to finalize your decision.
Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in the world. Over-sell online store, Shopify, is supported.
From the first install you will think why it is the best ecommerce site builder on the market. This web-based management system can make your online store happen with everything inside for the product. It is one of Shopify’s free or premium themes to get you started.
Each theme has settings that allow you to customize everything to your liking. You can add features and functionality to your store by installing apps from the Shopify App Store. One of the best parts of using Shopify is that all payments are processed directly through the platform.
Shopify Pricing
If you’re looking to build a high-volume e-commerce store and need an enterprise-grade solution, you may want to consider consulting a Shopify sales professional. You can also try Shopify for free for 14 days.
Squarespace is one of the world’s leading platforms among site builders. It is also among the most popular e-commerce platforms in terms of global market share. This makes it one of the best e-commerce platforms to use.
This is mainly because Squarespace has e-commerce functionality built right into their plans. This is not the case for most traditional site builders. You might consider using it to your advantage.
Squarespace Pricing
Online selling starts with the business plan. However, if you want to create a full-fledged e-commerce site, you should consider choosing the Basic Commerce plan. This option has 0% transaction fee, POS, e-commerce data, customer accounts and other features that you can use once you start selling online.
Wix is the best site builder for beginners. Therefore, if you are someone with no experience and want to create an e-commerce site, the simplicity of Wix will make your life much easier. Your Wix site will be SEO-friendly. It will give you various customization options with the drag and drop builder.
Wix has special plans for e-commerce sites. All e-commerce solutions have unlimited bandwidth, $300 ad coupon, one year free domain and visitor application analytics. You should remember that all online payments at your Wix store are completely commission-free.
Wix Pricing
It is not recommended to choose the Business Basic plan. It would be much more accurate to start directly from the Business Unlimited plan. To save some money, you can first use Wix’s standard site plans. You can then consider adding an e-commerce plan to your standard site.
Weebly is a site builder known for offering a free forever plan. In fact, this plan ranks among the best free site builders on the market today. However, the free plan does not include e-commerce features. You can use these plans to test the Weebly platform before upgrading to a paid subscription.
This option, paired with the low cost of e-commerce plans makes Weebly one of the most budget-friendly choices you can find. If your budget is tight and you want to start small, you can choose Weebly.
Weebly Pricing
The Pro plan has pretty basic features. However, if you don’t need a complex e-commerce feature, it is extremely cheap. It’s just a shopping cart that can accept payments. To get the most out of Weebly, you will need at least the Business plan.
BigCommerce is a reputable and reliable e-commerce platform. If you want to be included in the e-commerce market, it is one of the most important options you should consider. Its versatility is a big advantage.
You should try to make the most of BigCommerce’s versatile nature. You should know that it has several B2B-specific features such as bulk pricing rates, quote management, customer groups, and custom price lists.
BigCommerce Pricing
You can see that the pricing is almost on par with its competitors. BigCommerce is particularly competitive with Shopify. The advantage of Shopify is its ease of use. However, BigCommerce has more features. So if you have to choose between the two options, you should consider your needs.
3DCart is definitely not one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the market. You should know that there are very valid reasons for this. It is not a platform made for beginners. That’s why you should know that the platform is much lower in terms of ease of use.
However, developers and experienced e-commerce store owners will be able to get the most out of the 3DCart platform. There are over 200 features built into the platform. It also stands out as one of the best site builders when it comes to SEO.
3D Cart Pricing
3DCart’s pricing is pretty transparent. There are no hidden fees or long-term contracts. You can cancel your subscription at any time. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. You should know that these are introductory prices for new customers. Prices will double after the first year you use the platform.
As an e-commerce platform, Volusion will likely offer more than you need in the first place. This site builder is an excellent choice for larger e-commerce stores or sites ready for rapid growth. Apart from that, it is more than the needs of standard e-commerce sites.
The site builder that Volusion has is an easy to use component. However, it is as easy to use as the other platforms in this list. However, you should keep in mind that you will have the chance to customize the layout of your store with a drag and drop editor.
Volusion Pricing
Personal and Professional plans won’t help you get what you expect from this platform. Therefore, you should consider starting with the much higher cost Business plan. Volusion is not the place for startups and small businesses. You can use this platform if you have a large store and need all the features in e-commerce.
If you are looking for a truly budget-friendly e-commerce platform, Big Cartel will be one of the best options for you. You should note that it is the only platform that offers a free e-commerce plan. The platform has a unique service delivery approach.
When you use Big Cartel, you get what you pay for. The free plan is extremely limited and only lets you sell five items. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it. This would be a viable option if you are trying to sell only a few items.
Big Cart Pricing
It is recommended to use this platform if you only sell a handful of products and don’t need advanced e-commerce features. But if you want to sell a few products for as little cost as possible, Big Cartel would be a viable option.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution for building an ecommerce site, I highly recommend looking no further than the options on this list. Below you can take a look at the brief summary of this article and the most important features of the platforms. You should choose which category is appropriate for your situation:
- Shopify – The most popular ecommerce site creation platform.
- Squarespace – It is the ideal platform for modern and creative ecommerce store designs.
- Wix – The best ecommerce website building platform for beginners.
- Weebly – The best option for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
- BigCommerce – It is the ideal option for those who want to sell on multiple platforms.
- 3DCart – The best option for developers and experienced store owners.
- Volusion – Best solution for large ecommerce sites.
- Big Cartel – Best suited for ecommerce stores with limited products.
You should remember that all these are the best options for creating a new online store from scratch. If you already have a site, then you need to follow a different path.
