With 20.1% of retail purchases expected to take place online in 2024, there’s no better time to create an e-commerce website than now!
But before you jump in, there are important features you must consider when selecting the best ecommerce platform. In this guide, we’ve helped you curate information on 3 of the best e-commerce platforms you can choose in 2024.
What are E-commerce Platforms and Why Do You Need One?
An e-commerce platform is an online tool designed to help businesses create websites/markets to sell products to their customers. It usually possesses the basic features and functionality of a website builder like WordPress but offers distinct or exclusive commercial features, such as tabs for discount options, product listings, digital shopping carts, etc. An ideal e-commerce platform lets you connect with your buyers online and seamlessly integrates commercial features that help your business grow and evolve.
Here’s a guide to 3 of the best ecommerce platforms in 2024.
Magento E-commerce Platform
Also known as Adobe Commerce, Magento is arguably the best e-commerce platform on a budget. It allows users to build websites from scratch without any prior coding experience. Although the platform is easy to use, businesses can hire a Magento development agency like SoftTeco for high-quality designs with expertise and a professional touch. The Magento platform’s services include inventory and sales management, page builder, etc.
Standout Features
● Advanced Customization: Magento allows users to customize their store’s design, functionality, and user experience in depth. This makes it ideal for complex, large-scale businesses that require unique solutions.
● Large Extensions Library: The marketplace offers thousands of extensions and modules for adding new functionalities, such as payment gateways, shipping options, and marketing tools.
● SEO and Mobile Friendly: It offers built-in SEO features such as customizable URLs, meta tags, and sitemaps to improve search engine rankings. It also has responsive designs and mobile-friendly features for easy navigation from your mobile customers.
● Scalability and Flexibility: The Magento platform has a robust architecture that supports businesses of all sizes, so you can scale the website to handle larger product catalogs, higher traffic, and multiple stores.
Pricing
There is no free trial on Magento, and the pricing information varies based on the business size and features needed. The two primary options are Commerce Pro and Managed Services.
Pros
● Magento development services are highly customizable for complex, large-scale e-commerce businesses.
● Scalable, handles high traffic and large product catalogs effortlessly.
● Robust SEO features to enhance search engine visibility.
● Supports multiple stores with a single admin panel.
● Extensive library of extensions for added functionality.
Cons
● Requires advanced technical skills for setup and maintenance.
● Hosting and development costs can be expensive.
● Performance can be slow without proper optimization.
Shopify E-commerce
Shopify is one of the best ecommerce solutions. It’s a highly efficient platform for creating an e-commerce website. It offers self-hosted software that helps you achieve everything you’d need from an e-commerce site. You can also handle tasks like website design, shipping and inventory management, and product management with it. It’s most suitable for individual businesses with a single admin.
Standout Features
● Store Builder: This platform allows you to build a website without coding experience. It offers many themes and plugins to create a user-friendly store for your buyers. It also has an AI writing assistant to help you generate content like product descriptions and swiftly create site content.
● Selling Features: Shopify allows you to sell directly on your e-commerce site and supports social media sales. It offers marketing services like email campaigns and international selling to simplify dropshipping and import/export trades.
● Payment Processing: Shopify comes with an inbuilt payment processor that supports multiple payment methods and currencies. It’s also compatible with many third-party payment platforms, such as PayPal, Skrill, Wise, etc.
● Dropshipping Integrations allow businesses to convert their dropshipping businesses into official e-commerce businesses that connect buyers to products and automatically process orders.
Pricing
Shopify offers a free trial period for new users without credit cards. When you’re ready to commit fully, the pain plans start at around $29/month (for annual billing) but are higher for monthly billing.
Pros
● Quick and easy setup without technical knowledge required.
● 24/7 customer support and comprehensive documentation are available.
● Scalable as your business grows from small to medium size.
● Built-in payment gateways and SEO tools simplify operations.
● Offers a wide range of mobile-responsive themes and templates.
Cons
● Limited customization compared to open-source platforms like WooCommerce.
● Monthly subscription fees plus additional transaction fees.
● Costs increase with plugins and advanced plan features.
WooCommerce
Lastly, WooCommerce is a popular tool for building an e-commerce website on WordPress. Unlike Shopify and the Magento platform, it’s an open-source plugin on WordPress that turns a basic website into an online store. It’s ideal for businesses that prefer building their website with WordPress or converting their blog-based website into an e-commerce hub.
Standout Features
● Mobile Compatibility: WooCommerce allows you to create a mobile-friendly platform. It also has a mobile app to check products, manage and process orders, and track business analytics.
● Customizable Themes and Extensions: The plugin supports adding extensions that improve performance and functionality. It offers customizable themes, shipping management systems, advanced security systems, and other standard WordPress features.
● Advanced Integrations: WooCommerce integrates with several sales channels and third-party payment providers too. It allows you to select from a wide range of advanced integration to improve your e-commerce website.
Pricing
The plug-in is free to download and install on WordPress. However, you might incur extra costs to add more e-commerce features and host the site.
Pros
● Highly customizable, with thousands of plugins and themes available.
● Seamless integration with WordPress for content-driven websites.
● No monthly fees; free to use, only pay for hosting.
● Complete control over store design, functionality, and features.
● Extensive community support and regular updates for improvements.
Cons
● Requires technical knowledge for setup and ongoing maintenance.
● Hosting, security, and plugin costs can add up over time.
● Limited scalability for very large stores with high traffic.
Conclusion
The ultimate ecommerce platform development choice depends on your preferences and priorities. Magento offers powerful features for building a highly functional, scalable e-commerce site. It’s best for large businesses and small businesses with future scaling plans. However, Shopify and WooCommerce are excellent alternatives for those just starting out or who need simpler, more basic features.