{"id":19435,"date":"2022-03-10T14:17:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T22:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alejandrorioja.com\/blog\/?p=19435"},"modified":"2023-10-11T17:16:20","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T00:16:20","slug":"best-ecommerce-platforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alejandrorioja.com\/best-ecommerce-platforms\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best E-Commerce Platforms in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/h4>

Nowadays it\u2019s quite easy to get started with eCommerce; the hard part is picking the right platform for your needs out of the ocean of options. The main things you have to take into consideration when making that choice are the pricing, features, ease of use, template design, the customization, etc. Additionally, things like support team, security, payment and shipping options, and scalability are also quite important when choosing. The best platforms are summarized in this article like Shopify, Volusion, BigCommerce, 3D cart, Big Cartel, Wix, WooCommerce, Magento, GoDaddy, Smoolis, Squarespace, and Yo!Kart. Once you read all of their pros and cons your decision will be much easier to make.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I’m an ecommerce junkie<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having started my store Flux Chargers<\/a> and growing it to $110k\/mo<\/a>, I tested many storefronts and platforms before picking the one I’m currently using. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecommerce is a growing industry (analysts predict it to become a 1 trillion dollar industry by 2022) and you should give it a try sooner rather than later.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays, it’s easy to get started and set up a store in a matter of a few minutes. The hard part is picking the platform that will allow you to grow and that will help you keep costs down. (here’s how you can grow your sales<\/a>)
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of the ecommerce platforms out there will give your business basic functionalities such as showcasing your products or service through online catalogs, handle customers even after-sales or receive payments online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More advanced ones will allow using more innovative features such as marketing capabilities, APIs utilization or running specific in-store systems.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, with so many alternatives, it becomes quite overwhelming to decide which provider to go for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I’ll walk you through the pros and cons of the biggest and best e-commerce platforms,<\/a> and provide you a recommendation at the end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main Factors to Consider When Choosing an E-Commerce Platform
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to deciding what e-commerce platform to use for your store<\/a>, the possibilities can be endless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These sites can look profusely the same there are slight differences or certain advantages that can significantly affect your e-commerce merchandising experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a table that summarizes the top 12 best e-commerce platform based on price, usability, features, popularity and customization:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td><\/td>Pricing<\/td>Usability<\/td>Features<\/td>Popularity<\/td>Customization <\/td><\/tr>
Shopify<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
Volusion<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
BigCommerce<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
3DCart<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
Big Cartel<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
Wix<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
WooCommerce <\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
Magento<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
Go Daddy<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
Squarespace<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
Smoolis<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr>
Yo!Kart<\/td><\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td>\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here are the main points you should look in for before choosing one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pricing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re a big enterprise or a smaller business, you should always know what you\u2019ll be paying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost most of the e-commerce platforms will have a monthly subscription fee<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cost will vary depending on the features that come with the package you\u2019ll pick. You\u2019ll also have to take a look at the processing each site entails.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, pricing becomes the immediate deciding factor for many people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you don\u2019t want to sacrifice the things you\u2019ll need for your business to save a few bucks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all of the efforts you are investing in your web retail space, it is always vital aiming to get the best deal for your money.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Features
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another thing you to consider are the features that the e-commerce platform can provide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check which has the most add-ons, plugins, extensions or other tools you can use integral in selling online and scaling your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usability (Ease of Use)
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are a newbie in the online retail space, it is great to have a platform which is easier to use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While they have an array of functionalities, you must also consider if you could be able to utilize them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This hassle-free navigation also goes the same way for your customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They use mobile phones majority of the time so you want a platform that would enable them to easily access your site on their mobile device and minimize the amount of time it would take for them to find a product and buy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Popularity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Of course, you want a larger audience for your online store to convert more sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a platform that is already established and has a high search volume can be a pretty big advantage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also choosing a popular platform will ensure that questions you might have could already be answered in a forum or subReddit.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Template Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consider how many themes or template are available for you to select from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different e-commerce sites provide professionally-designed templates that are enticing to the eye and can greatly improve your customer\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018look\u2019 of your website can easily frustrate or lure the same way how a physical store looks or is organized.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Aspects to Look At in Choosing an E-Commerce Platform<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Those main factors significantly affect your online store. But, there are other aspects you could consider in selecting your e-commerce builder<\/a>. Getting these extras can be beneficial for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Payment and Shipping Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shipping and payment, sometimes, can make or break a customer\u2019s decision to purchase online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the shipping is too costly or not via their desired carrier of if their preferred payment method is not supported, they can quickly look elsewhere. More options result in more potential customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support Team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Managing a physical store is smoother as you get to have more control in running your business. Online retail space is quite different and can be tricky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outages and downtimes may take place that would prevent your customers from accessing your site and affect your revenue.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something you should take into consideration is the platform\u2019s customer service. Take a look if they are available 24\/7, are they easy to reach and how much support costs.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Security is a big concern for most customers. No consumer would want to put their credit card information in peril. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check and see it to it that the e-commerce website you\u2019ll choose supports HTTPS\/SSL for a safe and secure payout for your users.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scalability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Any business owner would surely want to see their business growing in the future. It is very imperative to look for an e-commerce builder that will support the growth of your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You would want to choose a platform that is capable of scaling to your business size but won\u2019t charge you expensive fees for doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the 12 Best E-Commerce Platforms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you know what aspects to consider, it\u2019s time to rank the best online store platform for your business needs! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the top 12 e-commerce websites available in the market:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Shopify<\/strong>
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Established in 2006, Shopify<\/a> has grown and become one of the more prominent platforms out there. Perhaps, it is the most popular among the e-commerce builder available in the market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No surprise as it handily provides everything you need to build your online store – you can have it up-and-running in a few minutes!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting at an affordable $13 per month<\/strong> for their basic account, you\u2019ll get help listing on eBay and Amazon, tools for branding, Facebook store solutions and a POS feature.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s all in one dashboard which also has an easy setup where you can swiftly add your products or services, combined with fields for titles, information, prices, and other kinks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can experience the same ease when handling your customers and their contact information, orders details, and your store statistics. You can effortlessly navigate through the menus and options.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking for the most professional and modern-looking themes, Shopify also has it for you. The platform offers more than 100 themes, both free and paid. Moreover, you can customize it until you get the overall look you want for your store.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The platform itself is also completely responsive which means that your store will be optimized for customers whether they access it from their desktop computer or their mobile device.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shopify<\/a> accepts a wide range of credit cards, has 256-bit SSL encryption and Level 1 PCI compliance for ensured security. Should you experience any trouble or has some concerns to raise, their support team is available 24\/7 via email, instant messaging or phone.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a free trial for Shopify<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pros<\/h3>\n\n\n\n