In 2020, eCommerce sales accounted for 15.5% of total retail sales worldwide, and it’s about to grow even faster. If you’re selling any product, having a website is important if you want to capitalize on the massive sales available online. Fortunately, there are multiple platforms to house your business. The question is how do you scale through to get the best eCommerce platform?
Undoubtedly, the online market is competitive, and you need the best platform to stay on top of the game. You should always consider an advanced feature platform that comes without additional costs. Fortunately, there are some criteria to help you determine the most suitable platform.
In this write-up, you will discover important things to look out for when selecting the best small business eCommerce platform for your business.
Pricing
Price is the primary factor most online business owners consider before choosing a platform to house their business. Cost cuts across various things because the platform isn’t free. When using a platform, you’re paying for hosting, PCI compliance, payment system, analytics, fraud protection, DDoS attacks, and many more.
However, the pricing model varies across platforms. Thus you’ll need to do some research to clarify your options. Remember, the more functionality you need, the higher the price is.
Speed and performance
Performance and speed are other considerations when choosing an eCommerce platform. You need a platform that responds quickly when information is required. During holidays or festive periods when the demands are high, you’ll risk losing customers if the platform doesn’t perform in a timely manner.
Scalability
You might want to start small, but over time, your eCommerce store will scale. It is crucial to choose an eCommerce platform that enables you to grow your customer base. Additionally, you need more than a static page, an ideal platform allows you to customize features. You need to ascertain the kind of support and integration that comes with the software. For example, most brands utilize APIs to automate and personalize their eCommerce stores based on what they require.
Ease of use
The ease of usage deals with the way you or your team use the platform without technical knowledge. You don’t always have time to learn to code. When you opt for a small business eCommerce platform, you need a platform that comes with easy navigation and is adequately set up. What to look at include:
- Does it offer a simple installation process?
- Are the payment and domain name registration easy to follow?
Built-in features
The final thing to consider is the inbuilt features that come with the platform. When selecting the right small business eCommerce platform, you should look for one that allows add-ons or comes with inbuilt features.
Conclusion
Choosing an eCommerce platform shouldn’t be taken lightly because it can affect your growth and sales revenue. Therefore, making a decision, ensure to look for features such as speed, performance, ease of use, built-in feature, scalability, and pricing.