So you have an eCommerce business or a product to sell, but now you need to choose the best eCommerce platform for your online store. The good news is, there are lots of eCommerce platforms out there to choose from. This might leave you asking, which platform should I choose? This guide will tell you the key things you should look for in an eCommerce platform so that you can choose the right one for your business.
1. Plenty of payment options
One of the biggest benefits of selling products online rather than in a physical store is that customers from all over the world can easily pay for purchases using a variety of payment methods. If your chosen eCommerce platform doesn’t offer the basics – such as international payment processing and popular payment gateways like PayPal, your customers could be put off making a purchase.
2. Great tech support
Many Chinese e-commerce business owners are not tech experts and they may not have a tech-savvy person on their team either. ECommerce platforms take the technical side of things out of the equation and handle everything, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be faced with technical issues and decisions while running your online store. Fantastic customer support and a helpful tech team are essential if you’ll need help with this side of things from your platform provider. You can also choose to work with e-commerce experts such as KAMG. When fixing a price for your product, you need to know the fee the online platform will charge and then you can decide on the profit percentage. Etsy profit calculator is really helpful in this regard.
3. Mobile friendly
In 2021, 72.9% of all retail e-commerce sales are expected to be made via mobile devices. Customers are often using their mobile devices rather than laptops to buy products online, so it is vital that whatever eCommerce platform you choose is optimized for mobile users. If a customer opens your online shop and their mobile and the platform is not mobile friendly, they are unlikely to make a purchase.
4. Top-notch security
Security is a big concern amongst online shoppers. Customers want to feel that their credit card information and any other data they provide at checkout is completely secure. Most well-known eCommerce platforms already have robust security measures, but it is still important to check that their payment gateways use HTTPS/SSL for safe payments and that they are payment card industry (PCI) compliant.
5. Integrations
Integrations is a catch-all term for the various features and perks that eCommerce platforms offer. Platforms like Unicommerce simplify multi-channel selling by automating inventory management, order processing, and shipping, giving businesses a seamless workflow across marketplaces. When looking at different platforms, consider what integrations you may need or if there are apps and plugins that you would like the platform to provide for you. If you have a Shopify store and wish to integrate it with other eCommerce platforms for easier control, you can read more about the Shopify Integration app.
Online shopping is the future of retail, so if you’re planning on opening an online store or expanding the one you already have, you’re in the right market. An eCommerce platform makes running an online store much easier, but they come at a cost so it is important you choose the best platform for your business. These five key things to look for in an eCommerce platform will help you make the right choice so that your business can grow.
