Creating a website begins with choosing a platform. But there are so many solutions, and you can even opt for crafting something from scratch or using SaaS, for example, Shopify store builder. This abundance not only cultivates competition but also complicates the selection process.
How do you settle on the most suitable option? You often have to devote a lot of time exploring the possibilities, setting up the platform, testing, etc.
An eCommerce site has its characteristics and technical requirements. For example, it requires a complex infrastructure to connect delivery services, payment solutions, etc. The good thing is, you can find an ecommerce website template that incorporates all the necessary elements of a sleek ecommerce site.
When browsing for the top eCommerce platforms for your business, you need to pay attention to factors, such as:
- the type of business the solution is suitable for;
- the platform’s popularity;
- price and functionality ratio;
- how fast you can launch your site;
- ease of use;
- the possibility of further business scaling.
These criteria allow us to compile a list of three CRM systems for online retailers.
Building an Online Store: Top eCommerce Platforms
1. Magento
Alt tag: Magento home page
The screenshot was taken on the official Magento website
The first eCommerce engine under discussion is Magento. It helps online stores to grow into enterprises and design a unique shopping experience.
Currently owned by Adobe, Magento is based on PHP and has open-source code. It means you can modify and adapt it to your own needs. Flexibility in terms of custom development and idea feasibility is what sets this platform apart.
Ease of Use
Magento mainly serves eCommerce websites. However, it lacks a built-in visual editor, so it’s a tricky choice for newcomers. It is a platform for more advanced users, so you’ll most likely have to hire a Magento development service provider to get a store running on Magento.
Further store management isn’t that complicated. You can add new categories, pages, and products and edit them directly in the admin panel when you set everything up. It’s where you manage add-ons, set up templates, and much more.
Pricing Plans
Magento offers a free Open Source edition that you can download and customize. It’s a popular choice of 83% of Magento-based stores.
Why is Magento Open Source so popular? Well, because it performs its duties without the need to pay for installation. For example, it covers high-traffic spikes issues and provides extensions to add some paid version features. Some of them are free, but the most helpful ones cost around $100 each.
The cost of the Magento Commerce edition directly depends on the customer’s Gross Sales Revenue (GSR). The starting price is around $22,000 for $0-$1,000,000 GSR.
At the same time, users will receive advanced functionality, seamless third-party integrations, and flexible headless architecture. If you choose Magento, be ready to spend money on proper hosting to ensure the best customer experience.
You can also opt for a Magento Commerce Cloud. But it costs more as it provides cloud hosting. The price starts from $44,000 and also changes according to GSR.
Should You Opt for Magento?
As one of the top eCommerce platforms, Magento keeps up with the times and provides your store with modern solutions. They allow your business to find more touchpoints with clients and increase sales. One of these solutions is building progressive web applications.
PWAs help you optimize your website to look like a native application. Magento offers various ways to develop a PWA, such as:
- from the ground up by custom coding with modern frameworks;
- modifying existing themes, including PWA Studio. You may see how it works in this Magento PWA Studio overview;
- combining both options.
By getting yourself a PWA, you speed up your store performance and ensure customer satisfaction, increasing conversions on mobile and desktop.
For which companies is Magento suitable?
Magento is a powerful solution for big corporations with a lot of visitors and a significant turnover.
Magento Commerce, for example, can process 350 million catalog views and 487,000 orders per day. Some renowned and high-traffic online Magento stores include Ahmad Tea, Nestle Nespresso, Land Rover, etc.
What about small businesses, you ask? The solution isn’t so clear. If you have ten items in the assortment and don’t want to scale your company in the future, it makes sense to look at a more cost-effective CMS in your case.
But what if you plan to grow? There are also numerous possible scenarios since you can have a large store on other platforms like Shopify.
So when is Magento a good choice? If you need to create something customizable, go beyond the boundaries of development and add features. Note that switching to Magento at a later stage can be a challenge worth more effort.
2. WooCommerce
Screenshot was taken on the official WooCommerce website
WooCommerce, unlike the previous CMS, is a plugin. It works on another CMS, namely WordPress.
What is WordPress? It used to be a platform just for blogs, but now you can create almost anything on this engine, for example, an online store. And WooCommerce is the plugin ensuring you’ll have a functional store.
Ease of Use
WooCommerce is easy to use. Any user can understand its work and download hundreds of add-ons to integrate payment gateways, social media, email marketing, 1-click selling, and shipping.
You can easily adjust WooCommerce to your needs as you have complete control over the platform. In addition, you can get any of the 58,000+ WordPress plugins to add any eCommerce functionality to the website.
However, you can’t use a drag-and-drop design-builder as there is none. That’s where WordPress page builders such as SeedProd or Beaver Builder can give you a helping hand, but it will increase your costs.
The biggest drawback to flexibility is that it takes training and requires more hands-on management of the website.
Pricing Plans
WooCommerce is open source. So, it’s free software, but you still have to pay.
WooCommerce isn’t a hosted platform. It means you’ll have to buy hosting and a domain for using this example of top eCommerce platforms.
You’ll also need to keep track of changes, back up your data, and make sure your site is secure yourself. But you can download free and premium plugins to automate these processes.
If you want to make your site unique and customize it to fit your needs, you will also have to pay.
Should You Opt for WooCommerce?
Suppose you already have a WordPress site and want to start selling, then, WooCommerce will turn your resource into a full-fledged online store.
But you’ll have to pay extra for hosting and add-ons. And if you get too many of these extensions, they will slow down your site, so you’ll need to optimize it.
Which companies will prosper with WooCommerce? Most often, these are startups and medium-sized businesses because they can save on the initial investment. But it’s also suitable for large companies. However, it doesn’t scale as much as other top eCommerce platforms like Magento.
3. PrestaShop
Screenshot was taken on the official Prestashop website
PrestaShop appeared in 2007 as an open-source eCommerce platform. It adapts to the business size and can be scaled up or down.
What do PrestaShop customers value most about this platform? First, it has an extensive amount of default features to manage the store. But if they aren’t enough, you can find a compatible extension or plugin on the PrestaShop marketplace.
Ease of Use
Is it easy to run a PrestaShop store? The setup process requires time and technical knowledge. The reason for this is the more technical backend.
The next step is to install the modules. If you aren’t tech-savvy, you’ll have to hire a web developer to handle your integrations.
PrestaShop offers a Get Started guide, including step-by-step installation documentation. The specialist can help you by email, or you can visit the community forum.
Once you have dealt with setup, integrations, and modules, you can easily navigate the day-to-day operations of the online store.
Pricing Plans
PrestaShop is free. But like other top eCommerce platforms, it has some costs to consider. The amount you pay will vary due to several criteria:
- First, you’ll need hosting.
- Then, you want to adjust the store to your needs, don’t you? So, you’ll need to add some add-ons and modules. Some are free, but the most efficient ones will cost you from $41,61 to $956,96.
Should You Opt for PrestaShop?
PrestaShop isn’t the most user-friendly software available. So if you’re unsure of your skills, you’ll have to pay for the services of a developer or designer.
Final Word
When choosing top eCommerce platforms, you’ll need to look into the future. Are you planning to expand your business? Or do you need just an out-of-the-box and straightforward solution to launch your store? There are great wholesale ecommerce software available to adapt to your platform.
Make sure the engine provides you with valuable features. Then, compare the pricing plans, run demo versions, and you’ll find the right solution for you.
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About the Author
Alex Husar
Alex Husar, chief technology officer at Onilab. For over 8 years he’s been working on Magento migration and development projects as well as building progressive web apps (PWAs). Alex is an expert in full-stack development who shares his expertise and in-depth knowledge of modern technologies and Computer Software Engineering.
Linkedin profile: LinkedIn