An ecommerce platform is software that allows you to create and manage an online store. You can use this software to manage your products, website, operations, and everything else related to online sales. But finding the best ecommerce software isn’t always easy as the market has become flooded with hundreds of different social commerce platforms of all types and sizes.
The top ecommerce platforms:
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a robust all-in-one ecommerce platform providing everything you need for your online business. In fact, straight out of the box, BigCommerce actually has more native features than Shopify.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by its features, but for those who plan on taking advantage of these bonus features, it’s nice to know that you won’t have to pay extra for functionalities.
BigCommerce makes it easy for you to manage sales across multiple channels as well. You’ll be able to sell to your customers across a range of platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Instagram, and Facebook. BigCommerce also partners with payment solutions such as PayPal and Square to allow your customers even more options to purchase your products.
The social commerce platform has a great reputation in terms of uptime, loading speed, security, and other performance metrics. They offer unique solutions for Business-to-Business (B2B) stores, wholesale shops, and WordPress users.
BigCommerce has specific options for ecommerce stores in different industries as well.
So, whether you’re starting a new online store from scratch, or scaling your brick-and-mortar small business into the ecommerce world, BigCommerce can help you with that.
Zyro
Zyro is another easy-to-use website builder that allows you to create a great website in minutes.
Whether you’re looking to create a social commerce platform, a portfolio to showcase your work, or a simple blog, Zyro offers a number of attractive templates for you to choose from.
Their ecommerce functionality is world class too. Their drag-and-drop website builder allows you to create the perfect online store and customise it to fit your brand. It’s also highly responsive, so you’ll be able to see your changes in real time.
One very unique feature it offers is the AI tool, their AI Writer generates text for your website within seconds. That means you don’t have to worry about creating compelling copy yourself.
When it comes to pricing, Zyro is very hard to beat. Currently, you can get 80% off full price if you sign up for certain annual contracts.
Square Online
Most people know Square for their POS solutions and software. However, they also offer an excellent social commerce platform.
It’s no surprise that they integrate well with their POS software. So if you’re using Square, you’ll also be able to have an accurate count of your inventory as you sell to customers.
But that’s not the only benefit, with Square’s ecommerce platform, you’ll be able to do things like book appointments, accept donations, arrange pickups or deliveries, and even sell your products on Instagram.
Square also gives you fantastic online tools to boost your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and reach even more customers through the web.
The social commerce platform is completely free to start and includes integration with Square POS, automatic inventory sync, and unlimited products for pick and delivery. However, keep in mind that this service costs 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction.
Bluehost
WooCommerce is one of the most trusted ways to turn a WordPress site into an appealing, functional web store, but it lacks functionality.
Bluehost, one of the biggest names in web hosting, understands this and has just the option you need, its dedicated WooCommerce hosting package.
It’s not just web hosting, it’s a turnkey solution for creating a WooCommerce store on your WordPress site that runs in a perfect way.
You get a guided store creator that comes included with all the features, extensions, and plugins you need. Many of the crucial plugins for WooCommerce, like shipping options through USPS or FedEx, will cost you an annual fee to use.
With Bluehost online stores, powered by WooCommerce, you get the essentials at no extra cost to you whatsoever.
Moreover, you get Bluehost’s extraordinary 24/7 customer support for extra guidance and a boatload of store features, including: Email marketing, Customer reviews, Unlimited products, Easy-install payment processing options, Manual order creation, Discount/promo codes and Site traffic metrics.
All of those are included in both the Standard and Premium plans for Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting. But pricing scales a bit, based on your upfront commitment.
Bluehost Ecommerce, powered by WooCommerce, is a great option for both novices to WordPress and/or WooCommerce, as well as those who simply want an easy, trusted, turnkey solution for setting up a WooCommerce web store.
Shopify
Shopify is arguably the most well-known social commerce platform in the world. They power more than a million ecommerce websites across different industries and product categories.
That’s because it’s both easy to use and setup, while also being incredibly powerful. It’s a great option for beginners or organisations without a lot of in-house tech solutions.
Shopify is also very versatile. It’s used by small businesses and larger-scale operations alike. Kylie Jenner used Shopify to build her billion-dollar empire selling lip kits from Kylie Cosmetics. But you could use it as a small startup as well.
Another stand out from Shopify is its award-winning 24/7 support, which you’ll have access to even before you sign up for a Shopify plan.
Shopify makes it easy for you to sell products from your online store, as well as through social media platforms, online marketplaces, and in-person with Shopify POS.
The Shopify drag-and-drop builder is a convenient way to build a new social commerce platform from scratch. All themes are optimised for mobile devices, which is necessary to maximise your conversions.
They even offer a great payment processor. It also integrates with more than 3,200 apps in the Shopify App Store.
High volume stores seeking enterprise-grade solutions can get a custom Shopify Plus quote to fit your needs.
The entry-level plan will be enough to get you started, but the mid-tier Shopify subscription could be a better option. It comes with better features like gift cards, professional reports, and better discounts for shipping and payment processing.