When a company decides to launch its own eCommerce store, the first technical decision it must make is which e-commerce platform to use.
If you are a professional just starting in the digital commerce world, you may not know what an eCommerce platform is. In this article, we’ll explain what it is, its functionalities, and the options available on the market.
eCommerce Platform
An eCommerce platform is software that enables you to create your online store to sell products over the internet. With an eCommerce platform, you can design your digital store's interface, manage inventory, process purchase orders, and consolidate data such as users, products, and sales.
What Features Should an eCommerce Platform Have?
Businesses launching an online store must carefully choose their eCommerce platform, as setting up an eCommerce site requires significant resources, time, and money.
Selecting the wrong platform can lead to technical limitations for your marketing and development teams, and switching platforms will require another major investment.
To choose the best platform for your business, evaluate the features offered by each provider. Below are the basic features to consider when selecting an eCommerce platform.
Management Tools
An eCommerce platform should be easy to use for site administrators. Some platforms are user friendly enough that non-technical users can make changes easily.
However, other platforms are more complex, requiring the eCommerce team to collaborate with developers for updates.
When selecting your platform, assess how user friendly it is for team members without technical expertise.
Design
Most eCommerce platforms offer a variety of ready-to-use designs and templates, saving time on the store's visual setup. Be sure to review the number and variety of free and paid templates available.
When you launch your online store, you’ll likely use a pre-designed template, which is a good option to get started. However, as your store matures, you may want to redesign the user experience.
In this case, you’ll need to customize your e-commerce interface. The flexibility to make design changes will depend on the platform you initially choose, so it’s essential to select a tool that offers multiple templates and allows for design customization.
Store Management System
The store management system is the core of your eCommerce. It enables your store to manage products, create orders, and handle returns. Essentially, it oversees three key elements of your digital commerce:
Product Management: Allows site administrators to add new products to the catalog. A robust solution should support bulk product uploads, product categorization, and the configuration of catalog filters such as sorting, price ranges, color, or size.
Order Management: Processes customer orders, including order tracking, email notifications, and shipping services.
Return Management: Manages customer returns by setting rules and return types, processing requests, sending return labels, and updating return statuses.
Payments
The payment processor is crucial for eCommerce. It enables users to pay for their orders, but it’s more complex than it seems. It must accommodate currencies, preferred payment methods, and tax systems.
Check which third party services can be integrated with the platform. Key payment methods to consider include credit and debit cards, PayPal, bank transfers, and supermarket payment options.
Security
Maintaining customer trust requires adhering to high security standards.
Data breaches can be costly, damaging your brand's reputation and customer confidence. Ensure your eCommerce platform complies with PCI security standards, which consist of 12 requirements for handling payment information.
Look for SSL certificates to securely process sensitive transactions. Additional security features like fraud protection and DDoS attack prevention are also valuable.
Support
Technical issues are inevitable when running an eCommerce store. Reliable support from the platform provider can quickly resolve site issues.
Start by reviewing online documentation, including FAQs, guides, and troubleshooting resources. A good support system often includes forums or Q&A sites where users can seek help.
Check the available support channels and the estimated response times.
SEO Optimization
70% of marketers believe a solid SEO strategy is more effective for driving traffic than paid advertising.
Ensure the eCommerce platform offers SEO friendly features like keyword selection, URL modification, and the ability to edit meta titles and descriptions.
Data Consolidation
Without measuring your online store’s performance, optimizing the sales funnel becomes impossible.
Choose a platform that supports data collection and storage or integrates with analytics tools like Google Analytics.
What eCommerce Platforms Are Available on the Market?
There are dozens of eCommerce platforms available on the market. Below is a list of the most recognized and widely used platforms:
BigCommerce
An eCommerce platform primarily geared toward small and medium sized businesses. It is one of the most popular platforms in the United States and has grown exponentially in recent years. Over 95,000 companies use BigCommerce for their eCommerce operations.
Vtex
Vtex is an eCommerce platform for medium and large businesses that has seen rapid growth, especially in Latin America. Currently, more than 2,500 companies, including Levi’s, Vans, Coca-Cola, and L’Oréal, base their eCommerce operations on Vtex.
Magento (now Adobe Commerce)
Magento is one of the oldest eCommerce technologies on the market. It is an excellent choice for small and medium-sized businesses due to its affordable pricing. More than 260,000 commercial websites use this platform.
Shopify
Founded in 2006, Shopify currently powers over 600,000 online stores. It is mainly used by micro and small businesses due to its accessible costs. Additionally, it is user-friendly, making it ideal for professionals without programming knowledge.
Prestashop
Prestashop is a very popular eCommerce platform, especially in Europe (Spain and France). Over 300,000 online stores rely on this technology. It is primarily used by small businesses.
