E-commerce: What software is better for your business?
When starting an online business, the key factor is to choose the right engine for your online store. You may wonder if the solutions available on the market will be cheap, can it be customized or how easy are they for everyday use. It all begins with the software, and some crucial factors must be spoken loudly for everyone, to make the right decision.
Open-source platforms
Developed by internet community, open source platforms share a great knowledge base and can be nevertheless troubleshooting at the same time. Solutions like Magento or Presta are downloadable e-commerce platforms, that run on open-source software, making the basic setup free. The price tags come when you want to have something customized or add a plugin needed for payment or newsletter features. Also, help from a PHP developer comes in handy (especially in Magento), so extra charge might be needed, even for a basic setup. A great way to have a greatly customized store, but with a lot of hidden costs.
SaaS monthly license
If you just want to have an online store with a click, without any additional penny given on the tech and design from your pocket, try a SaaS solution, with a stable monthly rate. An amazing thing about this solution is that SaaS stores have all the needed integrations, features and apps embeded, and they maintain upgrades & customer support. It’s a great way to find yourself in a mid-business market, and with solutions like Shopify or ZenCommerce you can work your way just with products and tracking your sales.
Simple widget install
Widgets like WooCommerce and ecwid are adjustable for WordPress pages and Facebook Stores, and seem to be the simplest way to start selling online, without any experience or additional costs. If you don’t need any additional features, promotional prices or varieties of products, this will be the best engine to start with. With up to 5–10 products, those apps are for free, and can be tested among your customers. Simple to run, and quite easy to buy with, those widgets have their lacking integrations with other systems, or more complicated shipment & payment options, but are a great tool for a start, especially if you follow the “less is more” philosophy.
Huge Marketplaces
Forget about your brand and concentrate on the product itself! If you have a competitive item, or you offer a bargain price on it, eBay or Amazon platforms will be suitable sales point for you. The price-driven large marketplaces, are a comparison point for the users, as they can browse throughout the tags and products. But, be careful, it’s hard to stand out there, and you can forget about your personal branding. If you want to target more specific clients and want to make outstanding, personalized products, have a try on Etsy!
