eCommerce software solutions can help you build a successful store for selling online. Choosing the right software depends on your specific needs.
What features, support, pricing, design options and payment processors are you looking for?
Let's take a look at the online store builder options available to you!
eCommerce software is the framework that allows an online store to run smoothly. This powerful software allows full integration of social media, ERP, and accounting software to automate the data sharing process.
Here's a list of things that e-Commerce software does for your online store builder:
While the terms eCommerce software and eCommerce solutions are often used interchangeably in the literature on the subject, they are in fact unique. The difference between them is found in the platform that is used in the latter.
eCommerce solutions typically encompass website builders such as Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, and BigCommerce, all of which feature powerful functionality with an all-encompassing solution provided for the business. eCommerce platforms include Weebly and Volusion, while eCommerce solutions include platforms like WordPress, nopCommerce, and Prestashop.
With so many different e-Commerce software options available, the waters can get muddied pretty quickly. Several factors need to be considered when picking the best e-Commerce software
The biggest gripe that business owners have with e-Commerce software is downtime. The last thing you want to be dealing with is loss of sales through website glitches, downtime, server malfunctions, and associated problems. Other issues such as page loading times, faulty payment processors, and coding (JavaScript, HTML, and CSS) may or may not be required for your e-Commerce software. The amount of time you wish to dedicate to these activities can be detrimental to the growth of your business.
For many people, the first consideration with a new online business is pricing. Your budget can limit your e-Commerce software choices. All SMEs, particularly start-ups, need to perform cost/benefit analysis of individual e-Commerce platforms and seek out the best-priced model for your online store builder. Most platforms come with a monthly fee. Costs will vary according to the type of platform you choose such as hosted or self-hosted. The types of features and functions you choose largely determine the price you will pay.
Inventory management is a time-consuming activity, but it's not the only activity that eCommerce sellers have to contend with. The degree of automation in a business frees up the entrepreneur's time to expand business activity, grow product lines, and develop stronger revenue streams. Effective eCommerce software can sharply reduce the time component needed to successfully develop a business.
Each of these factors needs to be considered when picking the right eCommerce online store builder software for your business.
Stress less when choosing the best e-Commerce software companies. We've reviewed the best of them, so all you need to do is pick from this list of 5:
| What is it for | What kind | Payment | |
| Shopify | Every business | Sign-up based system | Credit Card |
| Volusion | Small businesses | Sign-up based system | Paypal, Authorize, Stripe, Skrill |
| OpenCart | Corporation and Local businesses | open-source | Amazon pay, Paypal, WorldPay |
| BigCommerce | Wholesale | Sign-up based system | 65+ pre-integrated getaways |
| WooCommerce with WP | Bigger businesses | self-hosted software | Google shopping, Paypal, Amazon pay |
There are three primary types of e-Commerce platforms that business owners can choose from. These include self-hosted options, otherwise known as open-source options, hosted options (SaaS), and mixed (CaaS) options.
We will briefly explore the pros and cons of each in the following table:
Self Hosted
Pros:
Cons:
Hosted Option
Pros:
Cons:
Mixed Options
Pros:
Cons:
You can easily grow your online business by using the following software:
Hotjar - designed for making behavioral analytics easy
LiveChat - easily communicate with visitors, customers, and other stakeholders
Crazy Egg – fix problems, test novel ideas, and develop your website
Google Analytics - complimentary web analytics resource provided by Google for analyzing website traffic
MailChimp - email marketing service and marketing automation platform
Freshsales – Developed for sales teams for tracking contacts, resolving
contact queries, and customer retention management
HubSpot – Set of social media tools used for inbound marketing and sales
Canva - comprehensive software transforming ideas into brilliant designs
Sprout Social - engage audiences, measure performance, and boost social media interaction
TimeDoctor - powerful software used to track time and productivity, with greater efficiency in mind.
Adroll - in-depth statistics for audiences, with multi-channel engagement, and advanced analytics.
Many other useful software products are available for growing your online business.
