Selecting the right eCommerce platform for your business is like building a strong foundation for your house. It reflects how powerful and effective your business will be. There are tons of eCommerce platforms to choose from including b2b e commerce solutions that cater specifically to business-to-business transactions. But picking up the right one for your startup can be challenging.
It involves so many things, from budget, compatibility, features, and flexibility to adapting to the nature of your business with time. And if by any chance you fail to choose the perfect platform, all your effort will go in vain.
So, to help you analyze things and make an informed decision about your next big project or your startup.
Things To Consider Before Choosing An eCommerce Platform
Not every business can use the same platform because they have different requirements, and every platform comes with different limitations that may not be suitable for your startup. So here are certain things that you should consider before finalizing a platform.
Hiring Professionals For Easy App Development
You require a reliable solution if your main goal is to build a mobile app for your eStore. Because of this, businesses typically outsource this function in order to achieve the results they want without investing a lot of money. Studies show that third-party services are primarily used by American businesses to create robust and error-free apps.
You can hire more employees with experience in backend development, especially, in the areas, such as server management, database design, and security. This backend staff augmentation will drastically improve the app development process.
App development businesses can guarantee that their app is created to the highest standards and that it satisfies the expectations of their customers by hiring additional personnel with the necessary training and experience.
Focus On The Security
No business can be successful without ensuring security in possible terms, whether it is about platform security, data security, or so on. eCommerce platform needs to be fully secure so that people visiting your e-store can feel safe too.
After all, they are sharing their personal data with you, and they expect it not to be misused. And data security comes with the choice of platform. There are several eCommerce platforms that come with features like SSL certification, data backup capacity, two-factor authentication, and fraud prevention to provide a seamless online experience.
Ensure Scalability
Now, this is an important aspect to consider, whether a platform is scalable or not. If the chosen eCommerce platform is scalable, it will be beneficial for your business in the long run. No matter how small your business is, just make sure the platform you choose must be easy to scale.
Because once you are established and you have a good customer base, definitely the next step would be to expand your business. And if you don’t have a flexible platform as the base of your online store, you will have to face many challenges.
Once you make sure a platform is capable and flexible enough, go ahead and give that needed online boost to your online store.
Cost of eCommerce Platform
Most eCommerce platforms come with monthly charges and also include different tiers of services. The best thing is to compare the plans to figure out which platform is offering the lowest price. Also, you can first try the free demo of that particular platform and then decide whether you want to use it further.
The free trials may not be available with all the platforms, but a maximum of them do include free trials to have that basic knowledge of the features and functioning of the platform. You make your decision based on that.
Make Sure It Is SEO-Friendly
Search engine optimization is the biggest aspect that will affect the overall digital experience to a great level. Most eCommerce platforms have extensive SEO features that will help your online store rank higher in the search results. Better search engine optimization will make it easier for users to find you whenever they will search for similar products or services as yours.
The role of search engine optimization is crucial, and when you select an eCommerce platform that collects user feedback and performs SEO analysis to make sure you are going the right way.
Ease Of Use and Seamless Navigation
The next big factor to look out for is to make sure the eCommerce platform you are opting for is easy to set up and comes with easy navigation. Of course, you need to be sure that the platform is easy-to-use and has an easy installation process.
If the platform has a complex installation process that requires professional intervention, that might not be suitable for small-scale businesses or for startups. Thus, it is imperative to go for a simple eCommerce platform.
Responsiveness
Running an eCommerce business requires a mobile presence too. If you make your store available for your user on their mobile device as well, they are likely to make more sales. However, nowadays, every platform is fully responsive, but you still need to make sure that whichever option you are choosing is fully responsive.
It will be a complete waste of time if you create two versions of the same website, i.e., the web and the mobile versions. On the contrary, it will be an easy solution to select a platform that enables you to build a single website that runs seamlessly on every device, be it a PC, laptop, smartphone, or tab.
The design and the structure of your eCommerce website should get hampered on any device. And a comprehensive platform can ensure that. So, choose wisely.
Strong Tech Support
There can be hundreds of questions and queries that may arise when you start using that eCommerce platform. Building a website can be easier, but you never know; a problem can occur when you are trying to maintain it.
You should be able to get in touch with technical experts at that moment only because any glitch in your website can lead to customer abandonment. So, make sure the platform is offering 24*7 tech support.
In order to reduce or completely eliminate website downtime, you need technical assistance. You may also go for the FAQs page, email support, and chat support so that you may have at least some solution until it is fixed by a professional.
Once you are sure that a platform includes all the discussed features, you can go ahead with it. After all, your website is the backbone of your business digitally. Therefore, choosing the right platform after all the comparisons and analysis is what you should aim for.
Only then you can…
Enjoy Growing!
Wrapping It Up
So, this brings us to the end of this comprehensive guide. You need to understand that there is no one-fit-for-all solution. Every business is different, and every platform has different features to offer that you can use to build your own store. After all, it's not about the eCommerce platform that you will use but more about the structure you wish to build.
Author Bio: Dan Baker is a professional content writer, working for Outreach Monks for five years. He holds expertise in business and tech niches and, thus, delivers content that offers new and trending information in an easy format.
