As said, an eCommerce platform is a piece of software that allows companies to build, host, and manage online shops Modern eCommerce systems are a must-have for every online company because they integrate front-end and back-end operations seamlessly, allowing for seamless payment processing, delivery, and inventory management.
1. Simplify things for your clients
Start by considering what your clients want. In order to win, you must guide them as smoothly as possible through your online shop. Aesthetics, user interface, and features are all included in this category. There has been a lot of talk about UX (user experience). The experience your consumers enjoy when they visit your site is precisely what this is all about.
Depending on your choice, you may choose designs with varying degrees of innovation. Customers that come to your website are already interested in what you have to offer. When it comes to converting online consumers, the design and feel of your website is frequently the determining factor. As a result, you’ll need an eCommerce platform that enables you to design the ideal shopping experience for your consumers.
The features, add-ons, and customizability levels available on various eCommerce platforms may vary. There will be one that is perfect for your website’s requirements out there. Your eCommerce store’s UX design can only be improved after you know which platform provides all the functionality you need.
2. Make use of all accessible mediums
By integrating social media, your company will be able to operate across various social media platforms, creating enormous new markets for your products and services. The use of several social networking platforms by different vendors is becoming standard practise.
Online catalogues would allow consumers on Facebook and Twitter to explore your goods, discuss what they like about them with others, and even pay for them without ever having to leave the social media site they’re on.
An ecommerce development agency that enables you to sell directly via other platforms (raising your front-end activity) without having to maintain separate inventories or income streams is what you’re searching for (your back-end responsibilities).
Users of social media platforms may help promote your goods by posting about it on their pages. People like tales of social entrepreneurs who are making a difference in the world, for example.
If you can grab people’s attention and make them want to spread the word about it, you’ve just gained new members of your advertising team. Simply said, it’ll be beneficial to both to all and your company’s reputation.
3. Platforms for eCommerce based on SaaS
The ease with which SaaS b2b ecommerce website design systems may be managed, as well as the speed with which new eCommerce shops can be launched, are well-known advantages.
These are pre-built e-commerce systems that are provided as a hosted service via the cloud. A graphical user interface makes it simple to join up and get started with your online shop in a matter of hours.
- There’s no need to know how to code.
- There is no need for a web host.
- There’s no need for a technical support group.
However, depending on the services you wish to utilise, you may have to pay a monthly or annual recurring cost. Using the platform costs money, but so do other things like payment processing, web hosting, SSL certificate costs and commissions per sale. The recurring price covers all of these things.
Entrepreneurs that don’t want to deal with the complexities of website creation but instead want to concentrate on growing their company will benefit most from these types of solutions. Focus on sales while the SaaS provider handles technical issues like web hosting, platform customization, security upgrades, and payment processing.
4. Platforms for eCommerce that are free to use
Open-source shop builders with pre-built templates are what they sound like. An open-source version of the software is provided, which you can install on any web server and start using in a matter of hours.
To create anything substantial, open-source eCommerce systems may be seen as a modular method. It’s based on the idea that you should be in charge of what goes on your online shop. You have complete control over the look and feel of your shop, as well as whatever modules you choose to use.
For instance, a certain platform may have a pre-installed payment gateway. Alternatively, if you wish to use a different payment gateway, you may add a module to accommodate it.
In addition to these open-source eCommerce systems that are free to use, several companies have also created paid platforms that are open-source. As a result, free platforms are severely constrained in what they can provide, and many of those functions aren’t even applicable to everyone.
Additional modules and services are required to access advanced functionality and priority technical assistance, both of which are prohibitively costly.
Dedicated technical assistance and all essential features are included right out of the box with premium platforms, often known as bespoke open-source platforms. It’s a viable alternative to previous approaches since it combines the advantages of both SaaS and Open-source platforms in one package.
- solutions that are pre-made and not in a box
- You don’t need any technical knowledge to utilise it.
- Access to the whole source code and flexibility to customise anything
- No recurring fees; one-time payment only
- complete command over the platform and the enterprise
Now that you’re aware of the different eCommerce platform types available to you, you can make an informed decision. Here are a few critical characteristics to look for while evaluating eCommerce platforms.
5. Optimized for Search Engines (SEO)
Being at the top of the search results has many advantages. Your business must be found by consumers who are looking for similar goods to the ones you offer. Basic SEO-friendly functionality should be included by default on your eCommerce platform.
- Change the domain name to something unique
- Refresh your website’s meta tags and descriptions.
- Include pictures with explanations and captions
- access to the robot.txt platform file
- Add pagination to product search results by using canonical tags where appropriate.
6. Compatibility with mobile devices
You can’t overlook mobile ecommerce possibilities when 60% of searches are done on a mobile device. You may simply lose sales if your site isn’t mobile-friendly if these searches lead to final purchases. It is possible to run an eCommerce company that is mobile-friendly in two ways:
7. Get a mobile-responsive eCommerce platform with a theme or template.
Opt for a mobile-responsive eCommerce platform that also provides native mobile applications. Using an eCommerce platform built on node.js, you’ll get native mobile applications for Android and iOS right out of the box.
8. Security
Whether you want to be sure your platform of choice is safe, check to see if it supports HTTPs or SLL. Additionally, PCI-DSS certified payment solutions, a standard for safe payment processors, must be included. PayPal, Stripe, Square, WorldPay, Braintree, and SecurePay are just a few examples of extremely dependable PCI-DSS compliant payment systems.
These payment methods must be supported either natively or via modifications on the platform. Google Captcha is another security element that keeps eCommerce sites safe from DDoS assaults.
You may use Captcha to protect your site from being hacked or spammed by placing it on various forms across your website. Take a look at how this open-cart site secures its ‘Contact Us’ form using Captcha. To keep spammers at bay, your website must include a feature like this.
9. Scalability of the Platform
Aiming to be successful in a certain market and then expanding to a larger one is the goal of any eCommerce company out there. You can’t determine an eCommerce platform’s scalability by looking at how well it handles a lot of traffic.
To handle large-scale implementations, companies rely on APIs that can interact with one other. For instance, the integration of Salesforce CRM, RSA Archer, bespoke PIMS, CDN, and so on. Always check to see whether the platform you choose can expand with your business’s requirements and expectations.
A bespoke Magento plugin for Salesforce connection looks like this. Simple to install and synchronise data between your Magento shop and Salesforce CRM Products Leads, Contact Accounts, Order Invoice in Salesforce CRM Products.
10. Software to manage orders
You don’t want your orders to take years to complete in ecommerce since it’s a highly competitive industry. In order to guarantee that orders are handled correctly and on time, a competitive order management system makes use of features like order tracking, email alerts, and APIs for shipping services.
The OMS must interact with your inventory management system to guarantee that inventories are updated properly and that only items that are currently in stock are available for sale. Additional features include API connection or plugin installation so that you may use the software with major ERP and CRM systems.
11. Integration Across Multiple Channels
Managing an Amazon seller account and your own eCommerce website at the same time is a challenge. While you’re concentrating on getting some excellent sales on the market, you’re also putting less time and effort on your website. The same thing occurs while going from one direction to the other.
That’s where your Magento development company platform’s multi-channel marketplace extension comes in useful. In order to get started with email marketing, you’ll need to integrate your platform with an inexpensive ecommerce email marketing solution.
About The Guest Author –Ankita C Behani
With over 10 years’ in experience in financial and non-financial research and analysis, Ankita C Behani moved on to set up IQecommerce, a leading platform in Canada which helps convert the businesses’ dreams of having an online store into reality. With her detailed research and unique insights, she helps clients visualize, create and enhance their online performance leading to full digital transformation. Ankita has successfully delivered numerous Ecommerce consulting and development projects for global clients and offered insightful digital marketing solutions. She is passionate about her work and loves to travel and shop.
