With more than 64% of shoppers switching to online purchases, brick-and-mortar stores are a thing of the past. From groceries to luxury buys, booking a doctor, to hiring an essay writer – you can find everything online today. So, it is high time that you get an online store for your business or set up digital means of accepting payments and more. But how do you build a website? In this article know about the top Ecommerce Platforms.
Today, building a website isn’t a challenge any longer, thanks to the many eCommerce platforms. However, finding the best eCommerce software can be a pertinent hurdle. It can be but does not have to be. So, here I am with a comprehensive guide with the best eCommerce platforms for 2022, with their top features and prices.
Read on and choose one to give shape to your eCommerce dream. Here you go!
Table of Contents
Shopify
There is a reason (or REASONS) why Shopify was used to build a global website like Kylie Cosmetics. The most well-known eCommerce platforms is powerful yet so easy to use. But there’s more you can expect.
Notable Features:
- Shopify offers 24/7 support, even before you sign up for a paid plan.
- You can use Shopify to sell products on your website, the online marketplace, and social media.
- You can build a new website from scratch using the drag-and-drop builder.
- The themes and templates are designed responsively for all types of screens.
There are three base plans charged monthly, and you can add features and plugins to these plans as a top-up. The Basic plan costs $29, the Shopify plan costs $79, and the Advanced Shopify plan comes for $299 per month.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is an all-in-one solution, offering everything your eCommerce website might need under one roof. it offers you SO MANY features that it can be a little overwhelming at first. But the catch here is you don’t pay extra for the vast array of features.
Notable Features:
- BigCommerce offers you omnichannel access to the most-used selling platforms like eBay &Amazon, as well as social media outlets like Instagram and Facebook.
- You can give reliable options to your consumers to pay since BigCommerce has tie-ups with PayPal and Square.
- The platform also has excellent performance when it comes to uptime, loading speed, and security.
There are three monthly plans – the Standard plan costs $29.95, the Plus plan costs$79.95, and the Pro plan costs $299.95.
WooCommerce
If you are a WordPress-biased person, WooCommerce is the ultimate eCommerce platform for you. It is the world’s most popular platform with 80 million downloads, so you get what you sign up for. Another brilliant thing about WooCommerce is that it lets you turn any website running on WordPress into an eCommerce store.
Notable Features:
- You can choose from 300+ extensions from the WooCommerce Store to customize your store.
- You can integrate store management tools, payment processors, review systems, subscription tools, and more such features for your online store.
- WooCommerce is also an excellent choice for content-based websites with limited eCommerce capabilities.
On WooCommerce, you pay per plugin and extension you use. Here is an overview of the charges.
Zyro
Zyro is the best choice for small business owners and entrepreneurs due to its affordability. Another factor that makes Zyro a favorite is its flexibility.
Notable Features:
- The platform is suitable for building online websites for all purposes, like online stores, blogs, interactive stores, and more.
- You get access to an archive of 10000+ templates tailored to offer world-class eCommerce functionalities.
- The drag-and-drop website builder lets you customize your online store with highly responsive layouts.
- Another excellent add-in you get is the AI Writer tool that can generate website content in mere seconds.
At Zyro, even the pricing is customizable as per the features you need. They even offer several offers that you can grab to pay even lesser.
Square Online
Besides being a prominent name in the POS solutions market, Square is also an excellent eCommerce platforms. I suggest Square to all those businesses that deal with vast quantities of inventory due to the platform’s automatic inventory sync feature. But that’s not all the platform has to offer.
Notable Features:
- If your company offers services like medical assistance, essay writing help, or pick-up facilities, Square is the best option.
- The platform lets you book appointments, hire service providers, arrange deliveries.
- You can also use Square to boost the SEO of your existing website and reach more customers.
There are no monthly pricing plans, and you will be charged per booking/delivery/pick-up. Click here to know more about the pricing details.
Bluehost
If you want to experience the best of WooCommerce and WordPress along with an excellent web hosting package, look no further. If you are a novice, you will find it relatively straightforward to use Bluehost to create a seamless online store on your WordPress site.
Notable Features:
- You get access to the most relevant extensions and plugins at no extra cost.
- You can catalog manual orders for an unlimited number of products.
- The platform also partners with the most hassle-free payment options.
- You can also use the performance tracking feature of the platform on your website to measure and track KPIs.
The Standard plans start at $29.95 per month, and the Premium plans start at $49.95 per month.
Wix
Another platform with a drag-and-drop website builder, Wix offers simplicity and functionality. You can use the store manager feature to manage inventory, track orders, and bookkeeping.
Notable Features:
- You get to choose from 500 templates to customize your storefront.
- Since Wix offers global shipping via multiple carriers, it is an excellent choice for businesses operating globally.
- Wix comes with rare plugins like a feature to target accounts with abandoned shopping carts.
- You also get to use Corvid by Wix to develop apps.
You can subscribe to Wix using four monthly plans suited to your needs and budget. The Business Basic costs $23, the Business Unlimited plan comes for $27, the Business VIP plan at $49, and the Enterprise plan $500.
Squarespace
Squarespace has the best library of templates to offer. Choose from funky and kitschy ones to minimalist modern tones. What’s more, you can install multiple templates and switch between them any time you want.
Notable Features:
- Squarespace lets you catalogue unlimited products with flexible variants
- You can use the platform for your brick-and-mortar store since it allows physical and digital selling.
- You can use the platform to manage subscriptions, offer easy payment checkouts, and more.
- This platform also notifies about accounts with abandoned carts.
There are four monthly plans – Personal costing $12, Business costing $18, Basic Commerce costing $26, and Advanced Commerce at $40.
OpenCart
OpenCart is open-source software that powers more than 300,000 eCommerce sites globally. You can also use it as a website builder to add functionalities to an existing website. The platform comes with an admin dashboard where you can manage everything at a glance.
Notable Features:
- You can access more than 13,000 themes, modules, and extensions in the OpenCart marketplace.
- The platform is free to download and install, making it an excellent choice for small business owners who need a simple eCommerce website.
- Apart from customer support, you also get to connect with the registered members via the OpenCart community forum.
You can also go for the premium plan starting at $99 per month for direct technical support from the teams at OpenCart.
Ecwid
Ewcid is an excellent alternative for WooCommerce that several WordPress users love. In addition, the platform offers some fantastic benefits and is compatible with other platforms beyond WordPress.
Notable Features:
- You can pair up Ecwid with Weebly, Joomla, Blogger, Tumblr, and more.
- The eCommerce platforms has an all-purpose solution that lets you sell products on Amazon.
- You can also integrate your website with CRMs like Salesforce.
The free-forever plan of Ecwid lets you use only ten products. You can also sign up for a monthly premium plan. The costs are – $15 for Venture, $35 for Business, and $99for Unlimited.
3DCart
A powerful name over 20 years of service, 3Dcart offers 200+ built-in features, 100 payment processors, and 50 free themes.The platform also offers extensions according to the latest SEO standards. This guarantees you an increased conversion rate.
Notable Features:
- You can design, add shopping carts, and do a lot more using 3DCart to sell physical or digital products.
- The platform is flexible for social media selling, as well as multivendor marketplaces.
- 3DCart offers excellent security using two-factor authentication, PCI Certification, and anti-fraud tools.
- It is scalable enough to support businesses of all sizes and offers 94% uptime.
You can opt for the free trial of 15 days and then pay for a monthly subscription at $19.99.
Endnote
At present, the pandemic has us cornered with the social distancing norms, leaving us with no other option but to switch online. As the era of digitalization hits an all-time high, this is the most opportune time to taste business success without a smooth website offering a seamless buying experience.
So, choose an Ecommerce Platforms as per your budgets and needs and shape your eCommerce dream.