Choosing the best eCommerce platform for your business can be overwhelming. There are so many to choose from! But don’t worry, we’re here to help. In this article, we’re going to outline the five best eCommerce platforms for businesses. We’ll cover why each platform is great, which features are essential, and which ones might not be right for your business.
1. Shopify
Shopify is the biggest all-in-one eCommerce platform in the industry. As the leading provider of eCommerce solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises, it is a robust eCommerce platform trusted by over 1.7 million businesses worldwide.
It’s the most popular in the English-speaking world and has the largest eCommerce market share in the United States. Nearly one in three (32 percent) of American online businesses use Shopify to power their stores.
Some of the biggest brands that use Shopify are Kraft Heinz Co., Lindt, Red Bull, Gymshark, Hyatt Hotels, Nescafe, and Kylie Cosmetics.
One of the key reasons for Shopify’s success is its flexibility. The Shopify App Store has over 2,400 apps to help manage your business and boost your sales.
We’ve discussed more of the benefits of Shopify in our post, “What Is Shopify, And What Are Its Benefits?”
Shopify is the best choice if you have a drop shipping business or rely heavily on social media marketing like Instagram or Facebook Ads. However, its SEO features are clunky and may not be suitable for online stores that rely heavily on SEO marketing.
2. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free, open-source eCommerce platform for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Because it’s made with WordPress and runs alongside your existing WordPress site, you benefit from using WordPress’s SEO features.
Conversely, being on WordPress means you have to purchase your own hosting, domain name, and SSL certificate — all of which are already provided when you use an all-in-one eCommerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce.
If you want to make a WooCommerce site that works, you’ll need a lot of plugins.
This isn’t a platform that you can easily drag and drop your way to an eCommerce storefront. The sheer number of plugins, extensions, and apps required to run a medium to large website can get overwhelming.
A major advantage to WooCommerce is all payment gateways such as Stripe, PayPal, Square, Amazon Pay, and Authorize.Net, as well as shipment and email tracking plugins, are included.
WooCommerce is best for businesses who already use WordPress and want to turn their existing WordPress website into a functional eCommerce store.
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is one of the world’s fastest-growing eCommerce platforms and has been consistently voted the best overall eCommerce platform for medium to large businesses.
We’ve written about the basics of BigCommerce in our post, “BigCommerce – Fastest growing eCommerce platform.”
What makes BigCommerce different from other eCommerce platforms such as Magento or WooCommerce is that you don’t need to buy web hosting or install software on your computer. You only need to pay a monthly subscription fee to use its features.
BigCommerce offers a unique feature set for its price, which we’ve discussed more in detail in our previous post, “Is BigCommerce Platform Right for You?”. You’ll get more bang for your buck since most similar online store builders require you to upgrade to more costly plans to access comparable set of features.
While it’s not beginner-friendly (it has a massive technical learning curve), BigCommerce is by far the best eCommerce platform for businesses looking for a powerful and comprehensive eCommerce solution to help them sell a large number of items.
Its multi-currency selling capabilities are excellent and one of the most compelling reasons to choose this platform over its competitors.
4. Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Magento, also known as Adobe Commerce, is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms in the world. Magento comes in two forms: Open-source and Magento Commerce.
As we’ve mentioned in our post “Understanding Magento Commerce Platform As A Beginner,” Magento isn’t the easiest to work with. You’d need adequate web development skills to install the platform.
The open-source option is best suited to people with professional web development experience, making it less ideal for do-it-yourself website creators than some of the other platforms. It’s commonly used on medium to large eCommerce websites with a dedicated web developer or IT department.
Despite its technical complexity, Magento is perhaps the most flexible, robust, and scalable open-source eCommerce platform in the market. It offers an extensive list of tools and features— many of which other platforms lack.
5. Salesforce Commerce Cloud
Formerly named Demandware, Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) is a scalable cloud-based eCommerce platform that offers a unified eCommerce experience.
This means that your customers’ purchasing experience is tailored for maximum impact across all commerce channels, including mobile, web, social, storefront, and more.
The Benefits of Salesforce Commerce Cloud for Your eCommerce Business are extensive. This platform comes with all the tools you’ll need to operate and manage an online store, including tools for sales, customer support, marketing, community development, and order fulfillment, among other things.
Salesforce is best suited for Business to Consumer (B2C) businesses looking for sales-oriented functionalities on a single platform.
It’s also the best platform if your business focuses on mobile. Salesforce Commerce Cloud has a mobile-first approach and offers more mobile-friendly tools and storefronts compared to other platforms.
Final Thoughts
There are a number of eCommerce platforms that can help you grow your business. Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and Salesforce are all great options with their own unique benefits.
Whichever platform you choose, make sure to invest time and resources into creating an effective online store. With the right planning and execution, you can see great success with your eCommerce business.
If you’re looking to improve your eCommerce website, your team needs the right people to provide customized solutions that will meet your exact business needs.
Jarvis are the global leader in eCommerce platform recruitment and eCommerce hiring services. We have successfully sourced and recruited expert eCommerce platform professionals for businesses of all sizes, ranging from startups to big corporations. We help you find the right person at the right time.