E-commerce is becoming a growing industry, and it’s not always easy to figure out what type of business you need. This blog post discusses a few things you should consider before choosing an eCommerce platform for your small business.
You’ll get practical information about choosing the best platform for your small business, including; the benefits of each platform, determining which features are best suited for you, and finally, making sure that this choice will help your company grow by understanding your unique needs.
Important Statistics:
Indian eCommerce is growing exponentially, with the market price of the e-commerce industry in India being approximately 469 crore rupees in 2020. This number was estimated to triple by 2027 (Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India)
Owning an internet site for your online business has become easier than ever before. In 2022, there will be numerous platforms to choose from to start your eCommerce store. But, you will have to spend your time choosing which one is best for your business. Never choose a platform just because it’s popular.
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Why use an eCommerce platform for your business?
An eCommerce platform makes it easier for you to create, run and manage your online store. You can start selling to your customers no matter when you want and not worry about it if you are not online yourself.
That is the beauty of eCommerce platforms – it frees up time that you’d otherwise have to spend looking after your online store. Instead, you can focus on marketing, managing products and other business aspects that need your attention.
The best eCommerce platforms will also help you reach a larger audience by providing you with resources such as intelligent search engine optimization techniques that target the right customers, improved website traffic management and many other services you will find beneficial.
How to choose the best eCommerce platform?
If you would like to settle on the simplest eCommerce website for your business, here’s what you ought to know:
- Firstly, you need to figure out how much money you’re willing to spend on a website.
- Next, consider the features that you want your site to have: some websites include customer reviews and blog posts, for example.
- The last thing to consider is which ecommerce platform will be the easiest for your company’s developers and marketing team to build onto if necessary.
How do D2C Brands have an advantage over B2B?
In a B2B market, the largest and usually more profitable corporate entities can invest more heavily in their marketing efforts, which leads them to have a commanding lead over other competitors.
However, because these large companies have access to more significant resources and knowledge, they can often take the importance of customer satisfaction for granted — something that small D2C brands struggle with. D2C brands can provide good service by creating carefree and human interactions with customers.
Different Types of eCommerce Platforms
You should know about the different types of eCommerce platforms to make an informed choice. Here are three types of eCommerce platforms to consider:
Open source platforms
Open source platforms are affordable and easy to use. In addition, you can customize your store as you wish, which means you can add features to your store that are relevant to your business.
However, the downside of open source platforms is that they tend to be a bit more complicated than other eCommerce platforms and may not have the customer support you need in case of technical difficulty.
Cloud platforms
Cloud platforms are the most accessible types of eCommerce platforms to use. They do not require you to register your company on the platform and do not charge you for each transaction.
However, cloud platforms are limited to some modern browsers such as Chrome, Firefox and Safari.
SaaS ecommerce platforms
SaaS ecommerce platforms are subscription-based and are an excellent option for small businesses looking for a simple and cost-effective solution. It have some of the more advanced features of other platform types, such as open-source, but you typically only get access to a small selection of these features.
Some critical factors to think about when choosing an eCommerce platform
When choosing an eCommerce platform for your business, you should consider the following eCommerce features.
User Experience
A customer-focused eCommerce platform can help you create a more customer-friendly experience for your customers, which will be appreciated and increase sales. But, a platform’s features also play a role in how easy they are to use.
Pricing
It would be best if you looked at the costs of eCommerce platforms. The best platforms are affordable. However, it is also essential to consider how much flexibility each platform will give you in terms of features and design elements likely to help your business grow. (e.g., User Experience and CRM).
Here you can get more about “Why Do You Need A CRM For Your Business?”
Security
Security is an essential factor to consider when choosing an eCommerce platform. If your business is doing high-value transactions, ensure the platform has robust security features such as multi-factor authentication.
Mobile Friendliness
Mobile-friendliness is an essential aspect of any eCommerce platform. A user-friendly platform will make it easy for your customers to shop on their smartphones and tablets.
Checkouts and payments.
Payment and checkout features are another essential consideration when choosing an eCommerce platform. It would be best to make sure that the platform you choose is easy to use.
Product catalogue
A well-crafted and functional product catalogue, specifically designed with small businesses in mind, can help your customers find exactly the products they want.
Order management
The order management section of an eCommerce platform is where a customer can check and calculate orders, product information, sales history, etc. It also allows you to monitor the progress of each order.
Payment Gateway integration
A payment gateway is a secure online connection between your eCommerce platform and your bank. For example, your bank account can be linked to your platform so that you can receive online payments securely.
Integration with social media accounts
Having social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest linked to your eCommerce platform will help customers get in touch with you faster.
Shipping features
The best platforms have shipping features integrated into their platform, which allows you to use these features without needing to pay for third-party software.
Here you can get India’s top 10 eCommerce Platform
- Amazon India
- Flipkart
- meesho
- Snapdeal
- Myntra
- Ajio
- Shopify
- Nykaa
- Paytm mall
- shopclues
