If you have a small business, then you know that choosing the right eCommerce platform is essential to your success. There are many different platforms available, and it can be difficult to decide which one is best for you. This article will discuss the top 8 best eCommerce platforms for small businesses. We’ll compare and contrast the different platforms and help you decide which is best for your business. So without further ado, let’s get started.

What are the most important factors to consider when choosing an eCommerce platform? 

If you sell products or services online, you need an eCommerce platform. An eCommerce platform is a software solution that provides the technology and tools to build an online store and sell products or services. In addition to traditional eCommerce platforms, there are also headless eCommerce platforms to consider. Headless eCommerce platforms decouple the front-end and back-end of your online store, allowing for greater flexibility and customization in design and user experience. There are many eCommerce platforms on the market, so how do you choose the right one for your business? Here are 8 important factors to consider:

1. Security: Make sure that the platform you choose has robust security features in place to protect your customers’ data.
2. SEO: Choose a platform that makes it easy to optimize your website for search engines so that potential customers can find you.
3. Responsive Web Design: Ensure that the platform you select offers responsive templates so that your website will look great on all devices.
4. Supports Multiple Selling Channels: If you want to sell through multiple channels (e.g., online, in-store, mobile), make sure that your chosen platform supports this.
5. Integrations: Choose a platform that integrates with other business software solutions that you use (e.g., accounting, CRM, shipping).
6. Scalability: As your business grows, you’ll need a platform that can scale with you. Make sure to choose a scalable solution.
7. Support: Support is essential when developing a website. A sound support system can help you troubleshoot problems, add new features, and keep your site running smoothly. Support Genix is a WordPress plugin that turns your site into a comprehensive support ticket system.
8. Price: Remember to consider price when choosing an eCommerce platform. You’ll need to balance features with cost.

Take your time to evaluate each of these factors before deciding which eCommerce platform to use for your business. 

What are the benefits of using a hosted platform vs. a self-hosted platform?

Choosing an eCommerce platform to use a hosted or self-hosted platform for your website can be a difficult decision. There are pros and cons to both choices. Self-hosted websites offer more flexibility and customization than hosted platforms. With a self-hosted website, you are responsible for design and upkeep. This can be a pro or a con, depending on your comfort level with technology. Most self-hosted platforms use cloud-based storage, which can be more reliable than hosting everything on your server. The downside to self-hosting is that you may not have as much support from the company if something goes wrong.

Hosted platforms are often easier to use than self-hosted options, especially if you’re uncomfortable with technology. With a hosted platform, the hosting company takes care of design, storage, updates, and security. This can be a relief if you don’t want to deal with these technical aspects of running a website. The downside to using a hosted platform is that you may have less control over your website and may have to pay more for features that are included for free with a self-hosted option.

Top 8 eCommerce Platforms for Small Businesses 

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress that enables users to transform their website into a powerful online store. WooCommerce is now the most popular eCommerce platform worldwide, capturing a staggering share of the market. One key reason for its success is that it is an open-source solution, unlike many of its competitors, such as Shopify and Bigcommerce. 

WooCommerce is free for personal and commercial use, with no additional costs for features such as domain, hosting, email, theme, and support. While this may seem like a disadvantage at first glance, it actually provides a great deal of flexibility for users who are willing to invest the time and effort into setting up their own online store. In addition, the inclusion of useful features such as WooCommerce support makes it an attractive option for those who are looking to build a successful online business.

Features 

• Flexible and Secure Payments
• Manage Orders
• Mobile responsive
• Email marketing
• Multiple currency

Pricing:

• WooCommerce Starter – $6.95/month
• WooCommerce Plus -$8.95/month
• WooCommerce Pro -$12.95/month

ShopLentor (Formerly WooLentor) 

Any WooCommerce user knows that the plugin’s default page designs can be limiting. That’s where ShopLentor comes in. With the ShopLentor page builder, you can start from scratch and design any WooCommerce page using Elementor. You are no longer stuck with WooCommerce’s typical page designs.

With ShopLentor, you can customize your eCommerce website and Product pages with the free version of the plugin. The pro version also gives you additional customization options for the rest of the WooCommerce pages. In addition, ShopLentor offers a plethora of Elementor widgets with extensive customization options that you can use to create your store exactly as you need it. So if you’re looking for more control over your WooCommerce pages, ShopLentor is the perfect solution.

Features 

• WooCommerce Page Builder
• Horizontal / Vertical Filter
• Email Customizer
• Ajax form
• Customization 

Pricing:

• Plus Plan – $39 USD/ Year
• Elite Plan -$79 USD/ Year
• Agency Plan – $149 USD/ Year
• Bundle  plan – $499 USD/ Year

Shopify 

Being a comprehensive eCommerce platform, Shopify enables you to establish your own online store. It gives you access to a large variety of “themes” that may be altered to suit your needs for branding and enables you to sell both physical and digital goods. Because the themes for Shopify’s e-commerce websites are mobile responsive, they will automatically resize to fit the screens of smartphones and tablets. 

You can also choose from a wide variety of apps for various additional functionalities making your eCommerce website super functional and user-friendly. In all, using Shopify is a great way to create a polished online store without knowing how to code.

Features 

• Responsive 
• Search Engine Optimized
• Blog
• Multiple languages and currency support
• Great Customer Services

Pricing:

• Free Plan
• Basic Shopify plan – $19 per month 
• Shopify Plan – $49 per month.
• Advanced Shopify Plan – $299 per month 

Webflow eCommerce

Webflow is a powerful CMS platform widely used to create various types of websites. With Webflow, you can also build an eCommerce store around any custom product, service, and digital goods. You can customize your cart and checkout process to fit your brand and craft custom interactions and animations to improve the customer experience. 

And because Webflow doesn’t require coding, you can launch your eCommerce store faster and more flexibly. So if you’re looking to start selling online, or take your existing business to the next level, consider using Webflow eCommerce.

Features 

• Design around your unique products
• Customize your cart and checkout
• Customize transactionally
• emails
• Craft custom interactions and animations

Pricing Plans

The site plans are as follows:

• Free Plan 
• Basic – $15/mo (billed monthly) and $12 /mo (billed yearly)
• CMS – $20/mo  (billed monthly) and $16 /mo (billed yearly 
• Business- $45/mo (billed monthly) and $36 /mo (billed yearly)

The eCommerce plans are as follows:

• Standard – $42/mo (billed monthly) and $29 /mo (billed yearly) 
• Plus – $84/mo (billed monthly) and $74/mo (billed yearly)
• Advanced – $235/mo (billed monthly) and $212/mo (billed yearly)

Bigcommerce 

BigCommerce is a cloud-based eCommerce platform that provides businesses with the flexibility and scalability they need to grow their online sales. BigCommerce is built on an open-source platform, which allows businesses to customize their store to meet their specific needs quickly. Additionally, BigCommerce provides several essential back-office integrations, such as accounting, inventory, and shipping software. 

BigCommerce is also designed to be highly scalable, so it can easily support the growth of businesses as they shift more of their sales online. Finally, BigCommerce is a cost-effective solution for businesses that want to lower their total cost of ownership (TCO).

Features 

• Open SaaS
• Integrations
• Partners
• Services

Pricing: 

• Standard Plan: $29.95/mo
• Pro Plan: $79.95/mo
• Enterprise Plan: $299.95/mo

Ecwid

If you’re looking for an eCommerce solution that lets you set up shop quickly and easily, Ecwid may be a good option for you. Ecwid is a ‘software as a service’ (SaaS) product, meaning you don’t own the software but pay a monthly fee. Setting up small businesses with Ecwid is straightforward: you can add products, photos, pricing, and weight information and create “catalogs” of items. 

One key advantage of Ecwid is that it’s very easy to implement: you add a few lines of HTML code (the widget) to an existing website or social media profile, and your store will be displayed wherever you’ve inserted the code. Another advantage is that Ecwid is very affordable.

So if you’re looking for an easy-to-use, low-cost eCommerce solution, Ecwid may be worth considering.

Features 

• Importing and exporting products
• 53 different languages
• Search engine optimization
• Custom development

Pricing: 

• Venture: $15 a month
• Business $35 a month
• Unlimited $99 a month

Squarespace

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use website builder that still gives you plenty of creative control, Squarespace is a good option. It’s designed to help creatives build their own websites and showcase their work, regardless of their technical ability. The latest version, 7.1, introduces some valuable additions to the editor, such as pre-built page sections and more versatile templates. 

And with the fluid Engine editing system, converting the classic editor into a more flexible drag-and-drop editor, it’s even easier to make sitewide design changes. In addition, features like eCommerce, member areas, appointment booking, restaurant reservations (thanks to its recent acquisition of Tock), social media templates, website development, digital marketing and an email marketing tool make Squarespace, a good choice for users.

Features 

• Sleek, stylish, and modern designs
• Mobile responsive
• Highly flexible
• SEO & Marketing
• Social Media Integration

Pricing: 

• Personal — $16 per year
• Business — $23 per year
• Basic Commerce — $27per year
• Advanced Commerce — $49 per year

Wix

Wix is a website builder that allows users to create and design their websites. The platform is simple to use and comes with various templates and tools that make it easy to create a professional-looking website. Once you’ve completed your website, Wix provides several ways to share it with the world, including social media and email. And if you ever need help, Wix has a large community of users happy to offer support. 

With Wix, you can create a professional logo in minutes, add beautiful handmade illustrations to your website, and utilize the most advanced SEO tools to get your site seen by potential customers. No matter what kind of website you’re looking to create, Wix has everything you need to get online quickly and easily.

Features 

• Unlimited creation
• Powerful infrastructure
• Highly Customizable 
• SEO & Marketing
• Over 800 templates

Pricing: 

Wix offers two types of pricing plans —

Website Plans

• VIP – US $24.50/month
• Unlimited- US$12.50/month
• Combo- US $8.50/month
• Connect Domain- US $4.50/month

Business and eCommerce Plans

• Business VIP- US $35/month
• Business Unlimited- US $25/month
• Business Basic- US $17/month

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the best eCommerce platform for small businesses?

There are many different eCommerce platforms available to small businesses, and it can be challenging to choose the right one. When deciding on an eCommerce platform, it is important to consider the needs of your business and the features that are most important to you.

• What components are required to set up an online store?

A few things are essential for any eCommerce store for startups. These are

1. Clean design
2. Responsiveness
3. Customization
4. Support services
5. Image and Video integration 

• Are there any free eCommerce platforms?

Platforms like Shopify and Wix provide free trial periods. Paid editions, however, might be an excellent investment for more features.

Conclusion

 There is no one-size-fits-all answer when choosing an eCommerce platform for your startup. However, by taking the time to assess your needs and research, you can find the platform that best suits your business. Ultimately, the decision comes down to what will work best for your business. By taking the time to consider your options, you can find the platform to help you achieve your eCommerce goals.