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In this post, we will check out the 14 best ecommerce platforms for small businesses.
As a small business owner, you might find yourself asking the same question: “What ecommerce platform should I use?”
There are so many options to choose from, and it can be overwhelming! This guide will help you make sense of the different platforms out there so that you can figure out which one is best for your business.
Ecommerce platforms are a key component for any small business. They help you make money, reach new customers, and grow your brand.
On the other hand, ecommerce platforms come in all shapes and sizes — from free to paid — and can offer a range of features that are tailored to your specific needs.
There are a number of ecommerce platforms for small businesses, but which one is best? Here are our 14 best ecommerce platforms for small businesses.
Best eCommerce Platforms For Small Businesses
1 Shopify
Shopify is an ecommerce platform that allows you to easily create an online store and sell your products. Shopify is one of the easiest ecommerce platforms to use, so it’s a great option if you don’t have much experience with web development or coding.
It has a large user base, which means your product will be easier to find by customers searching for it on Google.
Shopify offers 24/7 support via email or phone call (though their customer service tends not to be as responsive), as well as lots of useful integrations with other apps like MailChimp and PayPal which can help make running your business easier without having to hire someone else who specializes in these functions full time.
Shopify also has excellent security features including PCI compliance certification which means any information sent through their servers meets industry standards set by Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
This protects consumers who buy products online through credit cards but also prevents hackers from stealing data stored within its systems or preventing them from accessing sensitive information like bank account numbers when processing payments through Paypal; additionally, every transaction made using those payment methods is encrypted.
Shopify also has built-in analytics so you can track sales, inventory, and various KPI successes. You can also sync your inventory and orders across sales channels like eBay and Amazon.
You can use the expansive library of over 6,000 third-party apps to boost your website’s capability even further.
Pros:-
- Free trial available
- A ton of themes available
- Unlimited products on all plans
- Diverse payment options
Cons:-
- No email hosting
- Limited Functionalities
2 BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a great option if you need a full-fledged ecommerce platform. It supports all the features you’ll find on other platforms.
The platform can be used to sell digital products or physical products. Big Commerce is well known for its scalability. The way your business moves with the time you can scale it accordingly with BigCommerce.
It also comes with mobile optimization so creating landing pages just becomes awesome as it caters to phone and tablet users.
BigCommerce comes with a lot of powerful tools which help your business to scale very well over time.
BigCommerce analytics allows you to Act with confidence by unlocking useful customer data and insights. Reports also help you to find out which of your products are ushering in the most profitable revenue results for your organization.
If your needs are more advanced than those of the average small business owner, BigCommerce will probably meet them. You can also expect top-notch support from BigCommerce worldwide.
BigCommerce has a free trial and the starter plan starts at $29.95 which is great to start a digital store for your products.
Pros:-
- No transaction fees
- Unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth
- Extensive choice of free applications
- Ideal for selling across numerous channels.
Cons:-
- A short selection of free themes is available
3 Wix
Wix eCommerce is an easy-to-use, easy-to-navigate store builder. It does an amazing job for small businesses, as it is streamlined, intuitively customizable, and appealing.
There are lots of features incorporated in the eCommerce plans that you get with Wix, which include a drag-and-drop store builder, hundreds of templates, and a mobile-optimized performance.
You can pick from a range of payment solutions and a protected checkout system. It has a vast library of more than 800 website templates. The dram and drop function is totally sleek and makes life easy for beginners.
You also get an extensive level of innovative control and it’s your website to grow at a fast rate. Ultimately lead to making your business bigger and more participative.
Wix is a perfect choice from the SEO perspective as well. The Wix SEO Wiz is a step-by-step list created to help you get seen online.
The SEO Wiz offers you guidance about the data your site ought to easily connect and verify your site with Google. After you’ve connected, the SEO Wiz helps get your site indexed quickly and will show you in the search results.
Pros:-
- A ton of high-quality themes
- Diverse payment options
- Extensive choice of apps
- Coupon and discount codes
Cons:-
- Limited eCommerce features
4 Squarespace
Squarespace is one of the most popular ecommerce website builders for small businesses. It’s easy to use and has a great user experience, making it a great option for someone who isn’t tech-savvy.
It offers a lot of features, which makes it versatile enough to be used for many different purposes.
Squarespace has many templates and themes to choose from, so you can create an online store that really reflects your brand identity.
You’ll also have access to live chat support and other tools that will help make sure you run your business smoothly.
Unfortunately, there aren’t as numerous eCommerce features available to rack up with Shopify. However, the platform provides SSL security and a free domain with any annual plan.
You also get the blessing of a mobile-optimized checkout with no transaction fees on any of your plans. Squarespace also offers attributes for recurring billing for subscription businesses.
Pros:-
- Wonderful social media integration
- Bunch of templates
- Affordable plans
- Free domain with annual plans
Cons:-
Pricing:-
You can try Squarespace with a free trial or upgrade to the below-mentioned plan for more advanced functionality.
- Personal: $16 per month
- Business: $23 per month
- Basic Commerce: $27 per month
- Advanced Commerce: $49 per month
5 Weebly
Weebly is a drag-and-drop website builder that allows you to easily create a beautiful website with no coding experience.
It’s easy to use, even for people who have never created an eCommerce website before. If you’re looking for an ecommerce platform on the cheap and don’t mind having limited customization abilities, Weebly may be worth checking out.
It’s easy to use and has a pleasing selection of templates, but also affordable. Weebly also has good customer support, as well as a reputation for being reliable and secure.
Weebly doesn’t feature a lot of things however it does glow when it comes to value for money.
Weebly’s free plan and quite reasonable premium plans are sure to go for when it comes to eCommerce website building at an affordable price.
Weebly is still stunning and easy to use. It also performs well in the SEO department and comes with a bunch of apps for making life easy for you.
Weebly provides the best website builders for small businesses, so you can focus on what you do best: running your business. The website builder comes with a host of custom designs, e-commerce, marketing tools, and a lot more.
Build a website today that looks and operates exactly the way you want it to, without having to worry about complicated programming or technical jargon.
Pros:-
- Beginner friendly
- A ton of responsive themes
- Affordable Pricing
Cons:-
Weebly Pricing
- Professional: $12 per month
6 Square Online
Square Online is a super simple ecommerce platform that allows you to build your own store, including accepting payments. The platform offers many features that small businesses need to sell products online.
With its easy-to-use website builder and elementary e-commerce features, you’ll easily set up an online store without any prior technical knowledge.
The platform’s free plan lets you set up your store and access e-commerce features without paying a single penny.
It also helps you to connect with Square’s suite of products, which includes the Square Point of Sale (POS) system, streamlining the method of placing up your payment processing.
Pros:-
- Excellent if you are already using a square suite of products
- Easy to use
- Inventory management tools
Cons:-
- Limitations customization options
Pricing:-
You can start free, however, for advanced functionalities switch to the initial plan of $29 per month.
7 Sellfy
Sellfy is a platform that allows you to sell products online. If you’re looking for an ecommerce solution for your small business, Sellfy is a great option.
Sellfy is the best option for those who want to sell digital products online, such as multimedia items like eBooks or audio files. It’s also the easiest way to get started selling physical products online—you don’t even need a website!
Sellfy is our recommended platform when it comes to selling any kind of product. It’s perfect for those who want advanced features.
The setup process is very simple, the added benefit is that you can sell both physical and digital products with Sellfy.
Sellfy has feature-rich Landing pages which are customizable according to your needs. Some of the top marketing features of Sellfy are discount codes, upselling, pixel tracking, and email marketing.
Sellfy helps you earn more by allowing your customers to purchase numerous items at once with an online shopping cart.
Sellfy enables you to sell from your website, and social media as well. The pages are perfectly optimized for mobile devices for the best user experience.
Sellfy also offers great customer support, which is an important factor when choosing any eCommerce platform.
Sellfy has a free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee and comes with three pricing plans i.e $29 per month, $79 per month, and $159 per month. The starter plan is the recommended one if you are looking to start your journey.
8 WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an ecommerce solution that has gained the awareness of companies all around the world.
Not only is it extremely convenient and easy to use, but it’s available on WordPress as a plugin. This is the software that’s accountable for handling the preponderance of the internet.
WooCommerce can connect with your WordPress website with ease. There are tons of extensions available for Woocomeerce to make your life easy when it comes to running your eCommerce website.
It’s a free, open-source solution, with a vast knowledge of tutorials available on the internet. WooCommerce also enables secure payment and recurring payment solutions.
Pros:-
- Add Unlimited products
- Affordable
- Ton of themes
Cons:-
- Needs technical knowledge
- Its WordPress specific
9 Ecwid
Ecwid is a cloud-based ecommerce platform that allows you to create an online store in minutes. It’s one of the best options for small businesses looking for an affordable solution.
Ecwid is also easy to use, which makes it ideal for beginners who are just getting started with their first website.
It’s one of the best website builders and online store builders which comes with more payment options and dedicated e-commerce tools.
Ecwid turns any site into a functional e-commerce platform, with high customization options. Its features like responsive design are ideal for any device and allow automatic language detection.
Pros:-
- Works seamlessly with your website
- Free plans available
- Automatic language detection
- Secure payment options
Cons:-
- payment fees are high
- No live chat on lower plans
10 Volusion
Volusion is an ecommerce platform that allows you to create a fully-customizable online store for your business. Volusion offers a variety of features and tools that will help you create a unique online presence for your business.
You can choose from a wide range of themes to find one that suits your business needs and customize it however you’d like. Once you’re ready to launch, Volusion’s built-in social marketing tools will help grow your traffic and sales!
It is a great e-commerce solution for mid-size businesses with easy steps and a customization process.
There are free and paid themes available, with SEO options which he’s indexing and ranking in search results is easy.
For an inventory, you have to fill in some information which includes a picture, and description and you’re good to go.
Pros:-
- Built-in SEO tools
- Diverse payment options
- Unlimited product
- Reporting tools
Cons:-
- Limited free themes
- No blogging options
Pricing:-
You can try Volusion with a 14-day free trial or upgrade to the initial plan of $35 per month for advanced functionalities.
11 Magento
Magento stands out as one of the most favored ecommerce platforms for designated and thriving retailers.
Some of the largest companies in the world already use this tool for establishing effective eCommerce solutions.
One of the added functionalities of using Magento is endless customization. Setting up products and landing is sleek with easy drag-and-drop features.
Magento also provides a lot of features, the capabilities are endless if you are thinking of building an ecommerce store.
Pros:-
- Endless customize
- Ideal for global sites
- Magento Marketplace
Cons:-
- Hard to use
- Quiet Expensive
12 Zyro
Zyro is a suitable and stunning website builder well-known presence in the market. The company originally started as a creation by Hostinger however later developed to be a complete game changer in the website building category.
Developing the online store with Zyro is easy to process and you do not need any coding knowledge to excel in it.
You can build a website in the blink of an eye with a ton of templated provided by the platform. Zyro provides an electric performance on all devices.
Pros:-
- Easy to use
- Drag-and-drop builder
- AI content creator
- Free SSL certificate
- Unlimited storage
Cons:-
- Limited blogging features
- Limited design
Pricing:-
You can use Zyro for free, or upgrade to the business plan of $3.99 per month for eCommerce essentials.
13 Big Cartel
Big Cartel is often suggested as one of the best tools for companies looking to build an ecommerce presence in the market.
However, Big Cartel is not beginner-friendly, and lacking pre-built themes and designs makes the platform a little bit disappointing.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it for small businesses. There’s a free plan that will make you get started.
Although Big Cartel needs a bit of technical knowledge it still provides the best free plan on the market. There is a lack of blogging tools, PCI compliance, and great support.
Pros:-
- Free plan available
- Amazing for creative companies
- Fast set up
Cons:-
- Requires a coding knowledge
- Limited payment options
- Limited themes available
Pricing:-
You can use Big Cartel for free or upgrade to a premium version of BigCartel which starts at $9.99 per month.
14 Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop is a top platform that provides business owners the solution for the e-commerce store.
If you’re looking for top platforms which have all the features to build up and run a successful eCommerce then you have to go with Shift4Shop.
Shift4Shop has a fantastic inventory system that lets businesses easily track of their sales and products. You can also customize and change your theme according to your needs.
Shift4Shop has a rich selection of apps, SSL certificates for security, and a lot more which is great for your eCommerce business.
Pros:-
- Easy customization
- Affordable pricing
- free trial available
- Unlimited products and bandwidth
Cons:-
- Outdated Themes
- Limited collection of Apps
Conclusion
As you consider which ecommerce platform is best for your business, you should keep in mind that the needs of your business will differ from those of other businesses. As such, there are multiple options for starting an ecommerce site; which one you choose will depend on the needs of your business. For example:
- Some platforms are more suited to specific types of businesses (e.g., digital goods or physical products).
- Some platforms are more suited to specific needs (e.g., selling through Amazon Marketplace).
- Some platforms are more suited to specific budgets (e.g., Shopify vs BigCommerce).
- Some platforms offer different payment options (Paypal vs Stripe), etc…
If you’re looking to start an ecommerce site, there are many platforms that can help. The list above contains some of the most popular options, but there are other solutions as well.
Some may be better suited for your needs than others depending on what type of business you have and how much time and money you want to spend setting up an online presence. Whatever decision you make though remember that it should be based on what will work best for YOU!
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