Ecommerce platforms are getting high in demand. Small business retailers all around the globe are looking for a way to upgrade their offline business to online business.
If you are among the offline business retailer, or a budding entrepreneur looking for a way to set up an online platform, then this article will surely help you.
We have sorted out 8 reviewed ecommerce platforms that will help you build your dream ecommerce platform.
We believe that in past if you need a website you have to spend a lot of money to develop it from scratch. But now there are lots of options to build your ecommerce website. Now, let us look at the best ecommerce platform for small businesses.
Best Ecommerce Platform for Small Business – Top 8
Let us look at the 8 reviewed best ecommerce platforms.
1. Shopify
Shopify founded in 2006 is one of the best ecommerce platforms, to begin your ecommerce business. With millions of users worldwide they help in providing all in one commerce platform to start, run and grow a business.
Pros of Shopify
E-commerce focus: Shopify is specifically designed for e-commerce and has a range of built-in tools to help users set up and manage their online store.
Easy to use: Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and intuitive dashboard, making it easy for users to set up and manage their store without any coding knowledge.
Customizable templates: Shopify offers a range of customizable templates that can be tailored to suit various types of e-commerce websites.
Mobile responsiveness: Shopify templates are designed to be mobile-responsive, ensuring that the website looks great on all devices.
Payment options: Shopify offers a range of payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
App store: Shopify has a vast app store, with hundreds of third-party apps and integrations to help users manage various aspects of their online store, such as shipping, marketing, and more.
Cons of Shopify
Monthly fees: Shopify charges a monthly fee to use its platform, which can be a drawback for users on a tight budget.
Limited design flexibility: While Shopify templates are customizable, users may find it challenging to create a unique and customized website beyond the options provided in the template.
Limited blogging features: Shopify’s blogging features may be limited compared to other website builders, making it less suitable for users who prioritize blogging as part of their e-commerce strategy.
Transaction fees: Shopify charges a transaction fee for each sale made through a third-party payment gateway, which can add up for businesses with high transaction volumes.
Limited SEO capabilities: Shopify has some basic SEO tools, but it may not be the best option for users who require advanced SEO capabilities.
Ideal for
You can choose Shopify if you want to create a dropshipping business. It also has many benefits for sellers who need an ecommerce place.
Pricing
Starter Plan: $5 USD/month
Basic Plan: $29 USD/month
Shopify Plan: $79 USD/month
Advanced Plan: $299 USD/month
Shopify Plus Plan: Starts at $2,000 USD/month
2. Squarespace
Squarespace website building and hosting company was launched in 2004. It is used by many where the users can have the domain authority, build it, sell online and market their brand.
Pros of Squarespace
User-friendly interface: Squarespace is known for its intuitive drag-and-drop editor that makes it easy for users to create professional-looking websites without needing to know how to code.
Customizable templates: Squarespace offers a wide range of customizable templates that can be tailored to suit a variety of needs, including e-commerce sites, portfolios, blogs, and more.
E-commerce capabilities: Squarespace has built-in e-commerce tools that allow users to set up a store, manage products, process payments securely, and track inventory.
Mobile responsiveness: Squarespace templates are designed to be mobile-responsive, which means they automatically adapt to different screen sizes and devices, making for a seamless user experience across all platforms.
Reliable hosting: Squarespace provides reliable hosting, which means your website will load quickly and be available 24/7.
Cons of Squarespace
Limited design flexibility: While Squarespace templates are customizable, they have some limitations in terms of design flexibility. Users may find it challenging to customize their website beyond the options provided in the template.
No free plan: Unlike some other website builders, Squarespace does not offer a free plan. Users must subscribe to one of the paid plans to access its features.
No third-party apps: Squarespace does not offer the same level of third-party integrations and apps as other website builders like WordPress, which may be a limitation for some users who require specific functionalities.
Limited blogging features: While Squarespace offers basic blogging features, it may not be the best option for users who prioritize blogging and require more advanced blogging tools.
Limited scalability: Squarespace may not be the best option for businesses that anticipate rapid growth and require a more scalable platform.
Ideal for
Squarespace is a good option for small businesses, solopreneurs, bloggers, and other digital content providers.
Pricing
Personal Plan: $16 USD/month
Business Plan $23 USD/month
Basic Commerce Plan $27 USD/month
Advanced Commerce Plan: $49 USD/month
3. Wix
Wix found in 2006 is a website builder and editor. It helps in ecommerce building that helps the website to run businesses for entrepreneurs and all the business persons.
Pros of Wix
User-friendly interface: Wix’s drag-and-drop editor makes it easy for users to create professional-looking websites without needing to know how to code.
Customizable templates: Wix offers a wide range of customizable templates that can be tailored to suit a variety of needs, including e-commerce sites, portfolios, blogs, and more.
E-commerce capabilities: Wix has built-in e-commerce tools that allow users to set up a store, manage products, process payments securely, and track inventory.
Mobile responsiveness: Wix templates are designed to be mobile-responsive, which means they automatically adapt to different screen sizes and devices, making for a seamless user experience across all platforms.
Third-party apps: Wix offers a wide range of third-party integrations and apps, including email marketing tools, social media integrations, and more.
Cons of Wix
Limited design flexibility: While Wix templates are customizable, they have some limitations in terms of design flexibility. Users may find it challenging to customize their website beyond the options provided in the template.
Advertisements: Wix displays advertisements on websites created using the free plan. To remove ads, users must upgrade to a premium plan.
Limited scalability: Wix may not be the best option for businesses that anticipate rapid growth and require a more scalable platform.
No backup and restore feature: Wix does not provide a backup and restore feature, which means that if your website crashes or experiences an issue, you may lose your data.
SEO limitations: While Wix offers some SEO tools, it may not be the best option for users who prioritize SEO and require more advanced SEO capabilities.
Ideal for
Wix is an ideal choice for small and mid-size businesses. It helps in providing great visuals to your brand and the site.
Pricing
Business Basic Plan: $27 USD/month
Business Unlimited: $32 USD/month
Business VIP: $59 USD/month
Business Enterprise Plan: $500 USD/month
4. Weebly
Weebly founded in 2006 is a hosting service provider and website builder. It helps you with constructing and publishing visually appealing and responsive designs.
Pros of Weebly
Easy to use: Weebly is known for its easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, making it simple for users to build a website without any coding knowledge.
Flexible templates: Weebly offers a range of templates that can be customized to suit various types of websites, including e-commerce stores, portfolios, blogs, and more.
E-commerce capabilities: Weebly offers built-in e-commerce features that allow users to set up an online store, manage products, and process payments securely.
Mobile responsiveness: Weebly templates are designed to be mobile-responsive, ensuring that the website looks great on all devices.
Third-party integrations: Weebly offers a range of third-party integrations and apps, including email marketing tools, social media integrations, and more.
Cons of Weebly
Limited design flexibility: While Weebly templates are customizable, users may find it challenging to create a unique and customized website beyond the options provided in the template.
Limited scalability: Weebly may not be the best option for businesses that anticipate rapid growth and require a more scalable platform.
Limited SEO capabilities: Weebly has some basic SEO tools, but it may not be the best option for users who require advanced SEO capabilities.
Limited blogging features: Weebly’s blogging features may be limited compared to other website builders.
Limited customer support: Weebly’s customer support options are limited compared to some other website builders, such as Squarespace and Wix.
Ideal for
Weebly is the ideal ecommerce platform for small businesses that are seeking to build online stores.
Pricing
Free Plan: $0 USD/month
Personal Plan: $9 USD/month
Professional Plan: $16 USD/month
Performance Plan: $29 USD/month
5. Hostinger
If you want to start an online store quickly and easily, Hostinger is the way to go. It gives you everything you need in one package – building your website and hosting it, all at a very affordable price.
Pros of Hostinger
Affordable: Hostinger offers affordable hosting plans, making it a great option for users on a tight budget.
User-friendly: Hostinger has an intuitive and easy-to-use control panel, making it easy for users to manage their websites without any technical knowledge.
Fast loading speed: Hostinger uses cutting-edge technology and optimized servers to ensure fast website loading speed, which is essential for a positive user experience and SEO.
24/7 customer support: Hostinger offers round-the-clock customer support through live chat, email, and phone, which is helpful for users who need assistance at any time.
Free domain: Hostinger offers a free domain name with its premium and business hosting plans, which is a great bonus for users who want to save money.
Cons of Hostinger
Limited resources: Hostinger’s lower-tier plans may have limited resources, such as storage space and bandwidth, which may not be suitable for websites with high traffic or complex features.
Limited features: Hostinger’s hosting plans may have limited features compared to some other web hosts, making it less suitable for users who require advanced features.
No traditional cPanel: Hostinger uses its own custom control panel, which may be challenging for users who are accustomed to using traditional cPanel.
Limited uptime guarantee: Hostinger only offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which may not be sufficient for users who require maximum website uptime.
Ideal for
Hostinger is ideal for anyone who wants to quickly and easily create an online store without having to learn how to code or deal with the complexities of website hosting. It is perfect for those who want a simple and affordable solution that includes website building and hosting all in one package.
Pricing
6. Square Online
Square Online was introduced in 2018. It is an online platform that allows businesses to sell products and services. It comes equipped with tools for managing inventory, processing payments, and even a point of sale (POS) system.
Pros of Square Online
E-commerce focus: Square Online is specifically designed for e-commerce, making it a great option for businesses looking to sell online.
User-friendly: Square Online has an easy-to-use interface and intuitive dashboard, which is helpful for users who are not tech-savvy.
Customizable templates: Square Online offers a range of customizable templates that can be tailored to suit various types of e-commerce websites.
Mobile responsiveness: Square Online templates are designed to be mobile-responsive, ensuring that the website looks great on all devices.
Integrated payment processing: Square Online has integrated payment processing, allowing businesses to accept payments directly on their website without having to use a third-party payment gateway.
Inventory management: Square Online has built-in inventory management tools, making it easy for businesses to manage their products and track their stock levels.
Cons of Square Online
Limited design flexibility: While Square Online templates are customizable, users may find it challenging to create a unique and customized website beyond the options provided in the template.
Limited blogging features: Square Online’s blogging features may be limited compared to other e-commerce platforms, making it less suitable for businesses that prioritize blogging as part of their content marketing strategy.
Limited third-party integrations: Square Online may have limited third-party integrations compared to some other e-commerce platforms, making it less suitable for businesses that require advanced integrations with other tools and platforms.
Limited SEO capabilities: Square Online has some basic SEO tools, but it may not be the best option for businesses that require advanced SEO capabilities.
Limited support options: Square Online offers limited support options, with no phone support available and only email and chat support options.
Ideal for
Square Online is ideal for the free plans to make the perfect solutions for those who want to start their ecommerce business.
Pricing
Free Plan: $0 USD/month
Professional Plan: $16 USD/month
Performance Plan: $29 USD/month
Premium Plan: $79 USD/month
7. Magento
Magento is a great place to build your ecommerce platform. It was introduced in the year 2008 and it helps the user to create a design, content and other options for developing an online store.
Pros of Magento
Open-source: Magento is open-source, meaning that it is free to download and use, and users can customize and modify it to suit their specific needs.
Flexible: Magento is highly flexible and customizable, allowing users to create unique and complex e-commerce websites with advanced features and functionality.
Scalable: Magento can handle large amounts of traffic and can scale up to support the growth of the business.
Extensive feature set: Magento offers a wide range of features, including advanced product management, order management, and marketing tools, making it a comprehensive e-commerce solution.
Community support: Magento has a large and active community of users and developers who can provide support and resources for users who need help.
Cons of Magento
Complexity: Magento is a complex platform and may require some technical knowledge to set up and use effectively.
Cost: While the Magento Community Edition is free to use, the Enterprise Edition can be quite expensive, making it less accessible for small businesses.
Hosting Requirements: Magento has high hosting requirements and may require specialized hosting to run effectively, which can increase hosting costs.
Steep learning curve: Because of its complexity, Magento has a steep learning curve, which may be challenging for users who are not familiar with e-commerce platforms.
Development expertise: Advanced customization of Magento may require the assistance of a skilled developer, which can add additional costs to the project.
Ideal for
Magento is ideal for small business owners who are looking to invest in a large ecommerce business.
Pricing
Magento is available with its free version. However, for the advanced version, there are plans with Adobe Commerce.
8. Ecwid
Ecommerce Widget was founded in 2009 by Lightspeed. This is popular among small businesses and entrepreneurs. It offers many features such as a customizable storefront, inventory management, payment processing and shipping calculation.
Pros of Ecwid
Easy to use: Ecwid has an intuitive interface that makes it easy to set up and manage an online store, even for users with limited technical expertise.
Multi-channel selling: Ecwid allows users to sell products across multiple channels, including social media platforms and online marketplaces.
Mobile-friendly: Ecwid is mobile-responsive, meaning that the online store will look and function well on mobile devices.
Affordable: Ecwid offers a range of pricing plans, including a free plan, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes and budgets.
Secure: Ecwid is PCI DSS compliant and offers built-in SSL encryption, ensuring that customer data and transactions are secure.
Cons of Ecwid
Limited design options: Ecwid offers a limited number of design options, making it difficult for users to create a unique and customized online store.
Limited features: Ecwid offers fewer features compared to some other e-commerce platforms, making it less suitable for businesses with complex needs.
Limited payment gateway options: Ecwid has limited payment gateway options, which may be a drawback for businesses that require advanced payment processing capabilities.
Limited SEO capabilities: Ecwid has limited SEO capabilities, which may make it less suitable for businesses that rely heavily on organic search traffic.
Limited customer support: Ecwid offers limited customer support options, with no phone support available and only email and chat support options.
Ideal for
Ecwid is ideal for business owners and it is most suited for smaller products that are looking for an online presence.
Pricing
Free plan: $0/month
Venture Plan: $15 USD/month
Business Plan: $35 USD/month
Unlimited Plan: $99 USD/month
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, there are many ecommerce platforms available for small businesses, and choosing the best one depends on various factors such as budget, size of the business, type of products, and technical expertise.
However, after analyzing various options, it can be said that Shopify is the best ecommerce platform for small businesses due to its ease of use, scalability, affordability, and availability of numerous integrations and apps. It also provides a range of features and functionalities that can help small businesses build and grow their online stores.
But, it’s important to note that each business has unique requirements, and it’s always advisable to assess your specific needs and do your research before making a decision.
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FAQ
What are the advantages of using an ecommerce platform for small businesses?
An ecommerce platform can provide small businesses with an online presence, the ability to sell products online, and access to features such as inventory management, payment processing, and marketing tools.
How do I choose the best ecommerce platform for my small business?
When choosing an ecommerce platform, consider factors such as your budget, the size of your business, the type of products you sell, and your technical expertise. You can also read reviews, compare features and pricing, and try out demos before making a decision.
Is Shopify the best ecommerce platform for all small businesses?
No, each business has unique needs and requirements, and Shopify may not be the best fit for every small business. It’s important to evaluate your specific needs and consider other options before making a decision.
Can I customize my online store with an ecommerce platform?
Yes, most ecommerce platforms allow you to customize your online store with themes, templates, and plugins. Some platforms may offer more customization options than others.
