The multimillion-dollar eCommerce industry is growing by leaps and bounds in Australia. When it comes to making the online business, a success an online business owner needs to take many things into consideration. And one of the most important aspect of any online business store is picking the right eCommerce platform.
People starting an eCommerce business may feel overwhelmed by the different types of online platforms that seems to offer the same services. However, the platforms differ in terms both in terms of price and functionality. Some ecommerce sites do not require separate hosting, however you can hire a professional hosting company. Here we will take a look at the most popular eCommerce platforms that offer the best deal for online businesses.
Shopify
Shopify is a hosted eCommerce platform that does not require you to purchase a separate platform. The big upside of the eCommerce store is that the availability of add-on apps that greatly extend functionality of the online store. However, a downside of the eCommerce platform is that it offers limited ability to customize the interface.
Magento
Magento has been considered the best online platform for eCommerce sites. The online platform is used by major e-commerce companies due to greater flexibility in customizing the site. The only drawback of this platform is that creating and customizing the site requires hiring a professional website designer which adds to the cost of operating the store.
Volusion
Volusion is another great eCommerce platform that is similar to Shopify but with less ability to customize the interface. The basic interface comes with limited options that may be adequate for small online business owners, but it does not meet the requirements of big eCommerce sites. Another downside of the platform is that users cannot retrieve basic online information relating to product categories, cart contents, and other information. That being said, the platform is about 50% cheaper as compared to Shopify eCommerce site.
WordPress
WordPress is a popular platform that is preferred by eCommerce site owners as it offers SEO benefits. The website platform have powerful plugins like Yoast SEO and others that automatically optimizes the site for search engine ranking. Sites that are created on a WordPress platform easily get to the top of search engine rankings as compared to other platforms.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is the ideal platform for small eCommerce sites. The platform is not that powerful as compared to other popular eCommerce platform. Just like other hosted platforms like Shopify and Volusion, there is less flexibility in customizing the interface. Although, one area that BigCommerce score high is easy user interface that makes navigating through the site easier and convenient.
Decision Time: Which is the Best eCommerce Platform?
There is no one best platform for eCommerce stores. The ideal platform for any online business depends on the size and scope of the business. Start-up eCommerce stores that want to expand their services in future with greater number of products and high traffic should choose Magento platform. On the other hand, Shopify and Volusion are the best choice for medium to small business owners.