Choosing a platform for your ecommerce business is one of the biggest decisions you’ll want to make in the early life of your enterprise. There’re dozens of options out there; but what is the right choice for your business? Here’re a few things to consider as you narrow down
your options:
1. What are the products you’re selling and the stock size?
What you’re selling at your business as well as your stock size can determine the type of ecommerce that you can or cannot use. You’ll need first to define your product options based on the following ecommerce platform choices available:
- Platforms handling physical and digital products
- Those that allow you to either trade digital or physical products only
- Platforms that allow you to have unlimited products
- Those that charge you based on the number of products
- Platforms that allow inventory tracking and multiple products
You’ll also want to know how you’ll be handling your shipping. Since certain products are not allowed in some electronic platforms, it’s imperative to read the Terms and Conditions of the ecommerce platform that you’re considering.
2. Who is hosting you?
If you feel that you’re able to regularly maintain, update software, provide security for customer data, and fix technical problems, then look for self-hosted version. If you’re not savvy at maintaining your online store, look for a platform to host you.
3. Does your platform choice offer you room to grow?
While you may want a platform that works for you today, it’s imperative to look for a site that allows you a room for future growth. So, choose a platform whose scalability is one of its key components.
4. Does the platform support your preferred payment method?
PayPal is one of the most common and easy payment processors that many platforms use. Since not all ecommerce platforms accept third party payment processors, consider looking for other arrangements through which your customer will pay for products.
5. Can you afford it?
Cost is one of the key factors to consider when picking an ecommerce platform. You want to pay for the features that you exactly need and at a reasonable price.
So what is the best ecommerce platform for your business?
There is not an ecommerce option that fits all type of businesses. However, the above factors can help you make the right decision for your online store.
