Shopping is the most gratifying pastime for many, but trying to find what you want and make a purchase can be frustrating. The multitude of applications or websites available makes it difficult to determine which is the best ecommerce platform for small business.
Starting a business online nowadays is all the rage. From real estate to food to lending, an online store can fit in any industry. An eCommerce store gives you freedom and flexibility as your sole proprietor. With WordPress, you also have easy-to-use templates that work out of the box for creating your website, which is essential for a startup business. With so many eCommerce platforms on the market, it’s often difficult to choose between them. But one that stands out is Shopify.
An ecommerce solution is a vital part of any business in this day and age. Online shopping is a huge trend that isn’t going away anytime soon and it’s growing bigger every year with the rate of online shopping increasing massively over recent years. An ecommerce platform should provide your business with everything that it needs to be successful online.
We have researched the top e-commerce platforms for small business. Our findings are used by online store owners to compare e-commerce systems & find the right solution for their needs. Your business can be a success with the best free ecommerce platform for small business.
How to Choose the Best Ecommerce Platform for Small Business
No two ecommerce platforms are exactly alike. Some are built for startups and small businesses, while others are made specifically with enterprise-level companies in mind. Some are ideal for running an online store on a tight budget, while others come with a hefty price tag. Many include bells and whistles that are helpful for business growth. Here’s what you should consider as you choose the right ecommerce platform to sell online.
- Your business size
- Fees associated with the platform (some are free but have startup costs)
- Whether you’re a brand new business or established within your niche
- Whether your business will have brick and mortar locations in addition to the online store
- The types of products you sell
- Your target market
- Your budget for sales and marketing
- How much of the technical side that you want to manage
- What’s most important to you? Does pricing matter more than creative control? Are certain features non-negotiable? Do you need a mobile app so you can manage your online business while you’re on the go? Do you prefer to have compete control of your website?
Make a list of the things you must have in your ecommerce platform. Add a list of things you’d like to have but aren’t requirements. Then, as you read through this list of ecommerce solutions, you can narrow things down a bit.
Before we dive into the overviews of each of the platforms on this list, it’s important to understand how we’ve determined the ratings. What makes Ecommerce CEO different is that none of the ecommerce platforms can buy their way to a high rating. We’re not just making recommendations for a chunk of commission from the companies we mention here.
Shopify
It’s almost impossible to talk about ecommerce and online sales these days without mentioning Shopify. The Shopify site offers some of the best sales features on the market, with a range of powerful industry-leading tools and a huge app market, packed full of plugins.
If you’re serious about selling online, Shopify’s dedicated ecommerce platform is sure to be one of the best options available. Shopify is a software that you pay for using the SaaS model, and is designed specifically to help people who want to build the ultimate online store. It offers a lot of advanced sales tools combined to alternatives like Wix and Squarespace and comes with a free SSL certificate for security too. You’ll have access to discount codes, 24/7 customer support, and an integrated payment processor. You can also sync your inventory and orders across sales channels like eBay and Amazon. There’s also the option to access new sales strategies, like dropshipping with plugins.
Pricing: 14 day free trial followed by $29 per month for the basic Shopify experience. Advanced Shopify is available for $299 per month.
Pros
- Free trial available to help you get started
- Large range of themes available
- Huge amount of plugins to choose from
- Unlimited products on all plans
- Integrated payment options
- Fantastic for all kinds of business plan
Cons
- Fees can quickly add up
- Blogging platform is very limited
Square Online
Are you looking for an ecommerce builder that will allow you to combine your online selling strategy with your offline sales? If so, then it’s definitely worth checking out Square Online, the site-building technology available from Square. If you already have a Square Point of Sale System, Square will allow you to build a website for free. The store builder is powered by Weebly, however, which means that you’re going to get the same customization limitations that you had with your Weebly store.
On the plus side, like Weebly’s store building solution, the Square Online system comes with all the ease of use that you could ask for as a beginner trying to launch your shop online. You can immediately begin building highly professional looking stores in no time. Additionally, because everything integrates with your Square point of sale system, you get access to advanced inventory management too. When something sells online, it updates your inventory in your back-end.
Square also uses artificial design intelligence with its store builder. This means that you get a more advanced experience, without having to spend a fortune. Adding products and features to your store is easy, and with the free plan to get you started, there’s nothing to lose.
Pricing: Free to get started with the option to upgrade to a more advanced store experience.
Pros
- Excellent if you’re already using features of the Square ecosystem
- Easy to use for beginners
- Combines online and offline selling
- Fantastic inventory management tools
- Great for AI design
Cons
- Limitations in customization options, particularly with the checkout
- Limits to your payment processing options
Wix
When it comes to value for money and performance, Wix is one of the best options for eCommerce stores. Designed to deliver exceptional performance, even when you’re new to building your own online store, Wix gives you absolute creative control over your site. There are tons of features included in the eCommerce plans that you get with Wix, including a drag and drop store builder, hundreds of templates, and a mobile-optimized performance.
You can choose from a range of payment solutions and a secure checkout system. What’s more, there’s the option to create stunning product galleries with your in-depth store manager tools. Another great thing is that there’s the option to calculate global tax and shipping on your back-end too. Unfortunately, there aren’t quite as many shopping features on Wix as you would get with Shopify, but that’s to be expected from a site that’s not focused entirely on eCommerce.
Wix might not be the most advanced solution for ecommerce website building in the world – but it’s an excellent way for beginners to get started.
Pricing: Free ad-supported version if you don’t mind displaying Wix ads on your website. However, to sell products, you need the Business Basic plan that costs $23 per month.
Pros
- Excellent range of high-quality themes to customize your site
- Multiple secure payment options for your customers
- Large selection of apps and plugins
- Can start out for free
- Plenty of coupon and discount options
Cons
- Limited eCommerce features
- No way to export your data
- Difficult to add extra functions as it isn’t open source
Squarespace
Squarespace is an excellent ecommerce platform for companies that want a lot of creative control. This cloud-hosted website builder is similar in style to Wix, although it comes with a few advanced features, such as excellent integration with social media channels.
If you’re searching for a way to build an eye-catching online business or portfolio, then SquareSpace is a good choice for you. There are a lot of sleek and modern templates to choose from, and you can change your style whenever you choose. Unfortunately, there aren’t as many eCommerce features available with this tool as you’d get with Shopify. On the plus side, you can access SSL security and a free domain with any annual plan. You also get the benefit of a mobile-optimized checkout with no transaction fees on any of your plans.
Pricing: Prices start at $18 per month for Squarespace, making it a relatively affordable option. However, there’s no free plan.
Pros
- Excellent social media integration
- Plenty of fantastic templates to choose from
- Budget-friendly plans
- Great for those who need 24/76 customer support
- Free domain with annual plans
Cons
- Large transaction fees
- Limited payment options – only Stripe, PayPal or Apple Pay
- No app market
Weebly
Compared to some of the other ecommerce platforms that we’ve covered so far, Weebly is still a relatively small up-and-coming service for today’s small business owners. It’s excellent for building a beginner-friendly website online. You don’t need a lot of spare time or tech talent to get started. Additionally, Weebly is very budget-friendly, with very cheap starter prices.
However, this platform lacks some of the scale that comes with the other eCommerce solutions that we’ve looked at so far. You can’t sell across a wide range of channels, such as Etsy and Facebook. Additionally, customizing various aspects of your website – like the checkout page, is harder than it should be. On the plus side, you do get some fantastic additional features included with Weebly, such as password protected pages and blogging. Additionally, Weebly is great for businesses that are only selling a handful of products that want to stand out online.
There are tons of professional themes to browse through with this site builder. What’s more, because Weebly powers it’s transactions through Square, you know you’re getting a payment system that you can trust.
Pricing: Pricing starts off with a free tier for basic use. You can also upgrade to the Pro version of the Weebly store for $12 per month, with a free domain and $100 of Google ads credit included.
Pros
- Very beginner friendly and easy to use
- Lots of responsive themes to choose from
- Wide selection of integrated apps to choose from
- Membership areas and team collaboration
- Very affordable
Cons
- Limited design options – particularly in the checkout page
- Not ideal for international websites
Ecwid
Ecwid was designed as a powerful platform for online selling, intended to support companies that want to sell their products, anywhere, any time. You can set up an account for free online and keep it for as long as you like, without paying anything. Ecwid is great for companies in search of something that they can integrate with their existing website, social network, or business page. All the storefronts you get will be synced and managed from the same control panel.
One of the biggest benefits of Ecwid is that it’s a cloud-based platform. This means that it’s hosted for you – with no installation required. You can also add your Ecwid experience to any website using a plugin, including Drupal, Wix, Joomla, and WordPress sites. Features include a responsive design that’s perfect for any device, automatic language detection, and the option to add your site to multiple sites, blogs, and social networks at once. There are no transaction fees or setup fees. Additionally, you can choose from a host of different ways to accept payments securely.
Pricing: There’s a free forever plan which is excellent for small companies that are just getting started online. Alternatively, you can use the Unlimited plan for just $99 per month for everything you need to sell online.
Pros
- Works with your existing website
- Free plan available and reasonably priced premium plans
- Option to sell on various marketplaces and social sites
- You can create a mobile app for the app store
- Automatic language detection
- Secure payment options available
Cons
- Integrated payment fees are quite high
- Not a standalone solution or eCommerce (you need a website)
- No phone support or live chat on lower plans
- Back-end stats aren’t very comprehensive
Magento
Magento stands out as one of the most popular ecommerce platforms for established and successful retailers. Some of the biggest companies in the world already use this tool to make sure that they can connect with their customers online. What’s more, Magneto also supports external sales channels like Amazon too! Magneto is perfect for delivering next-level sales experience, with a free-to-download software.
Unfortunately, like many open source solutions, you are going to need some developer knowledge, or a professional on your team if you want to create something unique and impressive with Magento. The good news is that you can find a community of people in the Magento landscape that are willing to work with emerging brands to develop the perfect website.
Pricing: There is a free software download available for Magento, but you will need to pay for your own hosting solutions and other premium tools. Additionally, it’s worth noting that there’s an enterprise version of this tool, but it costs $15,000.
Pros
- Open source for complete customization control
- Flexibility to customize your platform
- Huge community of developers to work with
- Excellent for global sites
- Versatile Magento marketplace
Cons
- Difficult to use
- Can be expensive to set up
- Need to manage your own hosting and payment gateways
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an ecommerce solution that has earned the attention of companies all across the globe. Not only is it incredibly accessible and easy to use, but it’s built on the WordPress Content Management System. This is the software that’s responsible for running the majority of the internet. Because WooCommerce is built on top of such a popular content management system, it’s easy to get help and guidance when using it to build your online store.
Just like other plugins for your WordPress blog, WooCommerce can simply connect with your existing WordPress website. The system also comes with a range of excellent official extensions that you can use to make running your website a little easier too. For instance, you can choose from advanced themes for your storefront, and you can play with tools for dropshipping too. Because WooCommerce is open source, it’s very flexible, but this also means that you’re going to need a lot more technical knowledge to start using it.
One particularly useful feature of WooCommerce is unlike a lot of the other eCommerce platforms available on the web today, it comes with built-in blogging, and the option to take unlimited orders.
Pricing: As an open-source solution, WooCommerce is technically free to use. However, you will need to pay for your own hosting and payment gateways.
Pros
- Unlimited products and orders
- Add all the extra features that you want
- Affordable, though you need to pay for your own hosting
- Huge selection of themes and customization options
- No limits on how much you can sell
- Built on top of WordPress
Cons
- Requires some technical knowledge
- Needs a third-party payment gateway
Conclusion:
A small ecommerce site is not meant for exploring the deep waters of a complex platform. Small business owners work hard to grow their business and they do not want to put in a lot of effort into building an ecommerce website. The best ecommerce platforms are those that offer simplicity while providing tools that make sense for a business of any size.
The ecommerce industry is a thriving and ever-evolving one that is vulnerable to the looks of constant change, especially when it comes to new tools and platforms used for reaching out to potential customers more effectively. There are a lot of advantages ecommerce marketplaces offer, whether it’s in the form of traffic acquisition, payment processing, or opportunities for customer loyalty programs. The ecommerce solutions you choose for your business will directly impact customer satisfaction, number of reviews on your website, customer retention and ultimately, your profit margin.