It's thrilling to start an ecommerce business. You've got a terrific product concept, a brand vision, a target client in mind, and marketing campaigns in the works. Ecommerce Software.
On the other hand, there are several unpleasant aspects to launching an internet business. One of them, especially if you're not a developer, is deciding on your ecommerce software.
However, it is an essential decision that should be thoroughly considered. Changing platforms after your business has already started may be a major task, so it's important to do it right the first time.
Where should I start? Here. We'll discuss what ecommerce software is, what to look for, and some of the top ecommerce software options to consider in 2022.
What is ecommerce software?
The technology that allows your online store to function is known as ecommerce software. Inventory management, bookkeeping, and email marketing, for example, may all be included in your ecommerce software.
Ecommerce software allows you to post things for sale and receive payments online for a bare minimum. Most online firms, however, require more than the basic minimum, and ecommerce software is increasingly providing more company management features. The greatest ecommerce software includes both basic capabilities and an ecosystem of enhanced products and platforms that you may utilize as your business expands.
The best ecommerce software for 2022
The finest ecommerce software is determined by your specific business goals and requirements. Let's have a look at some of the most promising ecommerce platforms for the year 2022:
1- Shopify
For most online retailers, Shopify is the best ecommerce software. Shopify is popular because of its ease of use and excellent ecommerce tools. Our powerful platform comes with a full set of omnichannel selling options. You're ready to sell online, in person, on social media, through third-party marketplaces, and pretty much anyplace else you can think of.
Shopify is more than just an online store. Our services include ecommerce software and a full spectrum of best-in-class business tools. You'll be able to manage every part of your ecommerce empire with Shopify, including email automation, CRM, hosting services, abandoned cart recovery, and payment processing.
Shopify POS records in-person sales, Shopify Fulfillment consistently delivers client purchases, and Shopify Pay is the fastest and best-converting online checkout. To make your site even more powerful, use the Shopify App Store‘s huge selection of applications. As part of the Shopify ecosystem, your tech stack integrates effortlessly.
To start and expand your business using Shopify, you don't need a lot of technical knowledge or money.
Price: Basic Shopify: $29.99/month; Shopify: $79/month; Advanced Shopify: $299/month; 10% off yearly plans and 20% off biennial plans when purchased in advance.
Free trial length: 14 days.
Customer support options: Callback phone support, email assistance, support in 19 languages, a community forum, and support content are all available.
Integrated sales channels: Facebook, Instagram, Google, Walmart Marketplace, eBay, and Amazon are among the most popular social media platforms.
Mobile app features: a collection of mobile tools for managing your internet company.
Point of sale: Yes.
2- Wix
Wix‘s drag-and-drop capability makes it pretty simple to use. If you want to sell things online, you'll need to make some more modifications and customizations to the ecommerce software, which is essentially a website builder with ecommerce functionality added on. While Wix is free for basic sites, it requires a monthly subscription to use its ecommerce features.
When compared to Shopify, the ecommerce tools are a little missing. You may use it to manage orders, accept online payments, sell across several channels, and send automated emails. Low-stock warnings, on the other hand, are not available to assist you to prevent stockouts. Wix is certainly too bare-bones for you if you have a sizable inventory.
Business Basic: costs $23 per month, Business Unlimited costs $27 per month, and Business VIP costs $49 per month.
Free trial length: No free trial.
Customer support options: Callback service is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and Business VIP members receive priority phone assistance.
Integrated sales channels: Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram all require a third-party app; eBay requires Business Unlimited or Business VIP, and all other channels require a third-party app.
Mobile app features: The ability to manage your website and inventory, see orders, and connect with customers; for credit card payments, you'll need to use Square or SumUp.
Point of sale: Yes.
You might also like: 12 Strategies for Finding Your First Product to Sell
3- BigCommerce
BigCommerce's ecommerce platform is aimed at enterprise-level IT enterprises. The platform is incredibly robust and extensive, making it capable of handling business needs—but perhaps too capable for anything smaller. When it comes to customization, it's also a little more rigorous.
BigCommerce provides cross-border sales, SEO, social selling, and third-party marketplaces, among other ecommerce capabilities. Grace & Lace, an ecommerce business, switched from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus (Shopify's corporate solution) because the former was too much for it. It rapidly proved to be an excellent business option.
Price: Standard: $29.95 per month; Plus: $79.95 per month (or $71.95 per month if paid yearly); Pro: $299.95 per month (or $269.96 per month if paid annually); Enterprise bespoke pricing.
Free trial length: 15 days.
Customer support options: Technical help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through phone, email, or chat.
Integrated sales channels: Google Shopping, Facebook, price comparison engines, eBay, Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, and Instagram are some of the most popular shopping sites.
Mobile app features: Analyze data, update orders, manage inventories and items, and find consumers; some capabilities are only available on Android.
Point of sale: Yes.
4- Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)
Adobe Commerce is a highly customizable ecommerce platform designed for larger, more established companies with the technological skills to create and run an online store. It also necessitates the use of a third-party hosting provider, which increases the software's flexibility while also increasing its complexity.
Adobe Commerce is probably not the way to go if you want to sell across various channels. Integrating numerous selling channels and foreign payments necessitates a significant amount of legwork.
Character.com used to have a complicated Magento site with thousands of goods on it. It had to employ a lot of connectors to make the shop work the way it needed to, which led to a migration to Shopify, which resulted in a 40% boost in conversions.
Price: Custom pricing only.
Free trial length: No free trial.
Customer support options: There is phone support as well as an online help center/technical support facility.
Integrated sales channels: Amazon.
Mobile app features: n/a
Point of sale: Third-party extensions available.
You might also like: How to Make Money From a Food Blog – Ultimate Guide
5- WooCommerce
If you're familiar with WordPress, the popular blogging and content management system, WooCommerce is its ecommerce add-on. As a result, the ecommerce capabilities aren't as closely integrated, and third-party programs and plug-ins are frequently required. As a result, your store will rapidly become a jumble of separate systems. If something goes wrong, you might be in for a lengthy repair.
When creating an online store using WooCommerce, you'll need to obtain your own third-party hosting. When you go across a snag, customer assistance is minimal, making it difficult to bring your shop back up. Furthermore, WooCommerce is not PCI compliant and has a reputation for being unstable, both of which are risks you may not want to accept.
Price: average monthly fee is up to $30; WooCommerce estimates hosting costs to be $120 per year; $15 per year for domain name registration; up to $100 per year for your site theme; up to $108 per year for shipping; 2.9 percent plus 30 percent per sale; up to $348 per year for marketing and communications; up to $79 per year for SEO; up to $65 per year for SSL certificate.
Free trial length: There isn't any, although there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Customer support options: Support is only provided via live chat or email; no third-party programs or plug-ins are supported.
Integrated sales channels: The interconnections between Google Shopping, Etsy, eBay, Facebook, Amazon, Pinterest, and Walmart are fragmented.
Mobile app features: Products may be added, orders can be managed, and statistics can be seen.
Point of sale: Native POS available.
6- PrestaShop
PrestaShop is worth a look if you're just starting out and believe yourself to be tech-savvy. The ecommerce software is incredibly adaptable and adjustable, which is both a benefit and a drawback.
On the plus side, this means you may customize your store to your precise specifications. On the other side, because PrestaShop provides no customer service, you'll have to select your own hosting provider, set up all of the privacy and security settings, and more—all on your own. After all, it's free.
PrestaShop is an ecommerce platform that covers the essentials. Inventory monitoring, online checkout and shopping cart, worldwide selling, and analytics reporting are just a few of the features.
Price: Free.
Free trial length: n/a
Customer support options: Paid support plans are available; phone assistance is accessible Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (GMT+2); and an online help center, technical documentation, and community forum are available.
Integrated sales channels: Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Facebook.
Mobile app features: n/a
Point of sale: Available as add-on modules.
You might also like: What Is Product Marketing? What Do Product Marketers Do?
7- Squarespace
Squarespace, like Wix, has a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. Squarespace, on the other hand, was not designed with ecommerce in mind. Some of these facilities are weak, especially when compared to an ecommerce platform like Shopify because it was originally a website builder that later integrated ecommerce functions. For example, there are just two payment connectors.
Set aside some time to set up Squarespace and personalize it the way you want it to appear and feel if you choose this option. Better still, if you can afford it, outsource the design and development.
Squarespace provides some great inventory tracking tools after the tedious setup. Upgrade your package to include the ability to offer gift cards and subscription-based items.
Price: Basic Commerce: $35/month, or $26/month when paid annually; Advanced Commerce: $54/month, or $40/month when paid annually; Enterprise pricing is also available. Personal: $16/month, or $12/month when paid annually; Business: $26/month, or $18/month when paid annually; Basic Commerce: $35/month, or $26/month when paid annually; Advanced Commerce: $54/month, or $40/month when paid annually; Enterprise pricing also available.
Free trial length: You can choose a one-time seven-day trial extension after 14 days.
Customer support options: Email is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and live chat is available Monday through Friday from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Integrated sales channels: To sell on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Google Actions use the Shopping Feed extension.
Mobile app features: Editing the website, scanning shipping labels, order administration, inventory management, and customer communication are all things that we do.
Point of sale: A mobile app is available (only available in the US).
8- GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a well-known website builder that also includes an ecommerce platform. It employs artificial design intelligence to make creating an ecommerce site simple and straightforward, using the information you offer to create a unique website.
GoDaddy doesn't give you a lot of creative leeways. Even though you can get up and running quickly, a GoDaddy website can only offer up to 1,500 goods. GoDaddy isn't the finest ecommerce platform if you want to grow your business.
Price: The ecommerce plan costs $14.99 per month, while the ecommerce plus plan costs $29.99 per month.
Free trial length: 30 days.
Customer support options: 24/7 phone support, free of charge.
Integrated sales channels: Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Walmart.
Mobile app features: Website builder, immediate alerts, site stats, and card reader for multiple payment ways.
Point of sale: Yes.
9- Volusion
Volusion is another ecommerce platform that began as a simple website builder but has subsequently grown to include features for online retailing. Volusion offers web hosting in its services, whereas you must register and pay for your domain name through a third party. However, if you wish, you can use a third-party hosting service.
Volusion includes all of the essential ecommerce tools that a new business would want. Orders may be processed, recurring invoicing set up, inventory tracked, and related items promoted. You may also add taxes and create and manage client accounts. However, modification possibilities are restricted, and templates can only be customized to a certain extent. As a result, after you've reached a particular level of success, it'll be time to switch to a more feature-rich and adaptable solution.
Price: Personal: $29 per month (or $26.10 per month if paid annually); Pro: $79 per month (or $71.10 per month if paid annually); Business: $299 per month (or $269.10 per month if paid annually); Prime pricing is also available.
Free trial length: 14 days.
Customer support options: Support is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the alternatives vary per plan. Personal plans include online support; Pro plans include online support as well as phone help, and Business plans include online support as well as priority phone support. VIP help, including a private Slack channel, is provided to Prime customers.
Integrated sales channels: More than 200 ecommerce channels, including Amazon, Google Shopping, eBay, and Walmart, are supported with the GoDataFeed plugin.
Mobile app features: n/a
Point of sale: Yes.
10- Amazon
Amazon used to be a third-party marketplace for marketing and selling your items, but it has recently expanded its services to include online businesses. You may now utilize the marketplace to set up your own branded Amazon mini-store. While it gets you in front of millions of customers, it's still “rented land”—that is, Amazon may make adjustments or even shut down your account at any time, and all of your hard work might be for naught.
Creating an Amazon shop, on the other hand, is a terrific method to augment your existing commerce channels. You may reach new consumers and increase brand exposure by using Amazon. The objective is that customers will begin purchasing with you directly over time, allowing you to circumvent Amazon's costs and limits.
Price: Individual: 99 cents per item sold plus other selling costs; business: $39.99 per month plus additional selling fees, which may include referral fees, fulfillment fees, inventory fees, and refund fees.
Free trial length: n/a
Customer support options: Support forums are available 24/7.
Integrated sales channels: n/a
Mobile app features: Returns; see forthcoming payment balance; answer to messages; take photographs; list new products; analytics reporting; basic inventory management; order management; returns; view upcoming payment balance; respond to messages; take photos; list new products.
Point of sale: n/a
11- Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop, formerly known as 3dcart, is a comprehensive free shopping cart software for businesses selling online. Although the platform lacks full ecommerce capability, you may rapidly set up online shopping for your company. It comes with hundreds of crucial features and templates to help you build your business. You may also utilize its API to integrate third-party apps with your 3dcart business.
Price: $9.99 per month.
Free trial length: 15 days.
Customer support options: 24/7 phone, email, and chat support.
Integrated sales channels: eBay, Amazon, Facebook.
Mobile app features: n/a
Point of sale: Available for purchase.
Look for these features in an ecommerce system
Budget is always a consideration. You may start an ecommerce site for as little as $100, but you'll most likely need to invest more once things get going.
Most small firms spend roughly $40,000 in their first year, according to our research, with 9% of that going toward internet business requirements. (On average, Shopify retailers spend $38,000, whereas non-Shopify merchants spend roughly $41,000.)
It takes time for your company's investments to yield a profit. It's critical to select ecommerce software that won't break the bank while yet providing the features and capabilities you'll need to manage and expand your business.
While it's easy to go for the simplest and most cost-effective ecommerce software, there's more to consider. Instead of focusing just on where your business is today, consider where you want it to go in the future—and then look for ecommerce software that can accommodate those demands.
Scalability and usability
First and foremost, you'll need ecommerce software that you can understand. If you're doing everything yourself at first, you'll want to discover ecommerce software that's easy to use and understand. You may get a sense of usability by reading user evaluations, but if you want to be sure, arrange a demo or join a free trial.
It's also crucial to think about how your ecommerce software will fit into the future of your company. You may be running a tiny business right now, but with the correct ecommerce software, you may simply expand.
Look for a best-in-class online shop matched with a best-in-class set of company management capabilities when selecting ecommerce software. Ecommerce software that invests in and improves its platform on a regular basis is more likely to keep you ahead of the competition and up to date on consumer behavior trends.
Assume you want to go out into physical retail at some time. To enable in-person selling, you'll need ecommerce software with add-ons, plug-ins, and connections. However, with time, this may become tedious and complicated.
Better yet, choose ecommerce software that has such features, such as Shopify's ecommerce software and Shopify POS. This automatically syncs all of your inventory and sales data, ensuring that you always have the most up-to-date and accurate data. You may also add local delivery or use the Shopify Fulfillment Network to outsource order fulfillment.
Accessible customer support
As a company owner, it's critical to have assistance, especially if you're starting a new endeavor on your own. Look for ecommerce software that provides easy-to-access customer assistance to assist you along the way.
For example, with Shopify, you may get help creating your site or moving it from another platform, as well as continuing maintenance. Our support team is accessible around the clock, so you may live chat, email, or contact a real person in 19 different languages whenever you need them. Additionally, Shopify Compass offers rich support documentation, a community forum, and free ecommerce training to help you get through any snags you may have during your business's growth.
SEO features
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial component of attracting organic traffic to your website. When your online store is search engine optimized, it will show up more frequently on search engine result pages (SERPs), increasing visibility and traffic.
Search engines take into account on-page user experience in addition to keywords and metadata (UX). In other words, if a searcher has a supposedly unfavorable customer experience on your site (low page depth, high bounce rate, short duration on a page, etc. ), search engines may penalize you in their results.
Look for ecommerce software that has crucial SEO capabilities such as the ability to change metadata, boost website load speed, and optimize pictures. Google's WebP image formatting, for example, is already included in Shopify's ecommerce platform to help photos load 30 percent quicker.
Web hosting
To let customers access your online store, you'll need web hosting. In a publicly accessible server database, web hosting saves the information and content from your website. Every website is housed on a web hosting provider's dedicated server space. Some ecommerce platforms provide web hosting, while others need you to use an outside service.
Ecommerce software FAQ
The greatest ecommerce software is Shopify. Shopify offers a wide range of features to help you run your online store, including simplified checkout, 24/7 customer service, and a platform that adapts to your business's stage of development.
Software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and on-premise platforms are the three basic types of ecommerce software.
In the backend, ecommerce software links all of your internet systems so you can market your website, sell things, and fulfill orders.
Choose an ecommerce software from this list, create an account, and start building your online store. Customize the style and feel, add items, and set up the checkout and fulfillment procedures on the backend.
We specialize in SEO for medium- to large-sized businesses in Michigan, USA, and convert high-quality, high-intent traffic into important business leads.
I enjoy looking through an article that will make people think. Also, thank you for allowing me to comment.
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us you really know what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Please also visit my site =). We could have a link exchange contract between us!
Hiya, I’m so glad I found this information. Today, bloggers publish only about gossip and the web, and this is actually frustrating. A good website with interesting content is what I need. Thank you for keeping this website; I will be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? I can’t find it.