Selling online is a big step to take for your business. It can help you grow your business in ways you could not have imagined. Taking such a massive action requires time and research to ensure you’re picking the best platform for your business.
When picking a platform, you need to consider how customizable it is, the cost of getting started, and where your audience is? However, the number one thing you need to consider is how much they’re taking off your product’s sales. All of this can seem overwhelming and time-consuming, which is why we’ve done the hard part for you. We’ve compiled a list of four e-commerce platforms and covered all the things you need to know about each platform. So let’s get started!
Wix
Wix is an excellent place for beginners to start. It’s low cost and very easy to use. Wix also has a library of pre-made templates to help you get your online store up and running quickly. Don’t be fooled though, Wix still has some downfalls, such as being weak for search engine optimization (SEO) and e-commerce only being available to those with paid plans. You will also need to pay additional fees for integrations and add-ons. These are just things to keep in mind when picking a platform for your online store.
Shopify
Shopify is a Canadian platform and is a great budget-friendly option. It’s more complicated than Wix but still comes with professional themes. Shopify also has a variety of apps and add-ons, which helps with functionality. Like any online platform, they do come with some cons that should be considered. Shopify is limited to what you can do and is a higher price point for enterprise-level plans. Also, there are transaction fees for specific payment gateways. Shopify also makes it challenging to pull external data sources. We love using Shopify, but it’s critical to note that they do take a percentage of your sales, which means it’s good to look at options later down the road as the business begins to grow.
Big Commerce
Big Commerce comes with a lot of features that the previous platforms don’t give you. It’s also fully hosted and easily scalable. However, Big Commerce price lockdowns force you into enterprise accounts when you exceed a certain amount of income. It also lacks robust content management. You’ll have to decide if the pros outweigh the cons on this platform.
Woocommerce
Woocommerce comes with a lot of pros to it. For one thing, it’s free and open-sourced. It’s also highly customizable and comes with lots of support. Woocommerce also integrates with many other platforms and payment gateways. In all, Woocommerce gives you a lot of control and doesn’t take a cut of the profits. This is all great, but unfortunately, it does come with some cons. Since Woocommerce is created for WordPress, you’ll need a WordPress website. It also requires extensions for large-scale product inventory, and attachments can be expensive.
Whether you’re just starting or you’ve been selling online for years, selling online is a vital part of your business’s growth. That’s why having in-depth knowledge of all the e-commerce platforms will help you decide which platform is best for your business. We recommend that you keep researching, and if you have questions about e-commerce that Google can’t help you with, you can always contact the experts at Treefrog.
Hosted platform or custom build?
The platforms above are hosted, software-as-a-service options: you pay a subscription and the provider handles hosting, security and updates. The alternative is a custom or self-hosted store that you control completely, at the cost of more setup and maintenance. Whether you sell to consumers, other businesses or both, the right choice comes down to how your business actually runs. Before you commit, answer these questions:
- Are sales taxes based on where you ship from or where the order is going?
- Do you charge shipping by weight, size or destination, or a flat fee?
- How will you track and manage inventory?
- Do you need to connect a point-of-sale system in a physical store?
- Will you sell across the border, and how will you handle customs and currency exchange?
- How will you run discounts and seasonal promotions?
- What reporting do you need, and does the platform connect to your accounting, CRM or ERP software?
The best setup brings your store, accounting, inventory and point of sale together in one system that can grow with you. You’ll also need a payment gateway, the secure link between your store and the banking system that lets customers pay by credit or debit card. See our guide to payment gateway providers for Canadian businesses.
Five mistakes that cost online stores sales
Picking a good platform is only the start. These are the mistakes we see most often once a store is live.
- Skipping competitor research. Study the other stores in your market. A simple competitive analysis shows what makes you different and where you can do better.
- Ignoring SEO. A store built with search in mind is far easier to find. Give every product and category page a unique title, URL, meta description and clear headings, and make sure your navigation links can be crawled.
- Poor store design. Some shoppers are still wary of buying online. A professional design, easy navigation and well-organized category pages help people trust you and find what they want.
- Neglecting mobile. A large share of shoppers browse and buy on their phones. If your store isn’t easy to use on a small screen, a bad experience can stop them from coming back.
- Settling for slow. Shoppers are impatient. If a page takes more than a few seconds to load, many will leave and buy somewhere else. Speed affects conversions, engagement and how people see your brand.
Get your store ready well before peak season
Fixing content, photos and SEO takes time, so start months before your busiest season, not weeks. Use this checklist:
- Is the catalogue current? Remove products you no longer sell, add new ones and keep stock levels accurate so you don’t oversell. Make sure your team knows how to make these updates themselves.
- Are product descriptions clear? Missing details about sizing, materials or quality give shoppers a reason to hesitate, especially when they’re also paying for shipping.
- Are your photos professional? Blurry or dated images hurt trust. Consistent, well-lit product photos sell the product and the brand.
- Can people find you? Check titles, URLs, meta descriptions and headings before the rush, then plan how you’ll promote the store through email, social media and other channels.
Connect With Treefrog Inc. Today!
At Treefrog Inc., we understand that starting an ecommerce business is hard, and we want to help! Our Frogs are experts in many fields that can be beneficial to your online marketplace. For more information on how our team can help, give us a call at 905-836-4442.