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So you have decided to start an online eCommerce business and now you are looking for a platform that can help you get the most sales as easily as possible.
You have plenty of choices at first sight, but if you take a closer look, you will see that these 6 platforms are the best. They offer the best features, they are easy to use and they can help you start a business within hours. They are complicated and advanced platforms as well so you will need to read the complete descriptions we will provide you below.
Shopify is on the top of our list and it definitely deserves a lot of attention. This platform has been used by more than 800,000 users and it has it all. It is standalone which means you can completely create an online store within minutes and start selling.
You will like to know that the platform is commonly used for dropshipping and doesn’t require additional programming or complicated adjustments. Even a complete beginner can set up the store easily.
The cost of Shopify varies and it depends on your purpose and the number of products you want to offer. The entry-level plan will cost you $9 but this is just for testing. An average plan will cost you between $29 and $299 depending on how many products you have, which features you need and etc. You get 14 days free trial but you will have to provide the credit card information.
Shopify has been the most popular choice for most users and it has the ability to impress you within minutes. Creating a store can be done even if you don’t have a domain, you can import products and you can get 24/7 customer support if needed.
Shopify will also allow you to accept payments using their own getaway but you will have to be from the United States. For residents of other countries, there is PayPal, Stripe and many other payment getaways.
WooCommerce is another, popular and common platform that has been used by millions. It is actually a plugin and it is excellent for small and medium businesses. In general, the revenue of the business should be between 0 and $500,000 in order to get all the benefits you will need.
The platform can be installed for free, but as you would expect, you get basic functionality. The plans start at $49 and reach $139.
There are a lot of extensions you can install and use as well. However, you will need to consider the fact this is a plugin, as we have mentioned already. This means that you need to purchase a domain from HostGator, BlueHost or etc. in order to be able to start using WooCommerce. Customization is excellent and at a high level but you may need to know HTML and coding in order to change more complicated features of the software. Most extensions are affordable while some are even free. In a nutshell, you will need a decent budget to make a store you expected which will help you generate income.
Additionally, we can add that the platform works well with smartphones and it has perfect support which is helpful and available at any given moment.
The only drawback is the fact you will have to create the WordPress website, adjust it and then install the plugin. It won’t do all the hard work instead of you.
OpenCart is a revolutionary platform that has some of the most impressive benefits and perks you will want to implement. First of all, this software is developed in PHP and has a huge base of all the elements you will need.
In addition, it also has a huge community where you can find additional help, fixes, custom extensions and so much more. The best part is the fact it is completely free, although a decent package will cost you $39. You can also purchase premium support which is beneficial.
The platform in question is excellent for beginners and for those who need a simple and affordable solution. We liked the lightweight design and the overall simplicity.
On the other hand, the platform can be used to power all possible stores of any size. There are a lot of extensions and plugins you can add to your store and new ones are created as we speak. As a matter of fact, you can create new extensions as well.
If we take a look at the drawbacks we can see a few. The main one is the fact that the plugins and extensions will be created by ordinary people who don’t have a lot of experience. This means that your store is at risk if you use wrong extensions. The next drawback is the functionality.
The platform is easy to use and lightweight, but it has 20% features of the other, much more advanced platforms such as Shopify or WooCommerce. These are actually the only drawbacks we were able to find and we should add that there are no additional downsides.
PrestaShop is a platform that is made for newbies and those who are not proficient with technology. It is free to download and you will get some features but for a proper store, you will need additional extensions and packages.
The cost of the platform ranges between $70 and $150. For that, you get listings, payments and all sorts of extensions. Additional support will cost you $54 which isn’t ideal.
Once again, the platform is more optimized for beginners and those without any experience in the industry. But, the store you can create will look stunning and you can easily customize it to make it as precious as you want.
The platform is available in 40 different languages and there is a massive community which can be used as support in some cases. For small and medium businesses, it is definitely more than just a suitable solution and the one you may want to consider as soon as possible.
Magento is known as the king of eCommerce platforms. It is loaded with all possible features you may need, comes with unlimited support and it is designed for massive business. Honestly, regardless of how big your business is, you won’t have any issues using Magento.
An interesting addition is a fact you can try it for free, but if you want a premium version you will need a deep pocket.
The platform isn’t available with monthly subscriptions as Shopify or some others. You will have to purchase a year-long license which will cost you $22,000 for the Enterprise version. The Cloud Enterprise version will cost you $44,000. This is reasonable if you know that the platform targets large businesses with a yearly profit of up to $50 million. If the profit is under $1 million per year, you probably have to choose another platform.
There is no need to add that Magento offers all features available in the industry. Yes, you can use it without advanced skills, but most of you will need a programmer who will adjust and set everything up. He can charge $150 per hour! The bottom line is that Magento is superb for massive business and it comes at a price.
BigCommerce is one of the best choices you can make and here’s why. It can be tried for free but you will need a plan in order to use it for more advanced applications. The plans start at $29.95 per month and reach $79.95 per month. The ultimate plan will cost you $250 per month.
There are all sorts of templates and extensions to choose from. An average one will cost you around $100 but the price can easily reach $235. The number of extensions and themes is limited and slightly lower than you can expect. There is no need to add that new ones are made every single day.
The platform is suitable for a medium and large business with a profit of a hundred million dollars per year. It is more expensive than other platforms and it comes with a more complicated user interface.
The support is excellent and there are all kinds of extensions available. You can accept payments using their service and the transaction fee will be $0.3. It is an interesting platform for all users and it is an appealing choice if you have serious plans for your online business.
These 6 platforms have been the most popular, the most desirable and the most versatile. Pick the one that matches your needs perfectly and the one that has all the features you will need. It is right here on our list so it is an easy task. In essence, you can have your online store ready and operational within 1 hour, if you have some experience with the industry.
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