How to Decide the Best Ecommerce Platform for Online Store

Thanks to the rapid growth of the e-commerce market, anyone who has a business idea, can dream big and carve a niche in this segment. Growing between 25%-30% year-on-year it is one of the fastest growing industries of our times.

Decided to ride the ride and go online with your idea?

Well, before you jump on theecommercebandwagon, you need to make a crucial decision, i.e; decide the best ecommerce platform for an online store.

Why this decision is so Important?

If you are afirst timeonline entrepreneur, you might have already weighed out the pros and cons of opting for a custom built solution and a turnkey one. This is actually the first decision that literally launches your project and lays the foundation of your business.

But before you opt for anyecommercesolution, what are the most important factorsthat  thebestecommerceplatform foronlinestore of your dreams?

Not sure?

How about checking on the following aspects so you make the most informed decision instead of going by hunch.

Agree? So let's begin;

Factors to Choose Best Ecommerce Platform for your Online Store

1. Is the platform affordable?

Budget is the first and biggest concern of any business decision. With so many market players oftentimes price becomes the only factor on which the entrepreneur makes the final decision. The point to be remembered here is- no one is going to offer free services to you and you actually get what you pay for. So, instead of opting solely on the basis of cheap pricing check the features that you are getting in the given budget.

The bestecommerceplatform foronlinestore is one that not only allows you to sell your products. It should also give you an edge overcompetitionwith advanced features and technology that help you establish as the leader in your industry.  

2. Is it scalable and can accommodate your growth?

Scalability becomes one of the major concerns as soon as your business picks up and you start prospering. So, instead of focusing on a platform that fits your current business goals look a bit further and choose one which is capable of accommodating the growth of your business.

If your store is not future ready it would not be able to handle the demands from growing traffic and an increase in sales volume. The bestecommerceplatform for online store should be should always be scalable. The platforms that are not scalable can make your site slow or unresponsive which can drive away the potential buyers.

Therefore, scalability should always be the key deciding factor when you are considering anyecommercesolution for your business.

3. Does it offer built-in tools and Customization?

Setting up a store and selling online is juggling lot many tasks and processes. To maintain a balance and ensure a smooth end to end operations every online business needs anecommercesolution that offers a variety of tools.

Hence, the bestecommerceplatform foronlinestore is one that has features to bring in conversions and help you manage various operational aspects smoothly. Always go fora thesolution provider that offers features like inventory management, discount engine, logistics integration, vendor management etc. Also, look for a platform that is SEO ready and allows you to use social media to the fullest.  

Apart from these features, if the platform offers easy customization and flexibility it is sure to take your business to new heights.

4. Is the platform customer friendly?

Customeris the king and hence every business should be built to make the customers most comfortable. Also, the bestecommerceplatform foronlinestore should offer the customersan unforgettableshopping experience.

Modern buying behaviour dictates that the customer gets a seamless and simple shopping experience while they are shopping online. If the customer has to keep jumping back and forth while shopping online they tend to abandon the shopping cart and buy from other sites which offer simple single page checkout. Hence, go for a platform that offers easy purchase and checkout options to end users, having guest- checkout would be even better.

5. Is the platform mobile ready and supports multi-device shopping?

Mobile is the future of ecommerce and its imperative thatbestecommerceplatform foronlinestore is built around this core principle. The most successful online stores are getting up to 70% of their business from mobile users. So, while choosingan yourecommerceplatform gofor one which is based on mobile first principle and gives you an opportunity to tap every single device channel be it a laptop, mobile or tablet.

6. Does it offer multiple payment channels?

No business can grow to its full potential if it does not tap every payment channel available. Can asolution  bethe bestecommerceplatform foronlinestore if it offers only one payment channel to your clients? Aren’t automatically limiting the number of buyers in such a scenario as only those who can opt for that channel will buy from your store.

Therefore, choose a platform that allows your store to tap maximum domestic and international payment channels as well as COD.

7. Is the platform Secure?

Run a thorough check about the security credentials of the various platforms you are considering. Security ine commerceis crucial as customers are sharing their most confidential information online. Hence it is crucial to keep all such information safe and secure at all times. The bestecommerceplatform foronlinestore should have various security features in place which includes implementing SSL certificate right from the start.

If there are loopholes in the security of your online storeyourwill lose customer trust and it would spell doom for your business. Go for a platform that offers integration with PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant payment processors and maintains a secure environment while processing online transactions.  

8. What level of support you are offered?

Even if you are an expert in e-commerce field you would need some kind of help and support from your ecommerce service providers. More so if you are new to the business and just learning the ropes.

Hence it becomes imperative that the bestecommerceplatform for online store offers good support options. If you are getting support through various channels like mail, chat, documentation, forums and on direct call it means your provider is willing to help you whenever you are stuck in a difficult scenario. Timely support helps you explore and implement various features to your advantage.

Conclusion

Searching the bestecommerceplatform foronlinestore can be a tedious task if you are not sure where to begin. However, with the aboveguidelinesit is easy to focus on the right features and make a quick decision.

To makeyoutask simpler, StoreHippoecommerceplatform incorporates all the above features that make an ideal ecommerce platform for starting any online business. Start your 14-day free trial today and explore the features now.