DIGITAL MARKETING

Features Of The Best eCommerce Platforms For StartUps

Table of Contents

An eCommerce platform is software that allows online businesses to operate and manage their websites, sales, and day-to-day operations. The majority of eCommerce startups use an eCommerce platform, usually a SaaS solution. SaaS eCommerce platforms allow brands to rent technology at a low cost, lowering the barrier to entry into online selling. Custom solutions necessitate significant financial investment and have resulted in longer go-to-market periods.

However, there are various eCommerce platforms today that may not cater to newly built businesses. Let’s tackle the features of the best eCommerce platform for startups.

Which Features Should The Best eCommerce Platform For StartUps Have?

Have A Simple Learning Curve And Easy To Setup

The best eCommerce retail dashboards are easy to use and understand. They also have outstanding customer service and set up wizards who walk you through the process of creating your online shop. Having good help is equivalent to hiring a full-time company mentor. They are always by your side and will point you in the right direction when things go wrong.

The platform should also provide a user-friendly interface that allows business owners and operators with little to no website building experience to create new, personalised online stores. It should be easy to use, with a drag-and-drop GUI, competitive pricing, and a plethora of templates for landing pages, email marketing, and other marketing strategies.

 

Pricing Plans for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

There are no free eCommerce platforms. However, the cost of the best eCommerce platforms for startups varies.

Most open-source platforms are legally free in the sense that there is no licencing charge as part of the eCommerce strategy, but there are significant costs associated with hosting and growth. Usually, a monthly recurring fee is charged by SaaS platforms. The costs vary from $7 a month to $50,000 or more a month.

 

User-Friendly eCommerce Solution For Customers

Simplicity should be an aim of good design, and it does not have to be at the expense of elegance. The goal is to assist shoppers in getting to what they want quickly and without encountering needless difficulty that can clog the road to purchase. Online sellers have just a few minutes, if not seconds, to make a deal. Concentrate on the consumer experience by using shopping categories, filters, and comparison tools.

Here are other features for customer experience that the best eCommerce platform must have:

  • Improve search functionality by including an autocomplete feature
  • Create visually appealing navigation
  • Fill out forms ahead of time
  • Mobile friendly
  • Payment Options or Payment Gateways

The best eCommerce platform for startups connects with all major payment companies and does not charge a transaction fee, so you will only be charged fees through your payment gateways. Avoid eCommerce sites that force you to use a single payment method or charge you transaction fees if you use the “wrong” one.

Also, there are eCommerce sites that offer a 14-day/15-day free trial, 30-day trial with a money-back guarantee, or a free demo for any pricing plan

Discover how simple Shopify is to grow your business by clicking here.


Built-In Features For Search Engine Optimisation

SEO eCommerce solutions can be difficult to implement because SEO is a fast-moving field that is sensitive to changes in search engine algorithms and difficult to define objectively. It’s important to look “under the hood” to see if the solution is as “SEO friendly” as it says. The best eCommerce Platform for startups should include SEO software, blogging tools, analytics, and everything else you might need to make your online store a huge success. You’ll also gain access to marketing and SEO software, as well as mobile optimisation and analytics. These features will allow your website to reach an even greater number of potential customers.

Product management

In an eCommerce environment, product management is more than just what you offer to your customers. It is in charge of the overall aspects that occur before and after the sale of the commodity. Product management software combines a strong business model, technology, and user interface. Effective merchandising is a strong revenue engine. Brand management, from product and catalogue management to photographs, recently viewed items, and monitoring features, will keep the customers coming back for more.

eCommerce websites need to provide shipping details early in the checkout phase, such as a ZIP code calculator with cost. It’s also a good idea to include delivery times and options for expedited delivery. Some websites list which countries are outside of their shipping zones or if there is an extra fee if it is available. Surprisingly, when free shipping is included, shoppers spend 30% more per order. Be sure to provide free shipping codes on all pages of the web through the header navigation, if applicable.

Scalable With Growing Online Store For eCommerce

An eCommerce platform provides you with more than just what you need right now; it also provides you with the tools you need to run a profitable long-term company. After all, as your business expands, you’ll want to offer more goods to more buyers, right?

The best eCommerce Platforms For StartUps Must Inform You If:

  1. Your store can accommodate the increased traffic without slowing down or collapsing
  2. You have the freedom to make changes as the business objectives shift
  3. If you can add more items as you broaden your range, that would be great
  4. You can be assured that your store has the required security certificates to sell online

All of this and more is provided by the best eCommerce platforms. For example, all Shopify plans provide unlimited bandwidth (the amount of data your store can accommodate before it crashes), unlimited file storage (allowing you to upload as many high-quality product images as you like), and unlimited items.

Luxury add-ons, such as better analytics on your customers, would be desired as your store expands. This is provided by eCommerce sites, which provide a variety of plans to accommodate companies of various sizes. The larger your store grows, the more you’ll want to consider upgrading to a more premium plan with more features.

 

Multi-channel Sales And Integration

In today’s retail world, your sales may be dispersed through several online and offline sales channels. As a result, handling products, listings, and orders in a multi-channel setting is extremely important. Shopify has marketplaces where you can select and choose additional features to “built-in” to your online store.

There are many types of functions you can add to your online store, including:

  • Marketing and sales
  • Fulfilment / Shipping
  • Inventory and Order Control
  • Customer Support
  • Accounting
  • Analytics / Reporting

Consider applications to be problem solvers. The majority of the top eCommerce sites in this guide all have a store that links you to a large number of applications. Since there is only one of you, choosing a solid eCommerce platform that provides you with the resources you need to flourish with your company is critical.

 

What Makes Shopify The Best eCommerce Platform For Startups?

Shopify is a well-known eCommerce platform that focuses on usability and simplicity.

With Shopify’s drag-and-drop app, it’s simple to set up an online store. Most newcomers to website production will pick it up in a matter of minutes.

Shopify is designed for those who do not want to deal with the design and coding aspects of operating an e-commerce shop. Since the site is heavily template-based, you simply select a theme and enter your details.

After you’ve decided on a theme, you’ve decided on the majority of the other information.

Although this saves time, it limits customisation: no special graphics, innovative widgets, or navigation optimisation.

Shopify Pricing Plans

  • Shopify Lite: $9 per month.
  • Basic Shopify: $29 per month.
  • Shopify: $79 per month.
  • Advanced Shopify: $299 per month.
  • Shopify Plus: $2,000 – $40,000 per month.

When the plan prices rise, so do the features, which include, to name a few, a website builder, payment processing, inventory tracking, shopping cart software, and shipping software.

Pros

  • Fast Load Times
  • Easy To Set Up
  • Accredited Shopify Partners
  • Sale with a single click
  • Allows for multi-channel sales and social media sales
  • Excellent themes with a variety of styles

Cons

  • Poor SEO
  • No customisation for the checkout process
  • Apps and Integrations May Become Expensive
  • Advanced Features May Require Web Developers

Final Thoughts

Shopify is perfect for those who want to concentrate solely on their market. While Shopify can be limited in terms of design choices, it’s a blank slate when it comes to business plans, sales promotions, and social media marketing. It’s ideal for people who want to start a side business or eCommerce shop as a hobby or side-gig because it’s so easy and user-friendly. Creating online stores on Shopify takes a little time to set up and requires very little upkeep.

Shopify is used by over one million companies worldwide, and Shopify businesses have made over $135 billion USD in revenue to date. For an out-of-the-box eCommerce experience, Shopify is your best ecommerce platform for startups. Its simple features and sensitive theme can help you sell both physical and digital goods.