Online businesses are flourishing with advanced technology and increased exposure to the internet. The web retail industry is a competing place with plenty of eCommerce platforms in the market to power them. Most businesses feature very little to almost no knowledge of the web industry. In such a scenario, they look up to eCommerce platforms to serve them start an online business and eventually build up. Picking the right eCommerce platform for your business is the first and most important step for your business. If you make an incorrect choice, your business can suffer in the long run.
When you select an apt eCommerce platform for your business, you invest in a strong foundation. Therefore, before you make a final pick, know more about the best eCommerce platforms available. With multiple eCommerce platforms available, some choices are emerging as outright champions for businesses. These are the names you must look out for in 2021 and beyond. In the write-up below, we have listed the best eCommerce platforms to know about before making a final call. Let us dive in.
BetterCommerce
BetterCommerce is one of the reliable-most headless eCommerce platforms gaining popularity lately due to their PBC module architect. It has emerged as one of the best in the field owing to its dependable services and advanced technology. With BetterCommerce, you can work with your preferred budget and grow at your desired pace. It offers you a convenient set of eCommerce APIs and modules that help you build your online business.
It works on the technology including B2B Commerce and B2C Commerce, such that you can freely concentrate on other aspects of your business. You can work on the progress of your business with regular reports, alerts, and real-time analytics. With an integrated and exceptional Order Management System, online companies can automate and increase the productivity of their warehouse operations no matter what channel is used.
What other eCommerce platforms offer as advanced features, BetterCommerce offers as its standard ones. Such features include Private Cloud, Omnichannel AI-Driven, Global Commerce, etc. These help in delivering an improved customer experience. They offer stability and customization, allowing you impressed and happy customers.
BetterCommerce offers all features under one roof that allows you to manage sales, operations, merchandising, logistics, inventory, marketing, purchasing, customer support, etc. Moreover, BetterCommerce will minimize runtime and easily integrate with your current system. Once your store goes live, you can manage it using the comprehensive set of tools available. This would reduce your dependability on developers to a remarkable extent.
SAP Hybris
SAP Hybris is another evolving eCommerce platform that lets a business effectively merchandise in B2B and B2C markets and delivers the best customer experience. It helps its clients efficiently target customers worldwide across multiple channels. It boasts pre-integrated features like marketing, cloud integration, analytics, and master data. Your business architecture works with the excellent modular design to deliver profitable results.
If you own a company with 200 or fewer employees that generate somewhere around 10 million dollars, SAP Hybris is the pick for you. It is trendy in the retail industry and the US. It is ideal for companies with customer engagement and personalization. The segments occupying SAP include retail at 22%, wholesale at 13%, and the health industry at 6%. The customers of SAP Hybris include big names like Nike, General Electric, AO Smith, Adobe, Levi Strauss, Epson US, etc.
Nevertheless, the drawback of SAB is that it lacks sufficient guidance for beginners when compared to its competitors. Hence, it is not easy to manage without an IT expert in your team. Additionally, you also would require an integrated content administration solution for best results.
BigCommerce
Establishes in 2009, BigCommers offers simplicity, enterprise-grade functionality, and customization to businesses. It is home to hundreds and thousands of B2B and B2C enterprises in 150 countries across various industries. Using BigCommerce templates, you can establish customized, engaging, and beautiful stores. There are free templates available, along well as others that you can pay for. If you own a company with complex catalogs, BigCommerce is the right choice for you. It is packed with features and also supports third-party extensions. With the availability of four tire packages, you can choose the one that suits your business size and budget.
In terms of usability, BigCommerce is suitable for beginners as well. You can easily edit and modify SEO-associated features like custom URLs and page titles. Another added pro is you can sell your goods in multiple currencies. Finally, there are ample headless capabilities like CMS and DXP that assist in delivering satisfying customer experiences.
The hassle with BigCommerce is that it is expensive. The fee structure is transparent, but you are required to pay for several add-ons like add-on fees, transaction fees, credit fees, etc., that can cause a hole in your pocket.
Magento
Established in 2009, Magento is a renowned name in the eCommerce industry. In 2015, it came up with an improved codebase and added features with version 2.0. Currently, it is available in two variants called Magento Open Source and Magento Commerce. Magento Commerce is a paid version, while Magento Open Source is free of cost. However, even the free version can cost you in case you desire to use its advanced features. The paid version can cost you up to 50,000 dollars yearly. Magento offers global selling, catalog management, mobile optimization, search, integrated checkouts, etc.
Magento is suitable for all small-to-medium budget businesses that already have a customer base. It is a platform that offers over 5,000 extensions. However, one of the drawbacks is that Magento demands big budgets, and management is time-consuming. In addition, there are issues like lowered speed, high development cost, and time-consuming customization. Magento is best of use to businesses that can hire a personal Magento developer. Magento also offers you analytics that helps boost sales.
Saleor.io
Salero can help you take your business global. It is a multi-warehouse, multi-language, multi-channel, and-currency eCommerce platform. It gives you unique features along with a user-friendly dashboard that delivers frictionless expansion and flexibility. With one back-end, you can manage plenty of apps, storefronts, and devices. You can either create a fresh frontend or choose to keep your existing one. Using the offered features, you can create an engaging and beautiful customized experience for your clients.
Saleor offers open-source solutions that make it one of the fastest developing eCommerce platforms worldwide. It also provides horizontal scalability to use programs like AWS and Google Cloud for generating traffic and sales. The client list of Saleor flaunts brands like LUSH, PATCH, Butterfly, RoomLab, etc.
Sylius
Sylius specializes in offering eCommerce platforms to companies from enterprise to base levels. Established in 2017, Sylius offers various paid plans and advanced features. Some impressive features include storage, customer support, free hosting, real-time shipping, unlimited pages, etc. Additionally, it also allows several third-party trading platforms, which further facilitates global access to your business. Sylius is excellent when speaking of customer support. It offers assistance with installation, training, upgrading, easy cancelation, among others. With Sylius, you get access to 24*7 customer support in various modes, including on-call service, live chat, and via email.
Conclusion
Finally, every eCommerce platform comes with its set of advantages and disadvantages. What decides the ideal eCommerce platform for you is your budget, the requirements of your business, and your priorities. Therefore, prioritize your interests and consider your needs before making a final pick. You can begin small and eventually expand with time.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.