E-Commerce Platform
E-Commerce Platform
First, let's discuss why you even need a webpage in this day of social media domination of the web. On a personal level, you wouldn't want to send prospective employers to your Facebook page, so a personal website makes more sense as an online, customized resume. Another reason worth considering, for both personal and business purposes, is that building your own site gives you endless design choices. You have total control over products and services you may sell and how they're delivered, too. Further, having a real, dedicated site makes a business seem more authoritative and trustworthy than a Facebook or Tumblr presence can on its own (though you should certainly also consider those services as elements of your online presence). It's as much an opening ante in the business world as having a business card for your company.
E-Commerce Platform Providers
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is one of the better-known eCommerce platforms. It has two offerings: BigCommerce Essentials (a DIY SaaS platform) and BigCommerce Enterprise (a customized experience for larger customers).
BigCommerce walks you through the steps needed to set up your eCommerce store. You begin by adding your products and only build your website further through the setting-up process. BigCommerce really keeps you organized. There are clear instructions about what information is needed and links to help files related to what you're filling out. If there's a third-party app that can help you more than what BigCommerce provides, you'll have the opportunity to install that app right from the admin console.
More than 800 apps in the BigCommerce app store allow you to add numerous additional capabilities to your store, depending on your needs.
Standard: $29.95/month
Plus: $79.95/month
Pro: $299.95/month
Shopify
Shopify is the "biggie" of eCommerce platforms. It's the most popular in the English-speaking world and caters to businesses of all sizes. More than 1 million merchants use Spotify's platform, across nearly 1.5 million websites. Shopify has a market share of 31% in the United States for websites using eCommerce. One of the most crucial reasons for Shopify's success is its flexibility. There are more than 2,400 apps in the Shopify App Store. As well as standard Shopify, Shopify Lite is for those with an existing website that merely needs a way to take payments. Shopify Plus is for companies so large they can easily spend $2,000 a month on their eCommerce platform. Shopify is a way to quickly and easily deploy an e-commerce back-end for businesses that would otherwise not have had the resources to do it. It includes a built-in CMS, multiple themes for your site (and a third-party marketplace offering more), and blogging functionality for your online store.
Standard: $29/month
Shopify: $79/month
