Are you launching, or have just launched, a small business? Running a business can be an excellent way to achieve financial independence, and the benefits of being your own boss are many. For those unsuited or disinclined to work for a company, running a business can be an excellent way to earn a living while only answering to yourself. If successful, small businesses can grow into medium-sized businesses or even global enterprises - just look at Amazon.  If you plan to sell products online, you’ll need an Ecommerce platform, which may include engaging an ecommerce website design agency to take the hard lifting out of the equation for you. This helpful article will share all that you need to know about choosing the right platform for your business, so read on to learn more. 

 Step 1 - Evaluate Your Catalogue Complexity

 The Ecommerce platform you choose will largely depend on the size and complexity of your catalogue of available goods that you’ll sell. If you have a relatively modest offering, such as between fifty and a few hundred products, then an all-in-one platform such as Shopify might be the best choice for you. However, if your offering is more complex, such as if you have complex pricing tiers, multiple-attribute configurations or are selling products business to business (B2B), then a platform such as CommerceTools or an enterprise Ecommerce platform may be more suitable for your needs. 

 It is also worth thinking about how rapidly you expect your available product range to grow. An Ecommerce platform that works great for a small initial catalogue might become restrictive as your small business grows and introduces new product categories, variations on best-sellers, or even seasonal or limited-time collections. Think about whether you will need your platform to have features such as inventory tracking, product filtering, customer-specific tailored pricing and even things like automated stock notifications. Choosing an Ecommerce platform that can accommodate these requirements from the outset can save you the headache and expense of migrating to another system that better suits your needs later. 

 Step 2 - Choose Your Hosting and Control Model

 All of the popular Ecommerce platforms, such as Wix, Shopify, or Squarespace, will handle all the backend aspects of the platform, such as server maintenance, security and updates, all for a monthly fee. These platforms are ideal for beginners to the space and offer fast and easy setups to get you selling online in no time. 

 For those wanting more customisation and flexibility, platforms such as WooCommerce (which is built on WordPress) or Magento are the way to go, but these require you to manage your own backend hosting and technical updates. These Ecommerce platforms offer maximum customisation but demand some coding knowledge or the efforts of a hired developer, which may be tricky depending on the budget of your small business. 

 Before making your decision on the best Ecommerce platform for your small business, consider how much time and effort you can realistically give to managing the technical, backend side of your webstore. As a small business owner, you will already have a stack of responsibilities, such as marketing, strategy, customer service, purchasing stock and order fulfilment and tracking. One advantage of a hosted platform is that it can reduce the amount of time you spend dealing with technical maintenance or paying for development costs, allowing you to concentrate on what matters - running your business. Alternatively, if you have access to and the budget for reliable technical support and require greater control over your website, an open-source solution could offer better long-term flexibility and control. 

 Step 3 - Design and Branding 

 An Ecommerce website needs to look amazing and feel incredible to use, all of which will net you sales and repeat customers. Ideally, you want a platform that allows you to use your design and branding in a way that will make you stand out in a competitive market. For this purpose, Squarespace and Wix excel at visual drag-and-drop design tools and are best for creative portfolios.

However, it is worth mentioning that attractive design and a shiny website should never come at the cost of functionality. Your website should make it seamless for online shoppers to find the products they want, compare options and check out their purchases without unnecessary steps that could result in bounces. When choosing an Ecommerce platform, consider the quality of the available website themes, the ability to customise product pages, and whether you can use features like incorporating customer reviews and testimonials, crystal-clear calls to action and professional product photography. 

 Step 4 - Brick and Mortar Too?

If your small business also has a physical location where you’ll sell products to the public, then you might want to opt for a provider that provides physical point-of-sale (POS) service provision as well as digital presence. Square is the best option here, offering user-friendly payment receipt methods that link seamlessly with your online store. 

Step 5 - Consider Fees and Ongoing Costs

Ecommerce platforms aren’t charities, so you’ll need to pay for a service. It’s worth investigating the total cost of a platform, and to do this you’ll need to look past their base monthly subscription fee. Read the small print, and check for things such as payment gateway fees, app marketplace subscriptions and theme costs when working out your budget for an Ecommerce platform. 

It’s worth noting that open-source platforms may advertise zero software costs upfront, but paying a developer for security patches, custom coding and updates can quickly add up and eat into your budget. 

Step 6 - Use Free Trials 

Some Ecommerce platforms offer free trial periods, and if you’re just starting on this journey, this can be an excellent way to try before you buy. You might use a free trial to make your website, and then check for aspects such as mobile responsiveness, page-loading speed, backend dashboard ease-of-use, and how the search engine optimisation (SEO) integrates before committing to a monthly subscription. 

An Ecommerce Creative Conclusion

This informative article has outlined everything you need to know about choosing an Ecommerce platform for your business. The complexity and size of your available catalogue will inform your choice of platform, as will your hosting and control model. Consider design and branding and how you can customise your webstore, and ponder the fees and hidden costs. Finally, it is worth using some free trials to test out possible providers before locking one in.