Best ecommerce platforms for startups

BigCommerce

Our preferred e-commerce platform overall is BigCommerce. Ben & Jerry’s, Skullcandy, and Superdry are just a few of the top brands that use this all-in-one, fully integrated content management system.

Everything you require to manage your online store is offered by BigCommerce. Without any coding or design experience, you can easily create a stunning online storefront with the drag-and-drop website builder.

You choose a theme or template to work with to get started. You can also modify the HTML and CSS if you want greater control over the design and want to play around with the coding.

There are several built-in sales and marketing tools to assist you in generating more business. One-page checkouts that are simplified, automatic shopping cart recovery tools, image optimization, and other features are some of these.

On the marketing front, BigCommerce includes natively integrated SEO components, such as adaptable URLs, access to the robot.txt file, and support for a blog (which you can use to publish posts that drive organic search traffic as part of your SEO strategy). Additionally, you may combine BigCommerce with online stores like Amazon, Facebook, and Google to expand your consumer base.

Pricing:

BigCommerce Essentials plans start from $29.95 per month. For Enterprise-level solutions, you’ll need to contact their sales team for custom pricing.

A 15-day free trial is available.

Pros	Cons
Easy-to-use	More expensive than some other platforms
Easily integrates with Amazon and Facebook
Support for a blog

Try BigCommerce Here

Shopify

The most well-known ecommerce platform available is probably Shopify. Another all-encompassing, fully-hosted platform that stands out for its extensive selection of tool integrations from outside sources.

One of the first businesses to offer a way for anyone to create their own stores without needing to be web engineers was Shopify, which was founded in 2006. It is intended to provide everything you need to run your internet business in one location, much as BigCom/merce.

Thanks to the simple site builder and fantastic theme library, setting up a Shopify store that is completely responsive simply takes a few minutes.

But what sets Shopify apart is the vast array of connectors it provides. In terms of the quantity of third-party apps and plugins you can install, it is only second to WordPress/WooCommerce.

These add-ons, which are accessible through the Shopify App Store, can expand the capabilities of your Shopify store, transforming it into a very adaptable e-commerce solution. On rapidly add your product inventory to Facebook and Instagram, for instance, install the Facebook channel app.

Shopify also provides more cutting-edge features that we like, such as:

1.)tools for upselling after the fact and one-click upgrades.

2.)a smartphone app for managing stores while on the run

3.)Integration of live chat so you may communicate with customers and 4.)website visitors in real-time. support for films and 3D product models

5.)Report on store speed

6.)detailed statistics and user monitoring

7.)Engine for discounts and coupons

8.)Tools for integrated email marketing

Pricing:

Shopify plans start at $29/month and a free 14-day trial is available (no credit card required).

Pros	Cons
Tons of integrations	Weak SEO
Mobile app for on-the-go management
Highly flexible and powerful

Try Shopify Here

Squarespace

Squarespace is more than simply an online store. Instead, it’s a comprehensive CMS made for all types of websites, including e-commerce sites.

Squarespace excels thanks to its carefully curated selection of top-tier website themes. They are the best-designed templates we’ve ever seen, with brilliant colour schemes, modern layouts, and fantastic typefaces. It is therefore the ideal venue for presenting visual goods.

There is a template for every sort of business and they are all free with your Squarespace account.

Setting up your store is simple once you’ve selected a template. All you need to do to start generating traffic and closing deals is to add your products, set up payment processing, and alter your categories using the website builder. Additionally, Squarespace includes a number of SEO and email marketing tools.

Despite being a site builder with many uses, Squarespace has a tonne of cutting-edge ecommerce-specific capabilities, such as:

1. support for digital goods and subscription sales
2. integrated tax tools
3. Options for flexible fulfilment
4. Recovery of a forgotten cart
5. Integration with well-known shipping services and payment processors (e.g. Apple Pay, PayPal, UPS, FedEx, etc.)
6. synchronising the sales channels for offline and internet
7. A Squarespace app for mobile customer communication and inventory tracking

Squarespace’s greatest drawback is that it isn’t particularly versatile. Compared to Shopify, it offers a fairly restricted amount of third-party app integration. In comparison to the 6000+ apps available in the Shopify app store, there are just a few dozen Squarespace apps available.

Pricing:

Squarespace plans start at $12 per month + 3% transaction fees on sales, or $18 per month with no transaction fees.

Pros	Cons
Industry-leading website templates	Limited integrations
Built-in tax tools
Built-in email marketing and SEO tools

Try Squarespace Here

Weebly

Another multi-use ecommerce website builder with an integrated ecommerce platform is Weebly. It is incredibly cost-effective and perfect for startups and small enterprises looking for a low-cost platform that can grow with them.

Weebly may not have as many advanced features as some of the other platforms on this list, but it excels at keeping things straightforward. It has some of the most affordable paid plans on this list as well as a restricted free plan.

Weebly provides you with all the necessary tools to get started selling, such as a user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder, smart marketing tools (such as configurable welcome and abandoned cart email templates), fundamental analytics, real-time shipping costs, and inventory management tools.

To make products on your site stand out, it also provides some additional tools like a coupon and gift card builder, product search, and support for product badges.

Weebly’s disadvantage is that its integration options are severely constrained and it isn’t as flexible as some of the other platforms on this list. Only a few payment processors, such as Square, Stripe, and PayPal, are supported.

Pricing:

Weebly offers a free plan, but it’s very limited and only includes a Weebly subdomain (e.g. yourdomain.weebly.com), which isn’t appropriate for serious businesses. It also doesn’t include any ecommerce features.

Paid plans that are suitable for online stores start at $12 (Pro plan). Cheaper plans are available but they don’t include ecommerce features.

Pros	Cons
Very affordable	Less advanced features than some other platforms
Built-in coupon engine	No ecommerce features on cheapest plans
Easy to use

Try Weebly Here

Wix

Another well-liked website builder with several uses and integrated e-commerce is Wix.

It’s one of the platforms on this list that is most user-friendly for beginners and provides a quick, easy, and cost-effective solution for solopreneurs.

The ‘Wix Editor’ website builder and its potent integrated automation features are two of Wix’s best features in our opinion. The Wix Editor will be our first stop.

Wix stands out among all the page builders I’ve used. With a simple drag-and-drop interface, it is incredibly flexible, powerful, and beginner-friendly. Starting with one of 500 designs for high-converting stores, you can then completely customise your theme.

You can make your website stand out with amazing video backdrops, parallax scrolling effects, and clever animations instead of sticking to plain backgrounds and static images.

Even automated Facebook and Instagram marketing campaigns can be used to spread the word about your online store.

Wix’s potent machine-learning algorithm will continuously monetize your ad performance and optimise them through increased audience targeting after you’ve set up the initial campaign in order to maximise your return on investment.

Pricing:

Wix’s business and ecommerce plans start at $23/month. They also offer a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Pros	Cons
Very beginner friendly	Not a dedicated ecommerce platform
Powerful automation
Good range of templates

Try Wix Here