The trend of ecommerce transition has boomed during the pandemic years, and it is hardly showing any signs of dying down. At present there are 12 – 24 million ecommerce sites across the World Wide Web, selling diverse products and services. Retail ecommerce alone is projected to generate $5.42 trillion in sales from this year onwards.

Market reports suggest the numbers are to go uphill from henceforth. So, if you are a business with a successful physical front, looking for the right avenues to invest in its digital transformation, then ecommerce is the lucrative answer for you. Why? That’s because according to NASDAQ, 95% of all purchases will be through ecommerce by 2040.

We are not asking you to disintegrate your brick-and-mortar existence. But having an online presence, can multiply your present sales figures, expand your consumer reach, and increases your brand awareness. On that note, we present to you the leading platforms that can help in building your ecommerce site, followed by the tips to choose the right ecommerce platform for the development of your online store. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

Index of Content:

• What is an Ecommerce Platform?

• What are the Top Ecommerce Platforms in 2022?

• How to Choose the Right Ecommerce Platform?

What is an Ecommerce Platform?

Ecommerce is defined as the buying and selling of services and products over the internet. An ecommerce platform on the other hand is an end-to-end software solution, which allows individuals to manage their business online. It encompasses ecommerce website development and maintenance, along with accounts, inventory management, and customer service. There are three types of ecommerce platforms:

• SaaS platforms (software-as-a-service)
• PaaS platforms (platform-as-a-service)
• on-premises platforms

SaaS and PaaS platforms offer e-commerce solutions online. While SaaS involves only software, PaaS additionally utilizes hardware elements. On-premise platforms are hosted by the business owner locally. It is managed by its very own IT staff unlike SaaS and PaaS, where the online infrastructure is set up by a third-party provider, accessible through the cloud.

What Are The Top Ecommerce Platforms in 2022

Now, let’s check out the top eight ecommerce platforms preferred by enterprises and developers for building an ecommerce site to digitize the legacy business infrastructure. For each platform, we will explore the features, benefits, and downsides as well.

1) Shopify:

A SaaS solution, Shopify was launched in 2004 and over the years it has grown to be one of the most affordable, robust, and user-friendly ecommerce platforms, serving millions of businesses worldwide. As an inclusive platform, it requires minimal in-house IT support and is very easy to set up. It aids in the development, hosting, operations, and management of ecommerce sites. Shopify has one of the best Content Management Systems.

Features:

• Shopify POS (Point of Sale) allows businesses to sell through physical pop-up stores and accept payments.
• Extensive range of SEO tools.
• Enables multiple third-party app integrations.
• Shopify Dropshipping enables buying products from third-party
  sellers and delivering them directly to the customers.
• Advanced analytics and reports.
• Abandoned cart reminder.
• Easy integrations with social media and online marketplaces.
• Built-in payment processors.
• Advanced inventory management.

Pros:

• Simple to use
• 24/7 support available
• Several aesthetically pleasing themes
• In-house app store
• Multiple plugins
• Marketing ease
• Multicurrency support
• Highly customizable
• A fully hosted ecommerce platform

Cons:

• Adding custom fields can be complicated
• It is not a free-to-use ecommerce platform
• Customization limitations (compared to some competitors)

If you need assistance with Shopify ecommerce development, we can provide you the needed support by experienced professional. Reach out to our team to hire skilled Shopify developers.

2) BigCommerce:

Built-in 2009, BigCommerce has a thriving presence across 150 countries. Like Shopify, this too is a SaaS solution, which can be used for a monthly fee. It has an extensive range of custom templates for selling both physical and digital goods. Advanced SEO features and analytics are the USPs of Big Commerce that ensures a seamless user experience and better brand exposure.

Features:

• Enhanced customization
• Seamless SEO optimization
• Inventory and payment management
• Single page checkout
• Bulk pricing
• Multicurrency compatibility
• Drag and drop page builder
• PayPal integrations
• Product reviews
• Ability to tweak HTML and CSS
• Professional reporting and analytics

Pros:

• Great customization and functionality
• Omnichannel selling
• Advanced SEO optimization
• Security

Cons:

• Free themes limitations
• Limitations on annual online sales
• Typeface limitations

Brainium can offer you a team of seasoned BigCommerce developers to suffice your ecommerce development needs.

3) WooCommerce:

WooCommerce was created as an ecommerce extension of WordPress by WooThemes in 2011. Today it is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms, known for its flexibility and affordability. A free plugin, WooCommerce can be used to add ecommerce functionality to any WordPress site.

Features:

• Easy WordPress integration
• Open-source ecommerce development platform
• In-built payment processing
• Extensions library
• Ample options in themes
• Simple yet robust infrastructure
• Marketing tools integration
• Built-in blogging
• Locally customizable
• Sorting and rating of products

Pros:

• Free and open source
• Complete customization
• Flexible and secured
• A large community

Cons:

• Performance hampered by too many plugins
• Extensions are not free

Need help with your ecommerce development? Consult with experts and Brainium, discuss the specs of your project for our experienced WooCommerce developers deliver the needful.

4) Wix:

Wix was developed and founded in 2006 by three developers as a seamless and affordable deterrent to contemporary ecommerce building platforms. With more than 200 million users, Wix has a presence across 190 countries. It offers an amazing user experience, which is also one of its top USPs, followed by ease of ecommerce development and affordability.

Features:

• Choose from 500+ designer templates
• Total site designing freedom
• Advanced Search Engine Optimization Tools
• Mobile optimization
• Unlimited fonts and scroll effects
• Media galleries and advanced design features
• Drag and drop editor
• Revenue and conversion reports
• Inventory and order management

Pros:

• Site speed is good
• Great template collection
• Easy site marketing
• Additional features
• Intuitive drag-n-drop
• Adequate support
• No expensive long-term plans
• Secured development

Cons:

• Non-interchangeable templates
• Forced branding on free plans
• No unlimited plans
• Limitations in terms of creativity display

5) Magento:

An open-source ecommerce platform, Magento was acquired by Adobe in 2018. Magento is written in PHP and before Adobe, the platform has been owned by multiple entities. Under its present ownership, Magento Commerce was launched, which allowed the development of Progressive web apps. Delivering a user-friendly experience is the USP of Magento.

Features:

• Easy order management
• Segmentation of customers
• Sales channels acquired from Amazon
• Advanced analytics and reporting
• Customer Accounts
• Order Management
• SEO tools
• Site management
• Product recommendations ensure a high conversion rate

Pros:

• Additional payment gateways integration
• Access to open-source community support
• Independent customizations
• Ample designing options
• Great UI/UX
• Resource library

Cons:

• Considered expensive by many
• Paid technical support
• Complex installation

For expert consultation and support on Magento ecommerce development, reach out to our experts at Brainium.

6) Volusion:

The origin of Volusion dates back to 1999 when it was just an online shopping cart. Today it generates more than $28 billion in sales as a full-featured ecommerce platform. If you are looking for an affordable solution to your ecommerce development needs, then Volusion is the perfect choice for you.

Features:

• Comes with 300+ themes, with diverse designs
• SEO tools
• Email marketing integration
• Fast page loading time
• Great customer management
• Inventory management
• Mobile-friendly
• Ease of Use

Pros:

• 24×7 support
• Great customer support and onboarding
• Speed and security
• Intuitive dashboard

Cons:

• Pricing is complex
• Problems with website rendering
• Limited design options

7) Ecwid:

This is a free ecommerce extension that has compatibility with popular CMS platforms like WordPress. Ecwid allows business owners to sell online from marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon, and likewise, along with social media platforms. If you already have a WordPress website, then you can get the Ecwid extension and start selling your services and products online easily.

Features:

• Inventory tracking
• Automatic updates
• Smart shipping calculator
• Language detection
• Custom designs
• Sell on multiple online marketplaces and websites
• Shipping options

Pros:

• Free plans
• Easy to use
• Easier multi-currency compatibility

Cons:

• Limited SEO tools
• Free plan options are limited
• No customer support

8) Weebly:

The last on our list is Weebly, which is a fairly simple ecommerce platform owned by payment processing and financial services company Square. It does not require a heavy setup or technical expertise, making it a user-friendly option as well. There are integration options with PayPal, Square, and Stripe.

Features:

• Multiple themes
• Ecommerce upgrades
• Social media integrations
• Inbound marketing integrations
• Email marketing integrations
• Intuitive drag and drop
• Visual modeling for website building
• Shopping cart integration
• Secure checkout
• Custom shipping rates
• Inventory management
• SEO tools
• Site performance reports

Pros:

• Easy website building
• User-friendly
• Fast support

Cons

• Minimal options for customization
• Slow processing rate

Read More:

How to Personalize the Ecommerce Customer Journey To Boost Sales?

How to Choose the Right Ecommerce Platform?

As you can see there are multiple options in terms of choosing an ecommerce platform to develop and launch your online store and start transactions. However, the choice depends on multiple factors. For instance, a wholesaler business will have a different requirement for ecommerce development, because it runs on the B2B model.

It has a broader reach concerning the target audience. Compared to that, a B2C business or D2C business will have different criteria for ecommerce development. Accordingly, one should choose the ecommerce development platform. A few factors that one should keep in mind are as follows:

1. Cost of ecommerce development and maintenance on a platform; the monthly fee.
2. Integrations are offered by the platform. You should focus on accounting, email marketing, payment & shipping, and third-party tools.
3. User Experience and options in themes and designs.
4. Ecommerce support
5. Ecommerce platform loading speed and scalability
6. Ease of use and functionality
7. In-built platform security
8. Hosting and PCI compliance
9. Search Engine Optimization tools

While these platforms give you the scope to build your platform with minimal technical expertise, there are limitations in terms of customizations. If you want your website to be completely different and unique then you can get help from our seasoned ecommerce website developers.

Conclusion:

To summarize, the demand for ecommerce has given birth to multiple platforms with respective features sufficing the needs of businesses. The choice would depend on your specific needs, goals, and budget limitations. But, one thing can be said without a shadow of a doubt; ecommerce is the future of business as we know it, and the earlier you adopt the more benefits you will reap.