How to select the best eCommerce platform
E-commerce is another name for selling products over the Internet. People can operate businesses entirely over the Internet now, thanks to the various e-commerce platforms that are available to make it easy to accept payments. If you’ve been thinking about starting your own eCommerce business, you’re probably wondering which eCommerce platform is best for you. Here are seven quick tips to help you choose the right eCommerce platform.
Tip #1: Decide what type of eCommerce business you want to run. The product you are trying to sell will often dictate all of your software related decisions. Decide how you are going to set up your business and how large you want your site to be.
Tip #2: Take the software out for a test drive. Most eCommerce providers will let you try their software before you buy it. If they don’t, it’s a signal to keep buying. Sometimes the provider will have a store model set up where you can see how transactions are handled, and you can look through the control panel to see how easy it is to manipulate the various store features. Don’t buy any eCommerce software that you can’t try first.
Tip #3: Consider one of the “all in one” options. Increasingly, “package deals” of hosting, accounting tools, analytics, and other website tools (such as email) are becoming a popular option, especially for newbies who may not know how to put their site together. of electronic commerce. If you’re new to eCommerce, consider one of these all-in-one options. It’s a good way to get your feet wet.
Tip #4: Ask questions. Always ask about their technical support, what other tools are included in the software, whether or not the platforms support cross-selling or up-selling, search, etc. How many pages does your customer have to read before they can finally make their purchase? (Less is better here) How many products can you display? How many templates are there and are they customizable? Can I add custom HTML pages without messing up the interface? Reputable ecommerce platform resellers are patient and will have answers to all your questions.
Tip #5: Make sure your software platform offers a real-time shopping cart for your customers. Having a real time shopping cart will increase the rate of sales because many people will abandon the sale when they find out how much they have added to their shopping cart. Letting them know how much they’ve accumulated throughout their shopping experience is a better way to finalize the deal, as customers are more likely to simply pay once they’ve reached their budget limits, whereas if they keep shopping and put in too much in the cart, they will probably cancel the sale.
Tip #6: Beware of any software that supports external ads for your site; these external advertisements are designed to entice the buyer to leave your site before making their purchases. You want to be able to control everything the site visitor sees.
Tip #7 – Make sure the platform supports multiple payment options. Not everyone uses credit cards; some will want to use PayPal or some form of cyber cash. The more payment systems you support, the more sales you will have.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure out which eCommerce platform is right for you. Make sure you take your time and really think about what you want from your eCommerce business and then explore each platform thoroughly. With a little time and exploration, you will find the one that fits your needs.