Choosing an Ecommerce platform is one of the most fundamental and
important decisions you'll make in the early life of your business.
The choices are endless; but what's really important? Here's our list
of the 7 things you need to consider when making this vital choice!
Can it grow with you?
Of
course, you want to choose the platform that works best for you today
– and
that's an essential part of your decision.
But
how does that balance against your desire to grow?
If
you're serious about taking the business forward over a period of
time, it's vital to choose a platform that can grow with your
business and meet the growing challenges you'll face.
We all want more traffic and customers as they lead to more sales;
but they also place extra demands on your store – if it's
ill-equipped, this can lead to slow speeds and unresponsiveness,
which is a sure-fire way to discourage your customers and send them
elsewhere.
That's why it's crucial to future-proof your business by ensuring
that scalability is a key component of whichever platform you choose.
Can you afford it?
Budget is a huge consideration in every business decision, and
deciding on an Ecommerce platform is no exception.
With
such a diverse range of platforms available (each with their own
features and benefits) this is a delicate balancing act. You want as
many cool features as you can get your hands on – but how much do
those bells and whistles affect your bottom line? You certainly don't
want unnecessary functionality to eat into your margin. Take the time
to identify the stuff you really need
and
shop around for the best price.
Another
thing to consider here is that some platforms charge transaction
fees which
can further diminish your profitability. Avoid this where possible!
Can you make it look beautiful?
A
great store doesn't justneed
awesome functionality, it also has to look
great.
A beautiful design makes a great first impression, and can
subconsciously transmit a message of trustworthiness and
professionalism. It's important that your store is consistent with
your other branding and looks uniquely yours.
Of course, design can be tricky – if you don't have the required
skills in-house, you may have to outsource it, which is often
expensive. A good way to overcome this problem is by using a
template. Templates are pre-built site designs that you can simply
roll out across your store, while adding elements of your own brand.
This gives you the power of professional, beautiful design –
without the hard work and expense of building it yourself, or hiring
an expert. When deciding on which platform to use, take a look at
their templates before you go any further.
What's it like for the end-user?
Clearly,
this is one of the most important factors in your decision. Ecommerce
is an increasingly competitive arena, and modern customers expect a
seamless, simple experience when they shop online. If your store
requires them to jump through hoops to complete their purchase, odds
are they'll head for the hills without spending a penny. Our
platform
allows users to condense the checkout process right down into one
page, even allowing guest checkouts so customers needn't create an
account before completing their purchase.
Your customers are the ones who'll use your shop, so make sure their
experience is paramount!
Does it give you the tools and features you need?
There's
no dancing around the subject: selling online can be a tricky
business, and you need powerful tools to help you succeed. Make sure
the platform you choose has the functionality to power you to
success. Not only do you need features to help you drive conversion –
stuff like suggested products, behavioral discounts and more – you
need ease of use from a back-end management perspective. Often, the
only way to know
if
it's the right platform for you is to take it for a test drive.
Thats' why we're delighted to offer all our customers a free 14 day
trial, with no obligations and no credit card details required.
Will you get the support you need?
Whether you're an Ecommerce expert or a novice, it's likely you'll
need help at some point. That's why it's always useful to take a look
at the support options on offer before deciding on a platform.
Ideally, you should be able to seek support via a number of different
mediums – such as support forums, online documentation, live chat,
and actual support tickets.
Is it secure?
It
pretty much goes without saying that security is a massive issue in
Ecommerce. It's important for your customers
and
it's important for you
that
your store, and the sensitive data it handles, is kept safe and
secure at all times.
Check out the security credentials of your chosen platform before
going any further – whichever you choose, you absolutely need to
make sure that its PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant. This is a
set of requirements which ensure that companies processing or
transmitting credit card info maintain a secure environment. You can
avoid major headaches for you and your customers by making sure you
do your due diligence here!
How we can help
Here
at AmeriCommerce, we're incredibly proud of the 5,000+ stores we
power, and the $4 billion worth of stuff those awesome guys have
sold. We're all about giving you the tools to build, manage and
market a successful online store. So why not get
in touch
with us and we can talk about how we can help you!