How to choose the right e-commerce platform

Want to know how to choose the right e-commerce platform for your business? Keep reading to find out four factors to consider when picking the right e-commerce platform.

The e-commerce platform your storefront is hosted on has a big impact on your e-commerce business growth and chance of success.

Storefront glitches, system failures, and poor customer service can be detrimental to your e-commerce brand, so it is important to choose the right e-commerce platform to experience customer satisfaction, retain customers, and generate revenue.

Whether you are starting an online business, moving your brand into the digital world, or simply unsure about whether you are currently using the right e-commerce platform, this blog is here to help.

Keep reading to learn the four factors every e-commerce business owner should consider when picking the right e-commerce platform.

Scalability

Even if you are a brand-new start-up, it is always a good idea to plan for growth and consider how you will scale your business.

A good e-commerce platform will have the ability to scale your storefront alongside your brand in a variety of ways. E-commerce platforms with a scalable infrastructure are capable of handling high traffic volumes and sales spikes with more complex operations, integrations, and support.

Without scalable software, your e-commerce is likely to experience growing pains. No matter what you sell or who your customers are, it is important that your online storefront can manage an influx or increase in visitors without crashing or slowing down.

Security

Just like physical stores invest in security guards and cameras, your online store should also adequately defend against theft and cyberattacks. E-commerce security ensures safe transactions and purchasing experiences on the internet, so it is important you choose a secure web host and e-commerce platform.

E-commerce stores are a popular target for cyberattacks and often fall victim to phishing, malware, ransomware, and cross-site scripting threats.

To overcome this, good e-commerce platforms take security and privacy very seriously. Multi-layer security, information security standards, security patching, encrypted data, and advanced security management systems are some ways reliable e-commerce platforms work to protect you and your business.

Cost

The cost of hosting your storefront will ultimately be driven by the complexity of the project and of course, the e-commerce platform you choose. Prices for website hosting can start from just $2.49 per month and climb to way beyond $1000 depending on your store requirements.

When choosing the right e-commerce platform, you should consider the service you receive for the price point you receive it at. In the beginning, often e-commerce business owners are looking to cut back on costs,but it is important to remember your storefront is how you attract and appeal to customers and therefore, worthy of investment.

E-commerce platforms such as Shopify and Amazon offer you everything you need included in a monthly subscription. You can choose from basic to advanced plans to ensure all your e-commerce business needs are met. In some instances, you can even sign up for a starter subscription at a discounted fee to explore the platform and ensure it is right for you.

Customer Service

With no physical store customers can visit, it is important for your e-commerce store to have responsive and efficient customer service. Great customer service inspires customer loyalty and builds meaningful connections with customers. For this reason, is it crucial that the e-commerce platform you choose provides an impeccable customer service option.

A solid customer service strategy will help to improve the all-important customer experience and success of your online store. Being able to amend customer orders, answer product questions, and advise about returns in a timely manner is essential.

The ideal e-commerce platform can help enhance customer service by providing self-service options that help consumers resolve issues alone, minimising technical issues, and providing quick contact methods and clear lines of communication.

At Unicorn Accounting, we provide a range of accounting services from accounting advice to app advisory for e-commerce businesses.

We know that choosing the right e-commerce platform comes with a lot of pressure so that’s why we provide you with our expert e-commerce store advice and support.

Get in touch today to ask us about the best apps for e-commerce businesses and what is the right e-commerce platform for you.

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