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e-commerce

10 Best e-Commerce Platforms for Small Businesses

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For Small Businesses

E-commerce is a thriving industry.. this is a fact. If you are struggling to cope with this, then you should take a look at the following infographic from BigCommerce.

e_commerce_platforms

If you want to start an online store or simply wish to migrate to an existing content management system (CMS), there are fortunately numerous options for you to choose from. 

Here are 10 of the best e-Commerce platforms geared specifically toward small businesses. 

1. Shopify

Benefits: Overall functionality, convenient use
Price: $9-$300.
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 – 2.4% + $0.30

Shopify is a preeminent e-commerce CMS. As one of the more cutting-edge options available, users can take advantage of how convenient it is to use this platform. Both beginners and veteran marketplace teams can excel on this platform with a wide variety of helpful features.

Shopify is also relatively inexpensive. Therefore, if you’re looking for a standard e-commerce platform you can grow with, choosing Shopify is a great selection.

2. BigCommerce

Benefits: Wide selection of themes and designs, broad payment options. 
Price: $29.95 – $249.95
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 – 2.2% + $0.30

BigCommerce is a fierce competitor to Shopify as the e-Commerce industry’s top CMS. Both platforms offer similar features at an identical cost. You can’t really go wrong in choosing either platform.

However, BigCommerce does have some advantages, including a wider selection of themes, designs, and broader payment options. BigCommerce provides a visual store builder, supplying up to 80 different themes. 

Other features include 24/7 support, cloud-hosting, marketing services, conversion optimization tools, and so much more.

3. 3dcart

Benefits: Built-in features, payment options
Price: $19 – $229
Transaction Fee: Varies

3dcart is an ideal alternative to Shopify. Though, the platform has a strong reputation for providing more than 200 built-in features users can take advantage of. Users also have the option to choose an affordable plan and still receive incredible benefits, such as saved carts, real-time shipping rates, unlimited product variants, and one-page checkout.

Furthermore, 3dcart provides more than 100 different payment providers and offers a discount if you use payment gateways they are partnered with. 

4. Volusion

Benefits: Cheap processing rates
Price: $29 – $299
Transaction Fee: 2.15% + $0.30 with Volusion Payments

Volusion is similarly priced compared to Shopify, but it is perhaps more simple-to-use. Many themes on the platform are free, as well as inventory and customer management, sales analytics, and marketing tools. 

Volusion does have some disadvantages, which include an annual sales limit depending on the plan they choose.

There are also a limited number of payment options. While Volusion may not be as advanced as Shopify, it does offer users the opportunity to save money on processing orders. 

Depending on the model of your business, this may be an ideal choice. 

5. PrestaShop

Benefits: Open-source platform 
Price: Free to download
Transaction Fee: Varies

All of the entries on this list so far have been SaaS platforms. Though, depending on your marketplace, an open-source platform may be a better selection. If you are looking for an open-source platform, you should consider choosing PrestaShop.

This platform is completely free to download. This means you will only be responsible for paying for payment processor costs, web hosting, and other developmental resources. 

One underrated feature of PrestaShop is the ability to integrate and run numerous stores from one platform. If you have access to a skilled developer, possess proficient technical knowledge, or are willing to pay for the costs of setting up your marketplace, PrestaShop is a great option. 

6. WooCommerce:

Benefits: Free for WordPress users
Price: Free 
Transaction Fee: Varies

There isn’t much to say about WooCommerce that hasn’t already been stated previously. Compared to Shopify and BigCommerce, WooCommerce is a worthy alternative. This platform gives users the ability to upload an unlimited number of products and integrate with more than 400 applications.

What’s more, is that WooCommerce has been integrated with WordPress. If you are currently using WordPress, you can download WooCommerce for free and begin using it. 

7. Squarespace

Benefits: Ideal for very small retailers
Price: $26 – $40
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30

This list wouldn’t be complete if there wasn’t an option for very small retailers. If you run a shop by yourself or have a limited number of products, Squarespace is an excellent and affordable option.

Squarespace offers all of the features you need to run a successful marketplace. The platform is used mainly to build business websites, so you can expect the templates on there to be professional and clean. 

8. Square Online Store

Benefits: Free hosting
Price: $0 – $79
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30

Square Online Store is very similar to Squarespace. It’s also powered by Weebly, allowing users to create an online store within minutes. Before getting started, you can choose from a bunch of free themes, customize your theme, and start accepting payments instantly. 

Your completed website will come with a free SSL certificate, product options, unlimited products, and so much more. In fact, the most basic plan on this platform is completely free of charge.

If you desire to use a convenient platform with sufficient features for your marketplace, then Square Online Store is for you.

9. Sellfy

Benefits: Selling digital products
Price: $29 – $99
Transaction Fee: Varies

All of the platforms on this list are designed to sell digital products. However, if you are solely looking to sell your products and limit your spending, Sellfy is a great option. On this platform, you can quickly build your marketplace and start processing orders.

Sellfy is best for very small retailers that don’t have a preference of advanced features. 

10. AmeriCommerce

Benefits: High scalability
Price: $24.95 – $299
Transaction Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 – 2.4% + $0.30

AmericCommerce is similar to Sellfy, but this platform allows you to scale your business over time. Generally speaking, AmeriCommerce will grow as your business grows. You can choose more than 60 free themes and utilize dozens of payment gateways as you improve your marketplace.

Give Us a Call Today!

Do you need direction in choosing the right e-Commerce platform for your business? If so, give us a call at (214) 295-5845 to speak to a member of our award-winning team. 

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “10 Best e-Commerce Platforms for Small Businesses” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!

covid19

How COVID-19 Is Affecting E-commerce

Posted on | by devops
Expert Tips For E-Commerce Marketing

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has undoubtedly left an indelible impact on the world. Thousands of people have been infected with the virus with many unfortunately perishing as a result. 

This is not to mention the millions of people who are currently unemployed due to government regulatory measures to restrict physical movement. Overall, the effects of COVID-19’s impact can be felt worldwide.

Interestingly, the virus has caused a certain trend to form in the e-commerce sector. If you are currently running an e-commerce marketplace, then you should continue reading to learn more about how the coronavirus could potentially alter your business.

Millions Are Staying at Home

Again, the coronavirus is an airborne affliction that requires extended quarantine periods to restrict its growth in communities. As such, state governments in conjunction with the federal government have mandated a quarantine period, keeping millions of people at home.

Of course, these people still desire to carry on with their everyday lives even though it’s been altered. Without a lot of outside options to carry out grocery shopping duties, purchase essential products, and splurge, many are turning to the internet for a solution.

According to the senior enterprise contributor at Forbes, Louis Columbus explains that mandatory stay-at-home periods have increased the appetite of e-commerce shopping since not many other alternatives exist.

“In many families, online grocery, apparel, and entertainment shopping will replace store and mall visits permanently until a vaccine is available.”

In addition, key global trends point to a correlation between stay-at-home orders and e-commerce industry growth.

  • The year-over-year (YoY) revenue growth of online retailers has increased by 68% as of Mid-April, outgrowing a peak percentage of 49% in January. 
  • There is currently a 129% increase in the YoY growth of online retailers in the United States and Canada, as well as a 146% increase in all online orders. 
  • Conversion rates online have increased by 8.8% since February, highlighting a renewed sense of urgency online products not seen since Cyber Monday. 

With more people at home, online shopping has become ubiquitous throughout the world. This puts pressure on online retailers to make changes to their marketplaces and internal marketing strategies to accommodate the growing surge of consumers. 

Increased Mobile Usage

The domination of mobile usage in today’s global internet traffic is nothing new. According to Search Engine Land, nearly 60% of all online traffic comes from mobile devices. However, since the dawn of the coronavirus, mobile online traffic has skyrocketed.

Per the PYMNTS’ 2020 Remote Payments Study, 72% of consumers are using mobile devices to purchase online products. As a result, e-commerce retailers have to be mindful of how they can optimize and curate positive user experiences for all potential customers.

This means leveraging fundamental mobile optimization strategies to improve the responsiveness of their platforms. Hiring a web development agency to audit and performance improvements will be necessary for getting your marketplace ready for today’s new crop of consumers.

More People Will Continue Shopping Online

Stay-at-home orders are currently interim, at least in the larger states of the U.S. where the coronavirus has run rampant. This, however, doesn’t mean that these trends will decrease any time soon. 

A Morning Consult study concluded that 24% of consumers wouldn’t shop at a mall for at least six more months. This makes sense, being that a vaccine for the coronavirus would have to be available before larger stores and outlets could be safely reopened. 

This could mean that current e-commerce trends could continue growing. After all, online shopping is more convenient than any other alternative. Also, younger generations value convenience more than anything else when making a purchasing decision. 

How to Optimize Your E-Commerce Marketplace

As you can see, COVID-19 has tremendously affected the growth of the e-commerce industry, albeit in a positive way.

This growth is insofar of how proactive you are in adapting your marketing strategy to fit the changing times.

Remember, just because more online shopping is taking place doesn’t mean consumers will settle for any marketplace. It only means that the saturation of the e-commerce industry has increased, so there are thousands of retailers fighting for position. 

If you want to stay afloat, here’s how you can revamp your marketing strategy.

  • Make sure that your e-commerce platform is mobile-friendly. This is absolutely essential as there are strict penalties for not having a responsive website. 
  • Reduce the friction on your site. Friction is defined as an obstacle that prevents a potential customer from converting. Therefore, ensure that your website is simple to navigate.
  • Increase the speed of your website and perform a technical SEO checklist to make sure that your marketplace will rank online and be seen by your target audience.

Unfortunately, if you’re not an SEO expert, these steps will be incredibly difficult to perform. The good news is that the team at Agency Partner Interactive can be of service to you.

How Agency Partner Interactive Can Help

Agency Partner Interactive is a boutique digital marketing agency, specializing in creating high-performance marketing campaigns. We mainly provide services to e-commerce retailers.

By working with us, we can get down to the bottom of your marketplace’s failures and formulate an effective solution to increase its web traffic and conversions. Our decisions are based on highly-qualitative data.

Therefore, you can always be sure we are making the right decisions to help you achieve the highest return on your return on investment (ROI). SEO is very technical expertise and requires the brightest minds to have any effect on your campaign. 

If you want to put a proven professional in your corner, look no further than Agency Partner Interactive.

Give Us a Call Today!

The coronavirus has changed the way we do business. Unless you have a strategy to overcome your losses and reinvigorate your bottom line, it will be complicated to surpass your competitors and survive.

If you want to learn more about how we can help you, give us a call today at (214) 295-5845. You can also click here to receive a free quote. 

Not big on reading? That’s okay. Watch “How COVID-19 Is Affecting E-commerce” instead.

Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, we turned this blog into a video for you. Check it out below!