The eCommerce industry has always been one of the most developed and popular ones. And if you want to start your business or move it to the next level, you should necessarily go online. It is a smart decision since people use Internet services in 7 out of 10 cases nowadays. And this year, with all this pandemic situation, has shown that every business owner must have eCommerce software to survive and not lose their money. People google everything they want to buy or order, and if they cannot find you on the web, then your business doesn’t exist for them. Indeed, even when you want to order essay paper or pizza, you open the Internet since it is much easier and faster. Choosing a suitable online platform is a sensitive task since too many things will depend on it. So, what aspects should you consider?
The value of an online platform for your business
Someone may believe that it is not a big deal to provide your product listings on the web. However, it is more than that since you should consider many things to get the best out of it and not waste money on the nonprofit upgrade. You should possess strategic and critical thinking to plan every detail and make your project fruitful. If you spend time and money on the platform that meets your needs, you will take advantage of the digital space, making its perfect spot for selling and communicating with your customers. You should consider how fast your business can develop, how much money you are ready to spend, how you can affect your customers’ involvement, and how it can help you succeed. Even though many business people focus on the “package”, lead generation and business process play the key role.
What aspects should you consider when choosing a platform?
Since your platform is supposed to become your main digital tool, you should consider various aspects to get what you are looking for. It is always better to spend some time double-checking everything than regret it later.
1. Vendor expertise
Make sure the vendor possesses the required technical skills and practical experience to meet your needs and demands. Besides, it will be not superfluous to find out whether they have ever worked in your field. Look for unbiased customer reviews and case studies to make sure the vendor can provide you with the desired level of services that are not limited by the development of the platform only.
2. Support
Nothing always goes smooth, so you can face some issues or bugs. It is not worth underestimating Murphy’s Law and turning a blind eye to such an important thing as support. Thus, you should make sure that your vendor will not leave you face-to-face with your problems, but help you solve them. You should always opt for vendors who provide customer support around the clock and can be reached via different channels.
3. Scaling
The chances are high that you are going to develop your business and make it flourish, so you should make sure that your platform can develop and grow along with you. It will serve the role of a “central hub” for your business in the digital space, so you should eliminate the situations when everything can be put on pause.
4. SEO-friendliness
It is not for nothing that many companies are interested in SEO promotion and high ranks in the search results. Thus, pay attention to the SEO features the platform can provide you with. For example, you may want to add a blog to your platform or use a special domain name or allow your clients to leave feedback.
5. Mobile-friendliness
Today, this aspect is of crucial importance since most people use their smartphones to access the Internet and search for the required info or ask someone to do my assignment. If your platform is not mobile-friendly, you will lose about half of your potential clients. So, you should devote special attention to this aspect.
6. Security
Even though some people believe that the Internet is a safe place, it is not so. There are a huge number of cybercriminals who expect you to make a mistake and provide them with a chance to get your money. And since your platform will take financial payments, you should double-check that your eCommerce provider possesses all the required security protocols.
Key features of an eCommerce platform
Every platform has a special set of functions, but you should pay special attention to the following moments to get the best out of your digital investment.
1. Vibrant catalog
Since it is one of the key things on your platform, you should make sure it is user-friendly and easy to update. Besides, if you work in a special field, your catalog should meet the demands of your area. For example, clothes stores should provide an opportunity to choose the size or color of their items.
2. Flexible pricing
Promotions and discounts are not the only things you will want to run. If your platform is supposed to be international, you should provide an opportunity to choose the required currency. And you may want to set different fees, depending on the location.
3. Flexible shipping
Modern customers have become a bit picky in the last years. They don’t want to wait for a week to get their purchases. Thus, your platform must be supported by a reliable logistics company or two.