There are over 4 million e-commerce websites running on different models. Every business uses different types of platforms with innovative and advanced features. If you are new to the business we have generated a list of super top e-commerce platforms that offer free trials and the lowest pricing structure for the start-ups.
Before opting for any one of the platforms, one thing you should be sure about is the initial cost that varies from platform to platform. Certain eCommerce website development platforms have transaction-based business models so you pay only when you earn. The other platforms have a flat fee that you have to pay regardless of your sales. Initially, startups go for the transaction-based platforms as investments are low rather than paying a flat fee every month
Factors You Should Consider Before Opting For an ECommerce Platform
- Customizability
- Installation and usage difficulty
- Integration and exportability
- Extra plugins and add ons
- Mobile-Friendly support
- Payment gateways and processors
Woocommerce:
Woocommerce is a WordPress plug-in-based e-commerce platform meaning you first have to install WordPress to set up a site. The installation can be done easily with a step-by-step wizard powered by the platform.
Woocommerce has no initial cost and is free to download. The benefit of Woocommerce is that WordPress has thousands of free and paid themes. Additionally, it has a lot of extra plugins and extensions to boost the functionality of your store (both free and paid plugins) Woocommerce stores can be accessed via google play, apple store, and WordPress specific apps.
WooCommerce offers a hundred options for payment gateway as well including stripe, apple, and PayPal (standard service fee is 2.9% min.)
Shopify:
Shopify is one of the popular eCommerce platforms with a market share of 23%. Shopify offers you the most impactful features such as limit-free storage, unlimited product listing, discount codes, and gift cards. in person pos, and so on for any virtual store. As compared to WordPress it has fewer options for blogging and content creation since the primary focus is on selling products. Shopify has an initially free trial and the monthly fee starts at 29$.
According to the packages, Shopify offers different features and it is one of the most reliable choices.
Constant Contact:
The company is widely known as the email marketing organization which was originally founded in 1995. The company also offers an online store feature. Constant contact offers several themes that can be customized according to your brand. It offers the majority of the features required to an e-commerce business such as integrated shipping, digital downloads, mobile-friendly layouts, and coupons.
The platform is even a better choice for businesses that practice email marketing already. The best part is the platform is completely free to use.
Open Cart:
OpenCart is an open-source and free e-commerce platform that has everything. Opencart offers an admin dashboard, user management, coupons and discounts, affiliate programs, and other features. The platform also offers you to manage multiple stores with the same account which is a special feature considering most of the web development platforms.
Opencart is one of the platforms that are completely free. There are no set up fees, no monthly fee, and offers free support as well. The platform is very popular among non-profits organizations and businesses on small budgets. To measure the credibility of the platform know that organizations such as the British red cross and Concordia college and the hong kong university welcome center are powered by the open cart.
CS-Cart:
CS-Cart is popular as a multi-vendor ecommerce platform. It allows you to sell products easily from numerous different clients as well as create a marketplace where multiple companies can list their products similar to amazon. The platform offers a list of features such as an advanced vendor payout system, restrictions on vendor’s product inclusion, subscription plans, comparison tables, commissions, different levels of administrative access, and much more.
With such advanced features, the price is also a bit higher as compared to the other platforms mentioned in the article. The platform is aimed at large multi-vendor websites. The introductory price alone starts at $1500 per month but you can try out the website with the free trial.
Webnode:
Webnode is one of the biggest competitors of Wix and Weebly offers similar features. The platform offers a premium business model with a free basic plan. The website has over a 40million users using the affordable premium plan ranging between $4.00 – $23 per month. You can use Webnode to add the store feature to your existing website.
One of the best parts of Webnode is that credit card information is not required to use the free version of Webnode. The website can be created using blocks or the premade templates existing in hundreds. What makes Webnode stand out, even more, is that you can even build the website on your phone. It also offers additional features such as mailboxes. From builder and website statistics. The support team of Webnode also speaks multiple languages so you can easily understand the process.
