When I first decided to take the plunge into the world of ecommerce, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available.
It wasn’t just about setting up a website; there were platforms, builders, and countless tools, each promising to be the best solution for my budding online business. I remember spending countless nights comparing features, reading reviews, and trying to figure out what exactly I needed.
It was only after a lot of trial and error that I realized the key to a successful online store isn’t just about having a visually appealing website—it’s about choosing the right ecommerce platform that powers everything behind the scenes.
That’s where the real magic happens. Understanding the difference between an ecommerce website and the platform that runs it was a game-changer for me, and it can be for you too. And this article will break it all down for you!
What is an eCommerce platform?
An ecommerce platform is a software solution that allows businesses to manage their online sales operations.
It provides the tools and infrastructure needed to build, customize, and manage an online store, including handling product listings, payments, shipping, and more.
These platforms can be cloud-based (SaaS) or self-hosted, offering varying levels of customization, scalability, and support. Some popular ecommerce platforms include Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento, each catering to different business needs, from small startups to large enterprises.
How is it different from an eCommerce website?
An ecommerce website is the digital storefront where customers interact with your products and make purchases. It’s what visitors see and use when they land on your domain, complete with product pages, shopping carts, and checkout processes.
On the other hand, an ecommerce platform is the backend system that powers this website. While the website is the customer-facing side, the platform is the engine that runs behind the scenes, managing everything from inventory and orders to marketing and customer service.
Essentially, the ecommerce website is the visible output, while the ecommerce platform is the underlying structure that supports it.
Top 8 eCommerce platforms to start an online business
1. Shopify
Shopify is a Canadian company that started in 2006. It is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms in the market. Starting an online store with Shopify is very easy because you can set up your online store successfully in just 15 minutes without the help of any web developer. Shopify is undoubtedly the best eCommerce platform.
- Shopping stands high in terms of multi-selling channels. You can easily integrate your store with Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon.
- A website built in Shopify usually has a fast loading speed.
- Shopify helps you build a responsive design website and also offers Android and IOS user mobile apps.
- The platform offers guest checkout, one-page checkout, and a one-step checkout option.
- Dropshipping, free SSL certificate, and 24/7 support are some of its other most popular features.
- There is quite a good number of premium Shopify themes and Shopify Experts to jumpstart your eCommerce store.
2. Bigcommerce
Bigcommerce is also a Saas based eCommerce platform and is a direct competitor of Shopify. The platform was founded in 2009 and now has thousands of online stores running on their platform. The platform is known for its high-end features and low pricing.
- No transaction fee.
- Upload an unlimited number of products.
- Responsive design and search engine friendly.
- A number of payment gateway options.
- You can integrate your online store with Amazon, Instagram, and Facebook
3. YoKart
YoKart is a popular eCommerce platform that allows you to start a multi-vendor website like Amazon, Etsy, or Alibaba, at a reasonable cost. If you want to start any kind of multi-vendor stores such as a grocery multi-seller store, retail store, fashion store, or a sports marketplace, YoKart is the best eCommerce platform.
- The platform is specifically designed to build an online multi-seller or multi-vendor marketplace.
- Mobile Apps, responsive design, and sleek user interface.
- Pre-integrated with popular APIs such as QuickBooks, Stripe Connect, Taxjar, ShipStation, etc.
- One-time payment means no recurring fees.
- Fully customizable and scalable
- Free demos, FAQs and 12 months of free technical support.
4. Alibaba
Alibaba is one of the oldest and top-rated B2B marketplaces. It is on the premium and acknowledged Chinese markets with Chinese products available at ease. They have a worldwide name and have expanded their name by opening other branches of Alibaba. They have millions of active users. They achieved 717 billion CNY revenue in recent years.
- Alibaba operates in 16 languages and serves above 190 countries and regions
- They have an enhanced user experience for easy shopping
- Buyers can select their products by quotation and bid for them directly with manufacturers
5. Amazon
Amazon has also shifted towards the B2B market and opened Amazon Business. This platform was established in 2015 and is one of the most liked B2B eCommerce marketplaces. Amazon Business reports sales of about US $19 billion per year.
- Amazon Business deals in multiple industries such as education, health, wholesale buying, and tourism
- They cater to customers by purchasing solutions for them to have a better experience as per the size of their business
- They have launched organization-based solutions where small businesses, education, and NGOs can take advantage of software designed for them to buy goods from Amazon Business and get them quickly
- They allow you to manage cashflow efficiently and assess purchasing using your procurement partners
6. eWorldTrade
eWolrdTrade is one of the best online B2B marketplaces catering around the world. They are a top-notch brand, where a buyer or a seller can find everything through their directory. eWorldTrade is a cost-friendly marketplace where anyone can get a free quote. It is among the fastest-growing B2B platforms with transparent business transactions.
- Their help center works for 24 hours to cater to their clients through a chatbox
- They have a seamless website and a mobile application for a better user experience
- eWorldTrade has a staggering database of manufacturers, sellers, and companies from every part of the globe
- They are expanding their services and have moved towards brand management and reputation
7. Global Sources
Global sources is one of the oldest B2B marketplaces – operating for over 40 years. A wonderful Chinese company that has catered to over 1.5 million users. They have an array of Chinese-produced goods. Global Sources are famous for their free sign-up offer for suppliers.
- They have fast quotations that are submitted in a minute, and various suppliers reply with quotes
- They have different sourcing services, such as a VIP buyer, where you can get exclusive services and privileges
- They have a well-developed website where you can find products by category and analyze your choices
- They offer pre-set options for providers with features like; functionality, durability, and custom services
8. IndiaMART
IndiaMART is a leading B2B market in India. They have 60% of the online, B2B classified market in India. They also have a worldwide name serving 7 million suppliers and 143 million buyers. They focus on small to medium-sized businesses.
- They have a payment protection program for buyers. It is a good market for contacting sellers at any time and anywhere
- They have a special instant feature for suppliers to pay through IndiaMart
- IndiaMART has a smart membership plan for consumers starting from basic to premium
- They have a mobile application for a seamless experience where you can connect with verified sellers and have experts help in this process
As we’ve discussed, ecommerce platforms provide the comprehensive tools necessary to run an online business, from inventory management to payment processing. However, the face of your online store—the design, layout, and user experience—relies heavily on the website builder integrated within these platforms.
Why you need eCommerce website builders for your ecommerce platform
In the previous sections, we explored the top ecommerce platforms that can help you start and scale your business, as well as the leading B2B ecommerce platforms. Now, let’s dive into the top ecommerce website builders, which are often integrated into these platforms.
These builders are crucial for creating a visually appealing and user-friendly online store that can attract and retain customers. Whether you’re using an all-in-one ecommerce platform or looking for a standalone solution, choosing the right website builder is key to your online success.
5 Best eCommerce website builders
#1. Dukaan
Dukaan is a global commerce platform with one of the best eCommerce builders in the game. The platform is relatively new, however, using it feels like the team behind it has spent a lot of time observing the shortcomings of their competitors and creating a product that does everything that they don’t.
Using the Dukaan platform does not require any technical expertise. Dukaan’s eCommerce builder offers intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, access to a variety of highly customizable themes, and all the tools you will need to provide a delightful experience on your eCommerce website. You can get started with just your business name and product catalog ready.
Since Dukaan is a complete eCommerce solution and not just a builder, you can enjoy additional benefits such as integrations with over 40 unique plugins. You can use these plugins to easily get started with impactful marketing and conversion activities such as email marketing, pop-ups, abandoned cart recovery processes, and much more.
The best part is, Dukaan is one of the most affordable options on this list. The premium plans start at just $14.99/month, and there’s even a 7-day free trial that you can use to determine if Dukaan is the right platform for you.
Here are some of the most attractive features of the Dukaan platform:
- Drag-and-drop functionality: Build and customize your store, even if you don’t have any technical expertise.
- Multi-Device Website Management: Manage your website using smartphones, tablets, and personal/work computers.
- Business Analytics Dashboard: Track your store’s performance. Use this data to make optimization decisions to boost conversions on your store.
- Access To Additional Tools and Plugins: Additional tools and plugin integrations offered by the Dukaan platform make it easy for store owners to create a holistic and delightful website experience.
- Round-The-Clock Support: The Dukaan support team offers great support with prompt responses and quick solutions.
#2. Wix
Wix started out as a regular website builder but later added limited eCommerce builder features to their platform. However, since 2020, the eCommerce builder features have been upgraded. These days, Wix offers powerful eCommerce features, including a drag-and-drop builder and support for domain registration and hosting.
If you have used Wix to build a non-eCommerce website, you may already be familiar with how great their drag-and-drop builder functions are. Beyond their intuitive website builder, Wix also offers additional eCommerce-relevant features like customizable themes and the ability to build abandoned cart recovery campaigns (among others).
While Wix does not offer a free trial, you can get started with building your store at no cost. However, to bring it online and start selling, you will be required to pay for a premium plan. With eCommerce plans starting at $23 per month (charged annually), Wix is one of the more expensive options on our list.
Wix is a good option for first-time store owners that plan on selling a limited number of products. You may find the Wix platform lacking if you have a large product catalog and a big inventory. Many stores built on Wix report using third-party inventory management tools, as Wix’s inventory management dashboard lacks some important features such as low stock alerts.
Some salient features of Wix eCommerce include:
- Drag-And-Drop Builder: One of the best website builders in the game, Wix eCommerce is known to be intuitive and easy to use, even for beginners.
- Large Variety Of Templates: Use these customizable templates to make sure your store looks unlike any other.
- Integrations: Wix eCommerce integrates with social media and other channels to help you sell on platforms beyond your online store.
- SEO Optimization: Wix offers free SEO optimization recommendations. Use them to boost your store’s performance on organic search.
#3. Ecwid
Ecwid is a great option if you are on a budget, as the platform lets you start selling for free. The catch? You can only sell up to 10 products with the free plan. However, this is usually good enough for first-time store owners.
If yours is a non-profit organization, Ecwid will also give you free access to their basic premium plan, “Venture,” for six months. This plan is otherwise priced at $15 per month and lets you use Ecwid to sell up to 100 products. The most expensive plan offered by Ecwid allows users to create a smartphone app based on their store at no additional charge.
While Ecwid can allow you to create your own store, you can only create a one-page website. If you are planning on building a one-product store, this might be a good choice.
However, Ecwid is a better choice for those who already have a website and want to add eCommerce functionality to it. The tool offers access to over 70 highly customizable themes, along with access to an App Marketplace. The marketplace features apps and plugins that can be used to maximize the functionality of any store. So if you have a website built on Wix or Squarespace, or WordPress, Ecwid can help you turn it into an eCommerce powerhouse.
Some of the more notable features of Ecwid include:
- No Transaction Charge: Unlike many of its competitors, Ecwid does not charge a transaction fee from its users.
- Free Plan: The free plan that allows users to sell up to 10 products can prove beneficial for store owners operating on a shoestring budget.
- Custom App: Sign up for the “Unlimited” plan, and Ecwid will provide you with a custom app for your store that you can make available on iOS and Android devices. Please note that this feature/benefit is only available if you pay for the Unlimited plan annually.
#4. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is one of the most well-known names on this list and for good reason. The platform is responsible for powering some of the biggest eCommerce brands today, including (but not limited to) Nokia, Skullcandy, and Toyota.
BigCommerce offers two types of plans, named BigCommerce Essentials (for beginners) and BigCommerce Enterprise (for enterprises). The enterprise plan offers a customized experience for large store owners. You can choose from one of the three BigCommerce Essentials plans if you are a small business owner. Starting at $29.95 per month, BigCommerce is not cheap by any measure.
However, the premium users pay to get access to the platform’s expertise gained by powering thousands of eCommerce stores to date. The BigCommerce interface is designed to literally walk users through building an online store.
It will tell you exactly what steps you need to take, much like a tutorial to building your first store. The platform will even recommend relevant tools and plugins. These recommendations are customized to your store and the products you are offering.
The major downside of using BigCommerce is the revenue caps enforced by their system. If you are subscribed to the most basic plan and your store is thriving, and your revenue numbers cross the revenue limit, you will be asked to pay extra. The only alternative to this is to upgrade to a more expensive plan with a higher revenue limit.
Here’s a list of some of the best features offered by BigCommerce:
- Customizable Themes: The themes offered by BigCommerce can all be customized using the platform’s drag-and-drop features. After you have launched your store and tasted success, you can further customize them with the help of a programmer, as these are built on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Cross-Channel Commerce: This feature allows users to sell products on online marketplaces, including Amazon.
- No Transaction Fee: Users can sell products without having to worry about transaction fees.
#5. WooCommerce
WooCommerce isn’t an eCommerce platform or a standalone eCommerce store builder. Instead, it is an open-source plugin for WordPress websites. Any WordPress website can be turned into an eCommerce store using the WooCommerce Checkout plugin.
WooCommerce makes it easy to add products to your website and offers a host of additional eCommerce features. Some examples include inventory management, a tax calculator, payment tools, and even a number of shipping integrations.
Since this popular plugin is built for WordPress, it can be combined with other plugins to boost the eCommerce functionality of your website. In fact, there are a number of plugins on the WordPress marketplace that are specifically designed to be used with WooCommerce.
The open-source plugin is supported by a strong community with more than 350 contributors and thousands of members. Moreover, with a little technical knowledge, you can use the open-source tool to further upgrade the experience of your store and make it stand out.
That said, if you are a complete beginner, you may find working with WooCommerce a little difficult. Since it works only with WordPress, you may have to learn to use that platform before you can even begin working on your store. It is also worth noting that there is no official support team behind WooCommerce.
Unlike with a dedicated support team, you may not find instant resolutions to your problems. If you get stuck somewhere, you will have to depend on the community to help you.
Some of the most remarkable features of WooCommerce include:
- Great For WordPress Websites: Since WooCommerce is designed for WordPress, it works seamlessly with WordPress websites. It also integrates well with the tools and other plugins in the WordPress ecosystem.
- Ability To Create Customer And Administrator Accounts: Such a feature is great for enabling team collaboration and securing return customers.
- Complete Control Over Customer Data: WooCommerce provides you with all your customer data in one place, without giving any access to any third-party apps without your permission.
Final words
Every eCommerce business has different requirements, so finding a perfect ecommerce platform in 2021 for your business, calls for a lot of time-consuming analysis. From the above list, you can choose the best eCommerce platform according to your business needs, technical acumen, and budget.
Guest author: Ankush Mahajan works as marketing manager at FATbit Technologies, one of India’s leading custom software development & ready-made e-commerce solutions company. His expertise lies in branding and formulating marketing strategies for businesses in a number of industries. Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ankushmahajann