For the last 10 years, online business has been growing gradually. Online sales also rise up nearly 15% when compared to last year across the globe and they're predicted to increase further in future. If you want to start an ecommerce business to sell your product or service, an ecommerce shopping cart software is important in order to capitalize on this explosive online retail sales growth.
If you're planning to hire a dedicated development team to build your ecommerce site from scratch, those hefty costs will lead you to the frustrated stage. So, you can choose the readymade ecommerce shopping cart platform to save your time as well as money.
In the ecommerce industry, there are tons of option available. But how do you know that you're choosing the right ecommerce shopping cart platform? This article will provide an outline for you to consider when you're looking for the best professional ecommerce shopping cart software for your online business.
1. Pricing and Payment
The first thing that you should consider when searching for an ecommerce shopping cart software is its price. Whether you're running a small business or just about to start or already running a well-established ecommerce business, you have to know exactly what you'll be paying.
Almost all the ecommerce shopping cart software platform will have a monthly fee which depends on the type of platform you choose but the cost may differ. Try to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each platform to get the best for your budget.
You should also consider how your customers will be paying while ordering products from your store. Some of the ecommerce shopping cart software doesn't provide options to pay via third-party vendors such as PayPal, Stripe. This could end up being huge trouble for your customers and lead to shopping cart abandonment. So, choose wisely and look for the necessary payment options in the software.
2. Integration
The second most important factor that you should consider when looking at the ecommerce shopping cart platform is their integration and its plugins. Your ecommerce business requirement will be the deciding factor for choosing the plugin.
When looking at different ecommerce platform, think about the tools that you'll need for your business. Here are the most popular type of plugins or integration:
- Email Marketing Tool
- Accounting plugin
- Shipping Integration
- Payment Integration
3. SEO Friendliness
It’s time to think big for ecommerce shopping cart software owners, particularly who are looking to increase their online presence, craving for traffic and sales to their website. Since running a successful ecommerce store is not easy, you need to invest your time on research and generate new ideas for marketing to improve your online business.
Here are 5 important factors to make your ecommerce website SEO friendly:
- SEO friendly URL
- Canonicalization
- Brand Domain Name
- Sitemap.xml
- Add a blog to your ecommerce store
4. Mobile Friendliness
Did you know almost 60% of searches are done from mobile devices? Frequently those searches are continuing their purchase from a mobile device. This is also an important factor to look for in a platform which allows a customer to easily access and make a purchase from mobile on your ecommerce website.
Here are some benefits of choosing a mobile-friendly ecommerce shopping cart software:
- Wider market
- Responsive
- Increased average time
- Competitive advantages
5. Customer Service
A key aspect of any kind of business is customer service. Ecommerce business is a whole different world, sometimes software interruption and server downtimes which are out of human control can block the customers from accessing your ecommerce site. For example, cases like server cashes will affect your revenue and brand reputation.
During this time, technical support service will help you get things up and running again. So, take a look at each platform provider's customer service whether they are available 24/7. How can you reach their team? How many levels of technical support are offered? Also, make sure you ask them about these things before deciding on your ecommerce platform.
6. Security
Security is becoming one of the biggest concerns among the customer when it comes to shopping on your ecommerce website with credit or debit card. Nowadays, most of the website have robust security standards, so always check whether your platform supports HTTPS/SSL certificates for a safe and secure checkout process.
7. Scalability
In general, ecommerce store owners believe their business will gradually grow in the future. Therefore, it is important to look for a professional shopping cart software that will scale up along with your growing business.
You don't want to pay for the extra features that you're not using when you start a business. At the same time, when your business grows and needs arise, you shouldn’t be charged with unnecessary huge fees for additional required features.
Deciding on your ecommerce shopping cart software is the first required step when starting an online store for your business. Purchase Commerce has all the necessary features to keep your store up and running. It allows you to focus on your core business value like managing your ecommerce store rather spending time on other things. If you are planning to launch your ecommerce store, you can get in touch with us, so that we can assist you in establishing your ecommerce business successfully.
