Best Ecommerce Platform 2021

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Let’s get you into 2021 if you have a company and aren’t using an ecommerce platform. Whether you’re expanding a product line, establishing your first brick-and-mortar location, or launching a new business from the ground up, ecommerce platforms have a significant impact on your bottom line, especially these days when so many people prefer to shop online.

We’ll examine why you should use ecommerce software in this post, as well as what the advantages are and how much it will cost to use one of the best ecommerce platforms in 2021.

What’s on This Page

Why use an ecommerce platform?

When you own a website you register your domain name with a hosting company before you can start building your pages. Once you do this, your domain name has to be translated into something readable and technologically friendly. Enter DNS servers – A DNS server matches domain names with IP addresses. This means when you type www.google.com, a DNS server works to find the numerical code associated with that domain, so that you can access the information. Who knew so much was going on behind the scenes?!

What are the benefits of an ecommerce platform?

Ecommerce disrupts the retail environment by allowing digital touchpoints with brands to cultivate passionate buyers. At its core, ecommerce platforms simplify a shop’s front and back-end operations. This includes inventory management, warehouse fulfillment, payment systems, mobile commerce, web design, and a variety of other activities that are required for a successful business.

One of the most important benefits of selling online is that it allows you to collect, measure, and act on customer information to provide a unique experience and be top-of-mind. Email marketing, abandoned shopping cart recovery, and social media connections are all ways to do this.

How much does an ecommerce platform cost?

As you may have assumed, the price of an ecommerce solution will vary based on the platform and the features needed to fulfill the retailer’s requirements. Ecommerce platform fees are paid in monthly or annual installments and can range from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. However, an average price is typically between $30 and $100 per month.

Transaction fees and payment processing fees are charged on top of the price to use the platform. Transaction fees are a percentage of each sale that the ecommerce platform takes, which is usually around 2% per transaction. Payment processing fees are—you guessed it—the fees that go to the payment processor. Most payment services charge 2.9% of the transaction amount.

Top 5 Rated Ecommerce Platforms

Shopify

Best for small businesses

Shopify is a fan favorite among individual sellers all the way up to large enterprises. Drag-and-drop design makes creating your ecommerce store super simple, and it automatically optimizes the layout for mobile devices to deliver seamless branding that doesn’t skip a beat. Shopify also integrates with social media to transform posts and stories into shopping experiences, in addition to supporting multiple languages and over 100 different currencies. Prices range from $29-$299 per month, depending on the plan that suits your needs.

Dropshipping

Perfect for those who don’t want to manage inventory, packing, or shipping. Dropshipping allows products to be sent directly from the wholesaler to your customers.

Social Media Integration

Remove barriers to buy your products by providing a consistent in-app shopping experience. Shopify’s social media integration allows people to buy directly from Facebook and Instagram.

SC Icon

StackCompare.com

5 (Aggregate Score)


Capterra Icon

Capterra.com

4.5 (3896 user reviews)


G2 Logo

G2.com

4.3 (3674 user reviews)

Squarespace

Best for design templates

Squarespace is perfect for beginners and people who don’t have a lot of time or tech skills but still want a platform that looks professional and is easy to navigate. Squarespace allows you to edit and tailor the template to your heart’s content, plus they are quick to support users, with an average email response time of one hour. Built-in reporting lets you keep an eye on the analytics and SEO-ready website software makes Google happy without the need for coding or advanced tech knowledge. The price for business plans will cost you between $18 and $40 per month.

Unlimited Products

There’s no set limit to the number of products you can add to your online store. As your business grows, Squarespace can still take care of your needs.

Website Analytics

Gain insights into how your online store is performing. With analytics, you get a clear picture of your visitors and their behavior through visual reports.

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StackCompare.com

4.9 (Aggregate Score)


Capterra Icon

Capterra.com

4.6 (2120 user reviews)


G2 Logo

G2.com

4.4 (907 user reviews)

Wix

Best for customization

People have been using Wix to create websites for over 15 years, and now they are making waves as one of the top ecommerce platform options. With over 500 themes to choose from, Wix makes customizing your storefront easier than pouring a cup of coffee. Boasting a vast number of features that go beyond app integration and SEO, Wix gives you all the functions of a professional ecommerce site without the stress of learning how to build it. Wix offers three pricing plans: Basic for $23/month, Unlimited for $27/month, and VIP for $49/month.

Payment Options

With over 50 payment gateway options, customers can purchase from anywhere around the world using more than just credit cards. Wix also accepts debit payments and customers can take advantage of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL).

Ecommerce Expert

Those who want some extra help can hire an ecommerce expert. From designing and promoting your website to setting up your online store, get matched with vetted agencies and freelancers who can help deliver real results. 

SC Icon

StackCompare.com

4.75 (Aggregate Score)


Capterra Icon

Capterra.com

4.4 (6310 user reviews)


G2 Logo

G2.com

4.2 (1319 user reviews)

GoDaddy

Best for beginners

If you are looking for a super easy and quick-to-launch platform, GoDaddy is for you. You can get your site up and fully functional in less than an hour, and GoDaddy integrates with tons of sites, including Amazon, Etsy, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also manage your social media channels from the platform on-the-go using the mobile app. Customer service is available 24/7, so you’re never without support. Pricing for an ecommerce subscription ranges from $20 to $30 per month, depending on the frequency of your payments.

Built-in Marketing

Build a website that’s designed to help you grow. From SEO tools to social integration, GoDaddy combines ecommerce and marketing into an all-in-one builder that does it all.

Artificial Intelligence

A.I.-powered advice. GoDaddy InSight provides tailored recommendations gleaned from insights across more than a million GoDaddy customers in different locations and industries.

SC Icon

StackCompare.com

4.75 (Aggregate Score)


Capterra Icon

Capterra.com

4.1 (861 user reviews)


G2 Logo

G2.com

3.9 (88 user reviews)

Magento

Best for advanced users

Magento is a powerful ecommerce option. As part of the Adobe suite, it has a solid reputation and over 250,000 Magento shops are live on the internet. Traditionally known as a platform that requires its users to have advanced coding knowledge, Magento now offers modern drag-and-drop tools like the rest of the cool kids. As an open-source platform, there is a free version that sellers can use, however, prices for the commerce plans can run you tens of thousands of dollars as pricing is dependent on annual Gross Sales Revenue.

Business Intelligence Dashboard

A dedicated space to analyze your data and business health. There are many BI tutorials to help navigate the dashboard.

Open Source

As an open-source platform, Magento delivers ecommerce capabilities that allow you to build a unique store from the ground up. Features include optimized cloud architecture and hosting with AI-powered merchandising.

SC Icon

StackCompare.com

4.5 (Aggregate Score)


Capterra Icon

Capterra.com

3.9 (439 user reviews)


G2 Logo

G2.com

4.3 (533 user reviews)

Our Rating Process

The choice of the best ecommerce platform will differ for each person based on several criteria, including the quantity of goods offered, service area(s), fulfillment options, and scaling plans. Most ecommerce platforms provide tiered subscriptions with basic and advanced features that may be added via apps and plug-ins. We evaluated each ecommerce solution based on its features, performance, design, and pricing. To assist you in selecting the finest ecommerce software to take your company to the next level, we assigned them all a score out of 5 points.

Features
Performance
Design
Pricing
Features

If you’re new to ecommerce, you’ll want to choose a platform with robust features that do all the heavy lifting. At the very least, online stores should offer web hosting, payment processing, shipping options, and order management.

Performance

With the entire world wide web at our fingertips, ecommerce platforms need to perform optimally to ensure that customers have a seamless experience. Not only does Google prioritize fast websites by giving them higher SERP ranks, but most consumers expect webpages to load in less than 2 seconds or they’re on to the next one.

Design

The design capabilities of ecommerce platforms are critical. You want to ensure ease-of-use for you as a retailer and an intuitive experience for your customers. The best online store platform for a simple setup will offer design templates to get you up and running with little to no effort.

Pricing

Money talks, which is why the platform’s price is always going to be a deciding factor. When choosing an ecommerce store, it’s always best to try and find the right balance between required features and a price point that doesn’t come with sticker shock.

Product Features

Shopify

$29-$299
/ month

  • Generous Free Trial
  • Robust application ecosystem
  • Customer Support


Sign Up

Squarespace

$12-$40
/ month

  • World-class design templates
  • Drag-and-drop builder
  • Free trial


Sign Up

Wix

$14-$599
/ month

  • Product filtering and sorting
  • No transaction fees
  • Custom domain name


Sign Up

GoDaddy

$24.99
/ month

  • Support multi-channel sales
  • 24/7 support
  • Free web domain


Sign Up

Alternative Options

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CMS

CMS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an ecommerce platform?

An ecommerce platform is a software that provides online businesses with the tools to manage their operations. The platforms typically offer everything that a retailer needs to run an online store, from website building, secure payment options, as well as accounting and inventory systems. It’s a one-stop-shop for a website, marketing, sales, and operations.

What is the best ecommerce platform?

The best ecommerce platform will be different depending on the needs of the retailer. However, for an overall solid platform that checks all the boxes for most sellers, we recommend Shopify as it offers excellent features, prices, and an easy-to-use interface.

How to choose an ecommerce platform?

When choosing the best ecommerce website builder, you want to make sure that it has the features you need to grow your business. Looking at things like cost, scalability, design, and ease-of-use are a good place to start, however, specifics will be different for each retailer. It’s about finding the platform that offers the right mix of features for your individual needs.

How to use an ecommerce platform?

Thanks to the exciting world of app integrations, ecommerce platforms enable sellers to reach larger audiences and automate much of the work. By launching a business on an ecommerce site, customers can shop your products 24/7, pay using different methods, and sign up for marketing information all in one location without any human intervention.

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