Are you aware that the history of eCommerce has reported that “customers will be able to research, browse, and shop seamlessly on different platforms and different devices?” It can be like a standalone store like a web store, Amazon presence etc.
So, it does not replicate a scenario where selling via an eCommerce website is avoidable. The best online eCommerce platform like Walmart or Amazon may turn out to be a better choice if you are exploring a large audience with a massive following.
But selling online has taken a smart approach. Hence, if you want to be the owner of your online website without relying on any third parties, then developing your website turns out to be the best option.
The best e-commerce website builders in 2023
There are various methods of turning your website into a full-fledged storefront.
- Creation of a dedicated eCommerce store from scratch
- Adding an eCommerce plug-in to your website
- Use an eCommerce website builder.
Developing a website may seem like an overwhelming task for you, but with the help of the best eCommerce builders, you can nail down things easily. The website builders take care of the technical jargon. Right from purchasing the domain, hosting plans, customization testing, to publishing you get everything at a single place. This makes website development fun and simple.
Shopify
Shopify is one of the best eCommerce website builders that helps businesses of all types sell online and accept credit card payments. A user is able to upload product information and formulate inventory-level criteria and description details. With an order tracker owners organize and manage their inventory. The stores integrate over 100 payment gateways and can export or run key reports on referrals, products, or other metrics. Some of the customers feel that the subscription costs of Shopify are reasonable.
Pros
- 24/7 reporting
- At all levels, unlimited products
Cons
- Fewer store themes to work
- Professional reports are available with the Shopify plan and up.
Pricing
- The basic plan is $ 29 per month, and the advanced plan is $ 299 per month.
Open Cart
If you are thinking of an open-source platform with a robust community and plenty of add-on features, then an open cart has to be on your to-do list. Suppose you have some basic coding knowledge, then you will be able to tweak Open Cart at a granular level. It is a kind of eCommerce builder platform that allows you to create and launch an eCommerce store, manage inventory, and process orders. Since it is open source, you may modify the programmes as per your wishes. It is a solid platform to start with since the investment cost is lower.
Pros
- You can sell in multiple currencies.
- The store can be accessed in 40-odd languages.
- There is no location restriction when it comes to selling to customers.
- Extensive customization options
Cons
- The installation process is not straightforward.
- The large websites may have low loading speed
- For beginners, customization can be difficult.
Pricing
- The subscription fee is $29.99 per month.
Big Commerce
Big Commerce makes it to the top tier of our eCommerce platform list. Through simplified management, the platform aims to get more traffic and higher conversions. The marketing features, like synchronization with Google Shopping and built-in SEO, provide a store with the necessary traffic boost. Product filtering and abandoned cart delivery improve on-site effectiveness. The platform has a native customer group feature, pointing to better store management. The app provides store extensions such as analytics and accounting.
Pros
- 24/7 support
- POS integration for all plans
- Intuitive interface
Cons
- Customer grouping is not part of the standard plan.
Pricing
- The standard plan is $229.95 per month.
Wix
Ranked among the best eCommerce website builders, there are 5000 professional templates for a business to customize. From a single dashboard, it supports multiple sales channels, establishing a connection with Unsplash and providing access to over a million loyalty images. There is end-to-end encryption and over 40 payment options, making shopping secure, and a built-in business area that helps businesses create loyal customers. For better ranking, the product pages are search engine optimized. Businesses can export and import data when there is a drop in shipping or when fulfilling their own inventory.
Pros
- Multiple payment options
- Encrypted transactions
- Access to extensive high-resolution images
Cons
- Returns management not available
- No CRM
Pricing
- Customized pricing option
Drupal
Drupal is an open-source content management system formulated in PHP primarily with Plone and Joomla. Drupal core is the standard release of Drupal and incorporates basic features related to content management systems. There is a dashboard with RSS feeds, a menu management system, page layout customization and themes to add to this. Advanced features, along with access statistics are provided by the platform
Pros
- It is a flexible platform
- security is one of the strongest points of Drupal
- Drupal is really powerful
- Performance and scalability
Cons
- The learning curve of Drupal is steep
- Maintenance and support are difficult.
Pricing
- Drupal is available free of cost, and regularly updated just like any other open-source software.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is best suited for business owners with web experience. This was launched in 2011 and is an open-source, flexible commerce solution developed on WordPress. It makes it possible for SMBs to convert their static WordPress website into an eCommerce front.
Pros
- It’s easy to add products through a user-friendly interface.
- It is possible to sell digital and physical products.
- Accepting payments using credit cards, cash, checks, etc.
- compatible with hundreds of third-party extensions
Cons
- More usage of plugins
- With optimized hosting providers website speed gets impacted
Pricing
- It is free. However, if you want to add more features, you must decide between third-party extensions and premium plugins.
Magento
Magento, also known as Adobe Commerce, is one of the popular eCommerce platforms introduced by Adobe, providing B2B and B2C experiences. From the catalogue to payment and shipping, this platform helps you incorporate a professional outlook with advanced features. You can launch, manage, and scale your eCommerce business with tools facilitating analytics, cloud deployment, and a lot more.
Pros
- with drag-and-drop page builders, creating compelling content
- supports AI-driven product recommendations
- Mobile-friendly experience
- provides analytics reports.
Cons
- No free version is available.
- No marketing tools
Pricing
- To learn more about the pricing details, you need to take a demo and choose a customized pricing plan.
The factors to consider before you invest in a website builder
You dream of having a good website but are not ready to make any investments at the start. Pick the right website builder for you. An ideal way to build a website is to use the best e-commerce website builders. There is no secret website builder out there, but there is one that suits you best. When choosing a site builder, there are a few points to consider. A modern AI website builder that is designed to meet all possible requirements will avoid problems like wasting your time and losing money.
Simplicity and ease
The system would be easy and clear for you. Many services include visual drag-and-drop, which allows you to use your keyboard and mouse to position various blocks on website pages. With an editor, you will also see how your website will look and make corrections if needed.
CMS
CMS allows you to work comfortably with a large number of information blocks. If you are looking to add content to the website regularly, then the presence of a CMS has to be on your to-do list.
Quality and number of templates with customization options
You will very rarely be able to create your own website template using the best eCommerce website builders. Hence, it is important to understand that you will be able to find a ready-made solution for your needs. A better piece of news is that website templates are customizable.
The functionality
Most popular eCommerce platforms offer some of the services free of cost whereas important functions are available in paid accounts. Another issue with a free plan is that you can only get a third-level domain for free.
SEO options
Almost all website builders provide the best search engine optimization along with fast promotion. As a user, you can still determine the quality of the programmers. Not even the best eCommerce platform will be able to provide suitable SEO platforms free of charge.
Social media tools
The developers of websites pay insufficient attention to social networks. Ensure that the site builder has an option for interacting with the social networks that you are interested in, for example, Instagram or Facebook. Even check out the share button and the other tools that will work or not.
For more details, Connect with GTECH.