The Best Ecommerce Platform for a Small Business, Start-Up or Entrepreneur.
With the risk of lockdown and disruption to your business and changing customer habits, the importance of being able to sell online is increasing. This article is for small businesses and people looking to do ecommerce for the first time.
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Your Requirements / Business Outcomes
There are a lot of things you need to consider before you start trialling software and solutions. If you want to take your time and really think about everything you need read ‘The Ingredients for Ecommerce Success‘ book by Pilote founder David Fuller (Enter Code pilotemedia21 at checkout to get this book for Free)
Not every business is the same. Many ecommerce systems that are designed for small businesses and start-ups are very good at doing simple things, but if your business is slightly out of the ordinary, it can be expensive to modify or customise an ecommerce system.
Also remember that the customer experience does not end with a click of the checkout button. You need to know your stock levels, fulfil the order, deliver it and have a process in place to deal with potential returns and support issues.
Consider your level of IT knowledge. Even the most basic systems will probably need support from an agency or expert or freelancer.
Then of course there is the question of budget.
- How much do you have to spend to setup the system?
- How much does it cost for the license and support?
- What are the hidden costs?
- What ‘Tier’ do you need to deliver your business requirements?
- Do you need plugins or apps? How are they charged?
- What are the transaction costs for taking payments?
Shopify or Something Else?
Shopify has become a very successful and popular ecommerce system by focussing on the needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs. The basic philosophy is that – you should focus on your business and not have to worry about the IT.
Shopify is often compared to systems like WooCommerce by WordPress and Wix. There is no right answer.
Talk to us to see if Shopify is right for you. Live Chat Now!
What are the benefits of Shopify?
- Simplicity. You don’t have to worry about hosting, security, updates or integrations. All of this is included in the monthly fee. Payment gateways can be installed with just one click and the system talks to Facebook and Instagram so you can manage your promotions easily. The sites are mobile friendly and fast.
- Scalable. You might be starting small, but you want to grown your business. You need a system that can grow with you without having to start over with a new tool. Shopify is used by some of the largest ecommerce merchants in the world.
- Good Value. Even on the highest plan, you get a lot for your money. Building an ecommerce site from scratch can host hundreds of thousands of pounds. Shopify provides you with enterprise tools for a fraction of that.
- Speed to Market. Depending on your needs, you can be up and running in hours (realistically days).
What are the downsides of Shopify?
- Hidden fees. Shopify doesn’t do everything. Additional functionality will need to be provided through plugins or apps. Some of these are charged on a monthly basis. So – if you need 10 of them at 10 pounds per month, that’s another 100 per month you need to find budget for. Shopify also takes a percentage of sales as a transaction fee. This is in addition to the subscription.
- Flexibility. Shopify is not open-source. The road-map is theirs, and they have a high level of control over the ecosystem of apps and add-ons. If you need to be flexible, you should consider another platform like WordPress or BigCommerce.
What Next?
Chat to us. Click the button below and start a live chat. We will advise you whether Shopify is right for you or whether another solution like WooCommerce by WordPress or Wix or BigCommerce or something else suits your needs better. We will be totally transparent and lay out all the costs and things you need think about.
