Software for ecommerce site

There's a built-in support for 3D models and video too. There's also an option to create customizable storefronts on Facebook and Instagram. One of the newer features is the store speed report. Shopify also offers users unlimited hosting for their stores, in-depth analytics of how visitors are using the store, and functionality for marketing such as SEO optimization, a discount and coupon engine, gift cards and email marketing tools.

You can test out Shopify with a day free trial. Bigcommerce was established in and promises to "support your business, not just your store. In addition to offering support via phone, instant chat and email, it also offers articles and videos to help with ecommerce, and access to a team of ecommerce experts who can provide advice and guidance about online selling.

Their experts are qualified in both Google Analytics and Adwords. Like Shopify, Bigcommerce provides a variety of templates and themes to help stores look their best and get up-and-running quickly. Alternatively, users can design their own store or use Bigcommerce designers to do so. The platform incorporates a full-featured CMS that allows users to run an entire website, rather than just a store.

Users can benefit from detailed and flexible product management, optimized search engine rankings, along with a variety of integrated marketing tools and analytics.

As of late, some new features have been added like support for Amazon Import and Link and Shopping in Instagram Stories. The platform offers automated order processing, flexible tax rules depending on where orders are made and shipped, and support for multiple currencies.

You can test out Bigcommerce with a day free trial. CoreCommerce was set up in and focuses on providing ecommerce services to small and medium-sized businesses.

The company places an emphasis on simplicity and transparency, promising that its platform is easy-to-use and that customers will not fall foul of any hidden charges. Perhaps CoreCommerce's most unique aspect is that all of its features are offered to all customers regardless of what plan they are on. Price plans are determined by the number of products, the number of email addresses, the amount of bandwidth and the amount of storage required by the user and higher-end plans also benefit from additional support.

As with other ecommerce providers, CoreCommerce offers functionality for store design, product management, order processing and marketing. Of its headline features, the platform offers unlimited product customization options, a built-in blogging engine, and secure hosting that is provided by Rackspace and comes with a You can try CoreCommerce out with a day free trial.

Having been founded in , 3dcart now Shift4Shop is the oldest of our featured providers here. It was set up with a view to incorporating as many of the most requested ecommerce features into one platform as possible. The company says it has six core values by which it operates: ongoing innovation, good service, simple solutions, fostering trust, keeping employees and customers happy, and stimulating prosperity amongst employees and customers.

Some of the platform's innovative features include a module that users can install to offer gift-wrapping, a purchase order system, the option of running a loyalty program and the ability to offer recurring orders. Many of these features are very specific, meaning that stores can be highly tailored to the needs of each business.

Stores can be designed using one of the many templates offered by Shift4Shop, or users can design their own store. A quick edit bar means that making changes to the design of a store is simple. Product images are fore-fronted with Shift4Shop's auto-zoom feature and products can be sold via Facebook with its store integration.

As with some other platforms, users can blog directly from Shift4Shop and tools are provided for setting up coupons, sending newsletters and affiliate marketing. Shift4Shop is regularly updated and new features are constantly added, like the drag and drop HTML builder, built-in SEO stats, the home page editor or scheduled promotions.

Users can also make use out of "make an offer" feature, which basically lets you and your customers to negotiate on a price. There is also a B2B quote system, which provides customers with a temporary quoted price after discussing their order via phone. In addition to its platform, Shift4Shop offers a number of professional services. Overall, considering the cost of extensions and SiteGround price plans, we scored Magento 3. However, as with those other self-hosted ecommerce solutions, you will need technical chops to get the most out of it..

You will save time, money and A LOT of stress. On the flip side, if you do have a bit of coding knowledge or plan on hiring someone , OpenCart is worth considering. You can choose from over 20 different payment methods — a great variety for your future customers! OpenCart is free to download, but watch out for charges for installing new features. And remember, your hosting where your store lives online is not included with self-hosted ecommerce software.

Ecommerce software is what we call an all-in-one solution that gives you everything you need to build and run an online store. It makes it possible for you to add and sell products, manage your inventory, accept payments, deliver orders, and sort out taxes — pretty much anything you need to sell products through your online store without switching between different services. The software provides the engine, lights, steering wheel and gears. Using the best ecommerce software, you can build a stylish online store without any technical knowledge.

Instead, focus on finding the best ecommerce software for YOU. Think of it as like picking clothes for your wardrobe. You want clothes that fit your body shape and are suitable for the weather outside. There are four key questions you need to ask yourself before you pick your ecommerce software. Your answers will tell you which ecommerce solution is right for you.

Are you not particularly technical? Would you rather focus on marketing your store and making money? In other words, do you want to worry about hosting where your site lives on the internet , security, or any technical aspects of running your online store? If your answer is a resounding no , you might want to consider using hosted ecommerce software.

Ecommerce solutions like Shopify , BigCommerce and Volusion take care of the essentials of building and running an online store. Hosted ecommerce software will also make sure your site loads quickly. Load time is how long it takes for your store to appear when a customer tries to visit. Online shoppers are impatient. The slower your site loads, the more chance your customers bail before buying.

In our experience, ecommerce software that is self-hosted will load slower. Any work needed to speed up the site is up to you. On the other hand, the best hosted ecommerce solutions will take care of all the technical upkeep for you. Basically, hosted ecommerce software is dedicated to selling online. This enables you to focus on your business instead. These ecommerce solutions give you great flexibility to customize your store, but are much more hands-on when it comes to technical maintenance.

This can get very expensive very quickly. With the best ecommerce solutions, you know what your bill will be each month, and any extra apps are clearly priced. Developers cost money— often hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Furthermore, with self-hosted ecommerce software, you need to keep paying for plugins to add more functionality. This makes costing your online store with self-hosted ecommerce solutions a lot more difficult. Worry not — some hosted ecommerce platforms offer discounts on their premium plans which make them far more affordable.

Hosted and self-hosted ecommerce solutions require different amounts of technical skill to help you create the store you want. Self-hosted ecommerce software is terrific for customization. WordPress, for example, is an open source platform, meaning anyone can use its codes and create personalized templates, themes and plugins.

On the flip side, if you want to build your store using more accessible technology that requires no coding skills, hosted ecommerce solutions are the answer. At the click of a button, you can insert your content such as images and galleries , upload your products, and connect your website to a payment processor. All the tools you need to run an online store, including product management and payment processors, are already built-in to hosted ecommerce solutions.

If you do get stuck, dedicated support teams are on hand to help. Good support is like having a full-time business partner. They can answer your questions and point you in the right direction when things go wrong. Generally, self-hosted ecommerce solutions leave you on your own a bit more. There are communities, resources and tutorials to help, but you may find it hard to sift through the information to find the answer to your specific problem.

In our research, we found that hosted ecommerce software like Shopify and BigCommerce provided an excellent level of support. Agents are typically available over the phone, email and LiveChat. The first step is to think about how technically confident you are. What if you are a beginner or intermediate user, not comfortable with code, or want to quickly and easily set up an online store and start selling? Hosted ecommerce solutions like Shopify are your best option.

If not, they can be overwhelming and expensive for you to run. See our Ecommerce Comparison Chart for a full list of hosted ecommerce options. Or, check out our WordPress Review to find out more about self-hosted platforms. How much do ecommerce solutions cost? The good news is there are tons of options, so you can find a price to suit your budget. Self-hosted solutions are a lot harder to calculate because hosting plans vary so much.

It really depends on the size and needs of your store. Remember to include the cost of add-ons in your budget too. Which ecommerce solution is best for small businesses?

We recommend Shopify! It has something for everyone and is our top choice for running your online store. Want to find out more? Read our Shopify Review for a full look at this leading ecommerce solution. What should I look for in an ecommerce solution? There are tons of things that go into making an online store successful, but, there are some important features which benefit all businesses and which you should look out for when choosing your ecommerce solution.

The main one is getting an SSL certificate. This stands for Secure Sockets Layer and makes your site a safe place for customers to enter their payment details and information. Can I actually make money through ecommerce solutions like Shopify? Yes, definitely! These are dedicated ecommerce solutions, which means they have all the tools and features you need to create a successful online store and get selling.

From printing shipping labels to creating discounts, you have the tools to build your store and make money right at your fingertips. If you want to find out more about getting started, why not check out our guide on How to Build an Online Store. Website Builder Expert aims to provide you with honest data. Analyses and graphics in this article are based on authentic sources cross-validated by our in-house experts.

We take great care to ensure the information we publish is reliable and accurate. However, WBE takes no responsibility for any inaccuracy in information supplied to us by users, research participants, or other entities. Please note the insight contained within this article is for general information purposes only.

For further information, please contact Website Builder Expert directly via email at info websitebuilderexpert. Found this article helpful? Share this article or comment below!

Written and researched by. Natasha Willett Researcher. Lucy Carney Author. Updated: Aug 04, Comments: On this page Best 3 Hosted Solutions 1. Shopify 2. BigCommerce 3. Volusion Best 3 Self-Hosted Solutions 1. WooCommerce 2. Magento 3.

Compare the 6 Best Ecommerce Software Below you can compare the best ecommerce software side by side — use the arrows to scroll through the different software. Hosted or self-hosted. Best In Test. Best Value. Visit Site. To grab a piece of that pie, you need an ecommerce solution. Best Hosted Ecommerce Software Shopify — best hosted ecommerce software for larger businesses. BigCommerce — best ecommerce software for purely online businesses. The onboarding wizard walks you through adding your products, customizing the look of your store, connecting your own domain, and getting set up to take those all-important payments.

Even if you've never built a website before, you're unlikely to get lost in Shopify's intuitive web app. Adding a product, for example, is as simple as clicking Products in the sidebar and then the Add Products button. Fill in the name, price, quantity you have on hand, and any other relevant details, change its status to Active , and it's straight in your online store and ready to be sold.

While Shopify ticks most boxes right out of the gate, its extensibility and app store are what really make it such a powerful option. Not a bad selection, right?

But because Shopify is so popular, you can also find more than 1, themes available on ThemeForest or get a professional designer who is already experienced with the platform to make you a custom one. It's the same with almost any feature you could want. If it's not built in to Shopify, you can find an extension, plugin, or service that does it in the app store. Just go to apps. Head back to your Shopify dashboard and click Apps in the sidebar to manage all the ones you've installed.

It should be no surprise that Shopify integrates with Zapier , so if you want to automatically add new customers to your email marketing list, track orders with a project management tool, or connect Shopify to any of the other apps you use, you can do it easily. Square Web, iOS, Android. If you want the option to sell in-person, like at a farmer's market or craft fair, as well as through your online store, Square is the best choice.

Your online and offline orders are all organized under a single dashboard, so there's no jumping between apps, trying to track down customer details using random spreadsheets, or having to enter things manually after the fact. Square bought the website builder app Weebly in , so when you set up your store, that's what's running under the hood. If you occasionally see a URL direct to weebly. Note: we noticed fewer Weebly URLs popping up in the most recent review. Square has some of the best onboarding around.

When you sign up, you have to fill in a quick questionnaire about your business and its needs. You've got the option to set up a single booking page, a full online store, or simple checkout links, depending on what you're looking for.

The default theme will also be tweaked to match the business category you chose. In terms of storefront customization, Square is a little more limited than some of the other options. In the sidebar on the left, you can select the different page elements, or you can just click on them directly. For more options, click the three little dots.

You can change the colors, fonts, and layout of everything individually and, of course, upload your own images. It works well, but it is a bit constrained. You can create "items," what Square calls products or services for sale, through both the regular Square Dashboard and the Square Online Dashboard, and they'll be synced to a common Item Library. This means that you can sell the same products both online and off, or have some things you just list in one location. When you want to make an in-person sale, open up the menu and select Virtual Terminal , which acts just like a digital cash register.

If you have a Square credit card reader available for free , you can swipe your customers' cards for a 2. Otherwise, you can type in your customers' credit card information for a 3. Online, Square's charges are similar. On the free plan, you're charged 2. Square also integrates with Zapier , so you can connect it to thousands of other apps to do things like post your in-person transactions to a Slack channel for the rest of the team to see or record the details using Airtable.

Square Price : Free with 2. Ecwid Web, iOS, Android. There are also no additional transaction fees on top of what your payment gateway charges, so it isn't skimming any profit with hidden fees. When you sign up, Ecwid gives you the option to integrate your store with your existing website—it supports most platforms like WordPress, Weebly, Drupal, and the like—or to set up your own store with a company.

At the Dashboard, you're presented with a big, bold to-do list that walks you through setting up your site, adding your first products, localizing your store, and choosing how you want to deliver goods—and get paid for them. Working through the full list takes less than 15 minutes. Where Ecwid stands out from some of the other free options is its customizability. In the sidebar, click Website and then Edit Site to open the site builder.

To change the theme, click Themes and choose from one of the dozens of different options. Whatever you're planning to sell, there's a decent base theme to work from. Then, dive deeper into the intuitive builder to customize every section, text block, and photo. While Ecwid is a great free option, it doesn't skimp on the features with the paid plans. It integrates with social channels like Facebook and Instagram so you can sell directly to your followers, you can list your products on Amazon or eBay, or take payments in person.

It automatically calculates tax, offers discounts, and tracks your inventory. If you set up a free store on Ecwid, you don't have to worry about moving to a new platform if things take off.

Ecwid integrates with Zapier too, so you can connect it to all your other apps and do things like receive texts when someone places an order or track sales with Google Sheets. BigCommerce Essentials offers a similarly powerful platform for small businesses looking to sell online, at significantly more affordable prices. This means that, unlike most other options, as part of the onboarding process, you're prompted to set up sales taxes and automated shipping; both things that smaller stores that are just getting started can kind of improvise on until they're up and running properly.

If you only sell 10 T-shirts a month, you're not going to suddenly be on the hook for a multi-thousand dollar tax liability. Similarly, while BigCommerce integrates with online payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, and Amazon, you can also configure your store to take payment by bank transfer, check, or money order. It's also super simple to list your products on other marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, and Facebook, so customers don't have to buy directly from your store.

Just head to Channel Manager in the sidebar and connect the option you want. BigCommerce will automatically import any products you've got set up and keep any changes you make up to date across all your channels. This focus on bigger small business isn't without its downsides, however. They look great, and the drag-and-drop site builder is powerful enough that you can customize themes as you please, but you need to be in a position to justify the investment.