Ready to launch an online store? There are dozens of e-commerce solutions to choose from and many things to take into consideration before choosing one. On the surface, your choice may appear simple, as the goal tends to be the same: present a product and entice buyers to make a purchase. There are, however, key differences between systems; from hosted vs. self-hosted, to ensuring speed and ease of checkout, each platform offers its own unique set of benefits. Read this before deciding which e-commerce platform is the best choice for your online store and make sales soar.
HOSTED VS. NON-HOSTED
There are pros and cons to hosting your own e-commerce platform or letting someone else host it for you. Hosted means the company who owns the software hosts your online store, and self-hosted means you are provided the software, but you secure your own web hosting.
Self-hosting gives you more control of your layout, as well as outright ownership of your site and its software, meaning you are not subject to arbitrary software changes that happen with hosted solutions.
Hosted platforms are easier to use, offer 24/7 technical support, are consistently reliable, silently upgrade (typically during off hours), and have a web interface, meaning no code for you to write.
Whether you decide to go with a self-hosted or hosted platform, look for these top must-haves before choosing:
SEO FOR E-COMMERCE
Forty-four percent of every online purchase begins with a search. It’s no exaggeration that the success or failure of your ecommerce business can depend on whether your products or service can easily be found on search engines like Google.
MOBILE OPTIMIZATION VIA RESPONSIVE DESIGN
There’s simply no excuse for your platform to not offer mobile optimization. As the number of devices people shop on grows, it’s almost impossible to maintain a site for each respective screen and resolution, and the cost to do so makes it financially prohibitive. Responsive designs also increase your page rank, lower bounce rates and increase conversions.
CONVERSION ORIENTED DESIGN
Conversion oriented design simply means your site is easy to read, elements on the screen are where your customers most expect to find them, and the actions a client must take are clear, all creating an experience that makes your customer want to return again and again.
OPEN SOURCE CODING
Open source platforms are flexible, allowing you to create unique customer experiences. You may start off with a predesigned, conventional shopping cart system, but at some point you will probably come up with a few “if only” ideas you’d like to incorporate. Platforms that open their software source code for modification are becoming increasingly popular in ecommerce software development.
SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY SYSTEMS
This category doesn’t need much explanation. It shouldn’t be difficult to find the support you need from either the ecommerce platform or the community that uses it. Strong platforms offer video tutorials, forums, live support and a knowledge database.
At ADTACK we can help your business implement e-commerce solutions and set your online store on the path to financial success.
