5 Questions to Ask Before Selecting an E-Commerce Solution

With the number of internet sales growing rapidly every year, many businesses are choosing to sell their services and products online. With such a wide variety of e-commerce solutions available, choosing the right one for your business can be difficult.

There are five questions one should ask when choosing an e-commerce platform.

How to choose an e-commerce platform

1. What is my monthly budget?

The first thing you need to decide is how much you are willing to spend on your e-commerce platform.  If you are just easing into online sales and want to start slow, free e-commerce options such as WordPress might be your best bet.

If you plan to make online sales a significant part of your business, then it is better to go with a dedicated e-commerce platform. Even though you will pay more, the added features are worth it. Most have a basic plan starting at around $30 a month. If you want premium features, expect to pay closer to $80-$100 a month.

Figure out what your monthly budget is, decide what features you need, and then pick the e-commerce option that provides you with the best value for your money.

 2. What features are important to me?

Depending on the e-commerce platform and service plan, features range from basic to very sophisticated. If you are only looking to list several hundred to a thousand products per month and do basic sales, then a free e-commerce solution like WordPress could be a good option.

If you want the next step up, then platforms such as Shopify and BigCommerce have basic plans that still include many helpful features. For example, BigCommerce's starter plan, although limited compared to their high-end plan, has built-in SEO features, many theme options for a professional-looking store, and allows you to set up shop on Facebook.

If you are looking for high-powered e-commerce features, you will probably want a premium plan. Premium plans offer features such as shipping calculators, abandoned cart reports, and full integration with major shopping comparison sites.

Figure out what features are important to you and then pick the platform and plan that provides those at the cheapest cost.

3. How much do I value customer support?

One of the main things that can set an e-commerce site apart is its customer support. That is why it is important for you to decide how much you value customer support.

If you are a techie who plans on doing everything for your site yourself, then customer support is not as big of an issue. You will probably know how to fix any problems you might encounter without much outside help

But if you are not too technologically savvy, customer support could be of extreme importance for you. If your site goes down or you cannot figure something out, then your e-commerce site is dead in the water.

If customer support is important to you, take time to actually call up the e-commerce platform options you are considering to see which is most helpful. Although requiring a little effort upfront, it could save you lots of time and effort in the long run.

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4. How professional do I want my site to look?

Most e-commerce platforms have free theme options that will meet the needs of most businesses. But, if you have a specific vision in mind for your website, you may have to shop around to find a platform and templates/themes that will meet your needs.

Among the major ecommerce platform options, BigCommerce and Volusion have the best selection of free, professional-looking themes. Most businesses will find that the free themes provide them with plenty of viable options. However, if a custom theme or certain look is a major part of your brand (photographer, graphic designer, artist, etc.), you may have to pay for a premium theme, or take the time to customize your own.

Before you even begin looking around, decide on a basic list of design features you would like your website to have. This will streamline your e-commerce selection process and give you a better idea of what you're looking for in a theme.

5. How much traffic/income do I anticipate per month?

Certain e-commerce platforms and plans have a limitation on the amount of traffic and sales you are allowed per month. Many times, e-commerce platform companies won't specifically state bandwidth limitations unless you ask them. So, make sure you speak to one of the sales representatives from the platform you are considering to see if they can handle your traffic and sales needs.

If you have already decided to go with a premium plan, you shouldn't need to worry about traffic or sales limits. Most premium plans offer an unlimited amount of traffic and sales per month.

If you really have no idea concerning your projected traffic or sales figures, don't sweat it. Most e-commerce options allow you to upgrade plans to accommodate your traffic and sales changes as needed.

Choose the right e-commerce platform and grow your business

If you ask yourself these five questions, you will be well on your way to selecting the e-commerce solution that is best for your business. A good e-commerce solution could be just what your business needs to encourage growth and increase sales.

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