How to Pick the Best E Commerce Software and Build a Successful Online Store
How Much Time Can You Spend on Maintenance?
Do you want to worry about hosting (where your website lives on the internet), security, or any technical aspects? If your answer is no, you might want to consider using a hosted eCommerce software. Ecommerce solutions like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Volusion take care of the basics of building and running an online store. Hosted eCommerce software will also ensure that your website loads quickly. Online shoppers are not very patient. The slower your site loads, the greater the chances are that your customers will bail before purchasing. These solutions take care of all the technical aspects of operating a website. So, you don’t have to be your own IT manager, but can focus on your business instead.
How Budget-Conscious Are You?
Using hosted eCommerce software enables you to create a store for a fixed monthly fee. Starting from $29 a month, you can set up your online store and start selling your products. With the best eCommerce solutions, you know what your bill will be each month, and any extra apps or features are mentioned with their prices.
It’s cumbersome to work out costs with self-hosted software like WordPress. This is because you may have to work with a developer to keep your website running and make any major changes. Developers often have high fees or charges.
How Technologically Skilled Are You?
Hosted and self-hosted eCommerce solutions require varying amounts of technical skill to help you create the store you want.
Self-hosted eCommerce software is great for customization. WordPress, for example, is an open-source platform, which means, anyone can use its codes and create personalized templates, themes, etc.
However, as with technical maintenance, making changes using self-hosted eCommerce software like WordPress often requires a developer (unless you’re a skilled coder yourself). However, if you want to build your store using more accessible technology that requires no coding skills, hosted eCommerce software is the solution.
How Much Support Do You Want or Need?
When launching an online store, professional support is a huge help.
Usually, self-hosted ecommerce solutions leave you on your own as far as support is concerned. There are communities, resources, and tutorials, but you may find it hard to sift through the information to find the solution to your particular problem.
Hosted eCommerce software, generally, provides an excellent level of support. Agents are typically available over the phone, email, and LiveChat.
