Ten things you need to consider when choosing an ecommerce platform

Dec 06 2021

Ecommerce is big business. In the United Kingdom, 2018 saw an incredible £688.4 billion spent on ecommerce platforms, whilst in 2019, 82% of the UK population made an online purchase of some kind. With such incredible figures, it is no wonder that so many businesses are seeking to take advantage of the countless benefits that running an online store provides.

However, this also means that competition is high, and as ecommerce becomes more popular, consumers are growing accustomed to a high level of performance and accessibility from the retailers they use. Nowadays, customers expect to be able to shop online from their laptop on their lunchbreak as easily as they can from the comfort of their sofa whilst using their smartphone.

With such demand, it has meant that choosing the right ecommerce platform is essential to the success of any business looking to operate an online store. Choosing the right platform can transform a business, helping them to grow and sustain customers and is often the crucial ingredient in establishing the company as an industry leader.

So how do you choose the right ecommerce platform? To help you, we have put together the top ten factors that you should consider when looking for the right platform to partner with.

24/7 Tech Support

One of the most significant benefits of an ecommerce platform is the ease that it offers a business. By using an outsourced provider, the development and ongoing management costs are non-existent, whilst the overall overhead costs are equally low. However, this does also mean that control is effectively taken out of your businesses, so should anything go wrong, then you will require the services of the platform’s customer service team.

Anyone who has ever used the internet or an online system knows that things can go wrong, so being able to quickly access the support required to get your shop back online as soon as possible is crucial. That is why one of the most important factors to look for is the ability to access 24/7 tech support, ensuring that any potential loss of revenue from downtime is minimised.

Analytics

Another crucial factor to consider when deciding which ecommerce platform to choose, is the level of analytics it offers. The more in-depth analysis you can receive about your business and your customers’ shopping habits, the better equipped you will be to make changes that can help boost your overall profit margins.

These analytics will help you gauge your website traffic, what keywords are working, and how users are engaging with your website. You should ensure that your ecommerce platform provider gives you truly in-depth analytics so that they can use this information to inform your overall business strategy.

Payment options

In this digital world we live in, there are an incredible array of different payment methods available. The more options you can accept, the wider the pool of potential customers you have open to you.

The options you choose to accept will depend on where your customers are primarily based. For example, across Europe it is more traditional to use bank accounts, whilst in America, PayPal and other digital wallets are more popular. If the majority of your customers are based in China, however, then the ability to accept WeChat would be more beneficial. Ensuring your provider can accept a wide range of payment methods will ensure you do not lose any clients.

Scalability

Whilst it is essential to have a platform that is working for your business today, you also want to ensure that you choose a platform that is able to grow and change with you over time.

The ecommerce industry is booming, so you want an ecommerce platform that can expand with you, meeting all of the new requirements you face whilst maintaining the service levels that your existing customers have become accustomed to. That scalability is the difference between the industry-leading providers and those more cost-effective solutions designed for the present.

Security

When shopping online, customers want to know that their financial information will be safe, so your ecommerce platform must provide robust security. Ideally, you will want the website to support HTTPS or SSL certification, which can help to show shoppers that their information will be safe.

Alongside this, you will want to ensure that when choosing which ecommerce platform to use for your business, that it meets all required compliance with the Payment Card Industry. These vary depending on the overall number of transactions being made per annum, so make sure you understand your exact requirements.

Pricing

If you are a small business or a startup, the overall price will be a significant factor in any decision you make. Fees for ecommerce platforms can quickly spiral, and you might end up paying for more features than you currently require. You will want to ensure that whichever platform you choose that you are able to afford it, whilst still enjoying the key features you need.

Most providers will offer a monthly fee structure to access and use their software, with many giving their customers a choice of different packages. You should also watch out for any processing fees that might be added to the items you sell, so do not just opt for the cheapest monthly fee without looking at the overall costs you will end up paying.

Marketing support

Consumers are faced with an almost endl ess stream of online retailers vying for space in their newsfeeds, so standing out from the crowd is incredibly difficult. That is why you should look for an ecommerce platform that can provide you with marketing support to help ensure you are able to attract new clients towards your store.

Many of the leading software providers out there will provide you with features to help with your digital marketing needs, including easily shareable content for social media pages and the ability to create email messages and follow ups. Order and catalogue management

As your product range increases and you enjoy more orders, it can become increasingly difficult to keep track of and manage your inventory. However, keeping track of these is essential to continue to provide a high-level user experience, so it is important that your ecommerce platform is able to help you with solutions to these problems.

If you are starting out, then these add-ons might not seem necessary at the moment, but you will soon find they are an essential requirement for your business. The right software can save you hours in wasted time by letting you manage your catalog and orders. Shipment and tracking

Delivery options should be another important factor to consider when choosing the right ecommerce platform for your business. Nearly half of online customers have said that they have abandoned their shopping cart due to the delivery options not being satisfactory, so ensuring strong user experience throughout the shopping process is crucial to helping you sell more products.

Being able to offer your customers fast delivery and clear shipping and tracking information will ensure they feel valued, and are more likely to return and become repeat buyers. SEO Friendliness

Without strong SEO capabilities, your ecommerce site will remain buried deep down the results of any search engine. That is why you want your platform to be able to offer you fully SEO-optimised solutions so that you are able to enjoy more views and increased sales. Over 90% of experiences online begin via a search engine, so creating websites focused on keywords, SEO-approved tags and proven strategies will ensure that your shop appears when customers search for relevant terms. Final thoughts

Your ecommerce platform is one of the most important decisions that you will make when you are launching your online store. It should add the ‘x-factor’ to your brand, helping you to stand out from the crowd, whilst also acting as a useful tool to help make running your business smoother.

At Kuber Digital, we understand just how important the right ecommerce platform is. That is why we have created an innovative solution designed to help you attract, engage and retain customers. We provide our customers with in-depth support and service, meaning we are always on hand to help you 24/7.

Ecommerce is a fast-changing environment, and we understand that your needs and requirements will change, which is why we offer a no obligations, no contract opportunity. In this modern world, cash flow is very important, which is why we believe there should not be a monthly fee for using our services, nor should there be a tiered system for additional features. All of our merchants are equal, so we have developed a fair fee structure that is very simple and all-inclusive.

Discover more about our unique platform or get in touch with our friendly team today and start your online business with a fully comprehensive ecommerce platform, designed to help you every step of the way.