If you’re considering opening an online store, you should use a platform specifically designed for e-commerce. These platforms are tailored to the needs of retailers and assist in product management, order processing, customer service channels, and much more. This article will cover tips from Griffin Ainsworth on how to find the right software for your store and why each factor matters in choosing where to host your store.
Getting Started
The selection process is vital because it can be problematic when you need help with your website or want someone to do marketing for you — it can be challenging if those vendors don’t support your particular platform. So take some time before committing so that you know the advantages and disadvantages of each hosting provider.
If you’re just starting, you probably want an easy way to enter your inventory and process customers. You also want something that’s intuitive and has a lot of customization options so that you can tweak your site to suit your needs best. Many under $100 monthly hosting plans will satisfy these requirements — if you need more power, search for a program with more features at higher price points.
According to Griffin Ainsworth, the next step is figuring out what features you really need. It’s important to understand that you cannot get everything you may want — there isn’t a solution that will provide everything. Make sure you select a platform that offers features in a way that works for you. Consider the following:
Order Management and Shipping
As the owner of an online store, there are specific tasks that need to be performed by everyone who takes part in running your business. Tight oversight is required of all aspects of an online store, including inventory, billing, customer order processing, shipping, sales orders, and delivery management. An efficient order management system offers some degree of oversight and control over what’s happening at different stages in your business.
Advanced Sales and Marketing Capabilities
This is a crucial piece of functionality that should be included in any online store. A complex marketing campaign management system allows you to drive traffic to your website, manage lead capture, and optimize reporting. You’ll want to bring on an expert in this area so that they can help with the pre-launch planning and ongoing after-launch support. This is a crucial piece of functionality that should be included in any online store. A complex marketing campaign management system allows you to drive traffic to your website, manage lead capture, and optimize reporting. You’ll want to bring on an expert in this area so that they can help with the pre-launch planning and ongoing after-launch support.
Engine Migration and Performance Optimization
You do not want to go overboard when moving your site from one platform to another (or migrating from one hosting provider or domain registrar). Many performance optimizations are needed when you relocate or change providers — make sure you check with your new provider before making a decision.
Security and PCI Compliance
No one wants to deal with hackers — downtime is painful, and a security breach can be costly. It’s essential to ensure you are using a platform with the necessary security measures for your customers’ information. You also want to ensure you can quickly comply with any regulations or standards that apply to your business. Without these precautions, you can jeopardize your sales. A high-quality hosting provider will be able to help you identify potential weak spots in your website so that you can take steps toward fixing them. No one wants to deal with hackers — downtime is painful, and a security breach can be costly.
Customization Features
The ability to personalize your store is a crucial feature that’s often overlooked by E-commerce platforms — until you have many customers, everything gets hectic! Customization capabilities allow you to customize your store differently depending on what you’re selling or how you want it presented. However, choosing the right platform for you can be tricky because there are many different options. You should begin your research by looking at which features you need. Are the customization options working best for your store from an operational and marketing perspective?
A wide variety of shopping cart and e-commerce software solutions exist for online retailers. However, it is difficult to compare them directly due to differences in functionality, prices, and technical support. A shopping cart provides a tool for buyers to view and select products from a supplier’s inventory list or a store’s internal database of products. A shopping cart allows customers to customize the product lists on a web page.
Conclusion
Ecommerce stores have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a platform, especially if you’re willing to pay more. You should take the time to research your options and understand the advantages and disadvantages of each one so that you can make an informed decision.
Photo by MART PRODUCTION
