Which ecommerce platform?
Creative | TechnologyWe’re often asked what the best platforms for Ecommerce sites are. There are hundreds to choose from – some very basic that can be set up in minutes, others more involved and customisable. Each has particular strengths suited to particular types of business, so the first thing we do with new Ecommerce clients is review their organisation – it’s size, requirements, ambitions, market and resources – and make a recommendation based on our findings.
Three platforms we’ve worked extensively with are Magento, Shopify and WooCommerce. Here’s a quick rundown of their main benefits.
Magento is one of the most popular shopping carts with over 200,000 sites currently live. It’s considered the choice for serious ecommerce professionals because it’s completely customisable. It’s open source, so free to use, but to get the best from it you’ll have to pay an experienced programmer for development work.
Shopify powers about 100,000 sites, and is a great solution for small start-ups. You can launch a store on Shopify in minutes with zero programming – unsurprisingly then, it’s gained a reputation as one of the easiest to use ecommerce platforms. Transaction fees apply, but they’re generally pretty cost-effective considering it delivers a ready-to-use solution.
WooCommerce has seen massive growth since its launch in 2011. A free plugin for the ever-popular CMS WordPress, it was named the 2014 Technology Growth Award Winner, and it’s currently more popular with smaller sites than Magento. It provides all the basic features you need for online selling, and more complex features can be added via additional plugins. Naturally, it’s a popular choice among WordPress website owners.
