The best platforms to create your e-commerce site successfully

Choose wisely e-commerce platform is essential for the success of a online store. Indeed, a platform adapted to your needs makes it easier to manage your business and optimizes the customer experience. In this article, we guide you through the main considerations for choosing the best e-commerce solution and introduce you to the most popular platforms on the market.

Determination of needs

Before choosing an e-commerce platform, it is crucial to determine your specific needs. Here are some things to consider:

Business objectives

Clearly identify your objectives and anticipate the evolution of your activity in the medium and long term. The chosen platform must be able to evolve with you.

Budget

Estimate the budget you are willing to spend on setting up and operating your online store. Costs can vary greatly depending on desired features and transaction fees.

Technical skills

Evaluate the level of technical skills you have or can mobilize to create and manage your online store. Some platforms require more technical knowledge than others.

Required features

Make a list of the essential functionalities for your business (management of products, orders, stocks, promotions, etc.). Make sure the selected platform offers these options.

Presentation of the main e-commerce platforms

Here’s a look at the top five e-commerce platforms present on the market:

Shopify

Shopify is a e-commerce solution Very popular all-in-one, particularly suitable for SMEs and beginners. Among its strengths, we note its ease of use, its wide choice of themes and applications, as well as integrated marketing features.

However, Shopify can be expensive for advanced users who want to customize their store extensively. Monthly subscription fees range from $29 to $299, plus transaction fees if you use a payment system outside of Shopify Payments.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is an open-source plugin for WordPress that turns your site into an online store. It is ideal for users who already have a WordPress site and technical skills for setting up and managing the plugin.

The main strength of WooCommerce lies in its flexibility and customization. However, it may require the purchase of additional modules to extend its functionality. Additionally, technical support is not included and must be purchased separately.

PrestaShop

PrestaShop is a French open-source e-commerce platform widely acclaimed in Europe. It offers great freedom of customization thanks to its large catalog of extensions and themes.

Its main disadvantage lies in the complexity of the software for the uninitiated, which can make its installation and maintenance more laborious. However, PrestaShop has an active community ready to help when needed.

Magento

Magento is a powerful and flexible e-commerce solution ideal for medium to large businesses with specific needs. It offers many advanced features, but requires a high technical level to be fully exploited.

The costs associated with Magento can be significant due to its complexity and the costs of hosting, development and technical support.

Wix eCommerce

Wix eCommerce is a simple and affordable platform, particularly suitable for small businesses and beginners. It offers a wide range of templates and allows the rapid creation of an online store without advanced technical skills.

However, Wix may be limited for users who want to customize their site or benefit from more advanced features.

Comparison of platforms

| Platform | Ease of use | Cost | Features | Personalization | Shopify | Excellent | $$$ | Very complete | Average || WooCommerce | Good | $$ | Complete |