1. Why Choosing the Right Platform Matters
For online stores, your platform serves as the foundation of your business. It's the place where you handle all aspects—products, payments, customer interactions, and more. Choosing the right platform affects how your store runs and how customers shop.
2. What to Consider When Choosing a Platform
Before choosing a platform for your online store, consider the following:
- Ease of Use: If you’re not tech-savvy, you’ll want a platform that’s easy to use and doesn’t require a lot of coding or development work. Look for platforms with drag-and-drop features or simple templates.
- Customizability: It depends on if you have in mind a totally unique vision of your store that you want reflected in the custom design and functions. Some options are more customized than others in this regard.
- Cost: The cost of your platform is another key factor. Some platforms have monthly fees, while others take percentage of sales. Choose one that fits your budget.
- Scalability: Make sure the platform can grow with your store. It should handle more products and traffic as your business expands.
- Features: Consider what features you need. Some platforms offer everything out of the box and others require you to add plugins or apps for inventory management, shipping, or SEO.
3. Popular Platforms for Starting an Online Store
Here are a few platforms commonly recommended for new online stores:
ChatSell
ChatSell is a new yet powerful option that allows you to create an online store and interact with your customers via WhatsApp. The platform is specifically designed for businesses that value customer interaction and personalized communication.
Shopify
Shopify is one of the most popular platforms for starting an online store. It is known for being user-friendly, feature-rich, and highly extensible. Whether you are selling few products or running a large business, Shopify has the tools to help you succeed.
WooCommerce (for WordPress)
If you're already using WordPress for your website, then it's excellent with WooCommerce because you can transform a WordPress website to a full-scale online store right away, without any extra fee. The product is totally customizable, though possibly more so technically than on the other sites.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is another great platform for scaling your business. It’s designed to help grow stores, with lots of built-in features and integrations. If you want to expand quickly and need tools for larger operations, BigCommerce is worth considering.
4. Mistakes to Avoid When Starting an Online Store
- Not researching enough: Don't rush with the choice of the platform. Always take time to research and verify it fits your needs.
- Ignore Mobile Shopping: Most shoppers have mobile devices.Make sure your store works well on phones and tablets.
- Don’t skip marketing: Launching your store isn’t enough. Promote it with SEO, email, and social media to make people aware of it and visit.
- Choose a Platform That Can't Grow: Once your business grows, your platform should be able to handle more traffic and sales. Pick one that can scale with you.
5. How to Get Started
Once you've picked your platform, the next steps are relatively straightforward:
- Create an account and choose a plan: Most of the services offer free trial plans or starter plans. Check it to ensure it meets your needs.
- Choose a domain name: Your domain is the address of your store, so make it easy to remember and descriptive of your business.
- Design your store: Choosing a theme that matches your brand. Customize it to match your style and product offerings.
- Add products: Upload your products, set their prices, and create descriptions for them.
- Payment and Shipping Set-up: Add payment gateway to the system (e.g. PayPal, credit card processing). Then select the shipping option.
- Launch and Promote the Store: Every piece of setup is now done. Next, launch your store and market it through social media, emails, and more.
Choosing the right platform for your online store is critical to long-term success. Take into account ease of use, customization, cost, and scalability in making the best choice.
Ready to start your online store? Pick the platform that works best for you, and get going!