Top 7 Ecommerce Platforms That Are Making It Big In 2018

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E-commerce as a business trend rocked the business scenario decades ago and is still going strong. There are millions of sellers who have already adopted it as a part of their setup and millions more are planning to do it in near future. Thus the booming demand for e-commerce websites come as no surprise.

An online business requires an eCommerce platform to start with and choosing the best e-Commerce CMS can be a lot of hard work. Your eCommerce website needs to be visually appealing as well as functional and cheap For cms development services . Here we have listed a number of e-Commerce solutions that you can choose to kick start your online business.

(1) Magento: Magento is one of the most popular open-source platforms. It has a long list of features that makes it apt for adding various functionalities into the e-store. A strong community support, availability of countless themes and extensions add value to this open-source platform.

Pros:It comes free.The user interface can be customized to match the business needs.The extension list is endless. Magento enables the creation of separate multi-lingual sites which load up according to the user location.It supports automated marketing by delivering product alerts to customers.

Cons:This platform requires big investment due to it’s resource-intensive nature.Also businesses need to hire skilled magento developers to create and manage e-commerce stores built on this highly technical platform.

(2) PrestaShop: PrestaShop is a new platform but has already achieved a great deal of success It is simple to use, with plugins that are easy to install.

Pros:PrestaShop offers an interesting interface. It can be used for creating multi-vendor, multi-language and multi-currency e-commerce stores.As a lightweight platform, it seldom causes speed and performance-related issues.It’s user-friendly platform comes with effortless store maintenance and inventory management functions.

Cons:Shop lacks scalability and robustness. So it is more suitable for small to mid-sized businesses as compared to large ones.It’s default theme is not very good looking.It doesn’t have enough extensions and those that are there are expensive.It lacks marketing tools  needed for cross-selling.

(3) Shopify: Shopify is an all-in-one solution recommended for small business enterprises. It enables the creation of an e-store, management of products, and handling of payments with a single service.

Pros:It is the simplest e-commerce platform that can be used by those lacking technical expertise.

Shopify brings together a website builder, plugins, hosting, inventory options, and marketing tools.It offers multiples free themes as well as custom-built premium themes which enable customization according to the business needs.

You can get high speed and reliable built-in security by investing in it.

Cons:The basic and the advanced plan come for $29 and $299 a month respectively.Thus it is an expensive option as compared to the other open-source platforms.

It provides limited payment gateways and doesn’t support one-page checkout, multi-language features.

(4) WooCommerce: WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin which is widely used for creating good-looking and high-feature e-commerce stores. It can turn any WordPress site into a fully functional e-store, by including features such as product pages, coupons, and inventory management.

Pros:WordPress plugins can be downloaded and installed free of cost.There is hardly anything that a merchant needs to do than to add content.WooCommerce connects to all major payment gateways.

Cons:WooCommerce involves additional expenses for the theme, domain name, hosting, and extra extensions.The plugin is a little complicated. It needs a combination of WordPress + the WooCommerce plugin + hosting. These complexities can be challenging to beginners, particularly with tasks such as security, hosting, SEO, and caching.

(5) Drupal Commerce (Drupal): Another major e-commerce platform is Drupal Commerce, which is a module of Drupal.

Pros:Drupal was originally designed for professional usage. That’s why it is a highly empowered platform.It has an extensive community support. It renders high speed and performance as it has built-in caching.It comes with its own built-in security system, which is updated frequently.

Cons:Drupal Commerce can be complex for non-technical developers and it requires skilled developers.E-stores built on this platform may become resource-intensive as they often turn into large sites with multiple components.It is costly to host such sites, as it requires high speed, power, and reliability.

6.OpenCart: OpenCart is one of the most lightweight and easy to use e-commerce platforms. Moreover, it comes free and with reasonably-priced themes that serve as an ideal platform for startups.

Pros:It comes with strong features and a large catalog functionality.It does not require high-tech developer expertise. Thus it is apt for budget projects

Cons:The advantages of OpenCart are much lesser than other open source platforms.Performance is a weaker link, which is the reason extra plugins have to be installed in the e-store. The customization options provided are lesser.

  1. Zen Cart: Zen Cart is another user-friendly platform that doesn’t require people with extensive technical skills.Pros: Zen Cart is a secure software, which ensures the protection of the store as well as customer information. Since it comes with an amazing range of features and full customization options, it makes a scalable platform choice.It is possible to deliver HTML emails directly from a Zen Cart-based store.

Cons:

It is less versatile as it does not offer many add-ons or extensions. Sometimes it is difficult to upgrade the software.Also, it lacks dedicated support.

Final Thoughts:

There cannot be a single ecommerce platform that supports all businesses with varied requirements. The above list is designed to help you make a calculated decision and choose a platform that serves your needs the best.

About Author:

Nancy Patterson is a Marketing Manager a Hire Php Developer. She is a resident of United Kingdom. Nancy is also an experienced Php developer. She also likes to share her thoughts , cms development,cms development, and web development techniques.

 

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