One of the first doubts of those who like you are trying to set up a virtual store is “how to choose an e-commerce platform”. Well, for those who are not in the know, it is through a platform that an online store is created and managed. But as there are many of them on the market, the doubt ends up becoming frequent.
In order to help you entrepreneur to make a good choice, I propose 10 important factors to evaluate before hiring a platform. Find out what those factors are right away! Keep reading!
- As soon as you can, also click on “What is an e-commerce website” and learn about several alternatives of the type.
HOW TO CHOOSE E-COMMERCE PLATFORM: 10 POINTS TO EVALUATE
If you are setting up an online store, if you are ready to know how to choose an e-commerce platform, pay attention to these 10 fundamental factors:
01 - Demand
There are basically 4 types of demands for e-commerce platform. The first is the one for digital transformation, that is, for putting your physical business on the internet. The second is the need to migrate an existing virtual store to a more suitable platform.
These two are followed by the demand for unification of sales channel inventories through a unified commerce platform . Finally, there is a need for expansion, that is, the creation and integration of other e-commerce sites such as marketplaces, multi-store platforms , etc.
02 - Possibilities
Once you have defined your main demand (see topic 1) start thinking about the possibilities of the platform. Consider expanding your business in the future. There are systems that are plastered and make it possible to barely create a virtual store. Avoid them if you can.
There are, however, better platforms that offer the chance to work with an online store, multi-store, marketplace, seller, hotsite, landing page, squeeze page, mobile store and personalized pages, among other types of e-commerce sites. In other words, a very wide range.
03 - Integrations
An e-commerce platform alone can have a lot of potential. However, if it can integrate other applications and systems with multiple functions, then you can create a more attractive online business for consumers. This will undoubtedly allow you to make more sales.
Therefore, before choosing a platform, check if it connects to the main shipping and payment gateways . Find out if it allows integration with product recommendation systems, dynamic pricing, delivery management, intelligent search, among others.
04 - Types
There are hundreds of e-commerce platform options on the market and they can be divided into types. One of them is the “owner” where you buy a company code. In this case it will be necessary to assemble a team to make the code evolve and thus avoid obsolescence.
There are also "open source" platforms, which have open and free code, but it's up to your team to optimize it. Finally, there are " SaaS " platforms , which are developed, optimized, and made available in the cloud by third-party companies. You pay rent to use them.
05 - Scalability
There are e-commerce platforms that work very well (thanks!) when visitor volume is low. However, as the credibility and audience of the online store increases, the system starts to crash. This prevents growth.
Therefore, you need to choose a system that offers you scalability. A scalable system allows your e-commerce to grow in the medium and long term without losing quality and without increasing your costs too much.
06 - CMS
CMS is the acronym for Content Management System, which in Portuguese means “Content Management System”. It is this system that, integrated with the e-commerce platform, allows you to create and optimize the layout, design and functionalities of an online store.
There are platforms whose CMS is not fully open, which prevents in-depth optimizations. On the other hand, there are those like VTEX , for example, which have a 100% editable CMS, a feature that allows for continuous improvement in the usability and sales of your online store.
07 - Omnichannel
It is not enough to create an e-commerce, it is necessary to integrate it with other sales channels such as physical stores, for example. That's why there are so-called omnichannel systems or unified commerce platforms.
Therefore, when choosing your e-commerce platform, give preference to those that come with omnichannel tools . This way you can unify your inventory and offer the consumer what they need, anywhere, anytime.
08 - Support
Before hiring a platform, make sure the developer company provides support. Find out which channels you can talk about the system on when you need to. Also find out if there is a support community, that is, an online forum to ask questions.
Take the opportunity to get to know some of the e-commerce agencies that work with the platform. You may need one of these agencies when developing the layout / Design of your online store.
09 - Reputation
The best e-commerce platform isn't the one with the best advertising, but the one that actually delivers on its promises. There's only one way to know if that delivery is being made: by checking its reputation.
To do this, observe what the press, specialist blogs, investors, speakers, partners and retailers using the system say. Check out the testimonials and draw your conclusions.
10 - Size
The last point, but no less fundamental, is the size of your company, which influences the choice of platform. There are systems for small, medium, and large organizations. If you intend to create an e-commerce business as a self-employed individual (MEI) , for example, the ideal solution is to use something like Loja Integrada at the beginning.
However, if your company makes or will make more than BRL 70 per month, then it is better to rent a platform with more features, more integration with third-party services and systems and a 100% editable CMS, as is the case with VTEX.
HOW TO CHOOSE E-COMMERCE PLATFORM: CONCLUSION
Do you want to set up a virtual store, a marketplace or a multi store? Well, don't go out renting any platform. Get to know more than a dozen types before, check out the features they have, check their reputation in the market before renting, buying or hiring.
- As soon as you can, also click on “E-commerce implementation” and start developing your online store right now!
