Platform wars: which sales platform is right for your business?

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Here’s an important question every business owner faces at some point in time—which sales platform should you choose? It can be confusing to figure out which platform to use, especially if you don’t know the basics of how these platforms work. Let’s break down the four the most popular sales platforms and determine which one might be best for your business, based on your selling needs and goals.

What do you want from your new channel?

You need to figure out what you want from your new channel. It may not be enough to just sell a few items or make a couple hundred dollars on the side. Do you want this channel to become a full-time gig, a side hustle, or just a hobby? What’s your goal? The answer to that question will depend largely on whether you’re looking to have a full-time gig or just do it as a side hustle. 

Evaluate your competition?

You have a lot of decisions to make when choosing which sales platform to use, but one thing you don’t want to do is ignore your competition. Do they use the same platform as you? What are the pros and cons of their software? If the pros outweigh the cons then it may be worth switching to that software. You’ll also want to take into account your existing customers, what platform do they use now, and how happy are they with their purchase.

The cost of entry

Generally speaking, the more robust platforms are available at a higher price point. The lower cost options usually come with limitations, such as restricting users to limited content and fewer accounts.  It can be hard to know which solution is best for your business when there are so many different choices out there. When considering a sales platform it’s important to consider the features that are important to you. If you are not sure which one is the best for your goals, you should consider working with good Queenstown SEO, which can help you to combine everything.

The most popular shopping platforms

Prestashop

Prestashop is an open-source ecommerce platform that is widely popular in Europe, Africa, and Asia. It’s easy to install and use because you don’t need to know any programming or graphic design skills to set it up or design the layout of your website. Prestashop also has a large market share in Eastern Europe and sells more there than all other international platforms combined.

It provides shoppers with a personalized shopping experience. The client can provide their customer’s custom sizes, colors, and their preferences in a few clicks of the mouse. With this platform, you also get a sleek and intuitive interface that looks beautiful on any device.  You will find it easy to work with your data through the Dashboard tool. You have full control over orders, stock and discounts through Prestashop’s powerful admin panel.

However, it’s important to note that it has its disadvantages. Though the system offers plenty of great features and customizable options, it doesn’t come with any built-in shipping or ecommerce capabilities. Furthermore, developers usually need to be contracted in order to modify Prestashop’s templates. Lastly, it does not currently have a mobile app available.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free, open-source ecommerce platform that allows you to set up your store, manage your inventory, and accept various types of payments from all over the world. You can install it on your own web host or use their hosting services. It has a large community and offers lots of tutorials for everything you might need help with. With WooCommerce, you’ll get all the functionality of more expensive online stores without any upfront costs.

It might be the right platform if you’re on a budget and need to build your store quickly, but there are some disadvantages to using it as well. For example, although you have unlimited themes, unless you’re paying someone to do it, they’ll take hours to create and won’t be customized just for your business. If you want an easy-to-use platform with lots of features that’s already set up the way you want it – it may not be the best choice.

Unfortunately, IT does not offer any live chat or telephone support, nor does it allow users to customize the layout of their store. There are no built-in blogs or lead generation forms and it cannot be used as a standalone ecommerce platform without WordPress installed on your website.

Shoper

If you’re in the market for a way to get your online business up and running with an easy-to-use ecommerce platform, check out Shopify. This awesome site offers everything you need to launch your website, start taking orders, accept credit cards and send out products–all with the help of customer support 24/7.

Shoper offers unlimited storage and file size for free, allowing you to store large assets like video footage or high-resolution images without worrying about clogging up your phone’s storage space. Additionally, it also offers the option to upload files of any type that’s sent via a link in an email. This provides an easy way to send documents and other items without having to wait until your recipient opens the attachment.

Sadly, it has its disadvantages, one of which is that you can’t track the precise steps taken by your customer in between arriving at and abandoning your site. Other things to consider are how secure your account needs to be, which payment gateways are available, where to store files, and whether you need SEO plugins or not.

Shopify

Launched in 2014, Shopify was born out of the frustration felt by its founders and has become a major player in the industry. With this platform, you can create an online store with products in just a few minutes using your mobile device or computer. In addition to being a gateway to success for entrepreneurs who might not otherwise have had the opportunity, it offers creators access to more than 100 templates that are either built-in or customized by site designers.

There are a lot of advantages to using Shopisy. It’s possible to have your own website and manage inventory all through the platform, you can manage orders in one place, and there are helpful features like contact tracking and interactive features that make your business easier to communicate with customers.

Some disadvantages include limited customization options and some difficulties with displaying international currencies. You also need to use a different interface for other areas of the company besides sales, which might not be an issue if you’re only looking at sales. You’ll also need Shopify search engine optimization process to improve your site.

Wrapping up

Each of these three platforms offers distinct advantages, and there are many factors to consider when choosing a platform. One thing to keep in mind is what features you’re hoping to include in your store. If a simple interface, ease of use, and low cost are the main deciding factors for you, then Shopify might be the way to go. In any case, making this decision will undoubtedly require some research on your part!

Main photo: CoWomen/unsplash.com

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