What is an ecommerce platform?

An ecommerce platform is a hosted online store. These platforms come pre-packaged with a variety of functions including inventory management, shopping cart, checkout, shipping and promotion options. Here are some important things to consider when choosing an ecommerce platform.

Functionality

Perhaps most important, the platform must meet your business requirements.

Make a list of all of the functions that you need. Consider your needs now, and also any future functions that you’ll need.

Ask yourself:

• Will you offer products in different sizes, styles or colours?
• Will you offer different shipping options?
• What payment methods will you accept? Will you accept coupons or gift cards?

Dependability

Dependability is crucial when it comes to choosing an ecommerce platform.

A key difference between an online store and a bricks and mortar store is your dependence on the server that hosts your store. A server crash can hurt sales and damage customer confidence. Ensure that your platform can handle the volume of traffic that you expect.

Questions to consider:

• Is my store located on one server, or many? Is there a backup server in case one fails?
• Will there be service outages for site maintenance? If so, is maintenance done at off-peak hours?
• How much traffic can the platform handle?

Customer support

Eliminating down time is critical to the success of your online business. When selecting a platform, ensure that customer support can address issues quickly.

Compliance

If you accept credit cards as payment, your customers’ financial data must … Read more