How to Decide on the Right Ecommerce Platform for Your Business

If you have been thinking about how you want to best approach building your new ecommerce business, then finding the right platform that can highlight your product is a good place to start. Some platforms are better suited to different types of products than others, and identifying your customer base and which ecommerce platform they tend to gravitate toward can make a big difference in how successful your business ends up being.

Here are some tips for finding the right ecommerce platform for your small business.

Does it reach your client base?

Where your customers tend to browse for purchases can have a big impact on which platform could end up working best for you. This is why it’s a good idea to create a buyer persona when you are first starting out as a business. Once you know who your customer is, you can compare stats from various platforms and see whether or not they are popular with the demographic you are trying to market to. If you spend time trying to sell your product on the wrong platform, you can end up wasting valuable time and funds.

Does it offer inventory management?

More niche platforms might not offer the tools required for you to succeed as a company, while larger platforms might offer more options. For example, Ebay inventory management can be extremely helpful in letting you know whether or not a transaction has gone through, whether you are running low on a certain item, and which stage an order might be in during processing. Without these tools, it can be much more difficult to know which areas of your business needs improvement and whether or not you are meeting customers’ needs.

Is there extra support for sellers?

Some platforms offer additional support for sellers, while others expect them to solve issues alone. As a new business, you might want to have an intermediary that can act as an in-between when you are dealing with clients’ complaints. The extra authority provided by a platform can help your business to seem more legitimate, while also helping you to work through some of the kinks that come with an online store. This can be a reason to double check how involved you want the support to be involved with your ecommerce store.

How much does it cost?

Of course, pricing is a major reason why you might choose one platform over another. When you are starting out and don’t have a large profit margin, it might be tempting to immediately jump to choosing the cheapest platform. However, if your businesses grows, you might be missing out on some helpful features that will benefit your ecommerce store in the long run. Make an investment in your platform, but also be realistic in the amount of sales you are planning on making in the beginning.

In conclusion

The right ecommerce platform can make or break a fledgling business. By doing some research and considering your main goals, you can find one that fits your budget and the type of customers you deal with regularly.