If you’re looking to start an online store to benefit from this growth, choosing the right ecommerce platform is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. With several ecommerce solutions to choose from, the right choice depends on your needs.

An ecommerce platform is software that enables businesses to manage their online stores, including sales, marketing, and operations. Ecommerce platforms often have features that support:

• Content management
• Inventory management
• Payment methods
• Shopping cart
• Checkout

Before deciding on a platform, determine your priorities:

Ease of use Is the platform’s interface intuitive? Do you have to spend a lot of time learning how to use it?

Scalability Ideally, you’ll benefit from an ecommerce platform that grows with your business. Does the solution you’re eyeing support small businesses to enterprises?

Autonomy Do you have full control over the platform, or are you relying on a provider? For instance, SaaS ecommerce solutions receive regular updates like social media platforms, and you need to adjust to the changes to continue your operations.

Maintenance and security Consider maintenance and security. Do you have the technical capability to manage these yourself? Do you have the resources to hire someone to do it? Or would you rather have the platform’s team maintain and secure things for you?

Cost Do the platform’s plans fall within your budget for both short and long terms? For example, SaaS solutions make running an ecommerce store easier, but costs may go up significantly as your ecommerce store grows.

Support Can you solve software problems you encounter? Or would you need customer support from the platform? Features and customizability: Does the platform offer the features you want? If you get tied down to that platform, will you be fine using its built-in features, or do you want access to third-party tools?If you want to use third-party tools, you should look for an ecommerce solution that’s easily customizable and open to integrations.