E-Commerce solutions allow you to start making money by running your own online store, but setting it up & keeping it maintained requires significant effort. So its really important to understand what you want from your e-commerce platform.
Today most e-commerce platforms come as shopping cart systems, which can be:
- Independent (e.g. Open Cart, OSCommerce, ZenCart)
- Embedded into your CMS website (e.g. WooCommerce, Virtuemart)
- Cloud solution (e.g. Shopify, Ecwid).
- Social Media component (e.g. Facebook Marketplace)
- Custom written for CRM, ERP or Accounting systems
Each option has its own pro's & cons, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Before making any decisions, you need to consider all of your requirements, both now and in the future.
Otherwise you may find that you quickly outgrow your platform or end up paying excessive fees.
Important things to consider:
- Where are your target markets?
- What currency will you bill in?
- What will it cost to for the platform?
- What are the transaction fees?
- Do you want to sell on social media platforms?
- Do you need to integrate it with an existing accounting system, ERP or CRM?
- How will your products be delivered?
- How often will you need to add or update products?
- How will you update the stock quantities?
- How often will the prices change?
- What happens if a customer is not happy and wants to return the goods he bought?
- What is your refund policy?
- Who pays for return shipping?
- How will you secure your e-commerce website?
Which platforms does DesignBoys support?
Some of the more popular platforms we have personally used or worked on:
Other platforms to consider (we haven't personally used them but they seem to be popular):
You need to do a lot of investigation before deciding, and even when you find the perfect one, will it suit your geographic location.
- Does the platform support your currency? (e.g. On PayPal, you cannot charge in ZAR)
- Does the platform support shipping in or to your country?
- How will you get paid?
- Does the platform support your banking system?
- Is there local support for the platform?
DesignBoys has first-hand experience in dealing with many of these challenges.