Pricing and Fees
The first thing to consider when choosing a Shopify alternative is price. While many of the platforms we’ve reviewed offer a free plan, they all have paid plans with varying price points. If you’re just getting started with your online store, you may want to start with a free plan to see how the platform works for you. But if you’re serious about growing your business, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan eventually.
Another consideration is fees. Does the platform charge both a monthly fee as well as processing or transaction fees on each purchase? Do you have to use a separate payment gateway, or can you use the platform’s built-in payment processing? These are important questions to ask when evaluating pricing.
Hosting
Another important consideration is hosting. Some platforms, such as Shopify and Wix, include hosting as part of their monthly subscription fee. Others, such as Ecwid and WooCommerce, don’t include hosting, but make it easy to set up your store on a hosting platform, such as WordPress.
If you’re not sure which option is right for you, think about how much control you want over your store’s hosting. If you want the platform to handle everything, then a hosted solution such as Shopify or Squarespace might be the right choice. But if you’re comfortable setting up your own hosting, then a self-hosted solution such as WooCommerce might be a better option.
Themes and Design Options
When you’re setting up your online store, you want it to look professional and branded. That means choosing a platform with a wide range of themes and design options. Some platforms, such as Shopify and Wix, offer hundreds of themes to choose from. Others, such as Ecwid and Squarespace, offer a smaller selection of themes but allow you to customize your store’s design more.
Think about how important design is to your business. If you want a wide selection of themes to choose from, then a customizable platform might be the right choice. And if you’re comfortable working with code and want more control over your store’s design, then a platform with open source or API might be the best option. With these types of platforms, you can often find platform-provided themes, hire a web designer or even buy a premade theme from a marketplace such as Etsy.
Ease of Use
Another important consideration is ease of use. You want a platform that’s easy to set up and use, especially if you’re new to e-commerce. Even if you’re not new to e-commerce, and you’re simply looking to migrate to a new platform, consider if there’s a migration service, or a step-by-step guide to transferring to your new platform. The last thing you want is a platform that’s so complex that it takes weeks or months to learn.
To evaluate ease of use, take advantage of free trials and demos offered by various platforms. Consider how long it takes to set up a basic store, how easy it is to add products and categories and how intuitive the platform’s interface is.
Security
When you’re running an online store, security is always a top concern. You want to make sure your customers’ data is safe and secure, and that your store is protected from hackers. To evaluate security, look for a platform that offers features such as SSL encryption and PCI compliance. SSL encryption is important for protecting your customers’ data, while PCI compliance ensures that your store is secure from hackers.
You should also look for a platform that is regularly updated with the latest security patches. This helps to ensure that your store is always protected from the latest threats.
Payment Processing Options
We touched on payment gateways under our pricing and fees section, but it’s worth mentioning again. You’ll want to make sure that the platform you choose offers a wide range of payment processing options. This includes credit and debit cards, as well as popular payment providers such as PayPal, Stripe or Apple Pay.
You should also consider whether the platform offers any additional features, such as the ability to set up subscription-based payments or recurring orders. These features can be very valuable for businesses that sell products or services on a recurring basis.
SEO Features
If you want your store to be successful, you need to make sure it’s visible to potential customers. That means optimizing your site for search engines such as Google. To evaluate a platform’s SEO features, look for features such as a built-in blog, customizable URLs, meta tags and social sharing buttons. These features will help you to optimize your site for search engines and drive traffic to your store.
You should also consider whether the platform offers any additional features that can help with SEO, such as the ability to create custom pages or add structured data. These features can help you improve your site’s ranking in the search results and get more traffic to your store.
Customer Support
Finally, you’ll want to consider customer support when choosing an e-commerce platform. Things will inevitably go wrong from time to time, and you’ll need to be able to rely on your platform’s customer support team to help you resolve any issues.
To evaluate customer support, look for features such as 24/7 support, live chat, community support group, email support and a knowledge base. These features will help you to get the help you need when you need it. You should also consider the quality of the customer support team. Look for reviews from other users to see what their experiences have been like. Do their marketing promises live up to the hype?
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