The 5 Best Platforms to an eCommerce website in 2022

The best eCommerce platforms are a gateway to selling goods in today’s digital world.

These tools not only give you the technology you need to design an effective website, but they also allow you to market or promote your offerings, manage transactions and drive sales. The question for any potential entrepreneur looking at e-commerce tools is, “Which platform should I use?” After all, they all claim to be the best.

Of course, there is no single answer to this question. The right platform for you depends on a variety of things. Some eCommerce tools are ideal for small businesses and freelancers; others seem to work well when selling services rather than physical products.

Whatever your goal with your eCommerce store, you’ll find the right platform for your needs in the following list.

What to look for in Ecommerce platforms?

Because there are so many eCommerce platforms, you will also discover many different features and capabilities created to make each service stand out. For our reviews of the best eCommerce platforms, we’ve tried to keep things simple, looking at the types of tools that generate the best results for businesses of all sizes. If you’re in the early stages of finding your platform, here are some of the factors you’ll want to consider:

Ease of use: an eCommerce platform needs to be intuitive, so you can effectively leverage all the features. Some platforms are more simplistic than others. For example, you can generally expect a higher learning curve from an open-source platform where you have to do your coding than you would get from a hosted service.
Feature set: this is probably essential to consider when looking for your ideal eCommerce platform. Basic selling features are a must, such as a checkout page, multiple payment options, and even selling different products, such as services or physical items. You may also need to look into additional inventory management or employee management features.
Marketing: most eCommerce platforms come with additional tools for marketing and promotion. The best agencies will often integrate with your existing email marketing service, as well as various social media tools. Looking at things like SEO functionality can also be helpful, as the higher you rank in search engines, the more likely you are to attract new customers and generate awareness.
Design: Design refers to how you can customize and enhance your store to reflect your brand. The best tools often come with a range of themes and templates to choose from to help you get started. You may want a drag-and-drop generator, which means you can customize your pages more efficiently. Some businesses also like to have access to HTML and CSS customization.
Price: while the cost of an eCommerce software solution shouldn’t be the only thing you consider, it is something that will make a difference in your choice. Make sure you find a pricing structure that fits your budget. It’s also helpful to see several pricing options to access as your business grows.

What are the best eCommerce platforms in 2022?

You can start thinking about your options now that you know the basics of looking for the ideal eCommerce platform. For this list, we’ve considered all of the above factors, as well as additional “extras” that we believe make the platform particularly appealing.

1. Shopify

If you’re looking for a versatile eCommerce platform that can scale your business, it’s hard to go wrong with Shopify. Known around the world for a simple and effective selling experience, Shopify makes it quick and easy to sell the way you want. You can even access things like dropshipping and social media sales tools.

One feature that makes Shopify more appealing to today’s business owners is its accessibility. It’s straightforward to get your store up and running, and there are plenty of ways to customize the look of your site as well. You can even visit the Shopify app store to add more features to your store as your business begins to grow.

Benefits

Many customization options with the App Store
Multi-channel business support for social networks
Various template options and attractive customization elements
The affordable pricing structure for beginners
Hosted e-commerce makes it easy to get started
Many certified partners to support you

Disadvantages

Not the best SEO performance
Minimal checkout customization options

2. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the most obvious sales choice for businesses that want to add eCommerce functionality to an existing WordPress website. WooCommerce is not a standalone site builder, but it works with the WordPress environment, making it very simple for beginners. If you already know how to use WordPress, you should have no problem with WooCommerce.

WooCommerce will work with a wide selection of add-ons and integrations as part of WordPress. You can find tools for email marketing, social media selling, one-click upsells, and even shipping calculations. However, you may need a little help from a professional to set everything up if you’re not familiar with coding.

Much of WooCommerce needs additional developer information to be adapted as your business grows. The more things you want to accomplish, the more help you’ll probably need. On the positive side, most people find that management becomes simple after learning how to use WooCommerce.

Benefits

Excellent for SEO and content marketing (like WordPress)
Extendable with many apps and widgets
Tons of customizations and themes are available
Lots of support available from WordPress experts
Very effective for marketing and promotion

Disadvantages

It will require some developer support
Requires additional investment in a WordPress site

3. Wix

Simplicity is crucial when building a digital store for the first time. It would help if you had a flexible environment suitable for growth, but you’ll also want a store with a shorter learning curve. Wix has you covered in both cases. The Wix website builder has changed dramatically in the last few years. Wix now offers things like multi-channel integration and Wix ADI for AI-supported branding.

Thanks to a wide selection of themes and customization options, you can create a beautiful website with Wix. Also, while Wix isn’t the best SEO tool, it has some built-in features to help you thrive online. Compared to some of the other top eCommerce platforms, Wix is a bit basic, but new features are popping up all the time.

Wix offers access to plugins and add-ons if you want to expand the functionality of your store. The more you want to do with your website, the more you’ll have to pay for things like storage. However, beginner-friendliness remains the same on every package.

Benefits

Many great themes with built-in customization options
AI-enhanced functionality to help you build your store
On-page support to help you get the most out of the service
Lots of apps and plugins for additional functionality
Various secure payment options and SSL certificate

Disadvantages

Not the best in SEO
Lacks advanced automation and upselling features

4. Ecwid

Ecwid stands out as one of the most adaptable and easy-to-use eCommerce builders on the market today. Ecwid is not a standalone site builder unlike some other products on this list. Instead, the open-source plugin attaches to your existing website to add sales functionality. Ecwid is similar to WooCommerce, but it works with various platforms beyond WordPress.

Ecwid makes it quick and easy to start selling products and services online with a flexible and adaptable digital environment. You can customize your payment, create one-click checkout pages, and even integrate additional apps if you want to expand your site. Ecwid is also ideal for managing your store on the go, with a mobile app that gives you an overview of your latest transactions.

The Ecwid experience is simple, with a slight learning curve because it connects to the channel you’re already using. The plugin is surprisingly affordable, making it a good choice for small business owners.

Benefits

Simple enough to connect to your existing websites
Lots of customization options
Ideal for adding integrations and additional features
Manage your store on the go with a mobile app
Various payment processing options

Disadvantages

Not a standalone site builder
Limitations of the free package

5. Squarespace

Squarespace is another of the best eCommerce platforms designed to make your life easier as a business owner. The drag-and-drop site builder comes with plenty of unique templates to choose from, as well as various customization options. While this service is not as advanced as some of the other leading options on the market, it is ideal for beginners.

If you sell print-on-demand products, Squarespace will work well, as it is suitable for websites looking to showcase a range of visual elements. The introductory prices for your store are low, so you can start as early as you like. In addition, Squarespace is also excellent from a promotional standpoint, with access to SEO functionality.

Squarespace integrates with tools like Shipstation and Printful for POD sales, and there are also tons of bonus tools to explore, such as real-time shipping rate calculations. However, you do have some limitations when it comes to payment processing.

Benefits

Easy to install and use for beginners
Fantastic for attractive but simple stores
Many SEO tools to help you rank online
Suitable for different types of sales, including print on demand
Integration with primary shipping tools

Disadvantages

Transaction fees are added to the overall costs
No app store for extra functionality

Conclusion

As you can probably tell from this article, there is no perfect eCommerce platform solution for every business owner. The answer you use will depend on your individual needs. Keep in mind that if you have the opportunity to check out the technology for free with a demo or initial trial, it’s worth doing so to get an idea of what you feel most comfortable with.