Having a winning business concept is not going to be enough these days. After all, visibility is just as important in eCommerce as it is in real-world business.
Now, sites like Wix and Shopify are great places where you can set your shop up. However, which of the sites out there are actually the best for your business. To answer that, there are a few factors that you have to remember. If you’re just wondering which platform is better, Wix or Shopify, then we highly recommend reading this guide by SupplyGem.
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Pricing and Customer Services
Hosting is never for free. After all, the online marketplaces have to keep everything as functional as possible so transactions made between you and your customers are going to run as smoothly as possible.
Now, each marketplace has its own pricing for services. Some would be expensive than others as they offer more. Regardless of what platform you choose, always remember that the quality of services you will get should be directly proportionate to the amount you paid for it
For instance, subscription fees at Amazon could go up to $39.99 per month depending on the plan. The tradeoff, however, is assistance in making your digital stall visible to the market through cross-referrals as well as technical services to keep transactions hassle-free. The point is that the services should be worth every penny you pay.
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Payment Options
Aside from the amount you have to pay for the marketplace, you should also consider how customers are going to pay for your products. Some marketplaces don’t allow for 3rd party payments like through PayPal or Payoneer which can be frustrating for customers.
In this aspect, what you should be looking for is convenience. As such, make sure that that platform allows for customers to pay you through their payment processor of choice. This should give your customers the choice on how to pay you while reducing the chances of them canceling the sale by bailing out on their digital carts.
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Mobile-Friendliness
A third of the population of Internet users today doesn’t access the web through a desktop. In fact, most eCommerce transactions are done through the use of a mobile device.
With that in mind, the platform of your choice should immediately adjust its navigation systems to meet the needs of a smaller screen. You can even do this on a desktop by reducing the window size when on that site. And check if the layout and navigation system automatically adjusts to the smaller screen. Try this simple trick to get roblox gift card codes for free shopping in your roblox account.
Aside from automatic size adjustments, the site should be compatible with touch-based interfaces. After all, the last thing you want your customers to do is to send out the wrong order just because the site recognized an input different from what their finger pressed on.
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Data Security
No person out there would want to transact with a site where their information can be used against them. Security is actually a major concern in eCommerce sites these days as the nature of transactions require for people to put in valuable information just to make sure that their orders are delivered properly.
Since the risk is unavoidable, the best way to deal with it is through mitigation. A good online marketplace does this through layers upon layers of security to ensure that legit sellers are interacting with equally legit buyers. Also, extra failsafe must be implemented in case something goes wrong in the middle of a sale.
A good indicator that a site has sufficient data protection is if it supports HTTPS and SSL security protocols. These programs protect data being entered into these sites by encrypting them, rendering them unusable to attackers.
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Scalability
Your eCommerce business’ needs will change as it grows. As such, the platform of your choice will only ask you to pay for services that you need right now and not what you no longer have use for.
This is what is called scaling where the online platform changes the set of services it offers to you to meet the needs of your business. For instance, if your online business is about to expand on its product line. The platform will offer increases in storage capacity and other related services.
The point is that the platform should always offer services tailor-made to your business’ needs. Also, these scale-able services should be offered at prices that are affordable.