If you have an e-commerce business then you need an e-commerce solution that gives you the best performance levels at an affordable cost. It’s important that you do not just jump for what seems like the cheapest option as this does not always give you what you need as a business. You need to look at the options available to you and make an informed decision.
We are going to take a look at the different out of the box solutions you can set up yourself as a business owner. We are also going to take a look at why you may want to hire the services of an ecommerce web design professional who can do all of the work for you.
Shopify
Shopify is one of the best known e-commerce software solutions. If you decide to use Shopify for your e-commerce website you get all of the kit you need to set everything up and get your website up and running within a short space of time. You get an effective online storefront as well as a payment processing function. You also get a website host, web builder and marketing tools. Shopify is relatively simple to use and you should have no problem setting everything up, even if you are not technically minded. You are still taking responsibility for your e-commerce solution yourself though and this can be an unwanted distraction at times.
Magento
Magento is hugely popular open-source e-commerce software. You can use it to customise your e-commerce website so that it better reflects your brand. The good thing about Magento is that it enables you to create an online storefront that is as you want it. You also get access to all of the other users of this open-source solution, which can be useful if you have questions you need an answer to. If you have several online stores you are also able to manage them all using just one dashboard.
WooCommerce
If you are using WordPress for your business’s website then you may want to use the WooCommerce plugin to add a shopping cart. The plug-in is free to use and you have access to a range of themes and extensions that you may wish to use.
Professional e-commerce website design
Out of the box e-commerce software solutions can seem like the cheapest option for your business. If you are looking purely at financial outlay then this is probably true; but there is more to designing a website than that. You need an e-commerce website that is effective and efficient; one that users find it simple to navigate.
Although out of the box solutions are generally relatively simple to use you more than likely do not have the time or the knowledge to create the same high quality e-commerce website that a professional can. There simply is no substitute for knowledge and experience when creating the best website for you. That is why it’s often worth spending the money to hire a professional to do the job, and take all the pressure off your shoulders.
