The internet introduced an exciting industry, eCommerce—highlighting creativity, and passion. It made product marketing and inventory management effortless.
The best eCommerce platform for small businesses is right at your fingertips. You can access any software through your smartphone. Unlike a brick-and-mortar store, you can serve an international market via your online store.
Selling online is cost-effective, especially for mom-and-pop business owners. It saves money from operational costs. But only 26% of small business owners in the U.S. use eCommerce websites.
By 2024, an estimated 95% of all purchases will be through eCommerce. So, if you’re planning to start an eCommerce business, now is the best time to do it.
But you may wonder which is the best eCommerce or WordPress builder platform for small businesses like mine? There are a number of options to choose from, but let’s start with the top ten best eCommerce platforms for small businesses in 2022.
10 Best eCommerce platform for small businesses in 2022
The digital era has made it easier for entrepreneurs to sell their products through online stores.
Online sellers can yield a considerable profit if they have well-defined products, competitive prices, and predictable delivery times.
Having an online shop has several advantages over having an actual store, such as 24-hour open services, quick online payment processing, and time-saving digital marketing tools.
If you want consumers to trust your virtual store, you need the right eCommerce website to set up your online storefront.
1. Shopify
Shopify is one of the best eCommerce website builders to date. It offers a range of free, user-friendly business management tools. If you are a Shopify customer you may sell your products through its virtual store and in person via third-party marketplaces and drop shippers.
Quick look:
- Price: $29.99 – $299/month
- Free trial: 14 days
- Multiple languages: Yes
- G2 Rating: 4.3/5
- Integrated sales channels: Facebook, Instagram, Wallmart Marketplace, Google, eBay, and Amazon
You don’t need any coding skills if you’re serious about Shopify’s dedicated eCommerce platform. It has all the tools to launch a successful small business, like in-person and online POS transactions, SEO, and abandoned cart recovery.
Additionally, considering Shopify headless can enhance your customization options and streamline your online store even further.
With Shopify’s streamlined mobile app feature, you can even manage your business on the go. You may fill orders, add products, and update inventory from anywhere.
Pros:
- Over 6,000 third-party apps
- Email marketing services
- Competitive shipping rates
- Unlimited bandwidth and online storage
- Callback phone support
Cons:
- Limited blogging platform
- Unpredictable rates
Shopify is a great way to earn extra cash right out of your pocket, but learning it can be overbearing. There are online courses to learn Shopify if you’re a beginner.
If you don’t have enough to start a business, Shopify dropshipping doesn’t require a lot of upfront investment. Dropshipping allows you to sell products without inventory. Perfect for beginner entrepreneurs who want to start a business while working full-time. To enhance your Shopify experience, consider exploring a Shopify upsell app.
2. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the best eCommerce platform with the most popular content management system, WordPress. It offers a customizable, open-source eCommerce platform with more than 6,000 third-party extensions, like marketing tools, payment processing, and booking arrangements.
Quick look:
- Price: Prices may range from $120 – $5,000/year, depending on your subscription.
- Free trial: 30 days
- Multiple languages: Yes
- G2 Rating: 4.4/5
- Integrated sales channels: Google Shopping, eBay, Etsy, Facebook, and Pinterest
WooCommerce allows you to monetize your WordPress blog without transferring it to an entirely new website builder. With WooCommerce’s budget-friendly website builder, you can technically start a free business platform. But when you add integrations and plug-ins, you may have to pay for premium tools.
Pros:
- Unlimited inventory and orders
- Affordable and Customizable
- Huge theme selection
Cons:
- Little to no customer support
- Troubleshooting issues
- Necessary extensions for simple functions
- Requires technical knowledge
WooCommerce can be challenging for beginners. If you don’t know all the technical aspects of your eCommerce site, you may have to hire someone to help you create your WooCommerce store.Â
Once you become familiar with this website builder, you’ll have more freedom and flexibility to enjoy your eCommerce website.
3. BigCommerce
Many consider BigCommerce as the top eCommerce website builder. It provides the most sales and scalable features that are great for growing small businesses. BigCommerce is available for all mobile devices. Its user-friendly eCommerce platform guarantees that you don’t need any technical skills to create a website.
Quick look:
- Price: $29 – $299/month
- Free trial: 15 days
- Multiple languages: Yes
- G2 Rating: 4.2/5
- Integrated sales channels: Google Shopping, Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram
BigCommerce eCommerce platform has all the tools you need to build a successful online store. All plans include SEO (Search Engine Optimization), real-time shipping rates, and social media integrations.
If you’re an established small business owner, BigCommerce is the ideal website builder. Although it requires a lot of investment, you won’t regret putting money into a platform that has international reach.
Pros:
- Great SEO performance
- No additional transaction fees
- Has the most sales features
- 24/7 customer support
Cons:
- Requires technical knowledge
- Best for medium to large online stores
- A few loading issues
By choosing BigCommerce website builder, you have an advantage over other eCommerce platforms. It has add-ons like abandon cart recovery, reward points, and personalized products.
If you decide to scale your small business quickly, BigCommerce can add value to your investment.
4. Wix
Wix is the go-to website builder for beginner small business owners with a limited budget. It focuses on image-centric eCommerce site designs with more than 800++ free website templates.
Quick look:
- Price: $23 – $49/month
- Free trial: 14 days
- Multiple languages: Yes
- G2 Rating: 4.2/5
- Integrated sales channels: Facebook and Instagram
Wix is an affordable, mobile-friendly way to create a website. With its intuitive drag-and-drop website builder, you can add elements without any coding experience.
Wix makes it easy to customize your online store. Other website builders require a third-party app to create a landing page, abandoned cart emails, and digital products. But with Wix’s low-priced plans, you don’t need to pay extra fees to get these basic features and integrations.
Pros:
- Easy to use and learn
- Great user experience
- Built-in templates
- Phone and live chat support
- Includes marketing automation
Cons:
- Slight mobile responsive issues
- Templates are permanent
- Lacks necessary SEO features
- Weak integration with Amazon
Wix gives you the creative freedom to create and design your online store. You even get a free domain name for a year if you purchase a premium plan.
If you’re looking for an affordable way to create sales through promotion ideas, Wix has a loyalty program available for your customers.
5. Squarespace
Squarespace is a do-it-yourself e-Commerce platform well known for its content management system. It has an easy-to-use interface perfect for small business owners.
Quick look:
- Price: $18 – $40/month
- Free trial: 14 days
- Multiple languages: No, but you can have translated versions of your website.
- G2 Rating: 4.4/5
- Integrated sales channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, eBay, Etsy, and Google Search Console
Many use Squarespace for selling services online, but users can still use it for product-based businesses. With embedded map features, consumers can find your physical location conveniently.
With its drag-and-drop editor, Squarespace allows you to design your online store even if you don’t have background experience creating a website.
Pros:
- Creative control
- Budget friendly
- Easy to learn
- Excellent social media integration
- Uniquely designed templates
Cons:
- Slow loading speed
- Limited payment options
- Unscalable
- Only has two eCommerce subscription plans
Squarespace offers the most basic plan for small business owners. But you may upgrade your plan to include abandoned cart recovery, real-time shipping rates, and tracking parcels. So if you’re planning to scale your business, you may want to opt for a different website builder.
Aside from its limited features, Squarespace can still offer your small business a platform to showcase your products through a visually appealing online store.
6. Magento
Magneto is the most popular eCommerce solution, with an estimated 20% of eCommerce sites using their software. It has a free, open-source eCommerce platform built for those with or without some programming experience.
Quick look:
- Price: $0 – $1,600/month, but prices can depend on your subscription package.
- Free trial: Free plan available
- Multiple languages: Yes
- G2 Rating: 4.0/5
- Integrated sales channels: Google Shopping ads, Amazon, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
Magento is one of the most well-known website builders that supports multiple stores, currencies, and vendors. It can reinforce scaling online store management and operations.
If you’re concerned about security, Magento has a top-notch secured coding architecture that attracts giants like Samsung and Nespresso.
Pros:
- Active plug-ins
- Global community
- A vast number of payment options
- Adjustable theme and templates
- Highly customizable
Cons:
- Not SEO friendly
- Some costly features
- Requires technical background
Adding a domain name to your online store gives you credibility. Magento gives you the option to buy an expired domain name for $20 – $400/year or a brand new one for $10-$20/ year.
If you decide to add a customized feature, you can hire a developer to lend you a hand. With over 5,000 extensions available and site marketing management, you won’t miss out on any features if you invest in Magento software.
7. Weebly
With its simple online storefronts and minimal product catalogs, Weebly is an excellent platform for small business owners seeking a cost-efficient way to sell digital products.
Quick look:
- Price: $0 – $38/month
- Free trial: Free plan available
- Multiple languages: Yes
- G2 Rating: 4.2/5
- Integrated sales channels: None
Powered by Square, Weebly is the easiest way to jumpstart any small business from the ground up. You can easily integrate your small business platform with other Square-owned systems, including secure online shopping carts and inventory management tools.
Weebly offers great designs and is uncomplicated to learn if you don’t have the knack for coding. It has an assortment of professional-looking templates with an excellent mobile user experience.
Pros:
- Unique website designs
- Beginner friendly dashboard
- Excellent value for money
- Low price for marketing automation
Cons:
- Not SEO friendly
- No Amazon integration
- Additional transaction fees
Weebly has the perfect set of e-commerce tools for order and supply management, inventory tracking, and custom promotions. Since Weebly only offers the most basic e-commerce software, you have to pay additional fees if you have a high sales volume.
8. Square
Among all the website builders, Square dominates the payment processing system. They initially started with a POS device for retailers but expanded its features to include other business management tools like Square Online.
Square allows your customers to pay via credit and debit card payments without leaving your website.
Quick look:
- Price: $12 – $72/month
- Free trial: 30 days
- Multiple languages: Automatic translation
- G2 Rating: 4.3/5
- Integrated sales channels: Google Shopping, Instagram, and Facebook
If you build an online store with Square, you get to view sales data and analytics in real time. You may choose any template for retail, restaurants, nonprofits, etc.
What sets Square apart from its competitors is its free, reliable subscription plans. It includes basic features but has limited storage of 500 MB. However, their free plan doesn’t allow you to customize a domain name.
Pros:
- Reasonably priced
- Easy to use dashboard
- No coding skills required
- Built in marketing features
- All in one eCommerce and payment processing
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Businesses can outgrow the platform
- Inability to make international sales transactions
With Square, you can automatically sync your inventory with its POS system. You don’t need to manually calculate your taxes since it has an automatic tax calculator.
Although it’s great that Square has a free plan, you can’t remove the advertisements on your site.
Square can work wonders if you want to set up a small eCommerce business. It’ll help you sell and promote your products through multichannel selling.
9. Volusion
Volusions is one of the long-lasting eCommerce software solutions that caters to any online store. It handles everything you need, such as checkout, payment processing, and order management.
Quick look:
- Price: $29 – $299/month
- Free trial: 14 days
- Multiple languages: Yes
- G2 Rating: 3.3/5
- Integrated sales channels: Amazon, eBay, and Facebook.
Volusion’s interface makes it easy to create a professional-looking website. There are free themes available, but if they don’t pique your interest, you can buy a premium theme for $180.
Not all of your customers have similar payment gateways. So by choosing Volusion, you can satisfy your customers with over 30 payment methods, including PayPal, Amazon, and Stripe. Do note that these platforms charge a transaction fee. Calculate the processing fee using a Stripe Fee Calculator.
Pros:
- In-depth sales reporting
- Automatic tax calculation
- Enables customization
- Built-in marketing tools
Cons:
- Lacks blogging tools
- Laggy loading speed
- Poor search function
- Limited to U.S. based stores
Volusion provides your customers with a straightforward solution when shopping on your website.
As your business grows, your online shop can grow with you. Volusion’s product management functions let you upload an unlimited number of products for a fee.
10. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is the one-stop shop web solution for small businesses. It’s one of the most affordable hosting providers in the market. With cheap domain registration, you won’t regret subscribing to this eCommerce platform.
Quick look:
- Price: $9.99 – $24.99/month
- Free trial: 14 days
- Multiple languages: Yes
- G2 Rating: 3.9/5
- Integrated sales channels: Amazon, Etsy, Google, Walmart, Instagram, and Facebook
GoDaddy offers discounts to all new users. So if you’re reluctant to pay a lot of money for a website, you may also try their free plan.
One of the best parts of GoDaddy is the quick and easy integration. You can launch a successful online store. It includes eCommerce tools like product listings, multi-channel selling, a range of shipping options, and the ability to adjust sale prices.
Pros:
- Easy to use interface
- Includes free domain name
- Multiple location choices
- Fast server performance
Cons:
- No SSL Certificate
- Hidden charges
- Lacks security measure
- It doesn’t have bulk email services
GoDaddy has mobile-friendly templates and over 125 one-click install applications. Some of these third-party integrations include WordPress, Joomla, and multiple versions of PHP.
GoDaddy is a great website builder if you’re starting your online eCommerce business despite lacking vital features. It has all the essential marketing tools you’ll need to start selling online.
Conclusion
Starting a retail business is one thing, but having an eCommerce website helps you achieve a level of success that you never knew could happen in your lifetime.
There are countless website builders on the internet. Doing your research before rushing into a fad eCommerce platform is important. You can avoid costly investments by enrolling in software with some features you don’t even use.
When venturing into virtual selling, take some eCommerce courses to familiarize yourself with the market. You’ll learn new, practical marketing and business growth strategies to help you take your online store to the next level.
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