eCommerce CMS: What is the Right Choice for Your Brand?

We all now live in the age of the internet. Almost everything can be found online. A lot of things can be found and done in web browsers and software applications. People can now connect via computer screens and a pair of earphones. This connection also matches between business and trade. Buying and selling between people from across all nations is now made possible by being online. Online retail is now a lifestyle for many people.

One of the ways this is possible is by the emergence of Content Management System (CMS). Despite sounding complicated, CMS is simply just your software application that helps in creating and managing the contents for your online business. With CMS, the most important thing you need to think over is creating content like blogs, photos, graphics, catalogues and etc. to entice possible customers. Who said running an online store should be stressful?

With the emergence of CMS for your online store, we all definitely live in exciting times where we can now access millions of possibilities from everywhere. However, there are tons of CMS applications that are available to all kinds of people deliberating their online businesses. Deciding which CMS to invest in is another major decision you’ll have to think through before starting your online business. Let us aid you in that major push for your online business. 

Now you might be asking, which CMS is best for me? These are some of the most popular CMS you can consider for your business:

WordPress with WooCommerce

Chances are, you probably keep hearing about WordPress, and for good reason, WordPress is a veteran in website creation and design. It has an extensive community of people all around the world. It boasts so many plugins and features you can easily add to your existing website. Frankly, you can use WordPress to build almost any kind of website may it be a plain blog or an extensive online store. As such, many sellers start their online business via WordPress.

However, WordPress works well with a popular plugin that instantly transforms your website into an online store. This plugin is WooCommerce. Think of a feature that is inserted in WordPress made specifically for showcasing your products and services online. You can add all your products easily and enable customer reviews. Its functions include inventory and shipping management for sellers and secure payment methods for customers.

WooCommerce Pros

• WooCommerce is open source and as such, you can modify it quite easily any time to update your online stores.

• It is a free plugin to download.

• It is easy to use especially for beginners. You don’t need to have any coding knowledge before diving into WooCommerce.

WooCommerce Cons

• Customising the theme of your store can be a bit tricky to do. Your content might need a little adjusting to get it visually right.

• Although the plugin for WooCommerce is free, some aspects are not. Paying for other features you want in your online store is another decision for you to make. This includes some themes, extensions and domain registration.

Shopify

Another big name in the field of online retail is Shopify. Shopify is also another solution for beginner sellers looking to sell online. You don’t need to be a designer in setting up your online store, you can customise the look and feel of your store in Shopify’s online store builder. It is also a cloud-based platform. You don’t have to keep updating software and web servers to keep your online stars up and running. Just connect to the internet and check it.

Shopify Pros

• Shopify is fast. Speed is a key element in making online stores work and Shopify excels in keeping its platform fast to keep up with customer demands and online processes.

• Shopify is highly known for its customer service to online sellers. In the online world, you’ll need people who are fast and reliable in answering your queries any time to keep your stores up to date. Shopify is known for this.

• You can easily integrate other channels into your Shopify online store. You can add Facebook, Amazon, and other channels to widen the market of your store.

Shopify Cons

• Some products aren’t allowed in Shopify. If you’re thinking about selling event tickets, investment bundles, video game credits, it’s prohibited in Shopify.

• The really advanced features are quite pricey in Shopify. However, if you really want to invest in your sites, it’s worth a try.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is also an emerging website store builder for you and your E-commerce desires. BigCommerce caters to both B2B and B2C making it a preferable choice if you also want to boost your services and products to different kinds of markets. It’s home to online stores of thousands of brands and big industry-leading names that you know of.

BigCommerce Pros

• BigCommerce offers a BigCommerce University that also helps in making your online store shine and answers your queries as accurately as possible.

• Almost everything is integrated into the BigCommerce Software. Online stores work well with added plugins and functions, however, the core functions should always be present across all online stores. BigCommerce has the basics covered.

• BigCommerce also doesn’t have transaction fees posted compared to other Online Store platforms

BigCommerce Cons

• BigCommerce can be quite expensive. Rates can increase depending on your online store growth, which can be an issue the moment your store gains traction over the web.

• It has less adding and plugins available for download.

Magento

Magento has made its way as one of the best eCommerce platforms enabling online retail available for everybody. It supports B2C, B2B or B2B2C customer relationships. For anybody who wants to expand and scale their online stores in a more robust and flexible way, Magento is considered as the ultimate solution for your online business.

Magento Pros

• You can customise your online store as much as you want. Magento allows you to adapt your online store to meet your online needs and demands.

• Magento has vast selections and features that you can integrate into your store. You can have different features for different kinds of customers your store interacts with.

• Magento has a good community that can aid your way in setting up your online store.

Magento Cons

• Magento can get pretty costly with other additional functions you want to integrate into your online shops. It also has hosting fees for your website.

• Magento can turn extremely complex and can sometimes take time to set up especially with more things being added to your website.

Conclusion

There are convenience and endless possibilities for businesses and markets nowadays. As a seller, you don’t need to worry so much about getting your site out there. Website creation can be a daunting thought for those who don’t really know anything about the technical side of coding. As such, CMSs are made for you to focus your time on getting your store out there. All you need to do is deliberate and choose the right one for your needs.

At G Squared, we provide eCommerce Website Design & Development to suit all your eCommerce business needs. Call us today at (02) 9339 4500.