The golden method for choosing the best shop system

One of the things that can determine the success of trading online is the right platform. Online shop should have the right technological facilities to quickly add goods, change prices, set promotions or introduce new shipping methods. Which of the available solutions should you opt for? Let's find out!

What are the differences between online shop platforms?

When starting your e-commerce adventure, you should decide whether you want to use a 'subscription' system or whether you prefer to rent a server and install the shop yourself on it. You then need to configure it. What are the differences between the two approaches?

You cannot add plug-ins

You can modify your shop as you wish

As can be seen in the table above, having your own online shop platforms offers significantly more opportunities, but also involves many responsibilities on the part of the company. Those taking their first steps in e-commerce usually opt for a subscription-based shop, especially if they are unsure of how long they want to run their business. Intermediate and advanced users, on the other hand, usually opt for an open-source system. What do they have to choose from?

Own online shop - ranking of available platforms

PrestaShop, Magento, Woocommerce or maybe Quick.Cart or Selesto.pl? What do we need to consider when learning about popular online shop platforms? A whole range of factors. We describe a few of them below.

1. ease of use

The more sophisticated the online shop software (the ranking includes both the simplest and the most advanced systems), the more different options appear in the menu. Individual products can be modified in many ways, product groups can be created, promotions can be included, etc. This requires precise mastery of these functionalities so that the offer to the customer looks exactly as planned.

2. availability of plug-ins

The most popular e-commerce platforms can be enhanced with special plug-ins that provide new functionalities. To use them, however, you need to know how to install them, and before that, you need to be able to find them on the Internet. In the case of Magento, there will be no problems - extensions are plentiful. Slightly fewer add-ons are available to users of PrestaShop or QuickCart, for example.

3. server requirements

Before you decide which online shop platform is best for you, get to know the performance of each. Often, those that offer more options require correspondingly more server processing power. Check what kind of machine you have at your disposal to avoid a slow shop - otherwise you will inevitably lose your least patient customers!

4. possibility to integrate with payments or shipping

The old saying goes that 'time is money'. Therefore, find out whether you can make your life easier and automate the order fulfilment process with a particular platform. This includes, for example, preparing the sticker for the parcel or providing the customer with an e-mail confirmation. Also find out whether the platform is able to 'handle' the payment methods you want to offer your customers.

5. number of products and categories available

If you are just starting out in online trading and expect a small number of transactions, you are unlikely to need an extensive online shop platform . An oversized 'combo' will at most cause you problems when you want to make changes. If, on the other hand, you plan to have a very large range from the outset, then go for Magento, for example. The Magento shop can even handle a range of thousands of products.

Adaptation to SEO standards

Check whether the shop allows you to set your meta tags, address structure and headers appropriately. And also whether it creates them itself in the right way. This is very important for the visibility of your website on the web.

7. community support

Popular open-source systems have broad communities of users, supporting each other in times of trouble. The more well-known the platform, the more experienced people who can solve common problems or create a guide for beginners. In systems such as Magento, however, such support may not be sufficient - in which case you need to call on the services of a professional to make the necessary modifications to the code or improve the shop's configuration.

Comparison of webshop software - final conclusions

In summary, the best step for beginners is to use one of the subscription platforms. A small amount of time and few technical or legal obligations mean that you can concentrate fully on customer service and creating relationships with customers, which is particularly important in the early days of business. If, on the other hand, you are planning your online debut with a company that has been in operation for years, and online sales are to complement its business, then go for one of the open-source platforms. A larger expenditure of the order of PLN 5-10 thousand for the "start-up" of a shop will certainly pay off and allow for the successful development of a new sales channel.