The Best Ecommerce Platform in 2019

In this video, I will share with you the different advantages and disadvantages of the top 12 ecommerce platforms to guide you which one would best fit your business.

Shopify– This is the most popular platform for successful ecommerce entrepreneurs. This was built from the ground up with ecommerce in mind, unlike others where ecommerce is added as an afterthought.
Other Pros: It has a 14-day free trial. There are also many useful apps and plugins available.
Cons: It is more expensive compared to other platforms. It is around $29/month.

Bigcommerce – This is similar to Shopify but with lesser features and integrations.
Pros: It has built-in features that Shopify may not have.
Cons: It is also expensive. Price is more or less the same with Shopify.

Big Cartel – This is a good option for those with few products like artists, craftsmen, and other creative people.
Other Pros: Free plan is available if you have 5 products or less. It is also easy to create a simple store.
Cons: There is not enough features and integrations for serious ecommerce entrepreneurs. Not ideal for those who would like to make ecommerce as the main livelihood.

Volusion – This is the ecommerce platform that I used for my first company, BDancewear. It has a lot of good built-in features which you have to pay for in Shopify.
Other Pros: It supports multiple SKUs and color swatches.
Cons: I’ve experienced some dubious practices with this platform like jacking up our prices without us knowing. We’ve had some issues with the “Add To Cart” button as well.

Squarespace– One of the ecommerce platforms that has recently been getting a lot of hype.
Pros: This is made for people who want a beautiful website. It is also easy to use.
Cons: This is not ideal for ecommerce. It is good for those who would want to sell products on the side, but not as the main focus of the site.

Magento– This platform used to be very popular because it is highly customizable. With this, however, comes the need to hire a web designer.
Pros: You can have it customized to suit your taste.
Cons: More money will be spent to customize the website.

Go Daddy– This is not meant for ecommerce. If you want to buy a domain name, then this is the site for you.

Wix– This is the same with GoDaddy. It is great for creating a website but not for ecommerce. This was not built for ecommerce as the main function.

Woo Commerce – This is the next most talked about ecommerce platform. The reason for this is that it’s free. Users tend to gravitate towards it because of this.
Other Pros: It has the most number of users, making it the most popular platform. It also has lots of plugins and add-ons available. Some are already coded in so you do not have to spend on hiring a designer.
Cons: You have to pay for some company to host your site. It is also not easy to use especially if you do not have the technical ability (e.g. knowledge of HTML and CSS). There is also a greater chance of encountering issues and risks like your account being hacked. It is also not entirely free as you may need to pay for some of the features that you want.

Amazon, Ebay, Etsy – The pros and cons of these three platforms are similar to each other.
Pros: It is easier to get started on these platforms than creating your own website.
Cons: You don’t own the customers and you can get kicked off anytime. They also charge high fees.