When it comes to e-commerce, traditional brick-and-mortar stores have long been the established players, with online marketplaces and social media allowing smaller retailers to showcase their products and grow their businesses, all while staying in touch with their customers on a personal level.
For years, traditional retailers have tried to keep up with the times by investing in digital transformation, purchasing e-commerce management software from larger brands like IBM and Accenture.
However, as the saying goes, “no one size fits all” when it comes to e-commerce and business management software. Not all e-commerce management solutions are created equal, with each product offering unique benefits that you must consider before making a purchase decision. In this article, we’ll discuss the criteria you should use to determine which e-commerce management software is right for your business.
Features
When shopping for business software, you’ll come across a variety of feature listings, all boasting about the functionalities that the software provides. While some vendors may focus on marketing the benefits of their software, focusing on features is an important part of any purchase decision. Knowing what features you need and how they’ll benefit your business will help you identify the right solution for your unique needs.
To determine which e-commerce management software offers the best value for your money, you must first consider what features you need and how they’ll be used. Some solutions offer advanced order management and business intelligence technology, enabling you to track sales and analyze traffic on a granular level. Other tools allow you to build shopping carts and keep track of your customers’ orders, while marketing software provides you with the ability to integrate your e-commerce store with social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Cost
One of the primary considerations when choosing an e-commerce platform is the cost; you’ll always want to find a solution that doesn’t cripple your budget. The cost of the product itself is one factor to consider, but so is the cost of the implementation. Some vendors charge you a one-time setup fee, while others require ongoing service fees. Depending on your situation, you may want to consider the cost of implementation and whether or not you’ll want to invest in additional tools.
To find the right deal, it’s important to do your research. There are several free or low-cost solutions available, and you don’t always have to be limited to the ones that are paid for. Doing some research beforehand will help you find a suitable solution for your unique needs.
Support
Of course, no piece of business software is perfect, and no matter how good the product is, you’ll eventually run into a problem. The best solutions offer extensive support, with some vendors offering live chat support and phone calls during certain hours of the day, or even responsive customer service teams that communicate with you via email.
The level of support you get depends on the plan you choose. The more you pay, the more advanced the support you’ll receive. However, even low-cost solutions offer excellent support, with many vendors offering tutorials, online documentation, and knowledge bases that you can peruse to help solve any problem.
Design
When it comes to the design of the software, you want to find a solution that’s clean and simple. There are several available that offer modern designs that are still functional, with the perfect balance between design and functionality.
The best e-commerce management software provides you with the tools you need without distracting you with unnecessary frills. The design should be pleasant and easy to navigate, with well-organized dashboards that provide you with the information you need, without taking up too much room on your screen.
Interface
The user interface is extremely important, especially when selecting a solution that’s geared towards desktop use, because that’s what you’ll be using the most. The best e-commerce management software provides you with a pleasant experience, enabling you to navigate with ease and quickly find the information you need. Furthermore, solutions that are designed with touch screens in mind provide an even better experience, as you’ll be able to browse the web store simply by swiping your finger across the screen.
Deployment
When choosing an e-commerce solution, you must decide if you want to install it yourself or if you want to outsource the task. While it’s nice to have the option of doing it yourself (if you’re confident you can handle the task), some solutions are so complex that it’s easier to hire someone to do it for you. The time and resources that you’ll save by outsourcing the deployment will more than make up for the cost of the service, especially if you’re starting a small business with just one or two employees.
When choosing an e-commerce solution, it’s important to keep your existing software and applications in mind. If you have an in-house legal team or an accounting department, for example, you may want to avoid purchasing an e-commerce solution that doesn’t integrate with existing systems. The last thing you want to do is have to deal with separate systems that don’t communicate with one another, lest you lose vital information along the way.
E-commerce Trends & Innovations
E-commerce is constantly evolving, and as a business owner, you must stay abreast of the latest trends and innovations, to ensure that your business is adapting to the ever-changing digital landscape.
One of the major changes taking place in the e-commerce industry is the rise of the hybrid store. While more and more consumers are shopping online, many are also favoring online marketplaces, such as ShopBOP, over e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, due to the ability of online marketplaces to seamlessly integrate with other platforms and services, like Facebook and Google Analytics. What’s more is that many retailers have actually shifted some of their in-house sales teams to online marketplaces, resulting in greater efficiency and lower operating costs, as well as providing the opportunity to expand their reach beyond their physical locations.
Final Takeaway
No matter what your e-commerce needs are, you’ll want to find a suitable solution that can help you meet those needs. When choosing an e-commerce solution, it’s important to keep your existing software and applications in mind, as well as the features that you’ll need. When seeking advice from experts, be sure to focus on what you need and how you’ll use the software, as opposed to what you want, as you may discover that what you want may not be suitable for your needs at all. Doing some research beforehand will help you find a suitable solution for your unique needs, as well as help you determine what features are most important to you.