ECommerce solutions have transformed how organizations market their products. With an eCommerce solution you can create a strong and exciting presence in your industry by selecting the right eCommerce partner. When selecting an eCommerce partner, it’s important to know what things to consider during the selection process. It’s not one size fits all, every business will have its own requirements and needs. We’re here to help guide you through your eCommerce decision and hopefully help make the choice easier! Here are our top 5 things you must consider when selecting an eCommerce solution.
#1: Platform
This is one of the most important decisions when it comes to selecting an eCommerce partner. Choose wisely because you are getting ready to enter a partnership with a provider that will help you grow your business. Your eCommerce solution provider will help you evaluate your specific requirements and needs and help guide you to a platform that will meet your current and future eCommerce needs.
#2: Security
Security is equally as important as your platform choice. There are two security features that every eCommerce store should have; PCI Compliance and SSL Certificate. Today, every eCommerce site must be PCI compliant or your business will be charged fees. What is PCI? PCI is the Payment Card Industry’s standard that ensures ALL companies that process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. The second security feature is an SSL certificate; this ensures that all information entered into the web store is encrypted and protected. Most online shoppers will look for the SSL feature and will abandon their shopping experience if you don’t include it. So regardless of how impressive your web store may look, if your store is not secure you will lose customers.
#3: Products
What you are selling plays a huge role in which eCommerce solution will best meet your business needs. There are many things to consider such as the type of product you are offering and its attributes. For example; a t-shirt can come in many different colors and sizes, so your eCommerce solution provider can guide you on how best to promote and display your items. What about electronically delivered items like an eBook? All of these product configurations and combinations come into play when you are considering an eCommerce solution provider. It is important to take in consideration how your customers will navigate through your web store and how your products will be displayed, not to mention how you will setup and manage your products.
#4: Design
We’ve all heard the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”, well this applies to your eCommerce solution too. Don’t base your eCommerce solution decision exclusively on glitz and glamour. Looks are definitely something to consider, but one must be careful and avoid overuse of flash and graphics. It is best to keep it simple and stay focused on your user’s overall experience, instead of just the look of your new site. One of the biggest cart abandon issue is because the site it too difficult to navigate or too many clicks to complete transaction…simplicity is key. It is best to allow your business to determine which eCommerce solution is right for you, instead of allowing the solution to determine your business model.
#5: Support
This should not be an afterthought, it is important to ensure you have someone you can call should you need support. Your eCommerce provider should be reputable and reliable. Getting poor service from your eCommerce provider makes it difficult for you to provide an exceptional shopping experience for your customers.
With so many eCommerce solutions available it is difficult to decide which one is best for your business, but by going through our top 5 considerations and asking your eCommerce solution provider how their solution will meet your requirements, will definitely get you started in the right direction. These 5 considerations are only the beginning. There are many other things to be considered, such as fulfillment, inventory management, shipping, and reporting just to name a few. Remember, don’t let the latest and greatest eCommerce features drive your decision, but rather let the needs of your company determine your choice for an eCommerce Solution.
