Cart Wars: Choosing the Right Platform for Your Online Store
In 2020, ecommerce sales nearly hit $4 trillion worldwide. The Coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdown played a large role in that surge, but the market stateside is expected to remain robust. With so many customers just a click away, independent sellers are trying harder than ever to carve out their place amongst the big brand names.
Platforms like Etsy and Amazon Handmade are convenient access points for sellers just dipping their toes in the water, but excessive fees, a lack of marketing capabilities, and limited customization options often prove restrictive. Accordingly, makers and creatives are getting rid of the middlemen and taking to hosting platforms to set up web stores that afford them more independence. There are plenty of hosting platforms to choose from, but not all are created equal. So how do you pick the right one for your business? It’s not so much about a definitive ranking as it is about which platform has the features that best suit your needs as a creative. Let’s take a peek at the most popular platforms for first-time entrepreneurs:
Big Cartel
With slogans like, “We believe in the artist” and “For artists, by artists,” Big Cartel has positioned itself as a champion for indie creatives. The platform features affordable pricing options and an easy-to-navigate dashboard, making it a fine option for first-time sellers.
Why This Platform Is Right For Your Online Store
Pricing. Big Cartel currently offers three payment plans for users: gold (free!), platinum ($9.99 per month), and diamond ($19.99 per month).
Why You Should Look At Other Options
Growth potential. Users are capped at the number of images they’re able to list per item and Big Cartel’s most expensive plan limits sellers to 500 products. So if you envision market domination in your future, Big Cartel may not be the best long-term match.
Shopify
Looking for a more hands-on approach to branding? Shopify is a great option for sellers ready to take creative control. With features ranging from a built-in business name generator to a slew of customizable themes, Shopify is designed to give sellers the freedom to get as bold as they dare.
Why This Platform Is Right For Your Online Store
Scalability. Shopify allows for unlimited product listings across all of their payment plans. Sellers interested in exploring international markets can transact in over 100 different currencies and list in multiple languages.
Why You Should Look At Other Options
Cost. Like Big Cartel, Shopify has three primary payment options: basic ($29 per month), standard ($79 per month), and advanced ($299 per month). They do offer a low-cost plug-in option called Shopify Lite for sellers with existing websites. The plan goes for a monthly rate of $9, but doesn’t come with any of the bells and whistles of the primary plans.
Squarespace
Squarespace originated as a drag-and-drop website builder, so it requires next to no technical savvy to build an online store that looks like it was outsourced to a graphic designer. It’s also easy on the pockets; ecommerce plans start as low as $18 per month.
Why This Platform Is Right For Your Online Store
User-friendly. You can purchase a domain name and design a unique logo right from Squarespace’s dashboard. The platform is practically a one-stop shop.
Why You Should Look At Other Options
Add-ons. Squarespace has quite a few cool features such as email marketing and the ability to create member’s only content for VIP clients and subscribers, but they come at additional costs. If you’re not careful, you could end up with a hefty monthly bill.
Wix
Wix is primarily known as a basic website designer, but it’s stepped up its ecommerce game in the past two years. Now, sellers can utilize marketing and SEO options with the same intuitive ease as Wix’s design interface. Ecommerce plans range from $23 to $49 per month.
Why This Platform Is Right For Your Online Store
Social media integration. As part of its ecommerce expansion, Wix enables sellers to promote and crosspost on all social media platforms.
Why You Should Look At Other Options
Bandwidth. Although there is no limit on product listings, Wix has a cap on storage space for multimedia. 20 to 50 GBs (varying by plan) may seem like a lot but if you plan to sell hundreds of products, you may start to feel a bit claustrophobic.
For more information on building your own online store and building an ecommerce business, check out Yellowbrick’s Ecommerce Foundations.
