[Software] Best ecommerce platforms in 2021: website software for an online store

[Sxynix]

There is a huge variety of ecommerce platform packages from which to choose, so building an online store has never been easier.

To begin, first you'll need ecommerce web hosting, which is to say hosting that will scale up with your business without interruption.  Next you'll need shopping cart software to run with your ecommerce site. This will probably include a payment gateway for credit card processing, though if you're already established and have a decent enough credit rating you could apply for merchant services to reduce transaction costs. 

Your ecommerce website doesn't have to be expensive to design, either, as there are plenty of ecommerce themes available. Additionally, if you also have a bricks-and-mortar store than a Point of Sale (POS) system for mobile credit card processing can be particularly desirable.

Which ecommerce software is best for your business depends entirely on your specific requirements. If you're an online-only outfit, then POS integration won't be necessary, but you may get a lot of business from overseas, in which case foreign currency support would be a requirement.

In this article, we’re going to highlight some of the best ecommerce platforms available right now, before moving on to consider other options you might want to explore in terms of creating your own ecommerce solution.

Wix is our top-rated ecommerce platform
If you want a simpler alternative to some of the full-on web store building solutions here, check out Wix. It’s highly user-friendly, yet there’s still plenty of ecommerce power available to create a suitably impressive online store.

Wix may be better known for providing an all-purpose website builder, but it's not just templates and logos that Wix can provide, but also a fully-functional ecommerce platform.

While other platforms are known for their complexity in being able to deliver an ecommerce platform for all needs, Wix offers a much simpler solution for small businesses who don't need all the bells and whistles of an online megastore.

Additionally, because of the suite of website building tools available through Wix, setting up an ecommerce platform is really simple and easy to do, and just as easy to manage, with no coding skills required. The result is a platform that anyone should be able to use without too much difficulty.

There are over 500 templates available to help you get the look and feel you need for your ecommerce site, and along with inventory management, you can also use Wix payments to choose from a global network of payment providers, including all major credit card companies, as well as other services such as PayPal and Stripe.

Overall, if you want a simpler alternative to some of the full-on web store building solutions here, Wix delivers well. It’s highly user-
Rather than being a standalone ecommerce platform, WooCommerce is a free plugin that can turn your Wordpress website into a fully functional ecommerce website. The basic WooCommerce plugin is easy to install through Wordpress, and even better is that the plugin is free to download and use.

However, to get the most from WooCommerce  you will need to install a number of third-party plugins. This is to add features such as payment processing, inventory management, and stock control. 

Bluehost simplifies the process by providing a read-made Woocommerce platform with everything you need already installed, and that includes a shopping theme and essential plugins. Although two different plans are offered, even the Standard plan offers almost every feature you could possibly need. 

Features include not just the online store with the store-front theme installed but also a blog, along with Jetpack free, payment processing, email marketing, and discount codes. The Premium plan adds online bookings and appointments, subscriptions, product customization, as well as local & country tax management.

Of course, there's web hosting undlying everything as well, meaning that you have a fully functional ecommerce platform already online as soon as you sign up to Bluehost - all that's left for you is to add your products and set up marketing and you're good to go.

All in all Woocommerce is one of the best ecommerce platforms for those looking to ease themselves into starting an online retail business, whether for physical products or even digital ones, and the web hosting platform deal provided by Bluehost makes it incredibly simple to get started.