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

[Sxynix]

The best ecommerce platforms can enable your business to set up an online store that suits your needs.

THE BEST ECOMMERCE PLATFORMS
1. Wix

2. Bluehost + WooCommerce

3. Shopify 

4. BigCommerce

5. CoreCommerce 

6. Shift4Shop (formerly 3DCart)

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.