The internet is a great place to advertise your business and these days, if you do not have a website then you are missing a trick. More and more people are spending their money online rather than in shops, so if you're a business who wants to sell online, getting a good ecommerce platform is imperative.
There are a wide range of ecommerce solutions out there so what things should you be looking for when trying to choose?
Well first, think about the products you are selling. Some platforms have been specifically created for certain industries. For example, one platform may be perfect for selling cars because it allows the products to be sorted by a range of in-built categories such as mpg, make and model and even color. But some websites might not need anything nearly as complicated. For example if you sell?
You should also think about what you want your platform to manage. Many offer bespoke stock room functions to calculate when you are in and out of stock of certain products and will send reminders when you're running low. Or depending you want your platform to manage all of your invoicing as well if your business is solely run online. Each solution is different offers different functionality.
Finally, you should think about your budget. With a small budget, you will be better suited to an 'off the shelf' ecommerce solution that basically does what it says on the tin. The problem with these one size fits all solutions is that every business is different, and therefore every back-end system may need to be different too. You may find that in the long term, that this solution is not the best for you, but while you are getting your business set up it can at least support you.
Bespoke solutions for CMS are fantastic however they do come with a price tag. But by investing in a bespoke ecommerce CMS that fits your business perfectly you are setting yourself up for the long haul. You will save time in the future as you are less likely to have to fiddle around problems that are not applicable to your business.
So if you're looking to get your business selling online, take your time in choosing an ecommerce platform that suits you. Many software providers will have a demo that they can give you to trial so you can get a better understanding of what functions you need and which you do not.