Factors to Consider When Choosing an E-commerce Platform

Try to take the time to explore what each platform has to offer, so you can assess the situation accordingly. In the end, you will be able to decide what is best for your business. Here are a few things to look out for:

Business goals and objectives, Budget constraints, Technical requirements, Level of customization, Scalability and growth potential, Security features and compliance regulations, Security features and compliance regulations, User-friendliness and ease of use, Customer support and resources.  

Business goals and objectives 

There are many types of E-commerce platforms, from hosted to self-hosted, cloud, mobile, social, subscription, free, and open-source. But you should first consider your business requirements to determine which type of platform best suits your needs. 

Budget constraints 

Choose the platform that best suits your budget. We advise you to look for opportunities to pay monthly amounts instead of relying on providing a small percentage of the sale of the E-commerce websites development company that hosts your platform. 

Technical requirements 

The type and number of features of an E-commerce platform should match the needs of your business. Therefore, it is best to choose a platform that provides a wide range of technical features (e.g. plugins, shipping, product management, analytics, business tools, email marketing options, POS system, etc.). In addition, you can choose to develop a custom solution that will allow you to scale anytime or add a feature needed. 

Level of customization 

With a modern E-commerce template, your business will stand out from the competitors and impress your customer base with its user interface. No one likes to shop in outdated interfaces. Rather, with a top-notch E-commerce template, you create a memorable interface that matches your brand and makes your site stand out from the rest. Soft Industry Alliance has solid expertise in custom software development using emerging technologies from the first sketch of an idea to the final release. 

Scalability and growth potential 

Consider scalability, which is the ability of a platform to handle a surge in customers and orders. Assess platform scalability to meet expected growth by considering factors such as cloud infrastructure, load balancing, and caching mechanisms that provide optimal performance during periods of peak traffic. Also, ask yourself the question: Will the platform grow with your business? 

 With the help of headless experience, Soft Industry Alliance helped the Client scale globally. Headless helped to change the technology, culture, and mindset of the company, which can now be processed for all corners of its organization to follow. As a result of the partnership: 

• The organization is accelerated regardless of the country or region. 
• The frontend system was replaced without bringing operations to a halt, thereby maximizing efficiencies. 

• The organization’s initiatives are advanced while delivering a highly personalized experience from country to country. 

Security features and compliance regulations  

Data privacy and security are very important. Payments and contact details of your customers must always be secure. An E-commerce platform must comply with the laws on personal data that it collects during transactions. Review the platform’s security measures, including PCI DSS compliance, SSL certification, and strong authentication mechanisms to ensure that sensitive customer data is protected and trusted by potential customers. Soft Industry Alliance provides top businesses with practice in full and strict compliance with the required industry-wide standards. We will fuel your business with the best services that are trusted and reliable. We offer a broad range of custom services such as web development, mobile application development, testing & QA. Clients trust us for our clarity, structure, high-performance rate, quality and functionality across every stage of the software development process. For instance, we can boast of  ISO 9001, ISO 19011, and ISO 27001 certificates. Following all the necessary regulations, the software development company guarantees that the final version of the E-commerce platform will meet customer data privacy requirements. 

User-friendliness and ease of use 

Complex platforms may require additional staff training costs. Therefore, the platform must be easy to use. Shopping on mobile devices has become the norm. Therefore, you must ensure that the platform is user-friendly in every way, including for mobile devices. Analyze the platform architecture and its ability to integrate with existing and future technologies such as APIs, ERPs, CRMs, and payment gateways for seamless compatibility and extensibility. 

A good example when using mobile devices is a shopping platform. Soft Industry Alliance team created an AR app transforming the mall into a gamified playground where visitors can play multiple AR games to gain points and win amazing prizes. After the app implementation, the client engaged new customers, dipping them into an engaging play with a full AR immersion available through regular smartphones: 

• The ground floor of the mall serves as a playground and is divided into three different game zones. 
• Any customer can take part in this game. 
• Customers are provided with a range of games to choose from. 
• All the games are pinpointed on the live map and activate interactive scenarios. 

• Customers can use the achievement points they earned. 

Customer support and resources 

One of the most essential points of having an online store is that it is available to customers 24/7. It means that people can look for support for your products/services at any time of the day. Customer relationship management should provide enough tools to handle different support options at other times – live chat software, chatbots, contact forms, social media integrations, etc.