Opening your own e-commerce store has never been easier. But while there are more e-commerce platforms than ever, choosing between them has got harder for newcomers. Here are 4 important things to consider.

Experience and Reputation

The benefits of working with an experienced e-commerce platform are obvious. The more experience the platform has, the smoother things tend to go. Of course, being around for a long time is not a guarantee of quality. You should therefore also make sure you investigate any potential platforms properly.

It is also worth checking out what people’s experiences have been of using each platform for businesses that are similar to your own. For example, if you are going to be selling CBD, e-commerce platforms can offer you tools that are specifically designed for CBD sellers.

Support

Hopefully, if you choose the right platform, then you won’t run into any serious technical issues. However, it is inevitable that you will need support eventually, especially if you stick with the same platform for a number of years. Take the time now to look into the support arrangements. Don’t just look at the platforms themselves; this is another case where you want to see some actual user experiences.

Of course, we all know that most tech support is automated these days. While automated tech support can be more efficient, we’ve all encountered situations where getting through to an actual person is impossible. If you prefer the human touch, look for an e-commerce platform that makes it easy to get in touch with a person when you need to.

Scalability

If you are opening an e-commerce store, we assume you are in it for the long run. It is therefore worth looking for suppliers who will be able to serve you throughout your business journey. A scalable service is one that is able to adjust its parameters according to the size of your business. This means that you only ever pay for access to services that you will actually use. It also enables you to stick with the same platform and not have to worry about the headaches that come with migrating to a new platform.

SEO Tools

Unless you want your e-commerce store to be invisible, you are going to need to work on your eCommerce SEO. While it is always a good idea to be able to manage SEO on your own, there are some essential tools that make it significantly easier for you to do so. The best e-commerce platforms all offer SEO tools of some kind, and they can prove to be a real help, especially for those with no prior experience running a website.

The more comprehensive the built-in SEO features are, the easier it is going to be for you to manage your SEO. The more effortless you can make your SEO management, the more likely you are to stay on top of it.

Choosing the right platform for your e-commerce store will give you the smoothest ride possible. Success in business is rarely easy and you are still going to need to get creative if you want to outstrip your rivals. However, having the right platform on your side will give you the best chance possible.