#bigcommerce

Do you need E-Commerce or Big Commerce website?

Magento empowers thousands of retailers and brands with the best eCommerce platforms and flexible cloud solutions to rapidly innovate and grow.

Which one will stand victorious?

Today we will be analyzing the leading e-commerce platforms. Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magneto to be exact. Some pros on cons of each will be discussed so that you can decide which one will work best for you! Lets get started! 

Shopify

Shopify is a Canadian-based service that is cloud-based. It is a stand alone business platform, which sets it apart from the others. From the three, I have heard the most about this platform. 

Pros: Various payment options are offered on shopify such as PayPal, cash on delivery, and a whole list of online payment options I have never even heard of. This increases convenience for the customer and makes them more likely to buy the product. Also, Shopify includes a free 14 day trial to see if it is a good fit for you. Shopify’s  easy set up was something that attracted me to it. Mostly everything is done with several clicks. Its usability gets an A+ from me. I was surprised to see lots of beginner guides on the site, too which was helpful. Customer support is offered 24 hours a day to help out any confused users.

Cons: Shopify is on the pricer side and there is not a great selection of free store templates. Some themes are close to $200. The advanced version of Shopify which includes unlimited bandwidth, discount codes, fraud analysis, and more costs $299/mo. Small and upcoming businesses could see no use in these more advanced utlilites, but the need could arise for established stores, I guess. Customization is  not made easy on this platform because it requires an additional costs. Some might be bothered that you, the business owner, does not control the data that is gathered on your site. On Shopify, they do it.  

BigCommerce

I was suprised to find out that BigCommerce works with some of the leading brand name companies such as Toyota. When I found this out, I knew I had to include them in the lineup. According to their site, they claim that their merchants grow at a rate of 28%, which is faster that any other e-commerce platform site.

Pros: BigCommerce is minimal regarding added expenses. There is no transaction fee, hosting expenses, or maintenance fee. This attracts customers because they will not be startled by any unexpected costs. I believe it is the most cost effective site that also offers quality content. Customer support is offered through email, phone, or live chat. Multiple sales channels such as Ebay and Amazon are able to be handled on BigCommerce. There are more customization options on BigCommerce, too. The built in features offered are nice to have and are more complex compared to other sites. 

Cons:  There is not a mobile app available for BigCommerce, which could be a struggle for those who prefer to manage and control their store on the go. While there are not any transaction fees, BigCommerce does limit annual online sales. If you exceed your limit, you are forced to purchase an upgrade to the next plan. There are no free themes available. This is a huge con for me because I like to try out some of the free themes first to get a better understanding of what I like. No free theme options can lead to you purchasing and being stuck with a theme that you don’t like. 

Magneto

Magneto is widely used by both small business and enterprise-level companies. They were recently acquired by Adobe and since then, they have made improvements when it comes to creativity. 

Pros: Magneto has many free features. Over 100 themes can be used at no cost. It is free to download the software and there are no transaction fees. Because it is an open source platform, users are able to customize their site to best fit their needs. Magneto has a large community of users, which is great for learning more about the site. Business owners are not limited to a number of products that they are able to sell because Magneto allows for an unlimited number. It is very user friendly and has the ability to adapt to both small and large businesses. 

Cons: Magneto does not offer around the clock access to a support professional. So if you are working on adding products to your site in darkest hours of night and encounter a problem, you might be out of luck. While customization is offered, it can also get confusing at times since it is an open source platform. It is also on the slower side. A hosting provider or a domain name is not included in Magneto, so it is up to you to find a pay for that. 

Let me know if you have any E-commerce sites to discuss below! Which one is your favorite?

Many of you may not know that Facebook is not the only advertising platform for your dropshipping business. You can use SEO, and Instagram to drive targeted traffic to your online store.

For me, Instagram has been a very good traffic source when starting out in Shopify Dropshipping. You can follow the exact same process to succeed in any online store using any eCommerce platform.