Do not index
Do not index
What e-commerce platform should you use in 2023?
Just like the answers to most other questions in life, this one will change depending on who you ask. But have no fear; we have done the investigating for you. Our research has uncovered the six best e-commerce platforms available to businesses in 2023.
We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each platform so you can pick the one that works best for you.
It can be hard to choose the best e-commerce platform for your business because there are so many options. However, this choice is crucial to the long-term success of your online store.
But don't be concerned!
In no particular order, here are our top six picks for 2023.
1. Ulalive
.png){kind=logo}
Ulalive is a video messaging e-commerce platform that helps you launch businesses in minutes and sell 10X faster with the help of video. It streamlines your e-commerce experience by relieving you of the burden of having to purchase a domain name, pay for web hosting, employ a technical team, and deal with shipping.
All you need to do is create a free account (upgrade for more features), record an instant video or live stream your products, and then send out the URL to your customers and friends. Your customers can go straight to the link and buy what they need without having to deal with any of the hassles of setting up an account or making a payment.
When it comes to promoting your products and increasing your sales, there is no better way to do that than with video, which is rapidly becoming the most effective marketing tool.
Ulalive is not only about simply establishing an e-commerce store; it is also about building a business and a personal brand.
Pros:
- Zero upfront costs
- Fast onboarding & significantly low barriers
- Video and live-streaming as a tool
- Shipping and payment integration ready
- Chatting with customers as an after-sales service
Cons:
- 29$ per month if you want PRO features
2. Shopify
Shopify has been around for over 15 years, and it has been used to create over two million stores. It also has the most robust set of sales features of any platform, including access to over 1,200 apps.
The all-inclusive site builder provides free tools and features for offline and online sales, including those for social commerce, third-party marketplaces, and dropshippers. You don't need to know how to code in order to use Shopify; the platform comes with more than a hundred different storefront themes.
Truth be told, Shopify is more suited to larger online stores with more complex inventories; it's a powerful solution that might be overkill or too expensive for most small stores, with price plans starting at $19 per month. It also enforces transaction fees if you don’t use Shopify Payments – two things that may hinder the growth of your small business
Pros:
- The backend is really easy to navigate
- Excellent multi-channel integration (sell across all the big social media channels, including Amazon, eBay, Buzzfeed, and more)
- Offers the largest choice of sales-specific features.
Cons:
- Shopify imposes transaction fees if you don’t use its own payment processor
- You’ll need to reformat your whole website if you decide to switch templates
- The cost of installing apps can quickly add up
3. TikTok Shop
With the help of the TikTok algorithm and the infinite scroll of short videos, TikTok Shop has positioned itself as the future of online shopping. This is despite the fact that Southeast Asia already has its own e-commerce giants, Alibaba-backed Lazada and Sea-owned Shopee.
Since TikTok is a new player in the e-commerce space, it faces the same challenges as the industry's incumbents, such as the complexity of logistics and the uneven adoption of electronic payment methods, but must also persuade users that the app has practical uses beyond mere amusement.
The feature is built right into TikTok and provides a central location for brands, creators, and retailers to promote and sell their products via in-feed videos, LIVE broadcasts, and a dedicated tab for showcasing products.
Pros:
- Reach a wider audience & Increase brand awareness
- Easy to set up
- Low commission fees
Cons:
- Most users still considered it as an entertainment platform rather than e-commerce and would prefer to use Shopee or Lazada if located in the SEA region
- Limited payment options
- Not available in all countries
4. Shopee
Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Launched in 2015, it is a region-specific platform that facilitates a simple, safe, and rapid online shopping experience for customers by means of a robust payment and fulfillment infrastructure.
Shopee is dedicated to the growth and success of online merchants across all of its markets, and each of its platforms is uniquely adapted to meet the needs of its local customers. Shopee provides its sellers with a number of benefits, such as access to an integrated logistics system, customer service, marketing tools, and free guides and webinars to help you master Shopee's e-commerce selling platform.
A survey by Ipsos found that Shopee is the leading platform for Malaysians’ online shopping needs, with 82% of respondents saying that they had used it over the past six months. The respondents of the survey stated their preference for Shopee due to its user-friendliness, speed of delivery, and reliability of reviews, beyond price and promotions.
Pros:
- High-traffic channels
- Good shipping terms
- Surplus of new consumers
Cons:
- Payment fee of 1%
- Various technical bounds
- No outside border transactions
5. BigCommerce
From its humble beginnings as a two-person company, BigCommerce has expanded into a multinational conglomerate that aids retailers in generating billions of dollars in revenue. BigCommerce is a premium hosted eCommerce solution that gives merchants the freedom to sell an unlimited number of digital, physical, and service-based products online.
It also allows you to list your products on other marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, and Facebook, so customers don't have to buy directly from your store. BigCommerce will automatically import any products you've set up and keep any changes you make up-to-date across all your channels.
While BigCommerce has 12 free themes built in, the majority of the ones available in the theme marketplace cost between $150 and $300. They look great, and the drag-and-drop site builder is powerful enough that you can customize themes as you please, but you need to be in a position to justify the investment.
Pros:
- BigCommerce includes more features as standard, than any other e-commerce website builder
- Adding product options and variants is very easy and very flexible
- BigCommerce doesn’t charge transaction fees with any of its plans
Cons:
- Need to pay for extensions
- WordPress specific
6. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms worldwide. It’s a plugin for WordPress that will turn your website into a very powerful online store. Due to its open-source nature, WooCommerce can be customized to meet your specific requirements, provided you have some experience with web development and coding. Just like Shopify, there are over 6,000 third-party integrations you can use to expand your store's functionality.
The WooCommerce plugin is a free alternative to more expensive e-commerce solutions, so it's worth considering if you're trying to keep costs down. However, you may need to spend more money on tools if you start using many extensions and plugins.
Similarly, WooCommerce slots perfectly into your existing backend. You can manage your orders, create coupons, and view sales reports from your WordPress dashboard. Since WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, adding products is as easy as creating a regular post, saving you time and effort by eliminating the need to learn a new platform.
The only difference between adding a new product and creating a new post is that you'll have to add specific information about your product, such as a description, image, categories, and tags.
Pros:
- Advanced features for larger online stores
- There are a ton of both free and paid WooCommerce themes available
- High scalability and low shop costs compared to other shop systems
Cons:
- Even though you can start with a preinstalled version, the setup process can be quite a pain for inexperienced users.
- Unlike with other platforms, you won’t have central support. Every theme, plugin, and hosting comes with different support channels.
The best e-commerce platform is different for each business
There really is no universal answer when it comes to finding the best e-commerce platform for your business. Such a decision is unique to your organization and your specific goals.
There is an e-commerce platform available for any business, regardless of size, budget, or feature requirements.
At the end of the day, it comes down to finding a platform that’s easy to use and ready to grow with you. You shouldn't be reluctant to experiment with different options before settling on one.
In fact, freemium platforms such as Ulalive can give you an early impression as to whether a platform will work for you.
So don't wait and sign up now!
