Você está planejando lançar um negócio de comércio eletrônico. Como escolher a plataforma certa?

Choosing the right cloud based commerce platform for your eCommerce website is a decision that needs to be taken with a lot of thought & deliberation. Depending on the number of orders processed or Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), platforms are known to charge a fixed fee or a percentage of your GMV whichever is higher. Also, there are other equally important considerations like future readiness, design, security, maintenance, migration, support, integration, applications marketplace, dedicated account manager, etc. which needs to be factored. Lastly and most importantly, the platform needs to be cost effective, offer flexible pricing plans and is adaptable to changing requirements without compromising on performance and scalability.

It’s all about how much budget you have. For all size brands I personally believe Shopify is the best bet. They offer a good range of pricing for both first time entrepreneurs as well as 8-9 figure brands.

Choosing the right e-commerce platform hinges on your budget and growth ambitions. Tight budget? Open-source platforms shine, but customization needs coding skills. SaaS solutions offer user-friendly interfaces with monthly fees, scaling up with your business. Consider transaction costs too! Remember, a feature-rich platform might seem tempting, but if it outgrows your budget or lacks scalability, it could hinder future success. Choose a platform that aligns with your current budget and has a clear upgrade path to accommodate your projected growth.

Example: Scenario: Launching an Online Boutique Selling Handmade Jewelry Define Business Requirements: The business specializes in handmade jewelry, offering a limited but unique product range. The target audience is individuals who appreciate artisanal craftsmanship. Budget Considerations: Since the business is starting small, there's a preference for a cost-effective solution with low upfront costs. However, there's flexibility for gradual scaling. Ease of Use: The business owner has limited technical expertise and prefers a platform with an intuitive and user-friendly interface, allowing for easy product listing and customization. Scalability: As the initial focus is on a small product range, the business owner envisions gradual growth.

1. Your Needs: Budget, size, product type, & future plans (scaling, omnichannel). 2. Features: Inventory management, marketing tools, SEO & security, integrations (payments, shipping). 3. User-friendliness: Easy setup, management, & customer experience. 4. Support: Reliable & responsive team for queries & troubleshooting. Research thoroughly! Explore demos & compare features across platforms. Remember, the "best" platform depends on your unique needs!

An e-commerce platform must be functional, usable, searchable, navigable and come with built-in analytics dash board and reporting capabilities. Additionally, it needs to be customisable in keeping with the brand' identity and visual guidelines Further, it should be easy to develop, modify and maintain the code base without the need for extensive training or documentation. Lastly, it should offer a range of templates, themes, plugins and extensions to help personalise the platform' look & feel in keeping with the needs of its target audience.

Ease of use is crucial for smooth operations. Platforms with intuitive interfaces and drag-and-drop features let you launch quickly and manage orders efficiently. This is ideal for beginners or those with limited technical expertise. Customization empowers you to stand out. Flexible platforms allow you to tailor layouts, product pages, and checkout processes to your vision. This is perfect for established brands or those seeking deep control over the customer experience. The ideal choice? Balance! Consider your technical skills, budget, and brand needs. Many platforms offer a blend of user-friendliness with the power to customize, allowing you to create an online store that's both beautiful and functional.

Indeed, users are not experts in technology. The users navigating your platform are looking for how easily they can find what they need, review it clearly, and place an order smoothly. How can they contact you for a refund? Try to make their experience using your platform repeatable.

In my opinion, over and above all else, Opt for a platform that offers an intuitive interface for ease of use. Customization capabilities are equally important to ensure your online store aligns with your brand. You may look for platforms with user-friendly dashboards and robust customization options to tailor the look and feel of your e-commerce site according to your brand identity. Reading reviews from others who have used the platform successfully will also help in making the right choice.

An ecommerce platform for user: checkout in 5 clicks - simple easy UI take the address from the map, less the typing more the conversion comparsion & bundles simple offer engine for the company simple backend view easy listing management plug and play fast can prevent malware attacks

Centralized Product Management: E-commerce portals offer centralized dashboards Real-Time Inventory Tracking: E-commerce platforms typically provide real-time inventory tracking capabilities; Automated Alerts and Notifications: Many e-commerce platforms offer automated alerts and notifications for low stock levels or out-of-stock items. Bulk Editing and Import/Export: Managing a large inventory can be time-consuming, but e-commerce portals simplify this process with bulk editing and import/export functionalities. Integration with Inventory Management Systems: E-commerce platforms often integrate seamlessly with third-party inventory management systems, providing sellers with advanced inventory control capabilities.

É muito importante que toda empresa, principalmente de vendas de produtos tenha o departamento de controladoria onde o setor de estoque é o responsável. É indispensável a plataforma ter o controle de estoque. Uma plataforma sem controle de estoque, não consegue oferecer eficiência e facilidade para o seu contratante. A plataforma precisa ser de fácil uso e totalmente didática para que o setor de estoque não tenha dificuldades para usar no dia a dia.

Depending on the nature of e-commerce, there could be different requirements from a Product Information, Merchandising, Promotions, Inventory and Order Management standpoint. Any good e-commerce platform should allow for ease of addition, edition and deletion and support bulk upload of products from the product catalogue. Also, it should allow one to set and update prices, configure promos, discounts, etc. and support multiple delivery options. Additionally, it should allow real-time tracking and stock updation; receive, process and ship customer orders from a centralised order management dashboard. Some platforms also offer features like combo SKU creation, upselling & cross-selling and allow customers to share their reviews & ratings.

An e-commerce website differs from a normal website or blog in terms of URL structure and website architecture. The focus, in case of e-commerce SEO is on the optimisation of home page and category page, the site hierarchy, user navigation, search keywords, user generated content, product images, title, product description and the schema data like - reviews, site links, or breadcrumbs. The e-commerce platform must support customisable URL structures, meta tags, sitemaps, and integrate with analytics tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Additionally, the platform should have a built-in CMS to create, edit, modify, and publish content on a website and support integration with popular adtech and martech tools/platforms.

In the Indian context, ecommerce platforms benefit from tailored marketing and SEO tools: SEMrush India: Offers insights into Indian search trends, competitor analysis, and keyword research. Local SEO Tools: Specifically target Indian regions with tools like BrightLocal, optimizing for local search visibility. Social Media Management: Platforms like Hootsuite help manage campaigns across popular Indian social media channels.

Extremely important area and the backbone of an ecommerce business. If you don't do it well, you will never make money in this business. And when you don't make money, you don't survive. You need to have good SEO and great marketing strategy designed based on your buyer's persona that are your target audience. You need to focus a lot on this part as an ecommerce brand owner.

Customer service is utmost important and no business can survive without Great Customer service. D2C business it is essential to have smooth customer journey

I think we all know that great customer service is the backbone of businesses today. Reliable customer service and support are vital, especially for troubleshooting technical issues. Prioritise platforms that offer responsive customer support, clear documentation, and an active community. Ensure there are support channels available for timely assistance, contributing to a positive and seamless user experience.

What is the ecommerce business for? a) To sell products/services where product-market fit is established(e.g. selling clothes online)? OR b) To create a new market & ecommerce operating model for a typically off-line, unorganised business (e.g. selling antique art online)? If a) your bets can lean more on scalability. For instance, new entrants at 0->1 go with SaaS like Shopify, at 1->10 move to an enterprise product like Hybris, at 10->100, own capabilities in-house. However, you could bypass these stages, directly invest in building a custom or hybrid platform with right foundation to scale while balancing for budget with open source options like Medusa. If b) its prudent to be conservative, test product market fit with a SaaS first!

Platforms with robust native integrations or open APIs make data flow effortless. This translates to: Real-time inventory updates: No more overselling! Personalized marketing: Target customers with relevant offers based on purchase history. Streamlined order fulfillment: Reduce errors and delays with automatic order syncing. Unified customer experience: Offer a consistent journey across channels. So, prioritize platforms that offer the integrations you need to build a connected ecosystem, not a siloed one

I think beyond the core factors, you also need to consider the integration capabilities with other tools and services, security features, payment gateways, and the platform's track record in terms of reliability and performance. Evaluate the ecosystem around the platform to ensure it aligns with your business goals and future expansion plans.