How to choose the best e-commerce platform to sell products online? Not all e-commerce platforms are created equal when it comes to marketing your business online. If you’re new to e-commerce, it can be difficult to select the right one.
The three main factors you should consider are functionality, flexibility, and cost effectiveness. Here are a few of the best e-commerce platforms based on those factors, along with some tips on how to select the right one for your business or startup.
The choice of platforms for selling products or services online is huge and it is not difficult to get lost in it. To make this task easier, we decided to highlight some of the most important aspects that should affect your decision. Whichever you choose, what you need is e-commerce SEO optimization to be more visible in Google.
First, costs. It is difficult to start a conversation with something else, as your choice will also be determined by the possible package of free and paid services. So create a fork in which you will move at the beginning, and as your business grows, you will be able to reflect on a possible change.
Secondly, you need to realistically assess your technical skills when it comes to optimizing your store. Of course, you can work with an agency in this regard, but it is worth remembering that there may be situations in which you are waiting for self-optimization. This is important due to the type of software the platform uses. Some will not require such knowledge, but may also limit the possibilities of action. On the other hand, tampering with the code is associated with the risk of making a mistake, although a qualified person will do it successfully in a few seconds.
Third, try to research optimization-friendliness. Not every platform will suit you in this respect. It is not without significance, after all, visibility and high ranking position give you a chance for click-throughs, traffic and sales.
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that was first released in 2011. Since then, it has become one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the web, powering over 30% of all online stores. It is known for its flexibility and ease of use, making it an ideal platform for small to medium sized businesses.
WooCommerce is free to use and very popular, making it a great choice for small businesses. It is also highly customizable, so you can add features and change the look of your store to match your brand. Plus, WooCommerce is built with SEO in mind, so you can be sure your products will be well-indexed by search engines. WooCommerce makes use of open source code so you don’t have to worry about paying any expensive licensing fees upfront. Because it is an open-source platform, there are also plenty of WooCommerce extensions that can be added on top of the base package to make your site more customized and provide more functionality.
Unfortunately, there’s no built-in support for structured data, which can make it difficult to get your products indexed in Google. Additionally, WooCommerce doesn’t come with a sitemap by default, so you’ll need to install a plugin to generate one. It also lacks robust analytics capabilities. That said, WooCommerce is still a great choice if you want an easy to use platform that doesn’t require coding skills.
Magento is an eCommerce platform that provides online retailers with a flexible shopping cart system, as well as control over the look, content, and functionality of their online store.
This platform offers powerful marketing, search engine optimization, and catalog-management tools (includes payment processing modules, order management capabilities, advanced reporting features, and detailed analytics). With its extensive collection of free extensions available in the Magento Connect marketplace, you can personalize your site to best suit your needs.
Magento builds on open source technologies like PHP and MySQL databases so you don’t have to worry about hosting costs or potential security risks from outdated software. You can install it on any Linux server running Apache HTTP Server 2 or higher without having to worry about compatibility issues.
However, Magento can be slow and resource intensive. Its coding structure isn’t as clean as other platforms, which can make it difficult to achieve high rankings. Lastly, Magento doesn’t have as many built-in SEO features as some of its competitors. There are only a few options for configuring meta tags in Magento, so you’re on your own when it comes to implementing any other SEO tactics.
Shopify is a platform for businesses of all sizes to create an online store. It offers users a customizable platform, an easy-to-use checkout process, and a wide range of features. Plus, it has built-in SEO tools to help you get found online.
Shopify is a hosted platform, which means you don’t have to worry about hosting fees or server maintenance. This platform is designed specifically for ecommerce, so it has all the features and functionality you need to run a successful online store. Also, it is extremely user-friendly and easy to use, even if you’re not a tech-savvy person. The drag-and-drop interface allows you to customize your site as well as your products with just a few clicks of the mouse. It also comes with 24/7 customer support, which is another advantage for those who may not be familiar with how these platforms work.
Sadly, Shopify doesn’t allow you to edit your robots.txt file, which can be frustrating if you’re trying to optimize your website for search engines. You also have less control over the URL structure of your site, meaning it may not rank as well on Google. Plus, there are fees that come with every sale – and then fees again when you want to start marketing on Facebook or Pinterest or any other social media channel.
If you’re still not sure which one is the best for you, ask the specialists from Cork SEO company. There is no single best e-commerce platform – each has its own unique set of features, and which one is best for you depends on your specific needs. However, when it comes to SEO-friendliness, some platforms are definitely better than others. WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify are all great choices if you want to make sure your ecommerce site is optimized for search engines.
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