{"id":45,"date":"2018-09-26T08:04:21","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T08:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/?page_id=45"},"modified":"2018-10-16T07:31:45","modified_gmt":"2018-10-16T07:31:45","slug":"how-to-choose-best-technology-or-marketplace-for-your-online-store","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/how-to-choose-best-technology-or-marketplace-for-your-online-store\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW TO CHOOSE BEST TECHNOLOGY OR MARKETPLACE FOR YOUR ONLINE STORE"},"content":{"rendered":"

You have made up your mind that what you are going to sell from your online store and you have a wonderful business name in your mind and a domain for the online your. It\u2019s time to understand that which technology or Marketplace will be best suitable for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What You Need To Know Before Choosing Technology \/ Marketplace<\/h2>\n

Just like shopping for a house, car or business location \u2013 you have to look at what you are shopping for,\u00a0 what you want,\u00a0 what you need and what the trade offs are among all your choices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make the list of the Features You Need<\/h3>\n

At its core, \u201ceCommerce\u201d software is simply a bundle of very specific website features but usually you\u2019ll want features above and beyond. Here we are providing you the list of features you should look before choosing.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Listing & displaying products.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Allowing customers to place products in a shopping cart.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Allowing customers to place an order with the products in their shopping cart.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Collecting payment securely for the order. Various Payment Methods<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Providing the store owner with order information.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Beautiful Storefront design templates and color choices<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Better security<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Marketing tools<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Options to add Sale and Coupons<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Order Management<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Customer Review System<\/span><\/li>\n
  12. Messaging \/ Chat feature for customer to send you message<\/span><\/li>\n
  13. Option to give offers to those customer who added product in cart but not made the payment.<\/span><\/li>\n
  14. Platform must be on Mobile <\/span><\/li>\n
  15. Option to build a Mobile App for your store<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    No one can tell you if this software is a good choice for your store. There is no such thing as the \u201cbest eCommerce platform\u201d or the \u201cbest eCommerce software.\u201d There\u2019s only the best choice based on your goals, resources and preferences. \u00a0You need to look into them and need to see which one fulfills all your requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    At this point, all that is left to do is to pick one of the most popular eCommerce platforms available today, and begin experimenting\/working with it \u2013 until you find something that clicks and you right away know that you’ll be using that particular platform for at least a few sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s help you how to choose a platform. You need to divide your needs into 2 major categories\u00a0<\/span>Convenience and Control<\/b>. Convenience mean a platform which is easy to use, easy understanding and having limited options so that will be easy to learn. Control mean you want to customize things according to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s understand this by real life example of buying a place to live.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The absolute most convenient place is a hotel room. It\u2019s safe and furnished with room service. But can you repaint the room? Nope.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    On the other extreme is empty land. You have unlimited control to do whatever you want.\u00a0<\/span>But is it convenient? Nope.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    And in the middle, you have a mix. Renting an apartment has some freedom.\u00a0<\/span>But you have landlord.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    A pre-built house has even more freedom.\u00a0<\/span>But you have more responsibility and you have to deal with an existing building.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Basically you need a place where you can live comfortably without having too much responsibilities and still having choice to customize the place. So the best choice is buying an apartment into a society which is safe and clean place, you have a pre-build place to live and \u00a0you can customize the interior of your apartment.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Types of eCommerce Platforms based on Convenience and Control<\/h3>\n

    We have divided all available platforms into 6 categories<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. 0% Convenience & 100% Control (<\/span>Not Recommended<\/b>)<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. 100% Convenience & \u00a00% Control<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. 70% Convenience & 30% Control<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. 50% Convenience & 50% Control<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. 30% Convenience & 70% Control<\/span><\/li>\n
    6. 100% Convenience & 100% Control (<\/span>Best<\/b>)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      1.\u00a0 0% Convenience & 100% Control<\/h4>\n

      If you have a huge budget and very specific needs? Well, that will mean hiring a developer (or learning code yourself) and leasing a dedicated server.<\/span><\/p>\n

      In other terms \u2013 you\u2019ll be buying land and building even your house from scratch. This is the route of some eCommerce startups that have a very specific feature set and vision in mind. In addition to the cost, you\u2019ll also have a myriad other considerations.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      2. 100% Convenience & \u00a00% Control<\/h4>\n

      This type of platforms allows you to list your products and take orders and payment. But you are not able to control your customers\u2019 experience. You are also can\u2019t have your own domain name or your own brand.<\/span><\/p>\n

      However, you can usually list your products with no complications \u2013 and usually with no upfront fees. Additionally, usually the software provider will also provide customers. It\u2019ll be a place where customers come to the platform and find you \u2013 so you (ideally) have to do less marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Platforms into this category: Amazon, eBay, Etsy.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      3. 70% Convenience & 30% Control<\/h4>\n

      This category providers allow for more control \u2013 especially with having your own domain name. However, they get less in Convenience, so you lose the opportunity of being into a Marketplace and \u00a0customers come to the platform will not find you or your products, your only existence is your website.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Platforms into this category: Squarespace, Weebly, PayPal Button.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      4. 50% Convenience & 50% Control<\/h4>\n

      This category (usually known as \u201chosted eCommerce platforms\u201d) provides as much control as you can have before you have to have your own server. The biggest advantage here is that you have customer support, seamless \u201con-boarding\u201d and advanced tools.<\/span><\/p>\n

      However, you do have to play by the provider\u2019s rules \u2013 and they can get a bit pricey.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Running a store with these providers is like owning a condominium or leasing a storefront in a mall. The plumbing and \u201cbig stuff\u201d is taken care of. You can pretty much do what you want since you do fully own your property. However, you\u2019re going to run into condo association rules and fees.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Again you lose the opportunity of being into a Marketplace and \u00a0customers come to the platform will not find you or your products and these are little bit more expensive in terms of cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Platforms into this category: Shopify, BigCommerce, Volusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      5. 30% Convenience & 70% Control<\/h4>\n

      In this category, we run into the world of running your own website on your own server. That is not as complicated or as daunting as it may sound. Buying hosting means that, yes, you have an additional item to worry about.<\/span><\/p>\n

      However, you have significantly more control over both your costs and your features.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Options in this category are like owning a house. You are responsible for everything, but you can also do anything you want. You have the choice to call a plumber or take care of the problem yourself. You can add on, remove or change anything. The only real constraint is your budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Here you get more control on things but lose the convenience also this add extra cost in managing your store. You have to either hire developer or need to do yourself to build store.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Platforms into this category: Self-Hosted WordPress, Magento,\u00a0 OpenCart,Zen Cart etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      6. 100% Convenience & 100% Control<\/h4>\n

      This is the best category provides as much control as you can have before you have to have your own server. The biggest advantage here is that you have customer support, seamless \u201con-boarding\u201d and advanced tools.<\/span><\/p>\n

      You can pretty much do what you want since you do fully own your property. However, you\u2019re going to run into condo association rules and fees.<\/span><\/p>\n

      And you have the opportunity of being into a Marketplace and customers come to the platform will find you and your products. This provide you both opportunities build your own brand name and sell into marketplace as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

      There is only 1 platform like this is: hipKart<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Now you understand about platforms in terms of convenience and control, so you can decide which one will be the best for you, which platform makes sense for you depends on what you really need out of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Think about when you are choosing a car. The core need is to get from point A to point B. With an eCommerce platform, you need someone to see a product you sell, put it in a shopping cart, and send you some money. That\u2019s it. But like car selection \u2013 there\u2019s more to it. Here\u2019s the most common ways to compare your \u201ctop\u201d or \u201cbest eCommerce platform.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Budget<\/h3>\n

      If you are choosing a car \u2013 you know that your budget decides if you are looking at a Maruti or a Mercedes Benz. Same with online store and eCommerce options. More budget will bring in more interesting platforms with more built-in features. On the more affordable side, you\u2019ll see more DIY(Do It Yourself) options that are great, but require a bit more work. But there is something different in online industry that you can get more by paying less so don\u2019t make hurry in choosing a platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      User-friendliness<\/h3>\n

      There is a difference between something working and something being user-friendly. Some companies will prioritize features over design. That\u2019s a tradeoff. You might prefer all the features and options in the world, and be fine with ugly buttons. Another store owner might appreciate better design over another obscure feature.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Customer support<\/h3>\n

      It\u2019s great to be able to call \u00a0or chat someone for help. It also costs money \u2013 and means that you are on a standardized platform. Others may be fine with having a developer on retainer \u2013 or saving money with DIY(Do It Yourself) education.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Customization<\/h3>\n

      Similar to features & design \u2013 there is a tradeoff between control and convenience. The more you can customize every bit your online store means that it will be great and go for that which\u00a0<\/span>provides you help into your store customization.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Content marketing<\/h3>\n

      Some websites are pure-play eCommerce stores. But some websites see content as a big marketing opportunity. But similar to user-friendliness, there\u2019s a tradeoff between eCommerce features and content marketing features.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Custom Web design<\/h3>\n

      A huge part of choosing the best eCommerce platform is custom design. Most platforms let you choose from a selection of customizable \u201cthemes\u201d \u2013 but some make it harder than others to build a truly custom design experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Custom Functionalities<\/h3>\n

      Like your smartphone, a platform won\u2019t necessarily include all the features you want, but they will provide an option for custom functions so that you can extend it as you wish. It\u2019s the same with eCommerce platforms. Some try to provide all the right online store features within a package. Must have option to request a feature to be add into your store.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Speed & Security<\/h3>\n

      Most eCommerce platforms also provide hosting as part of the complete package. They also take care of security. But like customer support, this service sometimes costs money, so choose wisely.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Mobile App<\/h3>\n

      Most eCommerce platforms also have their Mobile App or some of them provide option to build Mobile Apps for your store, this could add some cost but it\u2019s worth if you reach your mobile customers as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Go through the features list and see all factors, decide what you actually need for your store and then compare that which category fits into your requirements and after deciding the category compare platform based on factors which are required for your store.<\/span><\/p>\n

      This Chapter has explained you how you can understand the Market and how you can compare platforms to choose for your online store.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Next:<\/strong> Take test for this chapter<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      You have made up your mind that what you are going to sell from your online store and you have a wonderful business name in your mind and a domain for the online your. It\u2019s time to understand that which technology or Marketplace will be best suitable for you.   What You Need To Know … <\/p>\n

      Continue reading “HOW TO CHOOSE BEST TECHNOLOGY OR MARKETPLACE FOR YOUR ONLINE STORE”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"chapter.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/45"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/45\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/45\/revisions\/239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecuni.org\/certification\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}