Which e-commerce platform to choose? Comparison of e-commerce platforms.
E-commerce has grown tremendously in recent years and has become the main sales channel for many companies. More and more consumers prefer to buy products and services online because it is convenient and fast. Setting up an online shop has therefore become a necessity for many businesses. Whether you are a small boutique or a large multinational, choosing the right e-commerce platform can determine the success of your business. The e-commerce platform must support the growth of the business, provide the necessary functionality and enable a secure and seamless shopping experience. But how do you choose the right platform?
When setting up an e-shop, it is important to choose a platform that meets the needs of your business. While internationally renowned solutions such as WooCommerce and Shopify are popular, our local players also offer e-commerce platform options. Below, I will compare the different e-commerce platforms and highlight their advantages and disadvantages, focusing on which could be the best choice for your e-business.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is one of the world’s most popular e-commerce platforms and is based on WordPress, which offers tremendous flexibility and customisation options. Woocommerce is also my first choice for e-commerce because it gives you complete control over the design of your e-commerce store. This gives the opportunity to create visually beautiful and functional e-shops. As WooCommerce is open source, it can be fully customised to your needs. It’s perfect for businesses that want control and freedom over their store. Woocommerce is free of charge and there is no limit to the number of products in the store. Another important advantage is the integration of Woocommerce with different programs and systems – such as Estonian and global payment solutions, marketing tools and CRM systems, which are useful for automating different activities. In addition, WooCommerce allows you to choose your own hosting, which can be cost-effective, and WordPress’ powerful SEO tools help you create an e-store that is well-optimised for search engines.
Voog
Voog is Estonia’s own platform that stands out for its simplicity and user-friendliness. It’s suitable for a small start-up looking to set up an e-commerce store quickly and effortlessly. Voog also benefits from the fact that it is a local service offering customer support and features targeted at the Estonian market. Voog’s platform is intuitive and simple, which makes it a good choice for those who don’t want to delve into technical details. Voog has a monthly fee based on the number of pages and products. It also tends to lack functionality as the business grows.
ShopRoller
Another Estonian platform, ShopRoller, is also a simple and quick to set up solution suitable for smaller businesses. The advantage of ShopRoller is its quick and convenient setup process, which means that your e-shop can be up and running in just a few days. In addition, ShopRoller has local market knowledge and Estonia-based support. At the same time, ShopRoller’s pricing model is linked to the number of products in your shop – the more products you sell in your shop, the higher the monthly fee. This can be an important factor for businesses with a large product catalogue, as fees can increase as the product range increases. In addition, it lags behind larger platforms such as WooCommerce and Shopify in terms of customisation options and features , which may limit its use in more complex projects.
Shopify
Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms. It is user-friendly and easy to manage. Shopify offers an all-in-one solution where the platform itself manages hosting, security and technical support. The advantages of Shopify are simplicity, quick setup and a wide range of built-in tools, including a payment system. Convenience comes at a price, and when setting up a Shopify store you may find that you have to pay extra for some of the features that seem necessary. However, Shopify has certain limitations in terms of customisation options, design, and the monthly fees and transaction fees associated with using the platform , which make it more expensive than WooCommerce. As a business grows, it is often to save costs that people switch to Woocommerce.
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is an open source platform that offers a lot of flexibility for those who need custom solutions, more control and customization . It is the right solution for those who need a complex and large-scale e-shop and are willing to use developers to manage it. PrestaShop has the advantage of being able to customise the code according to business needs and use different plugins to extend the functionality of the store. However, it requires more technical skills and ongoing server management, so may not be suitable for smaller businesses. It can also be difficult to find a competent developer with PrestaShop skills.
Magento
Magento is renowned for its extensive customisation options and scalability, making it the preferred choice for large enterprises. Magento offers the possibility to create highly customised e-shops that can manage large amounts of data and product catalogues. However, Magento is a more complex platform requiring developer skills and ongoing maintenance, making it less suitable for SMEs. The backend of a Magento store can seem complex to manage on your own.
Wix
Wix is a good choice for smaller businesses and start-ups looking for a simple solution to set up their own e-store. Wix excels with its user-friendly drag and drop feature that allows you to easily design an attractive e-store without any code. The platform includes a number of built-in tools for SEO and marketing, for example, but has limitations when greater functionality and customisation options are needed. Therefore, Wix may not be suitable for creating more complex e-stores. Wix’s pricing is also monthly based.
Why do I prefer to use the WooCommerce platform?
When it comes to choosing an e-commerce platform, I prefer WooCommerce as it offers the most flexibility and customisation options, especially when it comes to creating more complex and customised solutions. WooCommerce integrates seamlessly with WordPress, giving youcomplete control over both the design and functionality of your store. In addition, WooCommerce has a rich set of free and paid plugins that extend its functionality, from payment solutions to marketing and logistics systems. There is also a very broad community of developers and designers in the country who know how to manage WooCommerce, so no concern is ever left unsolved. In addition, WooCommerce makes it easy to manage products and orders yourself. If you order a WooCommerce e-shop from me, I’ll be sure to make you a video tutorial and explain how you can run your own e-shop.
Choosing an e-store platform is a decision that affects both the day-to-day management of the store and its future growth potential. It is important to choose a solution that meets your needs and allows both flexibility and cost-effective growth. Some solutions are very user-friendly and suitable for a quick start, while others offer greater customisability and integration capabilities, which are necessary for more complex projects. When making your choice, you need to take into account the size of your business, the number of products, your budget and your technical capabilities, as each solution brings its own advantages and potential limitations.
If you’re confused and don’t know which platform is right for you, you can book a free 20-minute consultation. hereso we can discuss your needs together.
