Picking the right ecommerce platform can be a significant challenge, especially if you don’t know quite where to start. But, when you break it down into three important questions, the process becomes a lot clearer and easier to navigate.
What are those questions? Simple: business goals, price range, and what stage you’re at in your ecommerce journey.
What are your business goals?
When deciding to use an ecommerce platform, it’s important to identify your business goals before you choose a platform, not after. Ask yourself what your business does and what success looks like to you.
If you’re just getting started, here are some business goals to start with:
- Signups — A great business goal to start with; start by acquiring as many signups as you can for an email newsletter or other business-related communication. That way, when you launch your store, you’ll have a group of people ready to contact.
- Conversions — Getting customers to convert, whether its to a signup on an email list, a free one-time coaching session, or a sale, conversions are a great goal to start with.
- Sales — Sales are what matters in the end, so setting a sales goal is a great business goal.
Remember, with any of these goals, set a numeric and measurable goal so you can track your progress.
What is your price range?
Ecommerce platforms can range from extremely expensive to completely affordable, depending on the features and functionality you need. Platforms like Kajabi can be really expensive (starting at around $149/month) and are more suited to businesses that are selling courses or online classes.
If you’re looking to have a platform that has a low barrier to entry, as well as being reasonably priced for the versatility and amount of features you receive, Selz is a good choice, with plans starting at $29/month.
Where are you at in your journey?
Finally, one of the most important questions to ask yourself is where your business is at on the road to ecommerce. If you’ve been selling physical products or selling products through something like PayPal donations, you might be ready to take the next step.
Remember that not all small businesses or ecommerce businesses turn a profit in their first year and that it can be a hardscrabble adventure along the way. Being brutally honest with yourself and your business can help you prepare to take the next step into ecommerce.
Sound good? If you’re ready to go, this article will help you research where to go next when picking an ecommerce platform.
Thomas Wells is a Content Marketing Lead at Selz, an ecommerce company. He works to create content that helps small to mid-sized businesses shepherd and grow their presence online.
