What are E-commerce Platforms?

E-commerce platforms are end-to-end solutions that cover most aspects of an online business. While there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of products that provide features for online sales, not all of them are e-commerce platforms. The basic e-commerce tools are usually known as shopping cart software and their functions are limited to creating the online store, adding products, and embedding the shopping cart on a website. What Types of E-commerce Platforms Exist? B2C e-commerce platforms Business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce platform is the most common and focuses exclusively on selling to consumers. B2C e-commerce is open to anyone who wants to purchase online. There may be geographical limitations regarding shipping or currencies, but theoretically, any consumer with a valid credit card can use this type of software to buy online. B2B e-commerce platforms Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform allows companies to sell online to other companies. B2C vs. B2B e-commerce platforms There are a few essential differences between B2C and B2B e-commerce: Invoicing is used for B2B while for B2C, consumers only need receipts or payment confirmation Account-specific pricing ensures business customers can benefit from special pricing when purchasing online Catalogs can be customized for corporate customers Product configuration and quotes are used for custom products or to personalize standard items for each corporate customer Multistore management allows businesses to consolidate purchases from various physical and online stores Integration with contract management, finance, ERP, or retail management systems is essential for B2B Besides physical products, companies can also use online stores to sell services and software. While traditional e-commerce software can, in theory, be used to sell both products and services, it is preferable to use a platform dedicated to services. These service-based platforms provide features such as: Subscription plans to define what service or software is being offered on a regular basis Subscription billing to invoice and track payments for the products and services delivered using a subscription model Subscription analytics to monitor the efficiency of plans, packages, or promotions

What are the Common Features of E-commerce Platforms?

E-commerce platforms features for merchandising and marketing E-commerce personalization: Personalization features help companies customize their online content and messaging to better target users and influence their purchasing behavior. It can be used to provide recommendations and to deliver messages at critical stages of the buying process. For instance, when users try to close a webpage, they will get a popup window that is meant to convince them to stay on the page. E-merchandising: This combines product marketing and merchandising to provide potential buyers with information and purchase flows that make it easier for them to buy online. E-merchandising can also improve the buyer experience, which translates into consumer loyalty. Product catalog (or catalog management): This feature helps display products by category in a way that’s easier to navigate than scrolling or searching through lists of hundreds or thousands of products. Most basic e-commerce tools do not provide this type of functionality because it is not critical for small companies. Medium and large businesses that sell a high number of products and services can significantly benefit from using catalog management software by creating custom catalogs for various consumer segments and sometimes even for individual B2B customers. E-commerce platforms features for order processing Shopping cart: The most basic feature but also the most critical, shopping carts are the interface between the company and its customers. The first thing that customers will use to buy online is a shopping cart, and they usually do not care how it works and what’s needed to keep it safe. The essential characteristic of shopping cart software is ease of use. Buyers want the ability to perform transactions fast, so the user interface of a shopping cart needs to be extremely easy to use. Product management: Product management is essential for companies using e-commerce platforms since they usually sell many types of products. A complex offering of products and services means that a lot of product data needs to be managed and maintained to ensure that the online store accurately represents what the company sells. Product information is also important to track sales and revenues by product, a mix of items, packages, or product types. Check out: This functionality is critical to finalize the online transaction and place an order. If consumers and customers are having a hard time during check out, they may abandon the purchase and not try again. Online payments: This feature ensures that the buyer pays for the products and services purchased and the company receives the payment. The accuracy of payments is vital to avoid adjustments and payment gateways should provide sales tax functionality for multiple countries and regions. Additional features of e-commerce platforms The following features are not usually included in a typical e-commerce platform but can be very beneficial to companies that need advanced functionality: Standard themes and online store personalization allow companies to customize their online sales portals Payment gateway or out-of-the-box integrations with payment providers eliminate the need for companies to need to work with third-party providers for payments Fraud protection may include SSL certificates and other security measures to protect the company and its customers Multichannel sales allow companies to sell on other channels than their websites, such as social media or email Global, multicountry, multilanguage, and multicurrency features are critical for companies that sell products in different countries Product information management (PIM) allows companies to manage and keep all the details about their products up to date, such as description, price, and characteristics (size, color, weight) Marketing functionality such as A/B testing and SEO help companies promote their online stores so that consumers can find their products or services Web content management helps companies convince potential consumers to buy their products and services Shipping is an essential feature for online sales and e-commerce platforms allow users to choose how and when the products will be shipped Customer service is critical for aftersales to address issues, avoid returns, and keep customers happy Many e-commerce platforms will also offer the following features: Product search and filtering capabilities Reporting/analytics capabilities Omnichannel capabilities Storefront design capabilities Product visualization capabilities Order management capabilities Multi-site management capabilities Test-to-product migration capabilities Shopping cart abandonment capabilities Product review capabilities Platform functionality refers to the technical characteristics of the software. E-commerce platforms need to integrate with other software such as inventory management or shipping, which can be done using APIs. APIs can be customized by users to integrate with most cloud solutions, making it easier to transfer product data or sales information between solutions. The customization and personalization of the software make it easier to use and increases adoption. Configuring screens and dashboards eliminates unnecessary clutter and helps users quickly access information. Access rights and user roles define who does what in the system and which features employees can use to do their jobs effectively. It is also important to manage access for external users, such as suppliers or drop shipping partners, who should only use particular modules of the e-commerce platform. Security features protect against unauthorized access to private data such as the consumers’ personal details or credit card information. User access should also be limited to business data. For example, a user in charge of shipping should have access to orders and inventory but should not access payment information. Overview of the most common features of e-commerce platforms

What are the Benefits of E-commerce Platforms?

The main objectives that e-commerce platforms can help companies achieve are to: Manage online stores: Online stores and all related data such as product details and availability, pricing and discounts, customer addresses, and payment information. Attract buyers: Attract buyers and convince them to purchase the products and services sold by the company. Address post-purchase issues: Including returns, shipping or payment errors, and discrepancies between what consumers expected and what they received Track online sales: Track sales by volume and value, as well as missed opportunities such as abandoned carts Compliance: Comply with regulations for data security and avoid data breaches and cyberattacks or online fraud Another significant benefit of using e-commerce software is that it generates a lot of data that is used by other systems such as CRM software, accounting software, ERP systems, and supply chain and logistics suites. For instance, detailed information on sales and returns can be used to determine the profitability of the company, how to improve inventory levels, or which customers are the most profitable and which ones are not generating significant revenue. Using all this information, companies can adjust their strategy to adapt to changing customer preferences and focus on markets and segments that are more likely to generate important revenues and sustainable profits. Traditionally, businesses sell products and services to two separate categories of customers: businesses and consumers. These two types of customers can be covered by companies that sell to both, usually known as business-to-many (B2M). A recent approach to attract more customers involves partnerships between businesses to expand their market presence, or business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C). By using this approach, companies can promote each other and cross-sell products and services to reach new market segments.

E-Commerce Platforms with Customer Service Capabilities

Big Cartel

Big Cartel is an e-commerce platform for independent creators, artists, makers, and brands. Since 2005, Big Cartel has helped people from all over the world open an online shop and sell over $3.5 billion of their work and keep more of what they earn. Sell physical, digital, print on demand, and subscription products all with 0% transaction fees.

Average Rating: 4.6/5.0

Total Reviews: 110

How Do G2 Users Rate Big Cartel?

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?: 9.3/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)

Who Is the Company Behind Big Cartel?

Seller: Big Cartel
Company Website:
Year Founded: 2005
HQ Location: Salt Lake City, UT
LinkedIn® Page: www.linkedin.com
97 employees on LinkedIn®

Who Uses This Product?

Who Uses This: Owner
Top Industries: Arts and Crafts, Apparel & Fashion
Company Size: 96% Small, 4% Medium

What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Big Cartel?

"Easy to use, robust features."

Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars

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