Most businesses have gone online in one way or another. Even if there is a physical outlet, most entrepreneurs still rely on digital solutions such as a web shop, digital marketing tools, cashless payment solutions, and online CRM. Many others have completely embraced e-commerce and operate online fully. Instead of having separate solutions to meet all these goals, you can just subscribe to one cloud e-commerce platform that offers all these solutions in one package and broadens your customer base.
So, we have just introduced the new concept of a cloud e-commerce platform, and we need to understand it better. This is a platform that does not exist physically, but it is based on the web and comes with many solutions for an e-commerce company. Its primary role is to help businesses set up a web shop and connect with customers. Everything else in between includes marketing solutions, inventory management, data management, and payment processing solutions.
The differences between a cloud e-commerce platform and an on-premises platform can be felt strongly by a business. The former reduces the requirements you need to run your e-commerce operation because someone else takes care of that. But with the latter, you need at least a server on your premises. A cloud e-commerce platform is ideal because you will focus on delivering quality products to customers, including international ones.
What to Check in a Cloud E-Commerce Platform
Contents
Any entrepreneur who is looking forward to scaling up their e-commerce platforms should consider incorporating a reliable cloud e-commerce platform. It brings numerous benefits we will see below. But before then, let us focus on the key features to help you buy a reliable platform.
· Multivendor – Although this might look like tight competition when other similar sellers are on the e-commerce platform, using a multivendor platform increases the number of customers visiting the website. Therefore, there is a higher chance of selling your products. Most importantly, you enjoy a well-marketed platform.
· Inventory and order management – Fortunately, the most reliable platforms are the best platforms. Apart from creating a smooth process for clients to order, pay, and even return goods, they also have an engine for sellers to manage their inventory. On the same note, sellers can edit a product description and add prices and media to create an awesome buying and selling experience.
· Data security – Major e-commerce platforms that support multivendor operations process vast amounts of data every day. Therefore, they should have effective data security measures. They also need to keep hackers at bay, especially because they process numerous transactions. Ensure that your preferred cloud e-commerce platform has a reputation for data security.
· Customer focus – Allowing sellers to communicate with their customers and collect reviews on products and buying experiences is very important. Most cloud e-commerce platforms make this possible and even provide marketing tools to help you take your e-commerce shop to another level.
· Supports scaling up – If a cloud e-commerce platform does not support your business in growing, then you should try a different one. Fortunately, most of these platforms are also growing and have all the right tools to support any size of business. So, this is what you should aim to use.
The Best Cloud E-Commerce Platforms to Choose
· Virto Commerce – This is a powerful cloud e-commerce platform with a plethora of solutions such as B2B web shops, connections to marketplaces, digital catalogs, chat capabilities, and marketing tools among others. As an ASP.NET solution, Virto Commerce is the right platform to scale your business up no matter what size it is.
· NopCommerce – This is another ASP.NET open-source cloud e-commerce platform that you can trust to support your e-commerce business. It is also an alternative to Virto Commerce and offers somewhat similar solutions including supporting big and complex businesses.
· Shopify – This cloud-based e-commerce platform is perfectly suited for SMBs, giving them the power to design a web shop and run a business on a variety of channels. Its name is popular today because it can be accessed through a mobile phone, tablet, or computer.
· BigCommerce – Here is another e-commerce platform that is dynamic and designed for big and flexible businesses. It is one of the few that can be referred to as a shopping cart and a SaaS. The solutions are numerous, and marketing tools, creation of a web shop, data management, and inventory management are among them.
· Weebly – Lastly, let’s mention Weebly. The software helps businesses sell, connect to customers, and manage their web shops with ease. This cloud e-commerce platform has a strong integration with social media, which is a big plus for marketing products. Hence, it is worth checking.
Benefits of a Reliable Cloud E-Commerce Platform
If you select any of the above platforms that we have discussed, your business will enjoy numerous benefits. But we will explore the major ones here.
· Work with a known brand – Whether you are starting an e-commerce business or have one that is thriving, you can operate it on any of the above e-commerce platforms because they are known brands. Most of them have a strong focus on marketing their brand, and working with them exposes your business to a lot of potential customers. Furthermore, you can market your products using their brand name as soon as you become their client.
· Scale up your business – The easiness of using a cloud e-commerce platform is amazing. They provide all the tools you need and handle a large portion of operations, allowing you to focus on growth. Furthermore, the platform will continue to support your e-commerce even as you grow.
· Data security – Although many people think that cloud-based data can be infiltrated, it is very secure compared to an in-house server. There are ample data security measures to allow you to access your e-commerce operations from anywhere without fear of data insecurity.
· Connection to marketplaces – The best cloud e-commerce platform has integration with numerous markets. Sellers can choose where they want to sell their products or sell on one that connects to many others seamlessly.
Conclusion
Are you still wondering what a cloud e-commerce platform is all about? Probably not because we have shared the most important information to help you understand the concept. Ultimately, you need one for your e-commerce business. When choosing, consider the value for the price and make informed decisions.