The 5 Best eCommerce Platforms to Build an Online Store with Top Integrations

By Abhinav Girdhar | March 14, 2023 9:40 am

The world of eCommerce is growing rapidly, and businesses are shifting towards online stores to reach a wider audience. With a plethora of eCommerce platforms available in the market, it can be challenging to choose the right one to elevate your online store. In this blog, we will be discussing the top 5 eCommerce platforms that are best suited to help you grow your online business. We will be exploring their features, pros and cons, and everything you need to know to make an informed decision.

Importance of choosing the right eCommerce platform

Choosing the right eCommerce platform is crucial to the success of your online business. Your platform should provide a seamless experience for your customers, be easy to use and manage for you, and be scalable to accommodate your growing business needs.

Here are some reasons why choosing the right eCommerce platform is important:

1. Better user experience

The right eCommerce platform should offer a user-friendly interface that enhances the user experience, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and retention.

2. Scalability

As your business grows, your eCommerce platform should be able to accommodate increased traffic and sales without compromising the user experience.

3. Customization

The right eCommerce platform should offer customization options to match your brand and business needs.

4. Marketing tools

A good eCommerce platform should have built-in marketing tools that help you promote your products and drive traffic to your store.

5. Payment options

Your platform should offer a variety of payment options, including popular gateways such as PayPal and Stripe, to make it easier for your customers to make purchases.

Criteria for selecting the best eCommerce platform

When selecting the best eCommerce platform for your business, it is important to consider various factors to ensure it aligns with your business needs.

Here are some criteria to consider when selecting the best eCommerce platform:

1. User-Friendliness

The platform should be user-friendly, easy to navigate and manage, and offer a simple checkout process for customers.

2. Design and Customization

The platform should offer design templates and customization options to help you create a unique brand experience for your customers.

3. Scalability

The platform should be scalable and able to handle increased traffic and sales as your business grows.

4. Payment Gateway Options

The platform should offer multiple payment gateway options to allow customers to choose their preferred payment method.

5. Security

The platform should be secure and have measures in place to protect customer data and transactions.

6. Marketing Tools

The platform should offer built-in marketing tools such as email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization (SEO) to help drive traffic to your store.

7. Integration

The platform should be able to integrate with third-party applications and tools such as accounting software, shipping and logistics, and analytics.

Top 5 eCommerce platforms for building an online store

Here are the top 5 eCommerce platforms for building an online store:

1. Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms, offering a user-friendly interface, easy customization, and scalability. It has a range of design templates, integrations, and built-in marketing tools to help you grow your business.



Here are some of the key Features of Shopify:

• Ease of Use: Shopify is designed to be easy to use for non-technical users. It offers an intuitive user interface and a range of customizable templates that can be used to create a professional-looking online store in minutes.
• Customizable Templates: Shopify offers a range of customizable templates that can be used to create a unique online store that reflects your brand identity.
• Secure and Reliable: Shopify provides a secure and reliable platform for eCommerce transactions. It is PCI compliant and offers SSL encryption, fraud analysis, and 24/7 monitoring to ensure that your online store is secure.
• Payment Gateway Integration: Shopify integrates with a variety of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify Payments, to enable easy and secure payment processing.
• Inventory Management: Shopify offers a powerful inventory management system that enables you to track inventory levels, manage stock levels, and automate inventory alerts.
• Marketing and SEO: Shopify provides users with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.
2. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a powerful WordPress plugin that allows you to turn your WordPress website into an eCommerce store. It offers a range of customization options, payment gateway options, and integrations with third-party tools.



Here are some more details about WooCommerce:

• Free and Open Source: WooCommerce is free to download and use, and it is open-source software, which means that the code is available for anyone to modify and customize to suit their needs.
• Built on WordPress: WooCommerce is built on top of the WordPress platform, which is the most popular content management system in the world. This makes it easy for businesses to integrate eCommerce functionality into their existing WordPress website.
• Customizable: WooCommerce is highly customizable and can be modified to suit the unique needs of any business. It offers a range of extensions and plugins that can be used to add additional functionality to the platform.
• Secure and Scalable: WooCommerce is a secure and scalable platform that can handle large volumes of traffic and transactions. It provides businesses with a range of security features, such as SSL encryption and two-factor authentication, to protect their customers’ data.
• Payment Gateway Integration: WooCommerce integrates with a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Amazon Pay, to enable secure payment processing.
• Product Management: WooCommerce offers powerful product management tools, including inventory management, product variations, and shipping options.
• Marketing and SEO: WooCommerce provides businesses with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.
3. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a cloud-based eCommerce platform that offers enterprise-grade features such as multi-channel selling, social media integration, and marketing tools. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to enterprise-level.



Here are some more details about BigCommerce:

• Customizable Templates: BigCommerce offers a range of customizable templates that can be used to create a unique online store that reflects your brand identity.
• Secure and Reliable: BigCommerce provides a secure and reliable platform for eCommerce transactions. It is PCI compliant and offers SSL encryption, fraud analysis, and 24/7 monitoring to ensure that your online store is secure.
• Payment Gateway Integration: BigCommerce integrates with a variety of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Square, to enable easy and secure payment processing.
• Inventory Management: BigCommerce offers a powerful inventory management system that enables you to track inventory levels, manage stock levels, and automate inventory alerts.
• Marketing and SEO: BigCommerce provides users with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.
• Mobile Responsive: BigCommerce offers mobile-responsive themes that ensure that your online store is accessible on any device, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Scalable: BigCommerce is a scalable platform that can handle large volumes of traffic and transactions. It provides businesses with the ability to add new products, features, and integrations as they grow.
4. Magento

Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform that offers a range of customization options, scalability, and robust features such as advanced marketing and SEO tools. It is ideal for large businesses with complex eCommerce requirements.



Here are some more details about Magento:

• Customizable: Magento is highly customizable and can be modified to suit the unique needs of any business. It offers a range of themes, templates, and extensions that can be used to create a unique online store that reflects your brand identity.
• Open-Source: Magento is an open-source platform, which means that the code is available for anyone to modify and customize to suit their needs.
• Secure and Scalable: Magento is a secure and scalable platform that can handle large volumes of traffic and transactions. It provides businesses with a range of security features, such as SSL encryption and two-factor authentication, to protect their customers’ data.
• Payment Gateway Integration: Magento integrates with a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net, to enable secure payment processing.
• Product Management: Magento offers powerful product management tools, including inventory management, product variations, and shipping options.
• Marketing and SEO: Magento provides businesses with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.
• Multi-Store Management: Magento allows businesses to manage multiple online stores from a single platform, making it easy to expand your online presence.
5. Squarespace

Squarespace is a website builder that also offers eCommerce functionality. It offers beautiful design templates, easy customization, and a simple checkout process. It is ideal for small businesses and those looking for a simple, elegant eCommerce solution.

Here are some more details about Squarespace:

• Design Templates: Squarespace offers a range of customizable design templates that can be used to create a unique online store that reflects your brand identity.
• Easy to Use: Squarespace is easy to use, even for those who have no coding or design experience. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and intuitive editing tools to make creating and updating your online store simple.
• Secure and Reliable: Squarespace provides a secure and reliable platform for eCommerce transactions. It is PCI compliant and offers SSL encryption, fraud analysis, and 24/7 monitoring to ensure that your online store is secure.
• Payment Gateway Integration: Squarespace integrates with a variety of payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, and Square, to enable easy and secure payment processing.
• Inventory Management: Squarespace offers basic inventory management tools that enable you to track inventory levels and manage stock levels.
• Marketing and SEO: Squarespace provides users with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.
• Mobile Responsive: Squarespace offers mobile-responsive themes that ensure that your online store is accessible on any device, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Features, Pros and cons of each eCommerce platform

Here is a more detailed table summarizing the features, pros, and cons of each eCommerce platform:

Top Shopify Integrations

Here are some of the top Shopify integrations that can be created using Appy Pie Connect, along with a brief description of each integration and how it can benefit your business:

Top WooCommerce Integrations

Here are some popular WooCommerce integrations using Appy Pie Connect, along with a brief description of each integration and its benefits:

Top BigCommerce Integrations

Here are few popular BigCommerce integrations using Appy Pie Connect:

Top Magento Integrations

Here are few popular Magento integrations using Appy Pie Connect:

Top Squarespace Integrations

Here are few popular Squarespace integrations using Appy Pie Connect:

Conclusion

Building an online store can be a daunting task, but with the right eCommerce platform and integrations, it can be a rewarding experience. The five best eCommerce platforms for building an online store are Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and Squarespace.

These platforms offer a variety of features and functionalities that can help you create a seamless shopping experience for your customers. Additionally, by integrating these platforms with other business tools and apps using Appy Pie Connect, an AI-driven integration platform, you can streamline your workflows, automate processes, and ultimately grow your business. Whether you’re a small business owner or an enterprise-level corporation, these eCommerce platforms and integrations can help take your online store to the next level.