Introduction to eCommerce platforms

eCommerce, short for “electronic commerce”, refers to selling products and services online. Products can be digital, such as an ebook, or physical such as clothing. Changes in buying patterns have opened up vast opportunities for businesses to reach new levels of growth and success.

Having an online shop can help businesses maintain a competitive advantage. But where to start? The choice of platforms available can leave business owners feeling overwhelmed and confused.

An eCommerce platform is a type of software that has the features needed to create an online shop website – for example a shopping cart and checkout procedure. 

Hosted Vs Self-Hosted

Another option is to sell using an online marketplace such as Amazon, eBay, or Etsy.

Using an online marketplace has the advantage of giving you access to a considerable number of potential customers. It is easy to create an account and start using the marketplace right away, even if you already sell on your own or other websites.

There are so many ecommerce platforms available, choosing one can get pretty confusing. Each has its own pros and cons.

Read more here about how to choose the best eCommerce platform for your online shop.