Have you recently taken the plunge into the online retail sector?  If so, you are facing a brave new world and congratulations are in order.  A growing number of Swindon businesses are appreciating the benefits that an online retail presence has to offer and the chances are high that this trend will pick up pace in the coming year.  However, you likely have a number of questions that need to be addressed. One of the most important involves the type of e-commerce platform that will provide you with a competitive edge.  Let’s take a look at how you can choose a solid application as well as why bigger is not necessarily better.

Redefining the Concept of E-Commerce

Electronic commerce is simply defined as a transaction between two or more individuals in order to accommodate for goods and services.  These online payments are swift, effective and secure.  However, we are really only scratching the surface in terms of what you need to look for. While efficiency is all well and good, the fact of the matter is that you also need to work with a cloud-based service that is intuitive and user friendly.  This is when some other providers tend to fall a bit short.

Modern e-commerce is all about real-time interactions.  Sellers need to be able to immediately see when purchase has been made or if a question has arisen from a customer. On the other side of the digital coin, buyers should be presented with clear options and universal accessibility while out and about.  E-commerce is no longer a rigid notion that simply involves sales and product distribution.  Businesses should never be forced to settle for anything less than the very best and this is why countless enterprises are leveraging the benefits associated with Shopify.  Let’s take a closer look.

Why Shopify and Why Now?

The e-commerce industry tended to be dominated by larger providers in the past such as Big Commerce.  While this might have suited larger organisations, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that such architecture was not primarily designed for start-up firms.  This is when the modern concept of enterprise e-commerce comes into play. Some of the features which have come to define Shopify Plus include:

• Over 20 sales channels
• Fully customised checkout services and payment options.
• A host of tools to automate e-commerce solutions.
• A seamless collaboration with trusted partners and innovative apps.

In terms of Big Commerce vs Shopify, there really is no comparison.  It should also be mentioned that Shopify vendors have experienced an annual growth rate of 126 per cent; a massive increase in relation to Big Commerce and well superseding industry averages. These are some of the main reasons why smaller businesses are migrating to customised e-commerce solutions as opposed to packages primarily defined by the concept of “one size fits all”. If you want to enjoy success in the coming year, Shopify could be the ideal solution.