If you plan to start an online business, setting up an eCommerce store is the best option. With the right functionality and design, your eCommerce store will make selling products to your target market easier. With technological advancements, setting up an eCommerce store is quite easy, but there are many things to consider. The top thing you must consider and the one that consumes the most time is selecting the right platform.

Numerous eCommerce platforms claim themselves as the best eCommerce platform. When you browse their official websites, you see that they have listed the world’s best eCommerce sites as their users. All this makes the decision-making process all the more challenging. However, there is nothing to worry about as United Sol will list the best online store platforms to make the process easier. Instead of simply listing the names, we will first assess the top features that make any platform the top eCommerce platform.

Must-Have Features in Best eCommerce Platforms

Ease of Use

Whether we talk about the best eCommerce platforms in Canada or elsewhere, ease of use will always be the top-ranking feature. It is not worth the investment if a business owner has difficulty setting up or using the platform. In United Sol’s opinion, eCommerce platforms must be easy to install, configure, use, and customize. We do acknowledge that certain aspects are too technical and require the services of a professional eCommerce development company, but other than that, everything must be straightforward.

Technical Support

Furthermore, even the best eCommerce development company in Toronto or elsewhere requires help from time to time when using any top eCommerce platform. Unfortunately, there are numerous complaints against such platforms that their technical support teams do not respond timely to queries. It is not only a sign of poor customer service but the worst eCommerce platform. It is better to stay away from such platforms altogether. How can you identify which platform has poor technical support? You may go through their reviews or raise a dummy ticket. Tell them about a fake problem and see how long they take to get back or the tone in their response.

Multi-Language Support

Website localization is not an option but a necessity. When users come across a Google-translated version of your website, they will likely close the tab and find an alternative. The first reason is that Google translate is not 100% accurate. Secondly, when the content is translated, it alters the design. The website may not load correctly, affecting the user experience. The best eCommerce platform will enable you to localize your website in terms of language, at the very least, without any hassle. The complete website localization involves adhering to local laws, ensuring multimedia is aligned with local values, and product pricing is per local currency.

Multiple Payment Providers

Another key feature of a top eCommerce platform is that they support multiple payment providers. Imagine a prospective customer consuming considerable time in finalizing a product, and after proceeding to checkout, they realize that their desired payment method is not listed as an option. It will force them to abandon their cart, and, in most cases, they never return. Therefore, to prevent losing customers, provide multiple payment options to your customers.

Multiple Delivery Options

In addition to the above, another key feature of the best eCommerce platforms in Canada or elsewhere is that they allow multiple delivery options. A while ago, most eCommerce platforms contracted with one or two big delivery providers. It allowed them to save costs. Over time, it led to issues. The first problem was that products started getting delayed. The reason is that large delivery providers work across the country and internationally.

At times, delivering products within the promised time to the magnitude of their operations is challenging. Another problem was that a labor strike (quite common) within the delivery company meant delivery delays. Many eCommerce platforms have had to cancel orders due to it. Therefore, having multiple delivery options saves you from all this hassle. It also helps reduce expenses. How?

Suppose you opted for a local delivery platform that only serves a specific area. It means they have a limited fleet and don’t spend too much on marketing compared to a national-level or international delivery provider. As a local delivery platform’s expenses are low, they will charge you less money. In other words, everyone saves money in this process while ensuring timely deliveries.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Lastly, the best eCommerce platforms are SEO-friendly. Without SEO, it is challenging to generate organic traffic. Without traffic, you will be facing low sales. It means that you cannot sustain your business for long without SEO. A top eCommerce platform will offer you built-in SEO tools/features and make the whole SEO process easier. For example, Magento offers default features such as adding meta tags, canonical tags, and image optimization.

Top 5 eCommerce Platforms in Canada

We listed the top must-have features in the best eCommerce platforms in Canada or elsewhere. Now, it is time to mention the top eCommerce platforms in Canada. All these platforms have the above-mentioned features and a lot more.

1. Shopify

If you plan to set up a B2C online business, there is no better option than Shopify. Popular brands like Staples, Steve Madden, and Heinz are all Shopify users.

2. Magento

It is the perfect platform for large businesses and is ideal for B2B and B2C. Samsung, Ford, Vizio, and Nestle Nespresso are based on Magento.

3. Helcim

This company is headquartered in Alberta, Canada. It allows you to set up a fully functional online business in minutes. You don’t have to pay for web hosting or a server.

4. Webself

French is Canada’s second language. Therefore, the list must include a French eCommerce platform. After analyzing the customer reviews and conducting our research, we found that Webself is the best French eCommerce platform.

5. Volusion

Volusion has all the answers to your problems if you are worried about inventory management. It is ideal for inventory management and provides the same if not better features as any other top eCommerce platform.

Conclusion

United Sol is a leading eCommerce development company in Canada. If you require customized eCommerce solutions or want customizations to your existing platform, contact us.