Amazon Prime Day sales are only going to increase in the coming years. Thanks to the deals and offers that help shoppers purchase their saved list of items at cheaper prices.

At least 85% of shoppers have even wished for the Prime Day sale event to be repeated twice a year instead of an annual shopping event.

If you’re an Amazon seller, this guide is what you need to prepare for the coming Prime Day shopping event and succeed. Learn how to optimize your Amazon product listings, create enticing offers and deals, and leverage Amazon advertising and other marketing channels to boost your Prime Day sales.

Let’s get started.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is a 48-hour shopping event exclusive to Prime members. It is one of the biggest shopping events of the year.

Amazon Prime members get amazing deals from top brands and small businesses across categories, including skincare, kitchens, apparel, vitamins, electronics, and everyday essentials.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2024?

Amazon Prime Day 2024 begins July 16 at 12:00 midnight Pacific time and ends July 17 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

How to Prepare for Amazon Prime Day 2024 as a Seller

Preparing in advance is essential to a successful Prime Day. It can help you increase sales, gain exposure, and clear out your inventory.

It would help if you started early by defining what Prime Day event success looks like for your business. It could be a sales target, a specific number of new customers or orders, or an increased brand exposure.

Having clear goals will guide your Prime Day marketing and sales strategy.

Before you begin, you should also analyze your previous year’s Amazon Prime Day data to understand what worked and what didn’t. Use these insights to refine your approach for this year.

Here are a few tips to prepare for Prime Day 2024 as an Amazon seller:

1. Double Down on Your Best-Selling Products

Understand sales patterns and trends to choose your products wisely for the Prime Day promotions.

The best advice is to pick products that sell the most. You can then sell other complementary products related to them through bundle offers.

You should select products with more positive customer reviews, and have at least 30 reviews on the listing or an average rating of 4 stars.

The Prime Day shopping event is a timely opportunity to increase sales of your well-received products. However, you can also experiment with promoting your newly-launched products to see how consumers perceive them.

Analyze the products that sold well during previous Prime Day events. If you’ve got a product in the trending categories, you can test selling it at discounted prices to increase sales and build brand awareness.

Here are the top items sold last year on Prime Day based on total sales dollars and total units sold for inspiration:

Remember, your choice of products will heavily impact your Amazon Prime Day 2024 event sales. So, be wise and consider things like sales velocity, inventory, and product ratings during product selection.

2. Attract Buyers Using Prime Day Deals and Offers

Attractive deals are a magnet for Prime Day shoppers. You should offer customers multiple ways to save using their Prime membership. Here are some ways to do it:

1. Create Prime Day deals and coupons

Offer special discounts and deals exclusive to Prime Day. You can also launch early Prime Day and post-Prime Day deals throughout July 2024.

You can create and giveaway coupon codes as part of an email or social media campaign before the Prime Day event.

2. Use Amazon’s Lightning Deals promotion

Lightning Deals are a specific type of promotion on Amazon where you offer a limited number of discounts on a product for a short period. These time-sensitive offers run for a limited time and have limited stock. The deal ends once the timer ends or with 100% stock claims.

Therefore, Amazon’s Lightning Deals create urgency and encourage quick purchases. They are a great promotion type to boost your Prime Day sales.

3. Bundle products at discounted pricing

Create product bundles at discounted prices to offer more value and increase average order value.

For example, HexClad Cookware created product bundles with typical purchase combinations based on their customers’ buying patterns. They offered coupons on their bundles, contributing 30% of their total sales.

4. Offer substantial discount percentagesAccording to the Numerator study cited earlier, the deals on Prime Day last year satisfied over 66% of shoppers, with 91% using a “Save X%” promo type. So, a flat, across-the-board percentage discount on your products will likely bring in more Prime Day sales than other offers and deals.

Give around 40% off on products, and consider extending discounts beyond the Prime Day shopping event.

5. Create different promotions

Increase your Prime Day 2024 sales by creating different promotions, such as:

• Buy one, get one free
• Spend $500 and get $50 free
• Get 5 for the price of 3

These promotions help you clear inventory and increase average order value.

3. Manage Your Inventory

Managing your inventory is crucial to meet the surge in demand during the Prime Day sale. Check your inventory levels, analyze historical performance, and consider increasing stock on your best-selling products.

According to an NBC News report, the Amazon Prime Day 2023 event generated $12.9 billion in sales.

It’s safe to anticipate higher sales volumes and ensure you have enough stock for Prime Day 2024. Try to overestimate product sales rather than risk stockouts during the biggest shopping event of the year. That’s because running out of stock may hurt your rankings and lead to missed sales.

Using powerful ecommerce inventory management software can help you balance your inventory to avoid stockouts or overstocks.

Another way to handle your logistics is to opt for Amazon’s Direct Fulfillment program. It allows you to seamlessly share real-time inventory information with Amazon using electronic data interchange (EDI).

As an Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) business, you can ensure fast and reliable product delivery, boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty.

4. Optimize Your Amazon Product Listings

Optimize your product listings early with high-quality images, compelling descriptions, and relevant keywords. Ensure your listings attract and convert Prime Day shoppers.

Here’s how to do it:

Ensure your product titles and descriptions are clear, informative, and keyword-rich.

In the product title, cover the following info:

• Brand name
• Color, flavor, or variant
• Size and quantity
• Keywords

Here’s an example of a product title highlighting all vital features and configuration of the keyboard they’re selling:

Highlight key features through bullet points in your product description to ensure shoppers have all the information they want.

Visuals are crucial for conversions. Use high-resolution images and videos to showcase your products in the best light. Along with product photos, show the product in use with in-context images.

Optimize your listings with Prime Day sale keywords for better search visibility. These include:

• Amazon Prime Day 2024
• Prime Day sales
• Prime Day discount
• Amazon Prime Day deals

Read more tips to optimize your product pages on Amazon, Shopify, and other ecommerce stores.

5. Create an Exclusive Amazon Storefront for Prime Day 2024

Create a dedicated Prime Day version of your Amazon storefront using the scheduling feature in the Amazon Stores builder to serve as a landing page for all your Prime Day deals and discounts.

Submit it for approval at least a week before the Prime Day event. You can choose when to publish the content and when to revert to your older version.

When preparing your Prime Day 2024 storefront, highlight exclusive products or bundles only available during this shopping event. You can also add a page for the Featured Deals widget.

Here’s an example of an Amazon Prime Day storefront:

Customers expect big offers on Prime Day, so consider offering discounts that apply to purchases made on your ecommerce website as well. Extend a few discounts beyond Prime Day 2024 for added sales and revenue.

6. Drive Sales From Amazon Ads, Social Media, and Email Marketing Campaigns

Effective advertising can significantly boost your visibility and sales during Prime Day.

Set up and test Amazon advertising campaigns early, and consider offering exclusive discounts through the Amazon app. Here are a few options to reach more customers:

• Sponsored Products
• Sponsored Brands
• Sponsored Display ads

Keep a close eye on your ad performance and make real-time adjustments to your bids to stay competitive and maximize the ROI of your Prime Day campaigns.

Beyond Amazon, leverage social media and email marketing to promote your Prime Day deals.

You can use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X to build anticipation and drive traffic to your Amazon product listings.

Send targeted emails to your subscriber list highlighting exclusive Prime Day deals, coupons, and offers to drive sales.

You can also consider partnering with influencers to reach a broader audience and increase your Prime Day sales.

7. Provide Excellent Customer Experiences

A seamless customer experience is vital for maximizing sales and fostering long-term relationships. It applies to Amazon Prime Day 2024 sales as well.

• Provide detailed and accurate product descriptions to set clear expectations about your products.
• Ensure quick and helpful responses to customer questions.
• Ensure your products are eligible for Prime shipping, and if using Seller Fulfilled Prime, maintain a low Late Shipment Rate and Order Defect Rate.
• Handle returns and refunds promptly to maintain customer satisfaction.
• Build social proof with positive customer reviews to boost your credibility and attract more buyers. Be quick to resolve issues and request negative reviews removal after resolution.

8. Implement Effective Pricing Strategies

Competitive pricing is another crucial factor in driving sales during Prime Day.

• Regularly analyze competitor pricing and adjust yours accordingly.
• Use dynamic pricing tools to stay competitive in real-time.
• Create a sense of urgency with limited-time discounts and deals during the Prime Day shopping event.

9. Track Key Metrics and Analyze Your Prime Day Performance

Monitoring your performance is essential for making informed decisions during the Prime Day shopping event.

You should identify and track crucial metrics like:

• Sales
• Traffic
• Conversion rates
• Average order value
• Best-selling products and bundles

Use tools like Amazon Seller Central to get real-time data and insights about your Prime Day 2024 sales and adjust your strategies based on performance data.

After the event, conduct a thorough analysis to review your Prime Day 2024 sales data, identify successful tactics, and prepare for other major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Ready to Increase Sales This Amazon Prime Day?

Preparing for Amazon Prime Day 2024 requires careful planning, strategic execution, and real-time optimization. By starting early, optimizing your listings, leveraging powerful marketing strategies, and focusing on customer experience, you can maximize your sales and take full advantage of this massive shopping event.

Implement these tips and strategies to leverage Prime Day 2024 and set your business up for continued success. Use this time of the year to boost sales and build lasting customer relationships.

Start planning now, stay flexible, and earn big!

FAQs

The burst of amusement draws the crowd onto the platform, making them stay there.

For instance, TikTok's short video format makes it easy for users to quickly consume a large amount of content in a short time. It's particularly effective for showcasing products and demonstrating their use creatively.

As a result, many influencers have amassed large followers based on their ability to create entertaining and relatable content. Alongside the fun and creative content is the intentional product promotion. As expected, their loyal followers on TikTok begin to trust their product or service recommendations.

With the emergence of TikTok Shop, TikTok is no longer just a platform for dance challenges and lip-syncing. Users can now purchase products directly within the app.

In this guide, we’ll explore the future projection of TikTok Shop and the opportunities it opens for sellers and marketers.

The Current State of TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is a game-changer on the TikTok app. It has transformed it from a pure entertainment social media platform into a one-stop shop for product discovery and purchase.

With TikTok Shop, merchants and creators can turn TikTok into a marketplace to sell their products directly on the app. This eliminates the need to leave the app and visit external websites, creating a smooth and convenient online shopping experience.

To access TikTok Shop products from your profile, follow these steps:

1. Click on the shopping bag icon on your profile.

2. Press “Enter.”

3. Click on “Add products.”

4. Type your desired product or brand in the search bar. For instance, if you want to buy a water bottle, type “water bottle” and different brands of water bottles will appear.

5. You can click on any product category to find similar or corresponding products.

TikTok Shop allows secure checkout directly within the app, minimizing friction and encouraging impulse purchases. The merge of entertainment and shopping helps users discover products organically while enjoying their favorite content.

Emerging Trends and Features Influencing the Growth of TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is changing how people shop online by creating a whole new shopping experience that is interactive, personalized, and seamlessly integrated into entertainment.

There are several trends that are reshaping ecommerce which can be attributed to TikTok Shop's success, including:

• In-feed video content: Younger generations are increasingly drawn to video content, making TikTok a natural fit for product discovery. Statistics show that 58.2% of TikTok users use the platform for product discovery. Using videos allows you for a more interactive way to demonstrate your product’s features, compare products, and offer honest reviews. Then you can tag your videos with product links, allowing your viewers to click and purchase seamlessly.
• Live streams: Live streams on TikTok provide you an opportunity for real-time interaction with your audience. This works well with live selling where you can answer questions, offer exclusive deals, and do real-time product pitches and promotions, driving impulse purchases.
• Shopping bag icon: The display of a shopping bag icon on your profile tells your audience that you have a TikTok Shop and invites them to browse your product catalog.
• Seller profiles: You can establish mini-storefronts within your profile, showcasing your product catalogs and allowing users to browse and add items to carts.
• Instant purchases: WithTikTok Shop, your audience need not leave the app and shop the products elsewhere, reducing purchase barriers, encouraging impulse buying, and creating a seamless experience.
• Influencer marketing: TikTok users are heavily influenced by their peers and trusted creators. Seeing friends or favorite TikTok influencers using and endorsing products builds trust and social proof, making users more likely to purchase.
• Interactive features: TikTok is an interactive platform where your audience can like products shown on your videos and ask questions during Live streams or in the comment section. This creates a more interactive shopping experience, keeping your users engaged and pushing them towards purchase.
• AI integration: TikTok uses an AI algorithm that considers a user's past watch history, likes, comments, including the sounds and hashtags used in videos they've interacted with to personalize the “For You” page (FYP). When a user sees a product they like on their FYP, they are more likely to be interested in buying it.

The Competitive Landscape of Social Commerce

TikTok Shop is rising, however, there are other already established social commerce platforms, such as Instagram Shop and Facebook Marketplace.

Facebook Marketplace boasts the largest user base. Around 1.2 billion online shoppers buy something on Facebook Marketplace every month.

As for Instagram, 130 million people click on shopping posts on the app every month. Likewise, Instagram Shop also offers a more established platform, leading to higher conversion rates.

However, TikTok Shop's engagement rate is significantly higher, particularly with younger demographics. Studies suggest Gen Z spends twice as much time engaging with content on TikTok as Facebook.

Here's how TikTok Shop leverages its platform's strengths to stand out from other social media platforms:

• Viral challenges and trends allow product-based challenges and trends to explode, driving massive organic reach and brand awareness for featured products.
• Unlike static product listings, TikTok Shop integrates seamlessly with engaging video content. Users discover products organically while enjoying videos from their favorite creators.
• Live streams incorporate interactive elements like polls, Q&A sessions, and flash sales, building a loyal community around featured products.

TikTok Shop's unique user engagement strategies position it as a strong contender in the social commerce industry. Its ability to organically integrate shopping with entertainment creates a powerful new way to reach and convert customers, especially among younger people.

TikTok Shop: Top Challenges for Brands and Sellers

Despite its impressive growth, brands and sellers are facing challenges using TikTok Shop for social commerce.

TikTok Shop can build a more sustainable and secure platform for social commerce if it tackles some of these challenges:

• Varying Regulations: Regulations around social commerce vary greatly across the globe. For instance, Indonesia recently proposed regulations that could restrict the sale of goods on social media platforms.
• Social Commerce As a New Concept: Consumers may hesitate to trust the platform for online purchases, especially concerning product quality and returns.
• Data Privacy Risk: Ongoing anxiety regarding user data collection and privacy on TikTok can make some users wary of using the platform for financial transactions.
• Proliferation of Scams: As with any online platform, there's a risk of fraudulent activity targeting both sellers and buyers. Ensuring a secure environment will be crucial for long-term user satisfaction and trust.

TikTok Shop: The Top Opportunities for Brands and Marketers

TikTok Shop presents endless opportunities for brands and marketers who want to reach a global audience. With 1.56 billion monthly active users worldwide, TikTok offers access to a diverse and engaged customer base.

If you’re a small business or brand owner struggling with traditional marketing channels, you can leverage trends and challenges on TikTok to promote your products or services to a wider audience.

Gen Z and millennials are the driving force behind the social commerce revolution, letting even the boomers follow suit. That said, you can use TikTok to connect with these generations and achieve success.

Here's how you can leverage TikTok Shop's unique features to maximize your brand’s visibility and sales:

• Invest in high-quality product demonstrations, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes glimpses to showcase your brand personality and capture audience attention. You can use video tools like InVideo, WeVideo, or Lightricks’ Videoleap app to create pro-quality TikTok videos.
• Collaborate with relevant creators to promote your products naturally. Take advantage of their established audience and trust to drive brand awareness and sales. Use influencer discovery tools like Heepsy or Semrush’s Influencer Analytics app.
• Understand how TikTok's algorithm prioritizes content. Use trending hashtags, participate in relevant challenges, and optimize captions to increase discoverability.
• TikTok offers a variety of advertising options, allowing your brand to target specific demographics and interests. This helps ensure your message reaches the right audience each time.
• Live streams offer a real-time connection with potential customers. Use them to showcase products, answer questions, and offer exclusive deals to create excitement around your products.
• Monitor key metrics like engagement, click-through rates, and conversion rates and use the data to optimize your content for maximum impact.
• Embrace the use of TikTok management tools such as Vista Social to create and publish content and turn TikTok Shop into a powerful engine for growth and customer acquisition.

The Horizon For Social Commerce on TikTok

The future of social commerce on TikTok appears bright, with experts predicting continued growth and innovation within TikTok Shop.

Analysts predict a continued shift towards social commerce, particularly among younger demographics. TikTok Shop's seamless integration of shopping within entertainment positions it perfectly to capitalize on this trend.

You can expect TikTok Shop to expand into new markets around the world. As regulations adapt and user trust builds, social commerce is likely to become a mainstream shopping method in many regions.

AI will play a bigger role, allowing for virtual try-ons and product placements in users' homes. It will continue to personalize product recommendations and further streamline the shopping experience.

Look for features that create a community around brands and creators. For example, loyalty programs, exclusive content for followers, and interactive challenges or events.

Research suggests TikTok will be the leading social commerce platform by 2025, surpassing Instagram and Facebook.

A study by eMarketer highlights the rising influence of short-form video content, stating: “TikTok's dominance in short-form video positions it well to become a leader in social commerce.”

These predictions, coupled with ongoing technological advancements, paint a picture of a more powerful platform for brands, creators, and consumers alike.

How to Prepare for the Future of Shopping

You should embrace the evolving face of ecommerce to stay ahead of the curve. Here are some key takeaways:

• Be willing to adapt your strategies as new features and trends emerge. Experiment with different formats like short product teasers, educational content, or user-generated content challenges.
• Stay updated on the latest features and functionalities of TikTok Shop. Explore options like Live broadcasts, product bundles, or limited-time flash sales to keep your audience engaged.
• Consumers crave genuine connections. Partner with creators who align with your brand values and can showcase your products authentically.
• Build a community around your brand on TikTok Shop. Respond to comments, host interactive challenges, and offer exclusive content to loyal followers.
• Attention spans are short, so captivating video content is crucial. Invest in professional-looking product demonstrations, tutorials, or entertaining brand stories.
• Use humor, storytelling, and trending sounds to grab attention and make your content memorable.
• Track key metrics like engagement, reach, and conversion rates using Sprout Social or Vista Social to find out what resonates with your audience and refine your approach.
• A/B test different video formats, captions, and hashtags to see what drives the best results.
• Stay informed about advancements in AR and AI. Explore how these technologies can enhance your product presentations and personalize the shopping experience for users.
• Use TikTok's advertising tools to target specific demographics and interests, ensuring your message reaches the right audience.

Ready to Adapt and Innovate to Drive More Social Commerce Revenue?

Understanding the trends shaping TikTok Shop, embracing new technologies, and prioritizing authentic connections with your audience will position you for success in social commerce.

TikTok Shop is a powerful platform for reaching new customers and building brand loyalty. You need to adapt and be creative to maximize its potential to drive sales and achieve your marketing goals.

Take advantage of the tips we've shared above to get into TikTok for business and prepare your brand for the future of social commerce.

Back in the days when online selling was still new, business owners would set up their websites to house their products and sell them online. While this allowed them control over branding, customer experience, and pricing, organic marketing was challenging.

Then came platforms like Amazon and eBay, allowing small business owners to list their products on these established marketplaces with built-in traffic. 

Still, later, highly dynamic ecommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce emerged, empowering business owners to create their online stores quickly and easily without needing extensive technical knowledge.

As online purchase behaviors changed due to the segmented markets, social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok) rode on this wave and integrated shopping features and enabled all users to sell and buy directly on the app.

According to recent studies, consumer electronics and home appliances represent the massive sectors for online shopping. About 54% of consumers prefer to shop these products online on digital marketplaces like Amazon.

Today, you can find a dedicated online shopping platform for almost every consumer need. Some examples of these are shopping apps focused on beauty products, personal care items, furniture, auto parts, etc.

Online sellers like you can learn so much about this e-commerce evolution and insights.

The variety of shopping apps and features presents a golden opportunity to develop more customer touchpoints across several platforms. However, with so many options available, choosing the best online shopping sites to sell your products can be daunting.

With this guide, I cover the best online shopping websites to help you understand buyer behavior, market preferences, and selling features. I’ve also added individual brands’ websites you can take inspiration from.

Let’s explore them.

Quick Read: Top Online Shopping Sites in Different Categories

• Comprehensive online marketplaces you can sell your products on
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • Alibaba
• Best online shopping sites for clothes, fashion, and apparel you can take inspiration from
  • ASOS
  • Zara
  • Nordstrom
• Electronics and gadgets online shopping sites
  • Best Buy
  • Newegg
  • B&H
• Specialty online retailers for specific product categories
  • Etsy for handmade items
  • Wayfair for home goods
  • Sephora for beauty products
• Cheap online shopping sites you can use to offer deals to attract shoppers
  • Overstock
  • Wish
  • Groupon
• Sustainable and ethical online shopping sites
  • Thrive Market
  • The RealReal
• Luxury online shopping sites
  • Net-a-Porter
  • Farfetch

Criteria for Evaluating Online Shopping Sites to Sell Your Products

When choosing the best online shopping sites to sell your products, you need to consider several criteria to maximize sales and profits, such as:

• User experience: The platform must be easy to navigate with search functionality to help customers find your products quickly. The product page design should be eye-catching and easy to access on smartphones and tablets.
• Product range: The site should accommodate a wide range of products, allowing you to showcase your entire inventory effectively. Depending on your niche, consider platforms that cater specifically to your industry or target audience.
• Listing limitations: Understand any limitations or restrictions on the types of products you can list on the platform to determine if it’s the right app for you.
• Pricing: Compare fees, commissions, and subscription costs to ensure they align with your budget and profitability goals. Check if the platform offers tools for running promotions and discounts to attract customers.
• Customer service: Understand what level of support the platform can offer you in case of customer inquiries or issues. Choose platforms with various channels for customer support, such as email, live chat, or phone.
• Shipping policies: Evaluate the flexibility and variety of shipping options available to your customers. Make sure shipping costs are reasonable and transparent.
• Product marketing: Assess the platform's product marketing features, such as advertising options, social media integration, and email marketing capabilities. Ensure the platform offers built-in marketing tools to help promote your products.
• Payment methods: The platform should offer a variety of secure payment options for your customers like credit/debit cards and digital wallets.
• Security and trustworthiness: The platform should have a strong reputation for security and buyer protection. Pay attention to customer reviews and ratings to gauge the platform's reputation and trustworthiness.

The Best Online Shopping Sites to Take Inspiration From

To learn about online shopping, it's helpful to learn from the best. Here are some of the best  online shopping sites excelling in their respective niches:

Comprehensive Online Marketplaces

These comprehensive online marketplaces offer diverse opportunities for businesses to reach a broad audience and sell products globally. They offer a vast array of products across numerous categories, attracting a massive customer base.

1. Amazon

Amazon is one of the largest and most popular online marketplaces globally, with over 310 million active users. The website offers an extensive range of products across various categories.

As a seller, you access a massive customer base, a user-friendly interface, fulfillment services through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), advertising tools, and robust seller support.

Amazon charges a certain percentage of sales amount as fees to sellers. You’ll also be competing with numerous sellers with stringent seller performance metrics.

2. eBay

eBay is a leading online auction and shopping website with 132 million active buyers. You can buy and sell various items, new and used, on the platform.

eBay offers flexibility in pricing through auctions or fixed-price listings, global reach, seller protection program, and customizable storefronts.

3. Alibaba

Alibaba is a Chinese-owned e-commerce platform that connects businesses with manufacturers, wholesalers, and suppliers worldwide. The platform has over 1.3 billion active users globally.

This platform offers access to a vast network of suppliers and buyers, bulk purchasing opportunities, customizable storefronts, and trade assurance covering every stage of the purchasing journey.

The Best Online Shopping Sites for Clothes, Fashion, and Apparel

Fashion and apparel websites offer a convenient way to shop for clothes, accessories, and footwear from the comfort of your home, providing various options to suit every style and budget.

Let's take a closer look at some of the best online shopping sites for clothes.

4. ASOS

ASOS is a globally recognized online fashion retailer known for its trendy clothing, accessories, and beauty products. It has over 23 million active users globally.

ASOS offers a wide selection of trendy and affordable fashion items, making it a go-to destination for a younger, fashion-forward demographic.

The ASOS Marketplace allows you to register your boutique or brand, and start selling to a global audience of fashion lovers in their twenties. It's easy to set up and use, and charges low fees and commission rates.

The platform features clothing in a range of sizes, as well as eco-friendly and sustainable fashion options. The website's user-friendly interface with frequent new arrivals keeps customers returning for more.

5. Zara

Zara is one of the best online shopping sites for clothes. It is known for its emphasis on quality craftsmanship and contemporary designs.

The brand's website offers a trendy selection of clothing, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children.

Zara's online platform mimics its physical stores, which provide customers with a visually appealing shopping experience and easy navigation to find the latest collections.

6. Nordstrom

Nordstrom is a leading luxury department store chain that has expanded its presence online with an ecommerce platform. 

Nordstrom presents its sophisticated clientele with a premium selection of fashion brands, designer labels, and exclusive collaborations.

The website features user-friendly navigation, detailed product descriptions, and a seamless checkout process.

Nordstrom cultivates customer loyalty by offering excellent customer service. You should replicate the same on your ecommerce site to attract and retain customers.

Electronics and Gadgets Online Shopping Sites

Smartphones, laptops, home appliances, and gaming consoles offer innovation, convenience, and connectivity.

Online shopping sites help consumers to discover the latest innovations, compare products, and make informed purchasing decisions.

Let's explore the best online shopping websites in this space:

7. Best Buy

Best Buy offers a variety of TVs, laptops, smartphones, appliances, and other electronic gadgets. They have a strong online and offline presence, allowing customers to purchase online and pick up the item in-store.

Best Buy's website has a user-friendly navigation, detailed product descriptions, positive customer reviews, and helpful buying guides, aiding shoppers find the perfect tech solution.

The website gets over 150 million monthly visits, giving you access to an already established customer base.

8. Newegg

Newegg is an online retailer selling computer hardware, electronics, gaming products, and tech accessories. The platform caters to tech-savvy consumers and PC builders.

They offer competitive prices, a wide variety of products, and in-depth product information.

As a seller, you will benefit from their massive traffic of over 39 million users and marketing campaigns aimed at helping you sell globally.

9. B&H

B&H is a well-established retailer specializing in professional audio, video, and photography equipment. The website receives an average of 15.9 million monthly users.

B&H is trusted for its expert customer service, extensive product selection, and commitment to fast shipping.

Specialty Online Retailers in Specific Product Categories

Specialty online retailers cater to niche markets by offering products that cater to specific needs, interests, and lifestyles. These platforms provide a unique shopping experience, allowing customers to explore and discover diverse items tailored to their individual tastes.

Let's look into some of the best online shopping websites catering to different interests:

10. Etsy

Etsy is the best online shopping site for handmade items. It connects artisans and crafters directly with consumers around the world. The website has over 500 million monthly visits.

The platform offers a diverse array of products such as handmade jewelry, clothing, vintage finds, home decor, personalized gifts, art, and more.

If you’re a seller with a flair for arts and crafts, an Etsy store is one to consider. It is easy to set up and use, and has a low barrier to entry compared to other online shopping sites. You will benefit from seller tools and analytics, a large user base, and marketing and SEO support. 

11. Wayfair

Wayfair is a leading online store for home goods, furniture, decor, appliances, and accessories for living spaces. The platform focuses mainly on style, quality, and affordability.

The website features clear product listings, convenient filtering and search options, a supplier portal, fulfillment services, and marketing opportunities.

Although Wayfair has over 20 million monthly active customers, it is less competitive than sites like Amazon due to the focus on home goods.

12. Sephora

Sephora is a leading online shopping site for beauty products such as makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrances. They offer a selection of high-end and emerging brand products and receive 42.2 million monthly visitors on the website.

Sephora offers shoppers helpful tutorials and personalized recommendations. If you’re keen on the beauty niche, hopping on this site benefits you through from brand partnerships, product placement, marketing campaigns, and data insights.

Cheap Online Shopping Sites to Offer Deals on Your Products

Finding quality products without breaking the bank is a priority for many shoppers. Here are online shopping sites that list great deals and discounts. You can use them to list your product deals here to attract shoppers.

13. Overstock

Overstock offers a wide range of discounted furniture, home decor items, rugs, apparel, and more. Their target is budget-conscious consumers seeking high-quality products.

They provide shoppers access to a diverse array of items at lower prices than traditional retail.

Overstock has 4.9 million active customers. Joining this platform, you’ll benefit from market insights, sales data, and increased brand exposure.

You can use Overstock to reach a new value-conscious customer base and increase your brand’s visibility. The platform also offers an inventory management system that can help you free up storage space and sell any products that might not sell through traditional channels.

14. Wish

Wish is one of the most popular cheap online shopping sites for clothes, electronics, home goods, and beauty items. It has over 11 million active monthly users.

The online marketplace is known for its incredibly low prices. Shoppers can browse through thousands of items at prices lower than those found in traditional stores.

The Wish Express Program allows you to offer expedited shipping options to your customers. Your products get higher visibility and ultimately, convert more sales due to faster delivery times.

15. Groupon

Groupon is a pioneer site for discovering deals and discounts on a multitude of products and services such as dining experiences, travel packages, spa treatments, and more. Their model relies on partnerships with local businesses.

The Groupon website has a user-friendly interface and an extensive network of partners. It's one of the most visited websites with over 54 million monthly new users .

Groupon has an extensive network of partners and high website traffic — making it great for marketing and brand awareness campaigns.

As a seller, Groupon offers you a huge customer base that is eager to try new products or services. You also can create targeted deals for users in specific demographics and reach more relevant audiences. 

Sustainable and Ethical Online Shopping Sites

The growing consciousness around ethical and sustainable consumption has led to a demand for environmentally friendly and ethically sourced products.

Let's explore the best online shopping sites specializing in these areas.

16. Thrive Market

Thrive Market is an online marketplace offering organic, non-GMO, and sustainable products at affordable prices.

The platform is for high-integrity brands that adhere to strict standards of ingredient sourcing, packaging, and manufacturing practices. Every product must meet rigorous sustainability and ethical criteria. 

If you sell high-quality, organic, or non-GMO products that align with Thrive Market's guidelines, submit your product information for review. Once chosen, you’ll work directly with the brand to reach its health-conscious audience.

Thrive Market has over 1.4 million loyal members who are passionate about healthy living and are willing to pay a premium for quality products.

The platform offers marketing opportunities for sellers and a positive image for being associated with a platform known for its commitment to sustainability.

17. The RealReal

The RealReal is a marketplace for pre-owned luxury products such as fashion and accessories. It has a customer base of 797,000 active buyers.

The RealReal's commitment to sustainability is to extend the life cycle of luxury items by offering them for resale, reducing waste, and minimizing the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

Luxury Online Shopping Sites

Luxury ecommerce platforms cater to discerning shoppers seeking high-end fashion, designer labels, and exclusive collections.

These websites offer curated selections of luxury items for those with sophisticated tastes. You can use them to reach new audiences with higher purchasing power.

18. Net-a-Porter

Net-a-Porter is one of the best online shopping websites for luxury fashion. They offer a vast collection of clothing, shoes, and accessories from over 800 of the world's top designer brands, including GUCCI, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga.

The platform attracts over 6 million active users across the globe monthly. It has a global reach with customers in 170 countries. Being selected to sell on the platform is a mark of credibility because it's a highly selective platform.

To be considered on the platform, you must demonstrate exceptional quality, design, and craftsmanship. For example, your products should have unique designs such as signature prints, and use premium fabrics or sustainable materials.

Net-a-Porter provides exceptional customer service, intuitive website navigation, and international shipping options.

19. Farfetch

Farfetch curates a global selection of luxury fashion, connecting shoppers with renowned designers and boutiques. The site has 3.9 million active consumers.

Farfetch offers luxury clothing, accessories, and footwear for men, women, and children. It also engages with exclusive collaborations with designers for their limited-edition pieces. 

The website leverages technology with features such as augmented reality try-on, virtual styling, and smooth international shopping.

As a seller on the platform, you can enjoy brand association and prestige, aside from enjoying free marketing to a worldwide audience.

Tips for Providing Your Customers With a Safe Online Shopping Experience

Building trust with your customers is paramount in online retail. Here are some tips to ensure your customers have a safe and secure shopping experience:

• Secure payment options: Offer secure payment methods such as credit/debit cards or PayPal. Ensure your website has secure socket layer (SSL) encryption to protect sensitive customer information during transactions. Bluehost offers a free SSL Certificate for customers using their website hosting plans.
• Trustworthy website design: Design your website with security in mind. Use reputable ecommerce platforms like Shopify or hire professional web developers to create a secure and user-friendly website. Display trust seals and security certifications to reassure customers of your website's legitimacy.
• Clear communication: Provide clear information about safe online shopping practices on your website. Educate customers about how to identify phishing scams, recognize secure websites, and safeguard their personal information.
• Transparent policies: Clearly outline your return and refund policies on your website. Ensure that policies are fair, easy to understand, and prominently displayed. Offer hassle-free returns and refunds to instill confidence among your customers and encourage repeat purchases.
• Secure customer accounts: Implement tight security measures for customer accounts, such as strong password requirements, multi-factor authentication, and regular security updates.
• Regular security updates: Keep your website's software, plugins, and security protocols up-to-date to protect against vulnerabilities and potential security threats. Monitor your website for any suspicious activities or breaches and take immediate action if necessary.
• Customer support: Provide responsive and accessible customer support channels, such as email, live chat, or phone support. Address customer inquiries and concerns promptly, especially if it's regarding transaction security, order status, and returns or refunds.
• Be aware of scams: Stay informed about common online scams and fraudulent activities targeting online shoppers. Educate your team about potential threats and implement measures to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions, such as monitoring for unusual purchasing patterns or IP addresses.
• Encourage feedback: Encourage customers to provide feedback and reviews about their shopping experiences. Use feedback to identify areas for improvement and promptly address any concerns raised by customers.

Ready to Embark on the Trend of Online Shopping?

Businesses have a prime opportunity to expand their reach and increase sales by embracing ecommerce platforms.

If you're an emerging business owner looking to dip your toes into online selling, platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy offer diverse audiences and user-friendly interfaces, making them ideal for a wide range of products.

You can also launch your ecommerce store using BigCommerce or Shopify. Take inspiration from successful brands like Sephora, Zara, and other online stores we've covered.

What online retailers have impressed you with their customer service, product selection, or overall shopping experience? 

Share your thoughts and let's keep the conversation going.

What is a QR Code and How Does It Work?

Quick Response (QR) codes are flat barcodes that store information horizontally and vertically.

Initially created for tracking parts in the automotive industry, QR codes have evolved into versatile tools for quick data retrieval. The basic structure consists of black squares arranged on a white square grid.

Scanning the code with a smartphone or QR code scanner app decodes the information embedded within.

For example, the QR code you see below will take you to my website, ShaneBarker.com.

It’s also important to understand the difference between static and dynamic QR codes.

The Top Use Cases for QR Code Generators

There’s a myriad of applications QR generators can be used for. Here are some of the most commonly used applications of QR codes:

1. Business and Marketing

QR codes have become integral to modern marketing strategies. Businesses leverage these codes on various platforms to provide customers with quick access to product information, promotions, and more.

Incorporating QR codes in business cards, for instance, enhances networking opportunities by effortlessly sharing contact details.

2. Financial Transactions

There’s currently a growing trend of using QR codes to facilitate secure financial transactions through popular apps like Venmo. This makes cashless transactions fast and convenient for both the customer and the business. 

3. Event Management

Event organizers find QR codes indispensable for managing attendee logistics. From ticketing to entry passes, QR codes streamline processes. This helps reduce wait times and enhance overall event efficiency.

A simple scan lets attendees easily access event details, schedules, and additional information.

4. Product Packaging and Labels

Product packaging adorned with QR codes transforms traditional labels into interactive experiences.

Consumers can scan a product's QR code to access detailed information, user manuals, or even instructional videos. This engagement not only empowers consumers with valuable insights but also fosters brand loyalty through enhanced transparency.

Is @Starbucks predicting a return to relevance of QR Codes? pic.twitter.com/60xvp7Nzi1

— Aaron Kardell (@akardell) July 9, 2018

List of the Top 10 QR Code Generators

Now that we’ve discussed the ins and outs of QR codes, it's time to take a closer look at the 10 best QR code generators.

1. Shopify’s Free QR Code Generator

This Shopify-integrated gem whips up basic static QR codes for website links, phone numbers, and texts. Need a quick and free way to connect your online store to the physical world? Look no further! 

But remember, it lacks fancy features like dynamic updates or custom designs.

Creating a QR code is quite simple. Just select the data type, enter the relevant data, and add an email address to receive the finished code.

Once you receive the code via email, you can download the QR code

Shopify’s Free QR Code Generator only exports QR Codes to PNG images. They are good quality, but if you’re looking for high-resolution QR codes or PDF files, these might not be for you.

Pros 

• Free
• Integrates with Shopify
• Simple to use interface

Cons 

• No fancy features
• Static codes only
• Limited customization

Price

• Free

2. QRCode Monkey 

QRCode Monkey stands out as a versatile QR code generator, offering high-quality static QR codes.

It allows you to create QR codes for various purposes, including URLs, image galleries, social media, business cards, and more. 

With a user-friendly interface and the delivery of high-resolution codes, QRCode Monkey emerges as a top choice for both businesses and individuals looking for a great and free QR code generator.

Although the customization is a little limited, apart from changing colors and adding a logo, there are a few templates you can select from to add some variation.

Pros

• Free
• Customizable logos
• Multiple download formats like PNG, PDF, and SVG

Cons

• No dynamic codes
• Limited features
• Basic design options

Price

• Free

3. QR Code Generator

QR Code Generator is another great option on the list, and is powered by Bitly. It’s an extremely versatile code generator with a full suite of features.

It supports a variety of data types including 2D Barcodes, PDFs, and even MP3s. 

In the example below I used a template to create not only a QR code, but a QR code that links to a business page you can create on the platform.

If you just want to enter a pre-existing URL, with this QR code, you can. Once that’s done, you’ll be greeted with a whole host of customization options.You can select different frames, different styles of codes, different colors, as well as add your own logo inside the code.

QR Code Generator also offers Application Programming Interface (API) support, as well as dynamic QR codes. These features are available as part of the paid plans, and do not come with the free version.

Pros

• Free basic plan 
• Dynamic codes (paid plans only)
• Scan tracking
• Code scheduling

Cons

• Free plan is very limited
• No monthly billing option

Price

• Starter Plan: $5/month billed annually
• Advanced Plan: $12.50/month billed annually
• Professional Plan: $37.50/month billed annually

4. Canva’s Free QR Code Generator

Canva comes with a whole host of different QR generators, including its own version of a QR generator which is free to use.

Generating the code is a very simple process — simply add the URL, choose the color of QR code and background, and click “Generate Code”.

The codes you generate are static, so they can not be changed afterwards. If you’d like to change the URL, you’ll need to create another QR code.

A great thing about Canva’s QR generator is that it's integrated into Canva’s editing suite. So from here you can create and edit anything you want with your QR code. 

If you want more personalization options, and access to other QR generators, some which support dynamic QR codes, you’ll need to opt for Canva’s pro plan.

Here’s an example of a dynamic QR code created with an integrated QR code generator on Canva.

Pros

• Integrated with Canva’s platform
• Easy customization 
• Design-focused features
• Dynamic codes and code tracking available with Canva’s paid plan

Cons

• Limited features compared to dedicated generators 
• Static codes only.

Price

• Free with Canva Pro subscription for $14.99/month

5. ForQRCode

ForQRCode is another free QR code generator.  If you like the platform and its functionality, you can donate to their site using the donate button for the site’s upkeep. 

It comes packed with all the essentials, including a large selection of data types, design options, and quality of the image. 

It's really easy to use, with all the features and options displayed on a single page. Simply enter the URL, choose your options, and click save.

The customization options are quite decent, with a good selection of customization including patterns, borders, and even the marker center.

Images can be downloaded in high-quality resolutions in PDFs, SVGs, and PNGs.

Pros

• Free to use
• Great selection of customization options
• High-quality resolutions
• Can be downloaded in different formats

Cons

• No dynamic QR codes
• No QR Code tracking

Price

• Free

6. Adobe’s Free Online QR Code Generator

Adobe’s Free Online QR Code Generator is a very basic, limited, but free code generator that does exactly what it says. The benefit of using this tool is its integration feature with Adobe’s editing suite.

 It offers 3 different file formats, including SVGs and PNGs.

It’s straightforward to use and has some customization options, but they are very limited. With only a handful of styles to choose from, don’t expect a highly customized QR Code. There’s also no support for scan tracking or dynamic QR codes.

Pros 

• Free
• Adobe integration
• Multiple download formats like PNG, JPG, and SVG

Cons 

• Limited features compared to paid Adobe tools
• Static codes only

Price

• Free

7. QRStuff

QRStuff’s interface was a refreshing surprise after testing quite a few other QR code generators already. It’s by far the most user-friendly tool on this list, taking you step by step, through each part of the QR code creation.

The initial action involves selecting a data type, ranging from website URLs to various event options, neatly presented for easy access without the hassle of drop-down menus.

The tool offers a notable advantage even with its Free plan – the ability to create ad-free codes. You're also allowed to create 10 free dynamic QR codes. If you’d like to create more dynamic codes, you’ll have to sign up to one of the paid tiers.

Once you’ve chosen your data type and entered the information needed, you can start customizing your QR code. Unfortunately, I feel that even the paid plans are lacking in that department. 

There are some basic customization options and the templates look great, but apart from adding a logo and a few design options, there is nothing more you can do to make it more unique to your brand.

The final step involves customization of the QR code’s size, resolution, file type, error correction level, and the option to incorporate an image or logo into the QR code. It supports PDF, SVG, PNG, and more. 

You can also choose the level of error correction, which helps preserve quality when upscaling the QR image.

Pros

• Pre-designed templates
• Great for beginners
• Dynamic codes available even for the free version
• Generate the QR code in 6 different formats, including PNG and JPG

Cons

• Free plan is limited to 10 dynamic QR codes
• Customization is limited, especially for a paid plan

Price

• Free with limited features
• Full Suite Plan: $12.95/month

8. ME-QR

ME-QR is another great QR code generator that offers a free plan and 2 paid tiers.

Once you visit their site, you’ll be greeted with this front page, which prompts you to pick a type of QR code. There are plenty of options available, with some notable ones including LinkedIn, a ticket, an image, and vCards.

What I liked most about ME-QR is the whole range of excellent QR template designs. They’re even listed under different categories, including holidays, events, travel, and food.

There’s also the option to upload your logo or choose from the logos on offer. You can create a custom background for the logo, and also adjust the size of the logo inside the QR code. After you’ve created your QR code, you can also save it as a template for later use.

Another notable feature I noticed comes from location-based dynamic QR codes. These QR codes can be customized to redirect to another URL based on a user’s location. Simply choose the country and the URL you want to redirect to.

You can also create dynamic QR codes according to the number of scans, the time-period, or the language of the user.

Pros

• Unique templates
• Dynamic QR codes, including the free plan
• Large selection of data types
• You can create QR codes that support other languages according to location

Cons

• The Free plan has a limit to the number of QR codes you can create a month
• Free plan QR codes come with ads and the Lite Plan only includes 1 QR code ad free a month

Price

• Free
• Lite Plan: $9/month
• Premium Plan: $15/month

9. Uniqode

Explore Uniqode’s acclaimed services, trusted by industry giants like Amazon, Pepsi, and Nestlé.

Their custom QR code generator helps you craft unique digital experiences. From the call-to-action frame to the background, Beaconstac allows comprehensive customization, ensuring seamless integration with your existing brand aesthetics.

With so much customization, it’s also nice that they include a scannability checker, which will tell you if the image created might be difficult to scan, or worse, unscannable.

It also provides a large selection of data types. Apart from the basics, some options include restaurant menus, forms, mobile apps, and MP3s.

Other noteworthy features include the ability to perform diverse bulk operations on QR codes, multilingual support, and comprehensive tracking of QR code scans.

Although there is no free plan available, you can get a 14-day free trial, no credit card needed!

Pros

• Dynamic QR codes
• Scan tracking
• Large selection of customization options

Cons

• Can be overwhelming for beginners
• Pricing can get steep for advanced features
• No free plan

Price

• Starter Plan: $5/month billed annually
• Lite Plan: $15/month billed annually
• Pro Plan: $49/month billed annually
• Plus Plan: $99/month billed annually

10. goQR.me

goQR.me has a very lackluster page that looks and feels a bit empty and basic. It’s also not the most user friendly. 

For example, the content types aren’t listed but are just buttons, which can make it difficult for you to choose the correct format.

The data types on offer are only a handful, including URLs, geolocations, and phone numbers.

There aren’t any customization options apart from adding your logo, which you can do on a separate menu.

The process of adding a logo to your QR is also complicated, as they don’t offer the option of simply uploading and adding it. 

Instead, you need to email your logo to them, and they’ll create custom drafts and send you an offer amount. From there you can settle on the design, the image quality, and the image file format.

Image via goQR.me

Pros

• Highly customizable but for a custom quotation
• You can create embed codes to add your QR code anywhere on your site

Cons

• Very basic, with almost no customization available without requesting a custom code
• Can be expensive to create a custom QR code on this site

Price

• Free
• Up to $80 for a custom QR code

Start Crafting Your QR Codes Today with the Best QR Code Generators!

Now that you're all caught up, you can embark on your QR code journey today with the best QR code generators at your fingertips! 

From the intuitive simplicity of Shopify's Free QR Code Generator to the versatile features of QRCode Monkey and the design prowess of Canva QR Code Generator, these tools offer a spectrum of options for every digital marketer.

So, why wait? Start crafting your QR codes today and elevate your digital marketing game with these dynamic generators. Harness the power of quick and efficient information exchange, leaving a lasting impression on your audience. Happy coding!

Shopify stands out among other ecommerce platforms because of its intuitive interface and unparalleled flexibility. It offers versatile tools and integrations that make it easy for online store owners to manage inventory checkout and track their sales.

Join me as I explore 20 popular brands whose online store is powered by Shopify. We’ll unravel their themes, revenue, and how Shopify has contributed to their ecommerce success.

Let’s dig deeper.

Quick Read: Popular Brands That Use Shopify Listed

Why Should Brands Use Shopify to Set Up Their Ecommerce Websites?

Top ecommerce brands love Shopify. From Kylie Cosmetics to Red Bull, SKIMS, and many others, it’s clear that these businesses trust the platform to power their high-growth online stores.

But why do these leading brands prefer Shopify rather than other ecommerce platforms? The following reasons set Shopify apart from other ecommerce platforms:

• Ability to accommodate high traffic: Shopify has a robust infrastructure capable of handling high volumes of traffic without compromising on website speed or performance. High scalability is non-negotiable for big brands during peak seasons, product launches, or sales events when there's a surge in online traffic.
  
  Shopify's servers can handle such spikes, providing a smooth shopping experience for customers even during high-demand periods.
• Complete customization: Shopify allows brands to design unique and personalized online storefronts. With customizable themes and site functionalities using Shopify's Application Programming Interface (API) and development tools, businesses can tailor their online store to align with their brand identity and customer preferences.
• Automation of workflows: Automation streamlines various operational tasks, saving time and resources. Shopify provides apps and integrations that help big brands automate inventory management, order processing, marketing campaigns, and more.
  
  Automation reduces manual errors and frees up time for business managers to focus on growth strategies.
• Multiple stores and global expansion: Shopify is a global brand available in over 175 countries. This capacity enables most big brands that have diverse product lines to target customers from multiple countries.
  
  Likewise, Shopify's multi-store functionality allows them to manage multiple stores from a single dashboard. It helps simplify inventory management, order fulfillment, and marketing across stores.
• Wholesale management: High-growth brands engage in wholesale operations alongside their direct-to-consumer sales. Shopify Plus, the enterprise-level subscription, includes wholesale management capabilities.
  
  It allows brands to create separate wholesale storefronts, set custom pricing, manage bulk orders, and tailor different shopping experiences for wholesale buyers.

20 Brands That Use Shopify for Their Online Stores

Shopify offers ecommerce brands of all sizes a platform to start and grow their business. In this section, we’ll look at 20 top brands powered by Shopify.

1. Kylie Cosmetics

Kylie Cosmetics launched on November 30, 2015, and was an instant hit, selling out within seconds of launch. The brand made $400 million in the first year and is one of the most prominent players in the beauty industry.

Kylie Cosmetics offers lipsticks, eyeshadows, makeup palettes, and skincare items. The brand targets a younger demographic of teens and young adults interested in beauty and makeup trends.

On Shopify, Kylie Cosmetics uses the Vogue theme by Out of the Sandbox. It’s a premium Shopify theme providing a user-friendly interface, and product filtering options and aligns with the brand's aesthetic.

Shopify has played a major role in Kylie Cosmetics' success. For instance, Kylie Cosmetics is known to sell out during product launches. It experiences high-demand spikes, and Shopify can handle the massive traffic and orders without crashing or compromising user experience.

2. Rebecca Minkoff

Rebecca Minkoff is a fashion brand founded in 2005. The brand started with selling handbags but has since expanded to include apparel, accessories, and footwear.

Rebecca Minkoff's target market comprises fashion-forward women, particularly millennials seeking contemporary and accessible luxury.

Like Kylie Cosmetics, Rebecca Minkoff uses Vogue by Out of the Sandbox. The theme is popular among top Shopify stores due to its amazing features:

• Fully customizable homepage sections
• Advanced product filtering options
• A full-width Instagram feed
• Multi-column drop-down menus
• A responsive design that looks great on desktop and mobile devices

You can also build your website with Shopify today. Check out how it stands against BigCommerce and WooCommerce.

3. SKIMS

Kim Kardashian launched SKIMS on 10th September 2019 as a luxury shapewear brand. It has since expanded to become an athleisure and loungewear brand.

The brand mainly targets athletes and women of all shapes and colors looking for comfortable and functional undergarments and loungewear.

SKIMS has seen rapid growth making over $750 million in sales in 2023. Shopify’s stable infrastructure enabled the shop to succeed by being reliable and by giving customers a great shopping experience.

4. The Kraft Heinz Company

The Kraft Heinz Company is a famous brand that has offered foods and condiments for over 150 years. They joined Shopify in 2020 at the onset of the COVID outbreak. Their main aim was to reach their loyal customers in isolation during the time.

They’ve continued to operate on Shopify even after the pandemic was over, gaining 44% in sales in 2021 and generating over $26.4 billion in revenue in 2022.

5. Gymshark

Ben Francis Lewis Morgan founded Gymshark, a prominent fitness apparel brand targeting young fitness enthusiasts engaged in gym culture and active lifestyles. The brand offers fitness clothing, including activewear, gym wear, and accessories.

Gymshark leverages Shopify’s features to grow its international presence. They use the District theme by Style Hatch, which is minimalist and focuses on high-quality product layout. 

Shopify’s customizable features enabled Gymshark to gain more control over user experience and functionalities, contributing to its major success in 2023 with a revenue of 550 million. 

6. Red Bull

Red Bull was founded in 1987 and deals with energy drinks, holding a 43% global market share.

RedBull uses the Retina by Out of the Sandbox theme on Shopify. The theme shows high-resolution displays and high-quality aesthetics for customers.

Due to legal constraints, the brand can't sell its energy drinks online. However, they offer team-branded merchandise through the online store, catering to fans of its sponsored teams in racing and football.

Through Shopify, Red Bull is able to engage with their fans and sell merchandise associated with their favorite sports teams.

7. Allbirds

Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger founded Allbirds, a shoe and apparel company, in 2016.

The brand creates eco-friendly shoes from renewable materials such as wool, tree fiber, and sugar cane. They target environmentally-conscious consumers seeking comfortable and sustainable footwear options.

Allbirds uses Shopify’s Turbo theme from Out of the Sandbox. The theme is highly customizable with a high speed and stable performance for stores with high traffic.

Shopify has supported Allbirds as their point of sale (POS) in over 20 stores globally.

8. Sephora

Sephora is a global leader in beauty retail. It was launched in France in 1969 and has since expanded globally.

Sephora has one of Shopify's most massive product catalogs, with products like makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, and beauty accessories. The brand caters to beauty enthusiasts of various ages, demographics, and preferences, providing luxury and affordable options.

Shopify offers Sephora's customers a user-friendly interface to explore and purchase beauty products with ease. Because of that user experience, the brand’s revenue peaked at over $3 billion in 2022.

9. Victoria Beckham Beauty

Victoria Beckham of the famous UK girl band, Spice Girls, launched Victoria Beckham Beauty in September 2019. 

As a beauty brand known for its high-quality makeup and skincare products, it  targets individuals interested in premium, luxury beauty products, focusing on quality and sophistication.

The brand primarily operates via Shopify Plus headless commerce. This means that the backend and the storefront are separated, giving the merchant more customization capabilities than with a regular Shopify store.

10. MVMT Watches

Jake Kassan and Kramer LaPlante founded MVMT Watches in 2013 as a premium brand offering stylish and affordable timepieces.

MVMT Watches targets millennials and younger consumers who appreciate stylish yet affordable accessories.

The brand uses the Turbo theme from Out of the Sandbox. It’s compatible with any device and has customizable features that enable them to focus on design and marketing while effectively managing their online sales operations.

11. Jeffree Star Cosmetics

Jeffree Star founded and launched Jeffree Star Cosmetics in 2014 as a prominent makeup brand. It sells makeup and beauty products targeting makeup enthusiasts, beauty influencers, and fans of bold, high-quality cosmetics.

Jeffree Star Cosmetics uses a custom-designed theme that prioritizes high-quality visuals and changes of appearance for the different seasons and product launches.

Shopify helps Jeffree Star Cosmetics by providing easy online sales, seamless checkout, and the ability to handle high traffic during traffic spikes.

12. LeSportsac

LeSportsac offers functional and fashionable bags, pouches, and accessories. The brand targets fashion-conscious consumers looking for practical yet stylish options.

LeSportsac was launched in 1974 and only got to join Shopify in 2017. After joining Shopify, the brand increased orders by 37% and sales by 12%.

Shopify offers LeSportsac multichannel ecommerce and AI integration, increasing their website click-through rate by 30,000 per month.

13. Lindt

Lindt is a Swiss chocolatier and confectionery company, known for its high-quality chocolates and confectionery products. They target chocolates, truffles, pralines, and other confectionery lovers.

Lindt operates under a custom theme on Shopify that reflects elegance, sophistication, and a premium feel to complement their brand image.

14. TULA Skincare

TULA Skincare, launched in 2014, is a brand specializing in probiotic-based skincare products. 

Their target market consists of consumers interested in natural, gentle skincare solutions and those seeking to address skin issues like sensitivity, dryness, and uneven texture.

Shopify's customization options help align their online store with their brand aesthetics, focusing on user-friendly navigation and product presentation. 

15. Chubbies Shorts

Chubbies Shorts, launched in 2011, is a comfortable shorts and casual wear brand for men.

They sell shorts, swimwear, and casual clothing targeting men seeking comfortable, stylish, and bold apparel for leisure and outdoor activities.

Chubbies Shorts uses a customized theme on Shopify that allows for easy navigation and gives the brand a fun, energetic vibe.

16. Steve Madden

Steve Madden is a footwear and accessories brand known for its unique and fashion-forward products.

It’s a seasoned brand, launched in 1990, selling shoes, handbags, and accessories. They joined Shopify in 2020 targeting bold fashionistas looking for stylish footwear and accessories.

Steve Madden uses a customized Shopify theme that is unique, aligning with their brand image. It doesn’t offer a regular product catalog. Instead, it presents visuals of models wearing the products.

Shopify's customization allows them to display their diverse product range in a sleek, fashion-oriented design that resonates with their fashion-forward audience.

17. Tesla

Tesla is one of the biggest brands on Shopify.  It’s the most prominent electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy company founded in 2003.

On their online shop, they sell charging devices for their cars, cyber trucks, vehicle accessories, and apparel associated with the brand.

Tesla uses Retina by Out of the Sandbox as a theme on Shopify. The theme helps them align with their innovative technology, brand image, and direct-to-consumer approach.

18. EYEWEAR by DAVID BECKHAM

EYEWEAR by DAVID BECKHAM is a brand associated with the famous footballer David Beckham. Launched in 2014, the brand sells sunglasses and optical frames to the fashion-forward eyewear market as well as Beckham’s fanbase.

This online store is powered by a Shopify theme offering a refined design and a luxurious presentation to align with the brand and the aesthetics of their eyewear collections.

19. Kith

Kith is a streetwear brand catering to men, women, and children. Since its launch on Shopify in November 2011 the brand has seen major success, earning a revenue of over $84.4 million in 2023.

Kith uses a customized theme created by one of Shopify’s partners. The theme emphasizes a minimalistic yet chic design which puts the product and customer experience at the forefront.

20. Taylor Swift Store

Taylor Swift's official merchandise store was recently launched on November 13, 2023 through Shopify. The store offers merchandise, including clothing, accessories, albums, and gift collectibles.

The ecommerce target audience is mainly Taylor Swift fans (Swifties) and music enthusiasts of all ages.

The Taylor Swift theme is customized and tailored to her brand and customers' shopping preferences. It’s a straightforward and easy-to-use website theme that can handle massive traffic.

Ready to Grow Your Business with Shopify?

Ecommerce offers endless opportunities for brands to thrive and connect with their audiences.

Platforms like Shopify have revolutionized the way businesses operate online. With its user-friendly interface, customizable themes, and extensive tools, Shopify empowers brands to build online stores that resonate with their customers.

Consider the capabilities Shopify could offer your business. Its scalability and seamless integration of sales channels are designed to provide a solid foundation for businesses of all sizes to flourish.Join thriving brands that use Shopify and turbocharge your online sales today. You can also check out how it stands against its alternatives before making a choice.

Here’s some good news for dropshipping companies! As per Statista, the global dropshipping market size is expected to increase continuously in the coming years and reach $476.10 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 27.82%.

So, what is dropshipping and how does it work? Dropshipping is a quick, easy, economical, and low-risk way to start selling online. It is a simple business model in which you can fulfill customer orders without warehousing products or worrying about inventory management and shipping costs.

Sounds interesting? Read on to learn how to do dropshipping and what are the pros and cons of it. We will also share some dropshipping product ideas and help you understand if this online business is right for you.

What is Dropshipping?

Dropshipping is an ecommerce retail business model in which the store does not keep an inventory of the products it sells. Instead, the store has a partnership with one or more suppliers who take care of order packaging and shipment. Hence, the seller here is a retail partner responsible for fulfilling orders.

When the store receives an order, it forwards the details to a supplier, who then ships the product/s to the customer.

For example:

• You have an online dropshipping store where you promote or sell different products.
• A customer visits your online store and places an order.
• You confirm their order and pass on the order details to the concerned supplier.
• The supplier then packs the products and ships them directly to your customer.

This way, you need not worry about maintaining an inventory of products or packaging and shipping the orders.

What is a Dropshipper?

A dropshipper is an online intermediary or middleman that facilitates transactions between suppliers and customers. Hence, a dropshipper helps fulfill customer orders without handling the products.

For instance, if you are a dropshipper, you need not stock and ship the products to customers. Whenever you receive a new order, you redirect the same to the correct supplier. However, as a dropshipper, you must deal with suppliers, take care of product returns, and provide timely customer service.

Now that you have a fair idea about dropshipping and dropshippers, let’s dive deep into the subject and understand how to do dropshipping, how does dropshipping work, and the pros and cons of this online business model.

How Does Dropshipping Work?

A dropshipping business model mainly works with the help of third-party suppliers. Hence, when you are starting this business, look for one or more suppliers selling the products listed on your website.

A reliable supplier database, like AliExpress and Worldwide Brand, can help you find suppliers in your region.

While the process or sequence of dropshipping depends on your arrangement, most businesses follow the following steps:

1. You (dropshipper) start an online business and add products to your ecommerce store.
2. A customer visits your online store, orders a product, and makes the payment.
3. You share the order details with the supplier.
4. Supplier processes the order and ships the product to the customer.
5. Customer receives the product.

Here’s an example: A customer visits your online dropshipping store, places an order, and makes the payment. The retail price of the product is $350.

You forward the order details to the supplier and pay them the wholesale price which is $250. This way, you earn a profit of $100.

The supplier packs the product and ships it directly to the customer. The customer receives the product and the order the complete.

Is Dropshipping Worth it in 2025?

Yes, dropshipping is worth it in 2025, especially if you are looking to start a low-cost online store. Dropshipping registered a CAGR of 23.7% in 2021. From $159.08 billion in 2021, the dropshipping market is expected to reach $196.79 billion in 2022 and $243.42 billion in 2023.

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the world and many consumers started shopping online. The pandemic restricted physical interactions and led to the closure of many brick-and-mortar stores. This led to a notable surge in dropshipping businesses around the globe.

The ease of starting a dropshipping business and good profit margins have contributed to its growing popularity. Increasing smartphone penetration and the global ecommerce surge are also helping dropshippers earn good profits.

The following table shows how retail ecommerce revenue is expected to increase in the United States in the years to come.

On this chart, we can see that the retail ecommerce revenue increased from $516.5 billion in 2019 to $644.4 billion in 2020, recording a growth of 24.8%. In 2018 and 2019, the revenue was 10.2% and 10.3% respectively.

Hence, the chart clearly indicates how the pandemic changed the shopping patterns of consumers in the United States. Thanks to the convenience of online shopping and the availability of products at discounted rates, many people who shifted from offline to online shopping during the pandemic continued to shop online even when the pandemic-related restrictions began to ease.

The retail ecommerce revenue in the United States is expected to grow at a steady pace in the coming years as well, making dropshipping a good option for those looking to invest in an online store.

Key Players

Dropshipping has three key players:

1. Seller or retailer: The business starts with the seller or dropshipper. You are the one who will start the online store, list products on your website, set the price, and take orders from customers. Although you will outsource the manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping to a third party, you are the seller of record (SoR) to the end customer.
2. Supplier or wholesaler: A supplier or wholesaler will maintain a ready stock of products in their warehouse. They do not sell products directly to the end customers but execute orders from online retailers or dropshippers.
3. Customer: Customers play a pivotal role in this online business. When a customer visits a dropshipping store and places an order, both dropshippers and suppliers stand to gain.

Pros of Dropshipping

Here’s a look at the pros of running a dropshipping business:

1. Less startup capital: You can start an ecommerce store and become a dropshipper or online retailer with minimal investment. A dropshipping business does not require you to stock products in a warehouse or pay for product packaging and shipping. 
   
   The initial capital you need is to pay for a domain and the ecommerce platform you choose for your business. Some popular ecommerce platforms to consider include Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Square Online, and Adobe Commerce. 
2. Easier to manage: In a dropshipping business model, you don’t have to purchase products to fulfill customer orders. When you receive an order, you forward the same to the seller or supplier and make the payment. The supplier takes over from there and ships the order directly to your customer. This saves you from the hassles of:
   • Renting and managing a warehouse
   • Packing products and shipping them to customers
   • Stocktaking or maintaining a physical inventory count
   • Handling inbound shipments
   • Ordering products and replenishing stock
3. Low overhead costs: As a dropshipper, you don’t have to store the products in a warehouse or ship them to customers. This helps lower the overhead costs. You can even choose to run a home-based dropshipping business by investing in a laptop and internet connection and meeting small operating expenses.
4. Management flexibility: You can run a dropshipping business from anywhere, provided you have a smartphone or laptop with an internet connection.
   
   You can also add new products at any time, decide the retail price, approach new suppliers, and change the business strategy; the possibilities are endless.
5. Flexible work hours: As the owner of an ecommerce store, you can work from anywhere and at any time. For example, if you have a day job, you can work on your dropship business for a couple of hours at night. 
6. Easier to expand: If you want to expand your business, you can approach suppliers and list new products on your website without worrying about the increased workload. A major part of the additional work will be handled by the suppliers.

Cons of Dropshipping

Although dropshipping is an attractive business model for those wanting to start a business with minimum capital, it has its downsides as well. The following are the limitations of running a dropshipping store.

1. High competition: A dropshipping company is easy to start and the overhead costs are on the lower side. Hence, many people and businesses set up their stores online and sell products at competitive prices.
   
   Since most customers compare products and their prices on different online platforms, the chances of losing orders to sellers offering better prices are high.
   
   As a dropshipper, you may not have an exclusive deal with your suppliers. This means your competitors with years of experience and better resources can sell the same products at lower prices. When a customer is getting the same product cheaper, why would they buy from your store?
   
   For example, the retail price of a product on your online store is $50 and another seller is offering the same product for $47. Most buyers will choose to buy from the other store to save $3. This can hurt your potential profit margin.
2. Low profit: When running a dropship business, you need not maintain and manage an inventory of products. This reduces your work and overhead costs. However, the returns are also on the lower side.
   
   A major part of the money you make from selling products goes to the supplier. There can be times when the low-profit margins may not be enough to cover the expenses incurred on managing sales orders, website maintenance, and the cost of marketing or advertising the products. 
   
   To stay afloat, you may have to work harder and look for ways to increase your customer base to boost sales. Reaching out to prospective customers, addressing the grievances of existing customers promptly, marketing your products, and offering attractive discounts from time to time can help.
3. Zero control over the supply chain: If you run a standard ecommerce business, you must maintain a stock of the products listed on your website. In case a customer complains about the quality of a particular product or late delivery, you can look into the matter and sort it out.
   
   With a dropship business, you are at the mercy of the supplier. If a customer is not happy with the product quality or return policy, you convey the same to the supplier and wait for them to address the problems. In the meantime, you reassure the customer that you are looking into the issue which is out of your control.
4. No control over order fulfillment timeline: In a dropship business, the third-party suppliers handle the order fulfillment process and you have no control over the same. However, if an order gets delayed due to supplier problems, you will be answerable to the customer.
5. Communication delays: A dropshipper is a middleman between the customer and the supplier. Hence, communication delays are natural. With three different parties involved, a late response from one can slow down the entire communication process.
6. Difficult to customize products or build a brand: When you are running a dropshipping business, you have little or no control over the product design or brand name.
   
   Moreover, the manufacturers and sellers you are dealing with are likely selling their products to other dropshippers and stores as well. With similar products available in the market, it can be difficult for you to differentiate your offering.

Is Dropshipping Right for You?

Are you wondering if dropshipping is right for you?

Here are a few important things to consider before starting a dropship business.

1. Startup capital: If you are looking to start a business with limited capital, dropshipping is a good option.
   
   In dropshipping, you need not manufacture products, maintain an inventory, or rent a storage facility to stock the products. 
   
   To be a successful dropshipper, you just need reliable suppliers who can offer timely services. The overhead costs are on the minimal side. 
2. Target profit margin: Do you have a target profit margin in mind? A dropshipping business may not yield high profits unless you deal in exclusive products and build a brand reputation.
   
   A dropshipping business is easy to start but highly competitive. Hence, to gain new customers and keep the old ones, you must offer products at low or competitive prices. This reduces your profit margin.
   
   However, if you are dealing with products that are unique and customizable, you can do well in this business. Choosing a niche with low competition and high demand is key to earning good profits. Some examples are eco-friendly products, organic food, pet care products, and home office equipment.
3. Dropshipping niche: If you have a lucrative niche in mind, you can run a successful dropshipping store.
   
   Unless you are selling exclusive or private-label goods, you will have to face high competition in the market. When the same products are available from other dropshippers or sellers, it can be difficult to build customer loyalty.
   
   Hence, before starting dropshipping, find a rewarding dropshipping niche that will differentiate your store from the competition. 
   
   When looking for a dropshipping niche, you need to find one that will attract more customers and audiences. Running a business with exclusive products but few customers is no good. 
   
   For example, if you are running a regular fast-food joint, the competition will be quite high. However, if you are offering vegan food and different cuisines in your eatery, there will be less competition. Add special delicacies for kids on the menu and the competition will be even less.
   
   To find a lucrative niche, you can shortlist some product ideas and test them to determine their popularity. Once you find one, you can start your dropshipping business.
4. Building a brand: Are you keen to build a good brand impression? Well, this can be difficult in a dropship business.
   
   In dropshipping, you have zero or minimal control over product quality, packaging, and delivery. If the supplier does not pay attention to these important factors, you will end up losing some valuable customers.
   
   Moreover, there will be little or no scope for product customization. These limitations can make it difficult for you to build a popular brand.
5. Product quality: If you want control over product quality, dropshipping may not be the right business option for you. 
   
   The quality of the products you sell plays an important role in building brand loyalty and running a lucrative business. In dropshipping, you may not have any control over product quality.
   
   While you can test product quality at the beginning of your dropshipping relationship, it can be difficult to keep a check when selling on an ongoing basis. In case the quality deteriorates in the future, your business will suffer.
6. Inventory and supply issues: As a dropshipper, you may not have any control over the supply chain. Production and dispatch delays at the supplier’s end can leave the customers unhappy. 
   
   For a successful dropshipping business, you must source products from multiple suppliers to avoid running low on inventory. In case a product runs out-of-stock with one, you can check with other suppliers and place the order. However, keep in mind that working with multiple suppliers will also increase your workload and complicate the process.
7. Return and replacement issues: These are part and parcel of an ecommerce business. However, when you are running a retail business by maintaining an inventory of products, returns and replacements are quite simple. 
   
   In a dropshipping business model, return and replacement processes are more complex than you think. Here’s an example:
   
   Suppose a customer receives a broken product and wants to return the same. In this case:
   
   • Who will bear the return shipping charges?
   • Will the supplier agree to replace the product free of cost?
   • If the product is out-of-stock, will the supplier provide a refund?
   
   These are some important questions to ask a supplier before signing a contract with them. These questions will also give you a clear picture of the potential expenses you might have to bear in the future.

How Do I Start a Dropshipping Business?

Starting a dropshipping business involves the following steps:

1. Choose a lucrative dropshipping niche.
2. Identify competitors through competitor analysis.
3. Look for reputable dropshipping suppliers.
4. Build your dropshipping store online.
5. Market your business.
6. Provide customer support whenever required.

In addition to these, you must also focus on understanding your target audience and look for ways to improve your offering.

How to Start a Dropshipping Business: Step by Step

The following are some important questions to consider when starting a dropship business.

Register your Business Entity to Dropship

You must register your business once you start making sales consistently. This will create a brand identity and help you expand your business.

The absence of a brand name and official corporate registration can leave the suppliers and customers skeptical about your business. Registration will make your business appear authentic and professional, thereby increasing sales and profit margins.

Suppliers prefer dealing with incorporated businesses to avoid getting into legal issues later.

Brainstorm Dropshipping Product Ideas

For dropshipping product ideas, you must look for niches that have high search volume and low competition. The following are some examples:

• Apparel: Knitted clothes, loose denim, sports tracksuits, yoga leggings, beanies
• Baby products: Baby monitor, baby carrier, alarm clock, teething toys, LED bath toys, small bassinet
• Beauty products: Hair growth oil, scalp massager, face roller, anti-dandruff shampoo, anti-aging cream, makeup products for women, men’s grooming products
• Gaming accessories: Headsets, chairs, keyboards, mouse, stereo speakers
• Home security devices: Security camera, smoke alarm, intruder alarm
• Tools: Repair tool kit, digital micrometer
• Kitchen products: Air fryer, rice cooker, smoothie blender, electric kettle
• Other products: Tripods, laser acupuncture pen, organic tea, oral irrigators, portable air compressor

Determine Your Budget to invest to start dropshipping

It is difficult to predict the exact amount you must invest to start a dropshipping store. However, the startup capital is on the minimal side as you don’t have to invest in manufacturing, storing, or shipping the products.

Basically, you need to invest a nominal amount for the following:

• Setting up a dropshipping store online
• Sampling products or checking the quality of products you plan to sell
• Marketing your business via online advertising

To start dropshipping with minimum investment, you can choose an ecommerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce.

Here’s an example:

The image shows that if you choose Shopify for dropshipping, you can start a business with a startup capital of just $140.

However, make sure you choose reliable suppliers selling quality products and offering timely services. Poor product quality, bad packaging, or late shipments can be big turn-offs for customers.

Choose the best dropshipping suppliers

Considering that suppliers play the most important role in a dropshipping business, you must choose them wisely.

Here’s what you must do to find the best dropshipping suppliers:

• Make a list of the products you plan to sell on your ecommerce website and look for suppliers accordingly.
• Shortlist suppliers and test their products to ensure they are as advertised.
• Check if their packaging and shipping policies meet your criteria.
• Ask them some important questions, like:
  • How long does it take to dispatch an order?
  • What is their return policy?
  • Will they accept returns of damaged products and provide a refund?
  • Will they replace damaged products free of cost?
  • Will they insure orders?

Make sure you clarify everything before signing a supplier contract to avoid hassles later.

FAQs

Ready to Start a Dropshipping Business?

Now that you know the answer to the question of What is Droppshipping, you may be thinking about starting a dropshipping business of your own.

Although competitive, dropshipping can be a profitable business model with proper planning and management. It is also quite hassle-free; just build a website, look for suppliers and advertise your products.

When you receive orders, forward the same to the concerned supplier and they will take care of the rest. The absence of manufacturing, warehousing, packaging, and shipping the products makes things quite easy for dropshippers.

However, do not expect to flourish overnight with a dropship business model. Focus on marketing the products and building your brand and you will see results soon enough.

This is a low-risk business that you can start with a nominal investment and earn a decent profit margin. So, if you are keen to venture into the online retail market and make extra money, dropshipping is worth trying.

The other day, I looked up the term on Google Trends and I was surprised to see the sudden surge in popularity. I mean, sure, ecommerce has been around since the 1990s.

But if you are to go by the search trends, ecommerce is really having its moment now.

It seems like everywhere you look, people are shopping online for everything from clothes to groceries to furniture. And it's not just big retailers that are benefiting from this trend – small businesses are getting in on the action too.

For those who want to hop on the ecommerce bandwagon, this is a perfect read. I’ll answer the question, “What is ecommerce?” And I’ll discuss the different ecommerce business models and what it takes to run a successful online store.

What is Ecommerce?

Ecommerce stands for electronic commerce or even internet commerce. It is the process of buying and selling goods and services online.

To execute these online transactions, the money and data are all transferred via the web. This can be done through various platforms, including websites, mobile apps, and social media.

History of Ecommerce

Ecommerce has come a long way since its humble beginnings. What started as an out-of-the-box idea has turned into a massive industry that touches nearly every aspect of our lives.

Here’s a brief history of ecommerce and the key turning points in its growth.

The Idea For Ecommerce is Born

Ecommerce has come a long way since it was first created in 1979 by Michael Aldrich.

During his experiments, he linked his computer and television via a telephone line. This gave birth to the idea that it was possible to shop without actually having to visit a store physically.

While the idea was fresh, computers were not very accessible at that time. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs popularized the use of computers in households.

Amazon Paves the Way

In 1994, Jeff Bezos created Amazon, which is now the largest online retailer in the world.

The company started as an online bookstore and has since expanded to become a major retailer, selling everything from books and electronics to clothing and home goods.

Amazon is now one of the world's largest ecommerce companies, with a market value of over $1 trillion.

Bezos has been credited with changing the way we shop and consume media. He has also been a major driving force behind the growth of ecommerce and cloud computing.

PayPal Simplified Online Payments

When PayPal first arrived on the scene in 1998, it changed the way that people thought about ecommerce. Suddenly, it was easier than ever before to buy and sell items online.

PayPal made the process of sending and receiving payments much simpler and more efficient. This helped to spur the growth of ecommerce and made it easier for businesses to reach a global market. Today, PayPal is one of the most popular payment methods available online.

Ecommerce Platforms Arrived

In the early days of ecommerce, building an online store was a daunting task. You needed to be a web development expert even to get started. This made ecommerce accessible only to large businesses with deep pockets.

However, that all changed in the early 2000s with the advent of platforms like Shopify and WordPress. These platforms made it easy for anyone to build an online store, without needing any coding knowledge.

This democratization of ecommerce allowed small businesses and entrepreneurs to get started with selling online. And it’s why we’ve seen a boom in ecommerce in recent years.

Ecommerce Statistics: What is the Future of Ecommerce?

Now that you know the history of ecommerce, it's time to learn about its present and future. Ecommerce is constantly evolving and growing.

Here is a quick overview of what you can expect from the ecommerce industry in the near future:

• The global ecommerce market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 14.7% between 2020 and 2027.
• Ecommerce sales are projected to grow to 8.1 trillion US dollars by 2026.

• By 2025, the online apparel industry is projected to be worth 1.2 trillion US dollars.
• For each visit, online shoppers spend an average of 2.6 US dollars across all verticals.
• With estimated sales of over 780 billion US dollars, Alibaba is the largest ecommerce platform in terms of sales.
• Globally, Amazon.com is the most popular shopping website. In 2022, the website received over 3 billion visitors every month.

• By 2025, it is estimated that over 53% of online shoppers will use digital and mobile wallets for global ecommerce payments.

As you can see, ecommerce is here to stay. And it's only going to become more and more popular as time goes on.

Regardless of the niche you want to enter, you can be sure to face stiff competition. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you need to make sure you are keeping up with the latest ecommerce trends.

Pros of Ecommerce

There are many advantages of ecommerce, which is why it’s become so popular in recent years.

Here are all the pros of ecommerce businesses:

• Shoppers can shop from the comfort of their own homes: No more battling crowds at the mall or fighting for a parking spot. You can do your shopping in your PJs if you want!
• Ecommerce offers a huge selection: You’re not limited to the items that are available in your local store. When you shop online, you can access products from all over the world.
• Shoppers can save money with ecommerce: Online retailers do not have high overhead costs like physical stores, so they can offer lower prices. You can also take advantage of online deals and coupons to save even more.
• Ecommerce is convenient: With today’s busy lifestyles, it’s often difficult to find time to go shopping. Ecommerce makes it easy to shop anytime, anywhere.
• Ecommerce makes it easier to compare deals. While shopping online, you can check similar products on multiple websites and compare their prices. This way, you can ensure that you’re getting the best deal possible.
• Shoppers can check reviews from other users. Before you make a purchase, you can check what other users are saying about the product or service.

So there you have it— these are a few of the many reasons to love ecommerce.

Cons of Ecommerce

There are many disadvantages of ecommerce, which is why some people are still wary of buying things online.

Here are all the cons of ecommerce businesses:

• Shoppers may have security concerns. When you purchase items online, you are putting your personal and financial information at risk. This information could be intercepted by cybercriminals and used to commit identity theft or fraud.
• Online shoppers run the risk of falling victim to scams. There are many unscrupulous individuals who create fake websites or online stores in order to steal people's money.
• Shoppers have to pay extra shipping costs. When you buy something online, you often have to pay for shipping and handling. This can add up, especially if you make a lot of purchases.

Before you enter the field, these are the few potential downsides of ecommerce that you should be aware of.

What Are the 4 Different Types of Ecommerce Business Models?

There are a variety of ecommerce models out there, and it's important to know the difference between them if you're looking to enter the field.

Here's a quick rundown of the four most popular ecommerce models:

1. B2B Ecommerce Model

B2B ecommerce is when businesses sell products or services to other businesses. This is a less common model, but it's still used in a variety of industries, from construction to healthcare. An example would be an office supply company selling products to a local business.

Note: If you’re interested in this model, you should check out my other blog post that lists the best B2B ecommerce platforms.

2. B2C Ecommerce Model

B2C ecommerce is the most familiar model to most people, as it involves businesses selling products or services directly to consumers.

This is the type of ecommerce that most people are used to, whether they're shopping for clothes on Amazon or booking a vacation on Expedia.

3. C2C Ecommerce Model

C2C ecommerce is when consumers sell products or services to other consumers. This is the least common model, but it's growing in popularity thanks to platforms like Airbnb and Etsy.

4. C2B Ecommerce Model

C2B ecommerce is when consumers sell products or services to businesses. An example of this would be a freelance writer selling an article to a website or selling their services on a platform like Upwork.

So, which model is right for your ecommerce business?

It really depends on a variety of factors, from the products you sell to the nature of your customer base. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide which model makes the most sense for your company.

Best Ecommerce Platforms You Should Check Out

The ecommerce landscape is constantly evolving, and what worked well for your business last year might not be the best solution this year. To stay ahead of the curve, you need to be proactive, use the newest ecommerce tools, and keep up with the latest trends.

But with so many options out there, how do you know which ecommerce platform is right for your business?

To help you make the best decision for your business, we’ve listed the top ecommerce platforms here.

1. BigCommerce: Best For Growing Businesses

If you're looking for an ecommerce platform that can help take your business to the next level, BigCommerce is definitely worth considering.

Not only do they offer a host of powerful features, but they also have no transaction fees on leading payment gateways and amazing customer service. Plus, their platform is highly scalable and flexible, so you can easily adjust it as your business grows.

Note: For more information on this ecommerce platform, check out my review of BigCommerce.

2. Shopify: Best For First-Time Users

Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms on the market. It’s easy to use, has a lot of features, and is scalable as your business grows.

Shopify also has a huge ecosystem of plugins and themes so you can customize your store to match your brand. And if you need help with anything, there’s a large community of Shopify experts that can assist you.

Note: If you are interested in Shopify, you should check out my comparison post on Shopify vs. BigCommerce.

3. WooCommerce: Best for WordPress Websites

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that turns your WordPress website into an ecommerce store. It’s a great option if you’re already using WordPress for your website or blog.

It offers customization options to fit your specific business needs, and a good range of payment options to make transactions easy and convenient. Plus, the basic WooCommerce plugin is free!

Note: If you are interested in WooCommerce, you should check out my comparison posts on WooCommerce vs. Shopify and WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce.

Ecommerce Examples: Most Popular Ecommerce Sites

There are a variety of ecommerce sites out there, each offering something unique that speaks to a certain type of shopper. Whether you're looking for the latest fashion trends, the best deals on electronics, or just want a one-stop shop for all your home goods, there's an ecommerce site out there for you.

Here's a look at some of the most popular ecommerce sites and what makes them stand out.

1. Amazon

Amazon is one of the most well-known ecommerce sites on the internet. They offer a huge selection of items, from books to clothes to electronics, and just about everything in between. They also offer Prime shipping for fast and free delivery on many items.

2. eBay

eBay is another huge ecommerce site that offers a little bit of everything. You can find new and used items at a fraction of the retail price. They also have a huge community of users who are always willing to help answer questions or give advice.

3. Alibaba

Alibaba is a relative newcomer to the ecommerce scene, but they're already making waves. It is a great example of a B2B ecommerce site.

This website connects businesses from all over the world with each other, making it easy to find the products and services you need. Alibaba is a one-stop shop for businesses, and its ecommerce platform makes it easy to find what you're looking for.

4. Fiverr

Fiverr is a C2B ecommerce site that allows freelancers to offer services to potential customers. Businesses can browse the Fiverr website and choose from a variety of services offered by freelancers.

Once they find a service they like, they can purchase it directly from the freelancer through the Fiverr platform. Fiverr takes a percentage of the transaction as a commission.

If you want to learn more about such websites, you should check out my blog post on the most popular ecommerce companies.

What Makes an Ecommerce Store Successful?

Now you know some of the top ecommerce sites in the world. But what makes them successful? What is it about them that makes them tick?

For starters, it’s important to understand that every ecommerce store is different and what works for one might not work for another.

However, there are some general principles that all successful ecommerce stores have in common. Let’s break down the core components of a successful ecommerce store and understand how you can apply them to your own business.

Successful ecommerce stores have:

1. A Clear Purpose and Identity

Your purpose defines your store and sets it apart from the competition. It's what drives your customers to purchase from you instead of somewhere else. And your identity is how you communicate that purpose to the world.

To unlock your identity, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• What values does your brand stand for?
• What do you offer that your competitors don’t?
• What is your unique selling point?

Once you've identified what makes your store special, you need to communicate that to the world through your branding and marketing.

Your purpose and identity are what make your ecommerce store successful. Without them, you're just another store in a sea of sameness.

Take the time to find your niche and communicate your purpose and identity to the world, and you'll be on your way to ecommerce success.

2. A Strong Focus on Customer Service

In a brick-and-mortar store, customers can interact with sales staff and get immediate assistance if they have any questions or problems.

But when shopping online, customers are often left to fend for themselves. This is why it's so important for ecommerce stores to have a strong focus on customer service.

Customers should feel like they can reach out to you with any questions or concerns, and they should feel confident that you'll respond quickly and help them resolve any issues.

So how can you make sure that your ecommerce store has a strong focus on customer service?

Here are a few tips to help you build a more customer-centric ecommerce store:

Make it easy for customers to get in touch.

Make sure that your contact information is prominently displayed on your website and that it's easy for customers to find. You should also offer multiple channels for customer support, such as phone, email, live chat, and others.

Train your team members to be friendly and helpful.

Your team members are the face of your business, so it's important that they're friendly and helpful. Make sure to train them on how to handle customer service inquiries and give them the resources they need to resolve issues.

Respond to customer inquiries quickly.

No one likes to be kept waiting, so make sure to respond to customer inquiries as quickly as possible. Use automated systems to help you keep on top of things, but don't sacrifice quality for speed.

You could also add a FAQ page on your website so that customers can seek solutions to their questions easily.

Go above and beyond for your customers.

Remember that it's important to wow your customers and make them feel special. If you can do something extra for them, such as offer a discount or free shipping, they'll be more likely to remember your store when they need to make a purchase.

Get feedback from your customers.

Make sure to get feedback from your customers on a regular basis. This will help you identify areas where you can improve your customer service. You can use surveys, polls, and even social media to collect feedback.

By following these tips, you can make sure that your ecommerce store has a strong focus on customer service. This will help you attract and retain customers, and it will ultimately lead to more sales.

3. A Well-Designed Website

Think about it this way: would you rather do business with a company whose website is professional and easy to use or one whose website is difficult to navigate and looks like it was made in the early 2000s?

The answer is probably obvious. In order to be successful, your ecommerce store needs a well-designed website that is up-to-date with the latest trends.

But what exactly does that mean?

For starters, your website needs to be visually appealing and easy to navigate. If potential customers can't figure out how to find what they're looking for, they're not going to stick around for long.

If you have multiple products, make sure they are properly organized into categories on your homepage. Take inspiration from ASOS’ well-designed product categories:

In addition, your website needs to be optimized for search engines. This means using the right keywords and phrases so that people can easily find your site when they're searching online.

Most ecommerce platforms have special ecommerce SEO features. Make sure you check them out before you finalize a platform for your ecommerce site.

Finally, your website needs to be mobile-friendly. More and more people are using their smartphones and tablets to shop online, so you need to make sure that your site looks good and is easy to use on these devices.

If you can tick all of these boxes, then you're well on your way to having a successful ecommerce store.

4. Personalized Messaging

Think about it: when you go to a store and the salesperson knows your name, it makes you feel special. And when you feel special, you're more likely to buy something.

The same principle applies to ecommerce stores. When you have personalized messaging, it makes your customers feel like you really know them. And when they feel like you know them, they're more likely to buy from you.

To create personalized messages, you need to gather data about your customers. This can include information such as their name, location, and purchase history.

Once you have this data, you can create messages that are relevant to each customer.

For example, if a customer lives in a cold climate, you could send them messages about winter clothing and accessories. Or if a customer abandoned their cart, you can send them a gentle reminder.

Here’s an example:

Personalized messages can be sent through various channels, such as email, social media, and push notifications.

By following these guidelines, you can set your ecommerce store up for success. Keep in mind that there is no magic formula for success – it takes hard work, dedication, and a bit of luck.

FAQs

What is Ecommerce? Ecommerce is the Way Forward!

And that's a wrap! We hope this post helped clear up any confusion about ecommerce. In short, ecommerce is simply buying and selling products or services online. No matter the size of the business, ecommerce has many benefits, including increased reach, convenience, and efficiency.

Whether you're a small business owner looking to start selling online, or a seasoned pro, there's no doubt that ecommerce is the way of the future. Thank you for reading!

I hope you have more clarity on what is ecommerce and why it’s important. If you still have any questions, please feel free to mention them in the comments section.

I've compiled all of my findings in this helpful guide to help you make an informed decision while choosing an inventory management platform for your ecommerce business.

So, keep reading to learn more.

What is Ecommerce Inventory Management Software?

Ecommerce inventory management software helps businesses track and manage stock levels across multiple locations. This software optimizes stock to ensure the right products are in the right places at the appropriate times.

Most solutions include features like order management, warehouse management, and shipping features, centralizing inventory, orders, and shipments for efficient online selling. They also prevent overstocking and understocking, saving money.

Suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small stores to large enterprises like The Home Depot and Target, more complex needs may require enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

The Best Inventory Management Software Solutions for Your Ecommerce Business

Now that you know what to look for in an ecommerce inventory management software solution, it’s time to look at some of the best ones and see what they offer.

1. SkuVault Core by Linnworks

SkuVault Core is a cloud-based platform part of Linnworks, designed for growing retailers. It aims to simplify ecommerce operations by consolidating inventory and warehouse management.

SkuVault Core’s main function is to provide accurate inventory management in one platform.

It serves as a single source of data for all ecommerce channels. This integration helps retailers maintain accurate stock levels and avoid overselling or stockouts.

SkuVault Core emphasizes speed, simplicity, and scalability.

It's designed to reduce complexity and increase the velocity of warehouse operations. This makes the warehouse more organized and efficient.

Another great feature is SkuVault Core’s fast-track pick, pack, and ship process. This improves warehouse efficiency and reduces picking errors.

It integrates seamlessly with various ecommerce technologies. This includes platforms like Amazon Vendor, eBay, Walmart, Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, ShipStation, Easyship, and QuickBooks Online.

This also makes it easy to track your Amazon product listings.

Key Features

• Centralized inventory management across all ecommerce channels
• Streamlined warehouse operations for speed and efficiency
• Enhanced pick, pack, and ship processes for accuracy and timeliness
• Integration with major ecommerce platforms and tools
• Easy creation and organization of SKUs and product attributes
• Automated purchase order management to reduce errors
• Quality control features to minimize shipping mistakes
• Customizable reporting for insights into inventory and warehouse operations
• Data Coach for visibility into warehouse performance and metrics

Pros

• Easy to use
• Affordable
• Faster fulfillment
• Improved marketplace rankings
• Integrations with your favorite ecommerce solutions

Cons

• Complex features may require training, presenting a learning curve for staff.
• Can be expensive for small businesses, especially when scaling up operations.
• Operational disruption is possible if there are software issues, due to dependency on technology.

Pricing

• Linnworks’ pricing is completely custom and will depend on different factors such as monthly orders, which additional modules you select, and other business requirements.

2. inFlow Inventory

inFlow Inventory is an all-in-one inventory management software solution that allows you to track everything related to your inventory in one place. Know what’s in stock, which orders are coming in, and what products you might need to order more.

And the best part?

You can keep track of your ecommerce inventory right from your smartphone and reorder items ahead of time. It also allows you to add and track your Amazon ASIN and SKU values.

inFlow Inventory is trusted by over 40,000 businesses and it comes with no additional setup fees, no contracts, and a money-back guarantee. You can also try its unlimited features free for 14 days.

Key Features

• Order fulfillment and inventory levels update right from your smartphone
• Real-time inventory management across multiple offices or warehouses
• Organize products using features like product names and SKUs, multi-level categories, product photos, units of measurement, dimensions and weight, serial numbers, etc.
• Barcode system
• Pick, pack, and ship from one place
• A separate B2B portal for B2B ecommerce stores
• Manufacturing costs and components tracking
• Reordering by purchase order, stock transfer, work order, recommended record points, one-click PO generation, etc.

Pros

• Faster inventory management with a barcode system
• Integrate with 95+ platforms useful for your ecommerce business
• No setup fees
• Money-back guarantee

Cons

• Pricing information not available publicly

Pricing

• A 14-day free trial with unlimited features
• Contact their sales team for pricing information.

3. Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory is an integrated inventory management software solution designed to help businesses track inventory, manage orders, oversee warehouses, handle GST, and much more. And to top it all – you can sign up for it for free.

It’s a perfect solution for micro-, small, and medium-sized businesses to large corporations. And, it has received over 4.5-star ratings on major review websites such as Capterra, G2 Crowd, and Software Advice.

Key Features

• Inventory tracking – spare parts, expiry dates, batch tracking
• Order management
• Barcode scanning
• Multi-warehouse management
• Product grouping and bundling
• Serial and batch tracking
• Customer lifecycle management
• Vendor price lists, transactions, billing, back orders – all in one place
• SKU generator
• Reporting and analytics
• Reorder points and low stock alerts
• GST billing handling

Pros

• Live chat support
• Integrations with ecommerce solutions like Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, etc.
• Integrations with Zoho CRM and Zoho Books 

Cons

• Limited features in the free plan

Pricing

• Start with a free plan for up to 50 orders/month.
• Paid plans start from $39/month and you can try the paid versions free for 14 days.
  • Standard plan: $39/month
  • Professional plan: $99/month
  • Premium plan: $159/month
  • Enterprise plan: $299/month

4. Brightpearl

Brightpearl is a cloud-based inventory management software that helps businesses keep track of their products, orders, and customers in one place. It offers features such as real-time inventory syncing, order management, customer management, and more.

The best part about Brightpearl is that it is purely designed for ecommerce, multi-channel retail, and wholesale brands. This means you can rest assured of getting real-time multi-channel inventory updates and accurate demand forecasting.

Brightpearl’s rule-based automation feature helps you save time and focus on creating growth-driven strategies.

Key Features

• Inventory control
• Multi-location and multi-channel inventory tracking
• Flexible cycle counts
• Bundles and assemblies
• Custom product fields on top of categories, brands, and types
• Multiple barcodes and price lists capability
• Integrated inventory planner that offers data-driven stock replenishment recommendations
• Order management
• Purchasing
• Inventory and overstock reporting
• Automatic stock replenishment emails to your suppliers or manufacturers
• Warehouse management
• Automated order fulfillment and dropshipping

Pros

• Integrations with some of the largest multi-vendor stores like Amazon and Etsy
• Plug-and-play integrations
• Open API
• Rule-based automation engine
• Easy to use
• Simple transparent pricing
• 24/7 unlimited support
• Unlimited users at no extra cost

Cons

• No free trial or freemium version
• Some users suggested that their reporting features could be enhanced.

Pricing

• Customized prices for retail and wholesale businesses. Request a quote from their team.

5. Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms out there, and it offers many features that can help you with inventory management.

For starters, it tracks your inventory levels, letting you know how much stock you have. With Shopify, you can manage your products, inventory, orders, payments, and shipping – all in one place.

Shopify ensures you get your products where they need to be using its multi-location management features.

And the best part?You can manage your inventory on the go – right from your mobile device. Scan, transfer, and keep exact counts of your inventory.

Key Features

• Inventory tracking across multiple locations and sales channels
• ABC analysis or grading system to identify products to stock, reorder, and eliminate
• Inventory transfers between locations
• Bulk inventory editor
• Order management and fulfillment
• Track lost, misplaced, or damaged inventory
• Real-time inventory updates, reports, and analysis 
• Data-driven decision making
• Shopify’s own 3PL, Shopify Fulfillment Network
• Inventory management apps to add inventory capabilities such as purchase ordering, demand forecasting, and low stock alerts 
• Adjustment reasons like “Damaged” or “Returned”

Pros

• Upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime
• Manage inventory on the go using the Shopify mobile app
• All-in-one ecommerce platform 

Cons

• Additional transaction cost for using third-party payment providers (anything except Shopify Payments)

Pricing

• Try free for 14 days
• Basic plan: $25/month (1st month costs $1)
• Shopify plan: $65/month (1st month costs $1)
• Advanced plan: $399/month (1st month costs $1)
• Shopify Plus plan: $2000/month for high-volume businesses

You may also want to check out my comparison post of BigCommerce vs. Shopify, where I’ve covered more features of each of these ecommerce platforms.

6. Fishbowl Inventory

Fishbowl Inventory is the best warehouse and inventory management software solution for businesses using QuickBooks, Xero, or other accounting solutions.

It helps you track your products, orders, and customers by offering real-time inventory syncing, order management, customer management, barcode labeling and scanning, and more.

You can easily integrate it with your favorite ecommerce platforms such as Amazon, Magento, eBay, Shopify, Salesforce, FedEx, and more. And get all the functionality of any ERP – enterprise resource planning.

Key Features

• Inventory tracking using serial numbers, expiration dates, and more
• Barcode scanning
• Work orders
• Order management
• Automated reorder points to avoid overstocking and shortages
• Multi-location inventory tracking
• Seamless integration with QuickBooks
• Manufacturing processes control
• Pick, pack, ship

Pros

• Integrations with 12+ ecommerce platforms including eBay, Amazon, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.
• EDI, CRM, and 3PL integrations

Cons

• Too expensive for most small and medium-sized businesses
• Limited customization options

Pricing

• Starts at $4395 (one-time, non-expiring access to the software)
• If you want to access to continuous updates to the software, you’ll need to renew it annually. Else also, you’ll still have access to your version of the platform.

Get a demo now to learn more about Fishbowl and how it can help you manage your inventory.

7. Cin7

Cin7 allows you to get products to more customers in an efficient and faster manner than you would do otherwise. It's an all-in-one solution that connects your products, stock locations, orders, warehouses, sales channels, workflows, and more into an automated solution.

That’s why thousands of businesses trust Cin7 for their inventory and order management needs.

Cin7 has the power to take your business to new heights by giving you complete control over your stock. It helps you with inventory optimization, thereby, reducing costs and increasing sales.

Key Features

• Barcode, batch, FIFO, and serial tracking
• Custom inventory management
• Automation workflows and bots
• Built-in retail POS
• Integrated warehouse management
• B2B ecommerce sales solution
• 3PL or EDI connections included

Pros

• 24/7 support
• Developer APIs
• Integrations with ecommerce platforms, accounting software, and other business solutions like Shopify Plus, Amazon, Xero, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, etc.
• Customer success manager with the higher-priced plans

Cons

• Some users said that their onboarding process could be improved.

Pricing

• Standard plan: $349/month
• Pro plan: $599/month
• Advanced plan: $999/month
• Omni plan: Contact their sales plan for pricing details.

What Are the Benefits of Using Ecommerce Inventory Management Software?

As an ecommerce business owner, accurate inventory data is critical. You need to know which products are in stock, their locations, and quantities.

A reliable ecommerce inventory management software centralizes this information, saving time and preventing stock-outs or overstocks. It can also automate reordering and sales tracking.

Benefits include:

• Improved stock control: Real-time tracking to avoid overstocking or understocking.
• Increased efficiency: Automation of inventory tasks.
• Improved customer service: Up-to-date stock information prevents customer disappointment.
• Reduced inventory costs: Accurate data reduces waste and physical counts.
• Increased sales: Accurate stock data ensures product availability, boosting sales and satisfaction.

What Are the Key Features of an Ecommerce Inventory Management Platform?

Not all ecommerce inventory management software solutions are created equal. Some offer a more comprehensive set of features than others.

When you're evaluating different software solutions, it's important to consider the features that are most important to your ecommerce business including:

• Stock management: The ability to track your stock levels in real time, set reorder points, and view historical data.
• Order management: The ability to track and manage customer orders, as well as create purchase orders for suppliers.
• Product categorization: The ability to organize your products into categories and subcategories for easy browsing.
• Product catalog: The ability to create and manage a product catalog, including product descriptions, images, and pricing information.
• Product attributes: The ability to add product attributes (such as size, color, or material) and filter products by those attributes.
• Barcoding and tagging: The ability to generate barcodes for products and scan them at the point of sale.
• Multi-channel integration: The ability to connect to multiple sales channels (such as your website, Amazon, eBay, and brick-and-mortar stores) and manage your inventory from one central platform.
• Inventory alerts: The ability to set up alerts for when stock levels are low or products are out of stock.
• Warehouse management: The ability to track inventory in multiple warehouses and locations, as well as manage warehouse staff and operations.
• Stock returns handling: The ability to track and manage stock returns from customers.
• Analytics and reporting: The ability to generate detailed reports on your inventory data, such as stock levels, sales data, and customer orders.

These are just some of the key features to look for in an ecommerce inventory management platform. The right software solution will offer all of these features and more, tailored to the specific needs of your business.

When Should You Invest in Ecommerce Inventory Management Software?

If you manage a growing ecommerce business, investing in ecommerce inventory management software is essential. This software saves time and money by streamlining inventory processes and enhancing stock visibility.

Signs you need ecommerce inventory management software:

• You need to save time: Manual processes can be time-consuming. Upgrade from the pen, paper, or basic spreadsheets to real-time inventory tracking.
• You are selling through multiple channels: Simplify inventory tracking across fulfillment centers to sell efficiently through various sales channels.
• You are facing frequent stock issues: Improve forecasting and optimize inventory levels to prevent stockouts and excess inventory issues.
• You are ordering stocks manually: Automate the ordering process to improve efficiency as your business grows.
• You lack visibility of your inventory data: Track inventory items and make informed decisions with real-time insights.

How to Find the Right Inventory Management Software Solution for Your Ecommerce Business

The ecommerce industry is booming, and with that comes increased pressure on inventory management. Ecommerce businesses need to find the right inventory management software solution to keep up with customer demand and stay ahead of the competition.

There are a few things to consider when choosing an inventory management software solution for your ecommerce business including:

• The features you need
• Your budget
• The size of your ecommerce business
• The type of products you sell
• Ease of use

You should also check if the software you pick has a dedicated support team and knowledge base to help you with any questions or issues you may have.

Be sure to consider your business needs. If you have a complex inventory setup, you'll need a more robust inventory management software solution. If you only sell a few products, a simpler solution may be all you need.

To find the right ecommerce inventory management software solution for your business, you can start by checking out the list of solutions I’ve curated after hours of research. You can also ask other ecommerce and inventory management experts for recommendations.

Once you've narrowed down your options, you can request demos or free trials of the software to see which one is the best fit for your business.

Most of the best ecommerce inventory management software solutions will offer a free trial so you can test out the features before committing to a paid plan.

Comparing the Top Ecommerce Inventory Management Software Tools

FAQs

Choose Your Ecommerce Inventory Management Software Now

Ecommerce inventory management software is essential for businesses to keep track of product inventory, customer data, sales data, and shipping data. Managing inventory can become even more complicated when selling on multiple channels.

Fortunately, various software solutions can help streamline ecommerce inventory management. I have reviewed some of the best ecommerce inventory management software solutions above.

I hope you find this article helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments section below. Happy selling!

Online shoppers rely heavily on reviews when making purchase decisions. Need a number? According to recent statistics, 95% of users read Amazon reviews before purchasing a product. The number of positive ratings influences the buying decisions of the majority of shoppers.

So how do you become successful on Amazon?

You need plenty of positive reviews to stand out, build brand credibility, and continue to drive conversions.

But what does it take to get more positive reviews? And where do Amazon’s review rules come into play?

This post will teach you how to get positive Amazon reviews quickly and legally without putting your account at risk.

What is Amazon’s Review Policy?

The Amazon marketplace is home to over 350 million products showing both positive and negative reviews. These reviews contain valuable information that consumers rely on when making purchasing decisions.

Amazon’s review policies set the standard for what sellers can and cannot do to maintain the authenticity of reviews and avoid fake reviews.

Here’s a quick breakdown of Amazon’s review policies:

1. Incentivize reviews: Offering products at a lower price or for free in exchange for reviews was banned in 2016. Today, you can’t offer any financial rewards, discounts, free products, or other compensation for reviews.
2. Review your or your competitors’ products: Sellers are prohibited from posting reviews for their own products or competing products. This rule also applies to friends, family members, and employees.
3. Cherry-pick for positive reviews: Asking buyers specifically for positive reviews is not allowed. Sellers cannot encourage satisfied customers only to leave reviews on Amazon while directing unsatisfied ones elsewhere. Using the if/then language is also prohibited in soliciting reviews as shown below.

A real-life (and non-compliant) review request found on a product insert.

4. Ask a reviewer to change or remove a review: While buyers can choose to edit or remove their reviews, sellers cannot offer refunds or other compensation to influence this decision.

Got it? Good. Now here’s what Amazon sellers can do to solicit reviews:

1. Send a product review request to buyers. While there are additional rules for communicating with buyers, Amazon does allow you to send one feedback and/or review request per order.
   
   However, you should send the message within 30 days of order completion, include the order ID, and have the message translated into the buyer’s preferred language.
2. Enroll in Amazon Vine: The Vine program invites trusted Amazon reviewers to post unbiased ratings about new products with fewer than 30 reviews. It recently expanded to include Brand Registry sellers.
3. Use product inserts: Including a card in your packaging that neutrally asks for an unbiased review, complete with instructions, can help reach customers who might not otherwise leave a review or know how to do so.

Amazon maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards customer review violations, so it’s crucial for sellers to monitor these policies regularly for any updates.

How to Get Positive Reviews on Amazon in 5 Steps

Now that you know Amazon’s review rules, let’s look at how to get positive reviews on Amazon without breaking any of them.

1. Request Amazon Reviews From More Buyers

This is by far the best way to get more Amazon reviews. Yes, you can expect to receive some reviews organically, but your odds increase tenfold when you take the first step.

Amazon’s Seller Central platform allows you to individually contact Amazon buyers for reviews through templated Buyer-Seller messages or the Request a Review button.

The second (and highly preferred) method sends out a combined seller feedback and product review request and is guaranteed to be compliant with Amazon policy.

If individually contacting buyers seems like a lot of work, you’re right – it is. But, it doesn’t have to be. Amazon also allows you to send feedback and review requests via third-party software applications or its Application Programmer Interface (API).

One of the most widely recognized tools in the industry is eComEngine’s FeedbackFive, which sends out automated Amazon review requests on your behalf. You can choose between custom-branded Buyer-Seller Messages or Amazon’s official Request a Review message.

To really scale your reviews, if you sell your products somewhere else (your website, for instance), then you’ll also want to reach out to your non-Amazon buyers and ask them to leave you a review back on the marketplace. 

This is where your email lists, social media groups, external ads, influencer relationships, and affiliate connections will all come in handy! 

Since these reviews fall under “unverified reviews”, they won’t help in your listing page ranking, but they will help gain conversion from shoppers interested in your products.

2. Time Your Review Requests Just Right

You only have 30 days after the item is received to send an Amazon review request, so the timing is something you want to get right.

If you send the request too soon, the buyer may not be ready to write a review. But if you send the request too late, you could miss the boat entirely.

Here are some guidelines that typically yield the best results:

• Send review requests for small consumables within a few days of delivery.
• Send review requests for longer-lasting products that require additional setup or extra time for buyers to see their benefits 14-21 days after delivery.
• Send review requests for gift items purchased early in the holiday season at least a few weeks after delivery to allow for the gift to be opened.
• Send review requests for gift items purchased late in the holiday season right after the holiday (e.g. after it’s been opened and enjoyed). 

Each product you sell is unique, and each buyer is too. So, it makes sense to send different product review requests for different products at different times of the year.

FeedbackFive also makes it quick and easy to send a unique request for each item that you sell.

3. Make Your Buyers Your Biggest Fans

Let’s stop and rewind for a moment. Even before you send that perfectly timed review request, you already want your customers to be big fans of you and your brand.

It’s much easier to get positive ratings when you exceed someone’s expectations right from the start and continue to do so every step of the way thereafter.

Here’s how you can turn your customers into loyal fans:

1. Sell a quality product. Only a product that’s truly worthy of receiving positive reviews will go on to get a good number of positive ratings and reviews. Don’t cut corners with your product quality and test everything (parts, materials, and packaging) extensively before launching.
2. Provide excellent customer service. Communicate with your customers about their orders and continue to update your FAQs as needed. Make sure buyers can reach you if they need assistance and respond quickly. (If you can resolve the problem, ask for a review as soon as possible!)

3. Set up pricing promotions. A good deal will make anyone happy! Plus, when this happens, buyers often feel more compelled to leave positive reviews as a thank you. Be sure to ramp up your review requests whenever you run a coupon or set up a promotion.
4. Find ways to add extra value. It doesn’t have to be big – a small bonus item, a fun branded sticker, or even a simple handout with helpful product tips or unboxing instructions can instantly paint you in a more favorable light. 

These are also great ways to get more repeat customers.

4. Turn Negative Reviews into an Asset

Negative reviews don’t always have to be bad. In many ways, they can actually be a good thing.

Let me explain.

Say you launch a new product and many of the critical reviews mention a certain product feature. Maybe it’s a flimsy clasp or a faulty zipper.

Instead of bemoaning your bad luck, do something about it!

By monitoring your Amazon reviews for key trends among buyers, you can keep a close eye on the performance of your products and make changes as necessary to prevent the same negative ratings in the future.

This could include:

• Editing your product listings: A common reason for poor reviews is misleading or incorrect information in your product listings. Correcting this can produce more satisfied buyers.
• Improving your existing products: Yes, it could cost you, but this is short-term pain for long-term gain.
• Changing suppliers: Negative reviews help keep your suppliers accountable. If the problem persists, it may be time to make a change.

Negative reviews also help you identify new market opportunities. Buyers often leave product suggestions in their comments, so you could use them to your advantage and create a new (and highly profitable!) product line, kit, or bundle.

It’s important to address negative reviews right away. Amazon does not notify sellers when new customer reviews are published, so you’ll need to watch for them on your own.

Leveraging Amazon review monitoring software like FeedbackFive can be a more efficient way to stay on top of your reviews. The tool continuously monitors all of your products and notifies you when a negative review requires your attention.

You can use this Amazon feedback removal request template to resolve your buyer’s issues and have them edit their negative review.

5. Use Amazon’s Contact Customer Feature

Prior to December 2020, Amazon sellers were able to publicly comment on their product reviews. When this feature was suddenly retired, you no longer had a direct line of communication with your buyers, most notably those who left critical reviews.

But how can you hope to resolve someone’s issue when you can’t properly communicate with them? Amazon introduced the Contact Customer feature in July 2021 as a new solution to that problem.

Available only to Brand Registry sellers, the Contact Customer link lets you send direct messages to buyers who have left critical (1-3 star) reviews with templated Buyer-Seller Messaging emails that offer a courtesy refund or additional customer support.

To use Amazon’s contact customer feature, you must:

1. Navigate to the Customer Reviews page on the Brands dashboard.
2. Filter your reviews by star rating to see eligible 1-3 star reviews.
3. Click the Contact Customer link at the top of the critical review. 
4. Choose your contact reason. Amazon will generate the automated email on your behalf. The email templates cannot be customized in any way. Negative reviews must also be linked to a verified purchase. 

While this new feature isn’t quite as effective as review commenting, it can help you improve the customer’s experience with your brand. Ideally, the customer will then go on to remove the negative review or, even better, change it to a positive one.

Does Amazon Remove Negative Reviews?

Speaking of negative reviews, here’s a question I get asked all the time: Does Amazon remove negative reviews?

Despite what you may read elsewhere, Amazon has strict review removal policies and will only remove reviews for these reasons:

• If the review conflicted with its Community Guidelines
• If the review was removed by the reviewer
• If multiple products were found to be incorrectly listed as the same product and it requires the reviews to be separated
• If unusual review behavior has been detected
• Only Amazon Verified Purchase reviews are being accepted at that time

If you suspect a review violation, ask Amazon to remove it through the “Report abuse” link on your product page. You can also email Amazon Seller Support at community-help@amazon.com.

This can be a lot to keep up with on your own. Thankfully, you don’t have to. TraceFuse’s negative review removal service can flag questionable negative reviews that meet Amazon’s criteria for removal and file cases with Seller Support on your behalf.

The Perfect Strategy for More Positive Reviews

All of the methods mentioned here are meant to positively influence the types of reviews that your products receive without breaking Amazon protocol.

You need to craft and deliver the best customer experience possible. This is how to get positive reviews on Amazon.

It may take some trial and error to get it right, but the results will be worth it. And remember, there is plenty of help available to help streamline the process.

Happy selling!

What is a Dropshipping Business?

Dropshipping is a business model in which ecommerce entrepreneurs sell products without having to carry any inventory. When a store owner receives an order from a customer, they simply contact the supplier, who will then ship the product directly to the customer's door.

It is a great way to start an online business with very little up-front investment, and it's perfect for entrepreneurs who don't have the capital to invest in inventory.

Key Features of an Ecommerce Platform for Dropshipping

When choosing an ecommerce platform for dropshipping, there are certain features you should look for. These features will make it easier to manage your store, process orders, and promote your products.

Here are a few key features you should look for in an ecommerce platform if you're planning on dropshipping:

• Supplier integration: The platform should offer built-in integration with your supplier's inventory, so you can easily add products to your store without having to manually update your inventory.
• Order management: The platform should offer an easy way to manage orders from customers, including tracking information and automated order fulfillment.
• Shipping integration: The platform should offer built-in shipping integration, so you can easily calculate shipping rates and fulfill orders with just a few clicks.
• Payment processing: The platform should offer built-in payment processing, so you can accept credit cards and other payment methods without having to set up a third-party payment processor.
• Marketing tools: The platform should offer built-in marketing tools, so you can easily promote your store and products to potential customers.

Criteria for Selecting the Best Ecommerce Platform for Dropshipping

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best ecommerce platform for dropshipping. You'll need to consider the products you want to sell, the size of your business, and your budget.

Here are the key criteria to keep in mind when selecting an ecommerce platform for dropshipping:

• Product selection: The platform should offer a wide selection of products from suppliers that you can dropship.
• Store size: The platform should be able to accommodate the size of your store, whether you're just starting out or you already have an established business.
• Budget: The platform should be affordable, with plans that fit your budget.
• Ease of use: The platform should be easy to use, even if you're not a tech-savvy person.
• Customer support: The platform should offer excellent customer support if you need help.

Now that you know what to look for in an ecommerce platform for dropshipping, let's take a closer look at some of the best platforms available.

10 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Dropshipping

You have quite a few options when it comes to choosing an ecommerce platform for dropshipping. Some platforms are better suited for small businesses, while others are more suited for larger businesses.Here's a closer look at 10 of the best ecommerce platforms for dropshipping:

1. BigCommerce

It is hard to deny that BigCommerce is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms on the market. And for good reason!

BigCommerce offers a robust feature set, including built-in payment processing, shipping integration, and taxes. Plus, it has a wide range of themes and plugins to choose from, so you can easily customize your store to match your brand.

It also offers 24/7 support and a 90-day money-back guarantee, so you can be sure you're making the best decision for your dropshipping business. With its integration with Spocket, you’ll be able to set up and start your dropshipping store within a few hours.

If you're looking for a powerful ecommerce platform that offers all the features you need to start and grow your business, then BigCommerce is a great choice.

Key Features

• Easy-to-use page builder and editor (no coding knowledge required)
• Fully-customizable themes for all types of dropshipping businesses
• Frictionless checkout options
• Robust security
• Multi-storefront
• Seamless mobile optimization to make your online store mobile-ready
• 70+ native discounts and promotions to attract more sales
• SEO-friendly features to optimize URLs, metadata, and more
• Faceted search options
• Customer groups, price lists, and bulk pricing options for B2B and wholesale businesses
• Multi-currency and multi-lingual selling
• A comprehensive suite of tools from SEO to marketing to analytics

Pros

• Powerful integrations with dropshipping apps like Spocket Dropshipping, Printful, Inventory Source, AliExpress Dropshipping, and more
• 99.9% uptime
• Pre-built WordPress plugin so you can easily turn your WordPress website into a dropshipping ecommerce store
• Option to sell across marketplaces, social media, online-to-offline, etc.
• 24/7 tech support via phone, chat, and ticket with all plans

Cons

• Limits on annual sales of your ecommerce store
• May seem expensive for some dropshipping businesses

Pricing

• It offers a 15-day free trial.
• Standard plan: $29.95/month
• Plus plan: $79.95/month
• Pro plan: $299.95/month

Enterprise plan: You can request custom pricing from their sales team or by calling them at 1-866-991-0872.

2. Shopify

Shopify is the perfect platform for dropshipping businesses because it is easy to use and it has a wide range of features that make setting up and managing your store easier. It also helps you connect with suppliers from US/UK and Chinese markets.

Being one of the most popular ecommerce platforms in the market, Shopify also has a large community of users who can offer advice and support when you need it. Additionally, there are many Shopify themes and apps available that can help you improve your store’s design and functionality.

What’s more?

Shopify has a 14-day free trial so you can try it out before committing to a paid plan.However, Shopify comes with a drawback. It charges transaction fees, which may cost you a lot of money if you get a large number of orders. In that case, you may want to consider using its alternatives instead.

Key Features

• 70+ storefront themes
• Easy to start (no learning curve)
• Multiple sales channels supported
• Discount codes and gift cards to encourage shopping
• Social media marketing and social commerce
• Multi-lingual and multi-currency support
• Abandoned cart recovery functionality

Pros

• Beginner-friendly ecommerce platform
• It directly connects you to vendors who will stock and ship products for you through dropshipping apps like Spocket (US & EU Dropshipping), SuperSDS Amazon Dropshipping, etc.
• Niche-specific dropshipping apps such as Blingy for jewelry or Printful for custom-made printed products
• Integration with Oberlo app that provides insights into supplier ratings, wholesale prices, shipping methods, etc.
• 24/7 support team
• Lightning-fast website speed

Cons

• Limited SEO functionality
• Monthly fees plus transaction fees for every order completed by a payment method other than Shopify Payments

Pricing

• It offers a 14-day free trial.
• Basic plan: $29/month
• Shopify plan: $79/month
• Advanced plan: $299/month
• Shopify Plus plan: $2000/month

3. WooCommerce

If you're looking for the best ecommerce platform for dropshipping, WooCommerce could be the answer. It's free and it integrates seamlessly with WordPress, making it easy to set up and manage your store.

Plus, there are plenty of add-ons and extensions available to make WooCommerce even more powerful. Like, there is a plugin that can help you import AliExpress products with one click and another one for managing your suppliers.

Being an open-source platform, WooCommerce doesn’t have any rules about what you can sell and what not. On the other hand, platforms like Shopify restrict you from selling marijuana and hair extensions.

Key Features

• Limitless WordPress themes supported
• Local suppliers dropshipping and fulfillment
• Shipment tracking and flat shipping rate setting
• Quick product search
• Free and paid plugins and extensions to add functionality to your dropshipping store
• Automated order tracking
• Powerful built-in SEO features
• Automated tax calculations
• Quick inventory import from suppliers
• Bulk import AliExpress products

Pros

• WooCommerce Dropshipping includes AliExpress integration and Amazon Affiliate support
• Supports WooCommerce plugins to add ecommerce functionality
• Supports dropshipping plugins like Spocket, Spreadr, DropshipMe, AliDropship, WooDropship, etc.
• Endless flexibility and scalability
• Free to download and install
• Large community to get support

Cons

• WooCommerce Dropshipping plugin is comparatively expensive so you should consider installing another third-party dropshipping plugin for your WooCommerce store

Pricing

• Free to use, open-source ecommerce platform
• Pay for required paid plugins and extensions
• Pay $79/annum for WooCommerce Dropshipping that comes with 1-year extension updates, 1-year support, and 30-day money-back guarantee

Check out my comparison guides to understand where WooCommerce stands against ecommerce platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify.

4. Magento (now Adobe Commerce)

Both Magento Open Source and Magento Commerce (now, Adobe Commerce) are great choices for dropshipping.

While Magento is a bit more complex and expensive than WooCommerce, it's also more flexible and scalable. However, it requires a great learning curve and might not be suitable for beginners.

You should only consider using it if you’re a programmer yourself or you are ready to hire a developer to work on your dropshipping store. If you are not ready to handle the technicality of using Magento, check out the best alternatives.

On the other hand, if you’re ready to pay for the Adobe Commerce Pro plan (Magento Commerce), you can enjoy the ease of use that platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify offer. You will get plenty of features and options out of the box, and tons of extensions that will let you add even more functionality to your dropshipping store.

Key Features

• Configurable products from AliExpress, Amazon, etc. via dropshipping extensions (including product variations, images, and reviews)
• Intuitive backend interface
• Configurable shipping prices
• Advanced SEO features
• Adobe Commerce dropshipping extensions like Magesore, Webkul, WebShopApps, etc.
• Built-in marketing features

Pros

• Easy to scale up your dropshipping store
• Dropshipping extensions like Magento 2 Dropship extension by Webkul and Dropshipping via Amasty
• Large community and contributors who can support you in times of need
• Open Source version doesn’t cost you anything, which means you can start your dropshipping store without any additional cost

Cons

• Open-source version requires some coding expertise to set up your online store and has an extensive learning curve
• License costs money

Pricing

• Magento Open Source is completely free to use.
• Magento Commerce (now Adobe Commerce) is a premium version. Contact its team for pricing details of the Adobe Commerce Pro plan.

5. Wix

Wix is a great choice for dropshipping, especially if you're just starting out. I found it to be simple and easy to use, and it doesn't require any prior coding experience or technical knowledge.

Plus, it's free to get started, which is a great option for budget-minded entrepreneurs like myself. It also offers a wide range of templates and designs to choose from, so you can find one that fits your unique brand and style.

Wix lets you connect with the Modalyst marketplace to find and source products and ship them directly to your customers. You can explore products by brand names, product categories, and trending items when sourcing products for your online store.

It also lets you customize product images and descriptions based on your brand and website aesthetics. However, I found that it wasn’t as powerful or flexible as Magento, and it doesn't offer as many features or options.

Key Features

• 500+ professional online store templates
• Offer up to 50000 products
• Source products from the Modalyst marketplace
• Set price markups based on suppliers’ prices
• Custom product images to meet your brand’s aesthetics
• Continually update your site as per suppliers’ pricing and inventory
• Automated order confirmation, shipping, and thank you emails
• Automated taxation
• Multiple sales channels – online, mobile, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon Shops
• Multi-lingual storefront
• Fully-customizable shopping cart
• End-to-end fulfillment

Pros

• Easy to use and simple to set up
• Free to get started
• Wide range of features and options
• No prior coding experience or technical knowledge required
• 24/7 support

Cons

• Limited storage capacity
• Limited customization options

Pricing

• Business Basic plan: $24/month
• Business Unlimited plan: $36/month
• Business VIP plan: $53/month

6. Shift4Shop

Formerly called 3dcart, Shift4Shop is a great choice for dropshipping if you're looking for a robust, feature-rich platform that's specifically designed for businesses of all sizes.

It offers a wide range of features and options, such as fraud detection and prevention, A/B testing, built-in SEO tools, and abandoned cart recovery. Plus, it's easy to use and comes with 24/7 customer support, so you can always get the help you need. 

However, it's not as popular as some of the other platforms on this list, so you might have trouble finding themes and plugins specifically designed for Shift4Shop.

Key Features

• Built-in CRM for customer relationship management
• Automated emails to suppliers about new orders
• Easy order management
• Update product information on your store from the marketplace

Pros

• Affordable pricing plans
• Built-in features for dropshipping services
• No additional transaction costs
• Integrates with multiple dropshipping plugins like AliExpress, Doba, Inventory Source, Printful, etc.

Cons

• Complex to use
• Quite expensive if you don’t qualify for its free plan
• Limited themes and templates

Pricing

• Offers a free plan but you need to qualify for it. Contact its team for more details about this plan.
• Basic plan: $29/month for up to 2 staff members
• Plus plan: $79/month for up to 5 staff users
• Pro plan: $299/month for up to 15 staff users
• End-to-End Ecommerce plan: $0 (a pro-level enterprise-grade plan)

7. Volusion

Volusion is a great ecommerce platform for dropshipping because it is easy to use and I found that it was super quick and easy to get started. It offers a wide range of features, including integrated payment processing, automatic order tracking, and a built-in marketplace.

It makes it easy to integrate multiple suppliers, which makes it a great platform for dropshipping businesses of all sizes. I just had to install the Fulfillment Services app from the Integrations menu to get started.

Using this fulfillment app, you can integrate your dropshipping store with AliExpress, Doba, Alibaba, and other dropshipping platforms.

Key Features

• Mobile-friendly themes
• Customizable layouts
• Logo and favicon uploads
• Product and category pages
• Advanced search functionality
• HTML/CSS editor access that makes it a developer-friendly ecommerce platform
• Homepage slideshow to highlight discounts and products
• Abandoned cart messaging
• ROI tracking
• Coupons and discounts

Pros

• 24/7 customer support
• Powerful integrations with Amazon, PayPal, etc.
• 99.9% uptime
• Cross-selling functionality

Cons

• 1.25% platform transaction fees
• Personal plan provides limited online support only.
• Product limits if you don’t upgrade to its Business plan that costs $299/month.

Pricing

• It offers a 14-day free trial.
• Personal plan: $35/month
• Professional plan: $79/month
• Business plan: $299/month
• Prime plan: Cost varies based on (gross merchandise value) GMV

8. Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the most affordable ecommerce platforms to start your dropshipping store. It easily integrates with and lets you source and sell products through Spocket or Printful.

While Spocket lets you dropship products from US/EU-based suppliers, Printful lets you supply custom-printed products such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more.

That’s not a big deal if your target market is in the US, but if you’re looking to dropship to an international audience, then you might want a platform that gives you more control over shipping methods and taxes.

Squarespace is also a fully hosted platform, which means that you don’t have to worry about hosting fees or server maintenance. And, it has some of the best-looking themes and templates out of all the ecommerce platforms.

While Squarespace is a great platform to start a dropshipping business, there are a few downsides to using it. I found that it was not as customizable as other ecommerce platforms on this list, which might be a problem if you want to add custom functionality to your store.

Also, I found that Squarespace doesn’t have as many integrations as other dropshipping platforms, which means that you might have to use workarounds to connect your store to the apps and services you need.

Key Features

• Aesthetically-pleasing themes, designer fonts
• Sell subscriptions and digital content
• Simple payment and checkout options
• Email list building features
• Effortless order management
• Integrations with PayPal, Stripe, etc.
• Squarespace Video Studio app to help you grow your audience

Pros

• Easy for beginners to use
• Dropshipping apps available for easy integration
• Affordably priced
• Free unlimited hosting
• Top-of-the-line security
• 24/7 personalized support via email or live chat

Cons

• Limited customization options
• Limited dropshipping supplier options (just Spocket and Printful)

Pricing

• Personal plan: $23/month
• Business plan: $33/month
• Basic Commerce plan: $36/month
• Advanced Commerce plan: $65/month+

9. PrestaShop

PrestaShop is another good open-source ecommerce platform for your dropshipping business. It is known for its user-friendliness and customization options.

Though this ecommerce platform doesn’t require you to be a technical expert, I found that I still needed some coding knowledge to set up an online store. If you aren’t capable of it, it’s best to hire a developer or pick another platform on this list.

PrestaShop offers multiple built-in SEO and marketing tools to boost the performance of your dropshipping store, which will help you get more orders and revenue. You can choose from multiple one-click installation-friendly themes for your store.You will get many dropshipping modules from the PrestaShop modules store. Pick the ones that seem most reliable and you can start sourcing, organizing, and selling products online right away.

Key Features

• Import bulk products from the marketplace using Dropshipping PrestaShop Modules
• Import unlimited products
• Automatically update products on your store
• Send new order updates to suppliers
• Discounts
• Built-in SEO features
• Add-ons modules for added functionality
• Advanced statistics

Pros

• Open-source platform, which means that it is free to download and use (but you still need to pay for hosting, developer cost, and dropshipping extensions and plugins)
• Large community that can support you
• Simplified payments with PayPal, Stripe, Mailchimp, and 50+ payment gateways
• 22 PrestaShop Dropshipping modules such as Dropshipping Bigbuy, AliExpress Dropshipping, Amazon Dropshipping, Dropshipping BTSWholesaler, etc.

Cons

• Limited suppliers integration (most of them are from AliExpress)

Pricing

• Free to use
• Pay for hosting and dropshipping extensions and plugins

10. OpenCart

OpenCart is an ecommerce platform that’s perfect for dropshipping businesses. It’s easy to use, and it comes with all the features you need to run a successful online store. Plus, it’s free!

It offers multiple free and paid plugins and themes for dropshipping businesses, so you can find the perfect one for your needs. You also get 24/7 support from a team of experts via email and tickets, which will make it easy for you to get started with OpenCart.

Key Features

• 13000+ modules and themes
• Multi-store management
• Product variables addition options
• Bulk edit products and categories
• Built-in affiliate system
• Discount and coupons
• Administrative dashboard that lets you see everything in one place
• Multilingual support

Pros

• Open-source ecommerce platform
• Community support
• No monthly fees
• Dedicated technical support
• Integrates with dropshipping apps and extensions like Dropshipping/Dropshipper Management [Advanced], OpenCart Dropshipping App (AliExpress and Amazon), Opencart DHgate Dropship Management, etc.

Cons

• Spend money on essential add-ons

Pricing

• Free to use, no monthly fees

Comparison of the Best Ecommerce Platforms for Dropshipping

FAQs

Are You Ready to Find Your Ideal Dropshipping Platform?

Dropshipping is a great business model for entrepreneurs who are looking to start an online business with very little up-front investment. When choosing an ecommerce platform for dropshipping, it's important to consider the size of your business, the products you want to sell, and your budget.

In this post, I discussed the key features, pros, and cons of the top 10 ecommerce platforms for dropshipping. I hope this will help you narrow down your choices and find the best platform for your business.

If you're still not sure which platform is right for you, I recommend trying one or two platforms for free and see which one you like best. BigCommerce and Shopify both offer free trials, so you can test them out without risking any money.

What are you waiting for? Start dropshipping today!

Why is SEO So Important for Ecommerce Websites?

Almost any ecommerce business owner will tell you that generating traffic to their website is a top priority. After all, without visitors, there would be no sales or customers. One of the best ways to drive traffic to an ecommerce site is through search engine optimization (SEO).

SEO is the process of optimizing a website for Google search with the goal of earning higher web traffic levels and improving the visibility of the site. Investing in SEO offers many benefits for an ecommerce website, which include:

• Generating more organic traffic
• Better ROI, often more than what other marketing channels like paid advertising offer
• Increased brand awareness and credibility
• Building a long-term asset that continues to pay dividends even after the initial investment has been made

Given all of these benefits, it’s no wonder that ecommerce businesses are investing more in SEO than ever before. If you’re looking to get started with SEO for your ecommerce website, you should start by finding the right platform. 

Features to Consider in SEO Ecommerce Platforms

Not all ecommerce platforms are created equal when it comes to SEO, so it’s important to choose one that has the features you need to succeed. Some of the most essential features to look for include:

• A platform that is built with SEO in mind
• The ability to customize titles, metatags, and URLs
• Faster site speed, which means lower page load times (consider picking a self-hosted platform)
• Canonical website URLs
• Indexing control
• Customizable HTML
• A sitemap generator
• Integration with Google Analytics
• Product tagging and categorization
• Batch uploading
• Mobile optimization
• Built-in blogging and content marketing features
• Social sharing buttons

These are just a few of the features you should look for in an ecommerce platform to make sure it’s SEO-friendly. In addition, you should also consider the overall user experience of the platform as well as its price.

How to Choose the Best Ecommerce Platform for Your SEO Needs

When it comes to ecommerce platforms, there are a lot of options out there. So, how do you know which one is best for your SEO needs?

Here are some things to keep in mind when making your decision:

• The platform’s ability to generate traffic: The platform you choose should be able to generate a lot of traffic to your site. Otherwise, what’s the point?
• The platform’s ability to convert traffic: Once you have visitors on your site, you need to be able to convert them into customers using high-converting pages. Make sure the platform you choose has features that will help you do this. For example, a platform that offers abandoned cart recovery or product recommendations is a good choice.
• The platform’s ability to scale: As your business grows, you’ll need a platform that can grow with you. Make sure the platform you choose has the features and flexibility you need to expand your business so that you don’t have to switch platforms down the road.
• The platform’s SEO features: This is, of course, one of the most important factors to consider. Make sure the platform you choose has all the SEO features you need to get your products seen by potential customers.
• The platform’s price: Don’t forget to consider the cost of the platform when making your decision. You should be able to find a platform that fits your budget.

So, those are some things to keep in mind when choosing an ecommerce platform for your SEO needs. Do your research and choose the platform that’s right for you.

List of the 9 Best Ecommerce Platforms for SEO

Now that you know what to look for in an ecommerce platform, it’s time to take a look at some of the best options out there. Here are my top picks:

1. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a platform that helps businesses create and manage their online stores. It offers a lot of features that make it a good choice for SEO, including abandoned cart recovery, product recommendations, and a blog.

It's considered the most-trusted B2B and B2C ecommerce solution by IDC, Forrester, and Gartner and it also has an app store that offers additional features, such as email marketing and social media tools.

The only downside is that its plans can be on the expensive side. But if you're serious about SEO, BigCommerce is definitely worth considering.

If you want to learn more about it, also check out my detailed review of this ecommerce platform here.

Key Features

• Page builder with visual editor
• Fully-customizable themes
• Open APIs, SDKs, and data
• 70+ native discounts and promotions
• Customizable, SEO-friendly URLs
• Faceted search
• Multi-storefront and cross-channel selling
• Social commerce
• Automated in-store sales tracking with POS systems
• Inventory management solutions
• Customer segmentation and bulk pricing options for B2B businesses
• Out-of-the-box metadata and robots.txt editing
• Automatic 301 redirects and URL rewrites
• Multi-currency and multilingual support
• Real-time reporting

Pros

• Offers the flexibility and scalability that your ecommerce site needs
• Essential back office integrations
• Robust security
• 99.9% uptime
• Seamless WordPress integration
• Blazing-fast site speed with Google Cloud platform infrastructure
• Scalable catalog
• No additional transaction fees, even with a third-party payment gateway
• 24/7 tech support via phone, chat, and ticket with all plans

Cons

• A bit more pricey than other ecommerce SEO platforms on this list
• Limits on annual sales

Pricing

• They offer a 15-day free trial
• Standard plan: $29.95/month
• Plus plan: $79.95/month
• Pro plan: $299.95/month

Enterprise plan: Contact their sales team or call 1-866-991-0872 for custom pricing

2. Shopify

Shopify is an excellent choice for ecommerce businesses of all sizes, but it's especially well-suited for those just getting started. That's because they offer an easy-to-use platform with lots of built-in SEO features that are helpful for SEO, such as an abandoned cart recovery system and the ability to add alt text to images.

Shopify has some limitations regarding advanced SEO features. For example, you may need the help of a developer to adjust your internal link structure. But their support team is always willing to help you troubleshoot any issues.

The biggest downside of Shopify is that its transaction fees can add up quickly so you may want to consider its alternatives. But if you're just starting out, the ease of use that Shopify brings is hard to beat.

Key Features

• 70+ storefront themes
• Built-in mobile commerce shopping cart
• A number of sales channels supported, including social media and online marketplaces
• Easy inventory management
• Manual order creation
• Discount codes
• Free SSL certificate
• Abandoned cart recovery emails
• Gift cards
• Customer segmentation options
• Automated email marketing workflows and templates
• Ecommerce automation features
• Multilingual and multi-currency support to run your business worldwide

Pros

• Ease of use
• Add an unlimited number of products even with its Basic plan
• Lots of built-in SEO features
• Perfect for novice businesses
• Top blogging features
• Fast speed
• Seamless Google Analytics integration

Cons

• Its transaction fees can add up quickly, which makes it expensive for heavy-traffic-and-sales stores.
• Doesn’t let you edit robots.txt file

Pricing

• Basic plan: $29/month
• Shopify plan: $79/month
• Advanced plan: $299/month
• Shopify Plus plan: $2000/month
• A 14-day free trial available

Also read where Shopify stands against BigCommerce in the race of the top ecommerce platforms in the market.

3. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is one of the most popular open-source ecommerce platforms on the internet and is used by millions of online stores. It is great for SEO because it is easy to use and has a lot of features that can help you improve your website's ranking in search engines.

It has a built-in sitemap feature that makes it easy for Google to index your products and it also allows you to customize your title tags, meta descriptions, and URLs to optimize your pages for specific keywords.

Another great thing about WooCommerce is that it is constantly being updated with new features and improvements that can help you further improve your website's SEO.

And the best part?

You can easily integrate it with your existing WordPress website using the WooCommerce plugin. So if you're looking to take your online store to the next level, then WooCommerce is a great choice.

Key Features

• Fully customizable with hundreds of free and paid plugins and extensions
• Configurable shipping options
• Automated tax calculations
• Endless product variations and product bundles options
• Subscription options for digital products
• Custom URLs
• Access to robots.txt file
• Multi-lingual and multi-currency support
• Marketing options using Google Shopping, Facebook promotions, and email marketing
• Built-in blogging feature
• Automatic sitemap generation
• Built-in support for Google Rich Snippets

Pros

• Open-source platform
• Flexible and secure payments using 140 region-specific gateways such as WooCommerce Payments, Stripe, PayPal, etc.
• Developer-friendly site builder that uses a REST API
• Advantages of seamless integration with WordPress
• No fee on transactions beyond that of the payment service provider
• Extensive documentation and open development community

Cons

• Requires a bit of technical knowledge
• Specific to WordPress websites
• You may end up spending a lot of money to add multiple plugins

Pricing

• Free to use, open-source ecommerce platform. However, you’ll need to pay for a domain name, WordPress hosting, and an SSL certificate.
• Free and paid plugins and extensions to add ecommerce functionality and SEO features to your online store

To improve your site’s SEO, you can easily install and use WordPress plugins like Yoast SEO. Using the Jetpack plugin can help you increase the speed of your WooCommerce store, which will further help improve its SEO results.

Considering whether you should choose WooCommerce or BigCommerce or Shopify?

Read these comparison posts I did to help you understand the key differences between these platforms: WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce and WooCommerce vs. Shopify.

4. Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)

Formerly known as Magento, Adobe Commerce has been a heavy hitter in the ecommerce world for some time. It’s now part of Adobe Experience Cloud, which gives it access to other Adobe tools like Adobe Target and Adobe Analytics.

As an ecommerce platform, it offers a ton of features out of the box like product categorization and management, shopping cart functionality, order management, and more. It’s also a very popular choice for enterprise-level businesses due to its scalability and for developers, due to its flexibility.

Adobe Commerce is a great choice for businesses that are looking for an ecommerce platform that can help them optimize their store for search engines. That's because it lets you create custom URLs for your products, optimize your product pages with metatags and rich snippets, and even set up 301 redirects to manage any broken links.

If you're serious about SEO and don’t mind paying a bit more for it, then Adobe Commerce is a great pick for a self-hosted ecommerce platform.

The downside is that it can be quite technical and there's a learning curve. But if you're willing to put in the time, Adobe Commerce can definitely be worth considering.

Key Features

• Easy-to-use page builder and drag-and-drop tools
• Image optimization features
• Product recommendations
• Real-time inventory and order management
• Custom catalogs and price lists for B2B selling
• Performance monitoring tools and data analysis features
• Automatic data backup
• Scale your ecommerce store with AWS and Azure
• AI-powered live search for faster results
• Customer account management
• Automated visual reports to help you understand important data easily
• Cloud-based deployment for better efficiency
• Unified payment solution to let users pay via debit and credit cards, PayPal, and more

Pros

• Integrated search engine optimization (SEO) tools
• Faster support response time
• Increased customization available using extensions and third-party integrations
• Integrations with Adobe products like Creative Cloud, Analytics, etc.
• Seamless mobile optimization for app-like experiences
• Secured commerce data
• Multi-channel commerce
• Better developer experience and tooling
• Faster ecommerce platform, even for stores with heavy catalogs and high transaction volumes

Cons

• Requires technical knowledge to build an ecommerce site using Magento
• Not as user-friendly as many other ecommerce platforms on this list

Pricing

• Adobe Commerce Pro plan: Contact its team for pricing details.

If you want to customize your ecommerce store to the max by hiring a professional developer, Adobe Commerce can be your best choice. However, there are other Magento alternatives too, that can be worth trying out.

5. Squarespace

Squarespace is great for ecommerce because it has built-in features that make it easy to create and manage your online store. For example, you can add products easily, set up payment processing, and track your sales data.

You can not only use it to sell physical goods but also build a site for a restaurant or salon that wants to book appointments or sell a subscription-based service that needs to manage recurring payments.

Plus, if you want to get more traffic to your store, Squarespace has built-in tools to help with search engine optimization (SEO). For example, you can control how your site appears in the SERPs, automate generating sitemaps, add meta tags to each page, and more.

Whether you’re just getting started with ecommerce or you’re looking to take your business to the next level, this ecommerce platform for SEO is definitely worth considering.

If you're not sure where to start, Squarespace offers a number of templates specifically designed for creating beautiful online stores that will engage your customers.

Key Features

• Easy-to-customize website templates, color palettes, and more for every purpose
• Complete customization with CSS and JavaScript
• Appointment booking options
• Subscription options
• Set up on-brand email campaigns and use social tools
• Social media image monitoring
• Custom clean URLs
• Canonical tags
• Structured data and automatic markups
• SSL security
• Mobile-friendly ecommerce sites
• Automatically generated SEO‑friendly pages with static URLs for all products
• A dedicated SEO panel with a built-in search preview tool
• Flexible shipping options based on a flat rate, product weight based, and more
• Easy-to-use tax tools
• Basic and advanced website tracking metrics
• Squarespace extensions
• Commerce APIs
• Accept payments from Stripe, PayPal, credit cards
• Multi-currency support

Pros

• Free custom domain
• Fully-managed cloud hosting
• Great security
• Built-in SEO features such as default SEO titles and meta descriptions for every page, option to hide a page from search engines, automated sitemaps, etc.
• Direct integration with Google Search Console and Google My Business
• 24/7 support
• Google Ads credits

Cons

• No phone support

Pricing

• Personal plan: $23/month
• Business plan: $33/month
• Basic Commerce plan: $36/month
• Advanced Commerce plan: $65/month

6. Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart)

Shift4Shop is the best ecommerce platform for SEO because it offers a number of features that are designed to help your store rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). It creates automatic sitemaps that help search engines index your site more quickly and easily and also offers built-in support for popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO.

In addition, this ecommerce platform provides detailed analytics so that you can track your progress and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly. 

Key Features

• Powerful and intuitive website builder
• Mobile-friendly and SEO-friendly templates
• Editable HTML and CSS files
• XML Sitemap builder
• Custom URLs and 301 redirection tools with 404 auto-detect
• Product and order management
• SEO-friendly features
• Social media marketing tools
• Fast and convenient payments
• PCI compliant hosted ecommerce platform
• Built-in marketing tools like daily discounts, group deals, etc.
• Cart abandonment recovery tools
• Customizable meta tags, page titles, and H1 headings
• PageSpeed optimized
• Google AMP for products
• SEO-friendly navigation with breadcrumb links
• Canonical website URLs
• Control of Robots.txt file
• Google Analytics integration
• Built-in blog
• Targeted email marketing system

Pros

• Unlimited products, users, and bandwidth
• AI-driven fraud protection
• Free migration of your current ecommerce website
• Real-time shipping and credit card processing capabilities
• Dedicated ecommerce support team and hands-on assistance
• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain name registration
• No additional transaction fees

Cons

• Many users found it too complicated or difficult to use.
• Quite expensive if you don’t qualify for its free plan

Pricing

• Basic plan: $29/month for up to 2 staff members
• Plus plan: $79/month for up to 5 staff users
• Pro plan: $299/month for up to 15 staff users
• End-to-End Ecommerce plan: $0 (a pro-level enterprise-grade plan)

If you don’t qualify for the free plan, this ecommerce platform can be quite expensive. Contact their team for more details.

7. OpenCart

OpenCart is another ecommerce platform that offers SEO-friendly features. If you're interested in building an SEO-optimized ecommerce store, its Bootstrap framework will give you a solid foundation to work with. Plus, its extensive documentation will help you get started quickly and easily.

What makes it the best ecommerce SEO platform is its ability to let you customize almost every aspect of your website. This includes the URL structure, title tags, meta descriptions, and more. Plus, with OpenCart's built-in SEO module, you can easily manage all your SEO settings from one central location.

If you're looking for an ecommerce platform that offers powerful SEO features and is easy to use, OpenCart is a great option.

Key Features

• Powerful store management capabilities
• 13000+ modules and themes
• Extensions for added functionality
• Integrations with popular payment gateways and shipping methods
• Admin dashboard with user management
• Multi-store management
• Product variables addition options
• Built-in affiliate system
• Update and bulk edit products, categories, and more
• Discount and coupons
• Easy backup and restoration features
• Multilingual support

Pros

• Open-source ecommerce platform for SEO
• Community support and dedicated support
• No monthly fees
• Fewer plugins than other self-hosted platforms

Cons

• May need to pay for some essential add-ons
• Canonical issues

Pricing

• No monthly fees

8. Volusion

Volusion is one of the oldest ecommerce platforms available today. Founded in 1999, Volusion has been around longer than most of its competitors. That experience shows in its feature set and overall stability.

It is also one of the user-friendliest ecommerce platforms for SEO. Its built-in features and flexible code make it easy to optimize your store for search engines. In addition, Volusion's customer support is excellent and they offer a free 14-day trial so you can try it before you buy.

If you're looking for an ecommerce platform that is easy to use and optimize for SEO, Volusion is a great option. Their long history in the industry and commitment to customer satisfaction makes them a platform you can trust.

Key Features

• Mobile responsive themes
• Powerful storefront builder and drag-and-drop editing tools
• Inventory and stock management
• Unlimited product options
• Built-in SEO management
• CRM system
• Social media integrations
• Abandoned cart reports
• SEO-managed category pages with sub-categories
• Advanced site search tools
• HTML and CSS editor
• Order replenishment
• Subscription-based products

Pros

• Seamless checkout experiences
• 24/7 customer support
• Powerful apps and integrations with Amazon, PayPal, and more
• Support from in-house ecommerce marketing and SEO experts
• 99.9% uptime
• Custom firewall settings

Cons

• 1.25% platform transaction fees

Pricing

• A 14-day free trial
• Personal plan: $35/month
• Professional plan: $79/month
• Business plan: $299/month
• Prime plan: Cost varies based on GMV (gross merchandise value)

9. Wix

Wix is one of the best ecommerce SEO platforms that lets you easily create a beautiful website that is optimized for search engines. With Wix, you can edit your website's title and meta tags. Its built-in keyword research tool can help you find the best keywords for your website.

In addition, Wix lets you create custom URLs for your website's pages and blog posts. This can help you improve your website's SEO.

Wix also offers a free plan that includes unlimited storage and bandwidth, and all the features you need to get started with SEO. You can upgrade to a paid plan if you need more advanced features and support.

Key Features

• 500+ free professional online store templates
• Built-in keyword research tool
• Custom URLs, titles, and meta descriptions
• Canonical tags
• Structured data markup
• Robots.txt file access
• Bulk 301 redirects
• Instant Google indexing
• Multi-channel sales
• Subscription model for recurring revenue
• Order management and fulfillment
• Inventory tracking and management
• SEO-optimized, multilingual storefront
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Tax automation tools

Pros

• Unlimited storage and bandwidth
• 24/7 support
• Automated Facebook and Instagram Ad campaigns
• Automatically created SEO patterns applied across product pages for better search engine rankings
• Limitless customization with APIs
• Top-grade hosting for free
• Secure online payments
• Free domain for one year
• Get an actionable SEO setup plan
• Google Search Console integration

Cons

• Limited storage with all plans

Pricing

• Business Basic plan: $24/month
• Business Unlimited plan: $36/month
• Business VIP plan: $53/month

Comparison of Best Ecommerce Platforms for SEO

The Key SEO Factors (Explained)

SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, but there are a few key factors that have remained constant over the years. Here are some of the most important SEO factors to keep in mind when optimizing your ecommerce site:

• Relevancy: Perhaps the most important factor in SEO is relevancy. Your content must be relevant to the keywords you are targeting. If you are selling shoes, your content must be about shoes. You can’t rank for a keyword if your content is not about that keyword.
• Keyword density: In addition to relevancy, your content must also include the target keywords at a reasonable density. This means that the keywords should appear often enough to be noticed by the search engines, but not so often that it appears spammy.
• Title tags and meta descriptions: The title tag and meta description are what appear in the search results, so it’s important to make sure they are keyword-rich and compelling.
• URL structure: Your URLs should be short, descriptive, and include the target keywords.
• Image optimization: Optimizing your images can help you rank higher in the search results. Make sure to include relevant keywords in the file names and alt text.

FAQs

Build Your Ecommerce Site on the Best Platform

Now that you know how important SEO is for ecommerce websites and the features to look for when choosing an ecommerce platform, it’s time to start building your site on the best platform for SEO. 

I hope this guide has given you enough information about the nine best ecommerce platforms for SEO to help make your decision easier. All of the platforms listed here are great choices that will give you the ability to rank highly in search engines and drive more traffic to your site.

If you’re still not sure which platform is right for you or if you have any other questions about SEO and ecommerce, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me directly. I’d be happy to help you out.

A multi-vendor marketplace is an online platform that allows multiple sellers to sell their products or services. Customers can browse and purchase from any of the sellers on the site. Multi-vendor marketplaces are similar to online shopping malls, but with a wider range of services and products available.

How Do Multi-Vendor Marketplaces Work?

Multi-vendor ecommerce platforms can be a clever way for businesses to expand their reach and increase their sales. But how do they work?
At its most basic, a multi-vendor ecommerce platform is simply an online marketplace where multiple sellers can list and sell their products. Buyers can browse the listings and purchase items from the sellers of their choice.

Typically, the platform itself handles all of the back-end logistics, such as processing payments, managing inventory, and handling customer service. This makes it much easier for businesses to set up and operate an online store without having to worry about all of the details.

What Are the Different Types of Multi-Vendor Marketplaces?

There are three main types of multi-vendor marketplaces: Product-based and niche-based. In either of the categories, the platforms can be B2B or B2C. Let’s explore both of them in this section.

Product-Based Multi-Vendor Marketplaces

Product-based multi-vendor marketplaces sell physical goods, such as clothes, electronics, or furniture. Service-based multi-vendor marketplaces sell services, such as home repairs, pet sitting, or car detailing.

Some of the most popular product-based multivendor marketplaces include Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba. These marketplaces have become incredibly popular due to the vast selection of products that they offer and the competitive prices that sellers can list their products for.

Niche-Based Multi-Vendor Marketplaces

Some multi-vendor marketplaces focus on a specific niche, such as vintage clothing or handmade goods. A niche marketplace is a platform that focuses on a specific niche, such as art, books, fashion, home décor, or electronics. Niche marketplaces offer buyers a curated selection of products from multiple sellers in one place.

An example of a niche marketplace would be Etsy. They have a wide range of collections of vintage or handmade items as well as craft supplies.

Service-based multivendor marketplaces are online platforms that allow businesses to offer their services to a wider audience. These marketplaces provide a convenient way for businesses to find new customers and build their brands.

Some of the most popular service-based multivendor marketplaces include Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.com. These marketplaces allow businesses to offer a wide range of services, including web design, SEO, social media marketing, and much more.

Why Multi-Vendor Ecommerce Marketplaces Are Popular

The internet has changed the way we shop. No longer are we limited to the stores in our immediate vicinity. We can now order anything we want from anywhere in the world and have it delivered right to our doorstep.

However, this newfound freedom comes with its own set of challenges. With so many choices available, it can be difficult to know where to start. And even when you find what you're looking for, there's no guarantee that it will be the best quality or the best price.

Competitive Prices

Another benefit of marketplaces is that they provide a level of competition that can drive down prices. With multiple businesses selling similar products, marketplaces often have lower prices than brick-and-mortar stores. 

This is because businesses are competing with each other to attract buyers, and they need to offer competitive prices to do so.

Diverse Selection of Products

One of the benefits of marketplaces is that they offer a diversity of products. Because there are multiple businesses selling on the platform, each with their own inventory, consumers can find a greater variety of products than they would at a single store. 

This is especially beneficial for businesses that sell niche or hard-to-find products.

Wider Reach

Another reason why multi-vendor marketplaces are becoming more popular is that they provide an opportunity for small businesses to reach a wider audience. In the past, these businesses may have only had a local customer base. 

But now, with a global marketplace at their fingertips, they can sell their products and services to anyone in the world.

More Convenient

Marketplaces also offer convenience for both businesses and consumers. For businesses, they provide a single platform to sell on, which saves them the time and expense of setting up their own website or online store. 

And for consumers, they offer a one-stop shop for all their shopping needs, which saves them the time and effort of visiting multiple websites. 

What does the future hold for multi-vendor marketplaces? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: they're here to stay.

Which Features Should You Look for in a Multi-Vendor Ecommerce Platform?

When it comes to setting up an online store, there are many factors to consider. One of the most important is choosing the right ecommerce tool, plugin, or platform. 

A good multi-vendor ecommerce platform will have all the features you need to build a successful online store.

Here are some of the features to look for in a multi-vendor ecommerce platform:

1. Multi-Vendor Control

If you're a vendor, you need to be choosy about which platform you use. Why? Because not all platforms are created equal when it comes to multi-vendor control.

What is multi-vendor control? It's the ability of a platform to give vendors the power to manage their own products, pricing, and inventory. Without this control, vendors are at the mercy of the platform owner. And that's not a good place to be.

It creates a level playing field for all sellers. When each seller has their own unique store within the marketplace, they are able to control their own stock, prices, and promotions. 

This not only makes it easier for customers to find what they're looking for, but also allows vendors to better compete with one another.

Ideally, a good multi-vendor platform will give you control over the following things:

• Individual inventory management
• Shipping
• Payment options
• Discounts
• Product change
• Automatic splitting of orders

2. Detailed Reporting Options

Vendors will require access to information and data regarding their sales and company. The data and graphs accessible through the backend will help vendors better understand sales patterns, allowing them to perform more effective marketing of their business. As a result, multi-vendor ecommerce platforms must have a strong reporting mechanism.

To all vendors and merchants operating within the platform, a multi-vendor ecommerce platform should be able to provide the following information:

• Information about top-rated and best-selling goods
• Data for making predictions such as the previous four orders, most popular search queries, and more.
• Instant tracking of abandoned carts

3. Security

When it comes to ecommerce, security is always a top concern. After all, you're dealing with sensitive customer information and transactions. That's why it's so important to make sure your platform has robust security features.

Customers will avoid purchasing from ecommerce vendors who do not provide a secure shopping experience, and sellers may be less inclined to offer their items on such a platform. As a result, you'll need to make sure that your multi-vendor ecommerce solution is safe and secure.

To improve the security of the store, you'll need to follow top security measures. This will not only protect your online store from fraudulent activities, but it will also help customers and merchants view the business as trustworthy. Here are some features that you should look out for on your multi-vendor ecommerce platform:

• Uses HTTPS
• Doesn’t store sensitive information
• Is PCI DSS compliant
• User-level information is secure
• Payment gateway is secure
• Two-factor authentication to confirm user identity

4. Multiple Payment Options

Multiple payment options are important in multi-vendor ecommerce platforms because they provide flexibility and convenience for both vendors and customers. 

By offering a variety of payment methods, vendors can attract more customers and make it easier for them to complete transactions. Customers appreciate the ability to choose a payment method that suits their needs, whether it’s credit or debit cards, e-wallets, or bank transfers.

Multi-vendor ecommerce platforms that offer multiple payment options also tend to be more secure, since they use multiple layers of security to protect customer information. This is especially important for businesses that deal with sensitive data, such as financial institutions or healthcare providers.

5. Multilingual Options

Multilingual options are important in multi-vendor ecommerce platforms for a number of reasons. First, they allow vendors from all over the world to sell their products to a global audience. This not only expands the potential customer base but also opens up new markets for vendors.

Second, multilingual options make it easier for customers to find and purchase products from the platform. Customers can search for products in their native language, which makes it more likely that they will find what they're looking for and make a purchase. 

Finally, multilingual options improve the overall user experience of the platform by making it more accessible and user-friendly for everyone.

6. Ease of Navigation

There are a few things more frustrating than trying to navigate a website that's confusing, cluttered, and just plain difficult to use. And when you're trying to purchase something online, that frustration can quickly turn into anger and resentment.

Easy navigation is one of the most important features of a successful multi-vendor ecommerce platform. Online shoppers are typically looking for a seamless and convenient shopping experience. If they can't find what they're looking for easily, they'll likely move on to another site.

A well-designed multi-vendor ecommerce platform will have a clear and intuitive navigation system that allows shoppers to find what they're looking for quickly and easily. This can be achieved through the use of menus, search bars, and filters.

7. Simple Checkout Process

There's nothing more frustrating than starting to shop online, only to be met with a long and complicated checkout process. A simple checkout process is important for any ecommerce platform, but it's especially crucial for multi-vendor ecommerce platforms.

That's because shoppers on these platforms are typically looking to buy from multiple sellers, and they don't want to have to go through a lengthy checkout process for each one.

A simple checkout process will make it easy for shoppers to buy from multiple vendors on your platform, without getting frustrated and giving up. This will ultimately lead to more sales and happier customers.

8. Order Tracking Facilities

There are plenty of reasons why order tracking options are important in Multi Vendor Ecommerce Platforms. For starters, it allows customers to keep tabs on their shipments and know exactly when they can expect their purchases to arrive. 

This is especially useful for buyers who are ordering items from multiple sellers; with order tracking, they can easily see which items have shipped and which ones are still in transit.

Additionally, order tracking provides valuable insights for sellers. By being able to see which orders have been shipped and which ones are still pending, sellers can better manage their inventory and fulfillment process. This way, they can avoid overselling products and frustrating customers with long wait times.

Overall, order tracking options are a win-win for both buyers and sellers. They offer a convenient way to stay updated on the status of shipments, and they can help sellers run their businesses more efficiently.

9. Banner Ads

Banner ads are a crucial part of any multi-vendor ecommerce platform. They help to promote the products and services offered by the vendors and make it easier for customers to find what they're looking for.

Without banner ads, customers would have a harder time navigating the site and finding the products they need. Banner ads also help to increase brand awareness and visibility, which can attract new customers to the platform.

Overall, banner ads are an essential part of any multi-vendor ecommerce platform and play a vital role in promoting the products and services offered by the vendors.

10 of the Best Multi-Vendor Marketplaces Out There

1. BigCommerce Multi-Vendor

BigCommerce is a popular name in the ecommerce solutions market, but it does not offer multi-vendor solutions out of the box. Instead, it allows third-party developers to build and sell multi-vendor extensions for its platform. 

In essence, the Webkul extension turns your standard BigCommerce store into Marketplace so that both the store operator and vendors can interact with your ecommerce business. 

You have backend access and control of items, sellers, and sellers' products as a shop admin. It also has a feature that allows you to hide seller's goods from the front end without administrator approval.

Key Features

• Ability to import and export products
• Synchronize categories and products from the BigCommerce store
• Sellers can view order status and change it
• Sellers can easily add custom fields to their products
• Can create any product’s SKU based on its selected options automatically

Pricing Plans

• Basic Plan: $10/month [Max 1000 products, Max Sellers: 10]
• Executive Plan: $30/month [Max 2000 products, Max Sellers: 50]

Pro Plan: $45/month [Unlimited products, Unlimited sellers]

2. ZielCommerce

ZielCommerce is a white label Enterprise-grade marketplace software that allows you to create and launch your own branded multi-vendor ecommerce platform. 

The platform is designed such that it can be used by small and large businesses. That's because it is built using NodeJS, a high-profile technology and in headless architecture. 

With this software solution, you can create a platform that works for both Android and iOS devices.

Key Features

• Admin can add, approve or reject sellers and credit transactions.
• Admin can assign taxes through the built-in tax module.
• Upload bulk products using XLS, XML, and CSV file formats.
• Provides banner advertisements on the home page. 
• Multiple payment gateways.

Pricing Plans

• One-time cost solution [Contact their sales team for exact pricing]

3. Dokan WooCommerce Plugin

Dokan is a popular WooCommerce multi-vendor plugin that's been carefully refined to ensure it works flawlessly for your online store. This plugin is powered by WordPress. Front-end and product dashboards are among the main features available. You also get the benefit of utilizing a vendor rating feedback system similar to eBay's.

Key Features

• Personalized dashboard that can be customized.
• Admins have complete control over vendor registration, product publishing, subscription renewal, and more.
• Ability to create subscription packs so you can charge for product limits, product uploads, and time.
• Special options to create a multi-lingual platform.
• Multiple payment gateways.

Pricing Plans

• Free Plan
• Starter Plan: $149/year
• Professional Plan: $249/year
• Business Plan: $499/year
• Enterprise Plan: $999/year

4. Laravel Multi Vendor Marketplace

This multi-vendor marketplace for Laravel enables you to turn your Bagisto shop into a multi-vendor marketplace with seller product collection and order handling separately. 

This plugin allows consumers to purchase items from various vendors using a single cart. Customers can also give feedback and ratings on vendor goods/services. The seller may handle inventory, shipment, the Seller Profile page, and much more. 

On their online store, sellers may add items as two different product types: Simple and Configurable.

Key Features

• Separate dashboard management for vendors
• Admin can create landing pages 
• Admin can create product attributes, sellers can select category attributes
• Dedicated seller dashboard to check payouts, order details, income,, latest comments, and reviews
• Multi-lingual support

Pricing PlansOne-time Payment: $449

5. Mayosis WordPress Marketplace

If you want to sell lessons, music, templates, arts, ebooks, stock footage, themes, stock photography, plugins, or code snippets, then you should check out the Mayosis marketplace.

It is built on free Easy Digital Downloads and WordPress.

With Mayosis – Digital Marketplace Theme, you can create your unique marketplace within a few hours and sell your goods or services via it to a global audience. It is highly customized and designed such that you can sell a range of different products and services with it.

Even without prior coding knowledge, you can easily generate your web pages with the WPBakery Page Builder plugin.

Key Features

• Over 20 page building elements included in the program
• Multiple free extensions supported including MailChimp, PayPal Pro, and more
• Programmed to be responsive to all devices
• Sticky header functionality included
• Multilingual support

Pricing Plans

• Regular License: $67

Extended License: $1990

6. YITH WooCommerce Multi Vendor Extension

You can quickly set up and run any kind of marketplace using YITH WooCommerce Multi Vendor/Marketplace. Using their integrated dashboard, you can monitor vendors, earnings, and commissions easily. 

In their latest version, they have come up with a unique Staff Module feature that allows vendors to create profiles for their store personnel. Also, if vendors are on vacation, they can use the “Vendor Vacation” module to inform customers that they are closed temporarily.

What’s more, all the products in the YITH catalog are developed via the same shared framework. So, you can expect full compatibility among all the plugins.

Key Features

• Create custom form to register new vendors
• Approve/reject applications from new vendors on the dashboard
• Set usage rules for vendors via the Permission settings
• Multiple payment options
• Create dynamic messages via the Announcements feature

Pricing Plans

• Yearly Plan: $149.99/year

7. Magento 2 Marketplace Extension – LandofCoder

With this marketplace extension, you can take your Magento 2 online store to the next level. It allow unlimited vendors and suppliers to upload on the platform and sell and manage their products. 

Along with it, it also allows customers to buy products across multiple categories. What’s more, it has options so that customers can rate and review products and services from all sellers.

Key Features

• Ability to upload products in bulk
• Includes instant vendor messaging system
• Multiple payment gateways integrated
• Ability to approve sellers and vendors manually and automatically
• Support REST API, GraphQL- Core Marketplace

Pricing PlansOne-time fee: $299

8. Multiple Vendors Extension – Magenest

With this Magento 2 extension, you can keep track of each vendor's records as well as their list of goods with ease. Because it is apparent that the variety of goods appeals to customers, employing this plugin relieves you from having to deal with a large number of various items. 

Furthermore, marketplace owners have control over vendors and products, which is an important feature for your Magento 2 store.

Key Features

• Ability to set commission per vendor
• Vendors can send their questions to owners of each marketplace
• Vendor feedback and ratings
• Notification to marketplace owner if a customer refunds

Pricing Plans

• Rental System: $169
• Subscription and Recurring Payments: $299

Booking and Reservation: $249

9. Multi Vendor Marketplace Module – CMSMart

CS-Cart is a well-known ecommerce platform among businesses. Its multi-vendor bundle has all of the essential features you'll need to put up and manage a marketplace in just a few steps. 

When you buy a CS-Cart multi-vendor solution, you get most of the important features out of the box, including an independent vendor dashboard, commission management capabilities, user access control, and several monetization options.

Key Features

• Admins have the ability to update, change, and edit seller information
• Supports multiple product types including simple, virtual, configurable, and downloadable
• Two different types of commission settings: Fixed and Percentage
• Email notifications for the latest updates for sellers and vendors
• Sellers can link their stores to their social media profiles

Pricing Plans

• Magento Retail: $179 per month
• B2C Marketplace Solution: $379 per month
• B2B Premium Package: $576 per month

Enterprise Solutions: Please get in touch with their team.

10. Knowband Multi Vendor Module

The Knowband Multi-Vendor Marketplace module gives the store admin complete control over goods, payment alternatives, sellers, review & testimonials, and feedback. 

Using this module, owners get the option to charge a fixed percentage commission from the sellers. Alternatively, they can also create membership plans that are based on multiple pre-set conditions. It also offers compatibility with the PrestaShop mobile app. 

What’s more, this marketplace module is compatible with other top modules including apps from iOS and Android, booking and rentals system, return manager, and more. 

Key Features

• Separate seller dashboard to keep track of sales
• Separate registration form for sellers
• Email notifications to manage marketplace operations
• Options like Seller CSV Import/Export, Seller Discount/Coupon promotion, Customer Seller Ticket System, Admin Seller Ticket System etc.
• Sellers can check current earnings, earning history, or order wise earning
• Customers can post and view seller reviews
• Multiple payment and shipping options

Pricing Plans

• Please get in touch with their sales team for accurate pricing details.

FAQs