Best E-Commerce Platforms 2022

We are living in a world where technology is becoming ever more advanced by the day. With the continuous invention of new ways to make life easier, businesses must keep up with demand, and it seems that even this process is beginning to be automated. Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of eCommerce platforms in 2022, helping online businesses generate leads and engage users through personalized communication. The ability of AI systems to learn how their consumers behave and present relevant information will improve as time passes, allowing optimization within business strategies, and resulting in better conversion rates.

With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, digital shopping has become more popular than ever before. Many people now prefer to buy products online, with convenience being one of their main motivating factors. Ecommerce platforms have naturally evolved alongside society, and the introduction of mobile apps has sped up this process considerably. When you think about how to implement your strategy for 2022, it might be worth considering using AI within your product mix.

If you’re thinking about giving your business an upgrade to attract more customers and increase revenue, the best eCommerce platform in 2022 could be exactly what you need. Here is an eCommerce platforms review for each of the best eCommerce platforms you may consider for your business.

What are the Top E-commerce Platform Platforms of 2022?

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a popular web hosting-based e-commerce software that helps small and medium enterprises set up online stores.

One of the best things about BigCommerce is that it offers a free 14 day trial period where all features are unlocked for you to use to your heart’s content. If you do not wish to continue with a full subscription, simply cancel within the two weeks before your fee kicks in, and you won’t be charged a penny.

Big-commerce has an easy checkout process starting from selecting payment gateways to shipping options. It allows users to choose between using PayPal or Authorize.net as payment gateways, including other functionalities like one-click shopping, administrator notifications on every order, email marketing tools that help businesses grow, and a mobile app for a quick and easy checkout.

BigCommerce can be used as an e-commerce website builder on the front end, offering full control to create your shop according to your preferences on themes or templates that are flexible enough to allow you to edit them as per your needs with their user-friendly editor. The Big-commerce backend makes it easier than ever before with the drag and drops feature to add pages and product catalogs making it incredibly simple for users of all levels.

BigCommerce also offers an affiliate network so you can earn commissions promoting other people’s products with ease through their platform since they provide clear instructions and guidelines that will help you do just that! You can set up multiple partners accounts and promote each of them independently, making more money.

BigCommerce software has a built-in SEO feature, so search engines find your sites, increasing business transactions and sales even more. They also have apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices to access the Bigcommerce platform anytime, anywhere.

Why Choose BigCommerce?

The best thing about BigCommerce is that it comes with outstanding features that you’d expect from any top web hosting company at no extra cost. It offers free software integration tools for e-commerce functionality like Microsoft .NET 2.0+ or Java 1.4+, free SSL certificates, free fraud protection through CyberSource Gateway, plus it provides world-class support to take care of your queries 24/7/365, all at no additional costs.

BigCommerce offers a user-friendly interface with an extensive selection of themes and templates that allow you to create an online store unique in style. It also lets users scale up when business grows, allowing them to add products quickly and easily at no extra cost.

Wix.com | Free Website Builder

The Wix eCommerce Marketplace has dozens of apps at your disposal: from online stores and marketplaces to social shopping carts, and you’ll find what you need for your business’s growth and profits. The Wix App Market gives you access to ready-made or customizable features that your competitors can’t match, giving you an edge in attracting customers and increasing conversions. A wide range of payment gateways are accessible with the Payments app – Stripe is included – letting you take payments from anywhere in the world, and shipping tools remove the headache of calculating rates and delivery times. 

The Wix eCommerce platform has a little bit of everything, from payment processors to customizable checkout forms. It also works cross-platform with iOS and Android apps and responsive mobile traffic so customers can purchase products no matter what device they use them on.

In addition to creating an online store on Wix easily, users can set up popular options such as Facebook Store or a Shopify website too for a more seamless experience integrating multiple platforms into one site design. However, this option will require the user to select which eCommerce provider they would like at signup and can’t be changed in the future.

Wix is a good option for users who want to build an online store and don’t care about having complete control over their website design. Wix’s eCommerce platform takes care of all that, leaving you with just your products and sales numbers to work on! Additionally, if you’re looking for an easy way to get started with accepting credit card payments, this might be a good choice, too, as it integrates with Stripe right out of the box.

While not as customizable or feature-rich as other eCommerce providers like Shopify or BigCommerce, Wix does well for small businesses and startups needing a simple but effective way to set up their online stores quickly and easily.

Squarespace | Website Builder

Squarespace is an American firm that designs websites for individuals and business owners. It offers a content management system (CMS) to create easily maintainable, richly designed sites with minimal effort. Used by more than 1 million people, Squarespace’s popularity has grown rapidly over the last decade. They claim to offer infinite bandwidth, unlimited storage space for photos and videos, second domain name hosting, along with personalized email addresses. They don’t require any knowledge of HTML, CSS, or other coding languages to build your site.

Squarespace has several paid plans, including their basic plan starting at $12/month, which is enough for small businesses. It supports all major credit cards and offers coupons to further reduce costs once you get started with them. Squarespace offers a free domain for life too! You can also get custom domain support by paying additionally to them if you want that instead of using free domains.

The founders of Squarespace are Anthony Casalena and Alan Chan, who met in 2003 while studying at the University of Maryland. They both worked on separate projects but eventually decided to set up a company together later in 2004. In April 2004, they incorporated as a private limited company and launched their first product release.

In 2006, Squarespace changed from a one-page website to a multi-page site where users could buy online, build a portfolio or just read articles written by them. Over the years, they have created more than 40 different versions of their platform, which has helped them grow further. Even though their competitors have emerged with time, Squarespace always stays ahead.

Squarespace offers tools for both professionals and amateurs to create amazing-looking websites without any hassle. It helps you keep track of all your traffic data so that you can see what’s working and what isn’t. You can adjust anything on your site as per your requirement, making it a very user-friendly platform.

Squarespace is also supported on iOS, TV, Apple Watch & Android, which means that no matter what device you use to access the internet, you can easily manage your site hassle-free with Squarespace. It offers unlimited support via phone, email, live chat, etc., along with 24/7 technical support in case of any issues or problems that you might face while using its tools.

Magento | The Best eCommerce Platforms

Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform that provides a shopping cart and an administration system for merchants to set up online shops.

Magento comes in two different versions, community and enterprise. Both editions of Magento provide the same functionality with some minor differences as outlined on magento.com, including support hours and phone contact options.

Magento has several third-party plugins, which extend its features even further by providing additional modules such as promotions management, custom product attribute display, newsletters, or SEO features.

One of these extensive extensions available for free from Fatwire is the Fatwire Connector Suite. It includes a wide array of integrations from eBay to Google Analytics, plus more than 25 other integrations. The Fatwire extension does require a Fatwire subscription to use.

Magento 2 was released in 2015 and offered several benefits over the older version 1. x software, including improved performance, updated security features, updated web design standards, and better user experience through streamlined admin control panels.

Older versions of Magento are not compatible with later versions of PHP (PHP 7+), which means that if an upgrade is done from any previous version to Magento 2 after 2017, it may be necessary to update the hosting environment to support the newer PHP version for Magento 2 before doing so. This email list has more information on this topic.

A review by Cloudways found that Magento scored very well in speed tests compared to WooCommerce and PrestaShop.

Many hosting providers offer a one-click Magento installation, including VPS and dedicated servers from OVH, InMotion Hosting, and 1&1 IONOS. Cloudways offers a Managed Magento Cloud Server if the client does not want to install an eCommerce platform themselves.

Shopify

One of the most popular eCommerce platforms is Shopify. It has managed to grow over 600% in the last year alone, which is particularly impressive due to increased competition from companies like Squarespace and BigCommerce.This comprehensive review will highlight its features for small business owners looking for an efficient way to sell products online.

The first thing that everyone notices about Shopify is its simplicity. It is hard not to fall in love with its easy-to-use interface for someone who has never made a website before. There are several different templates that you can choose from, or you can create your own using HTML or CSS. It is even possible to link it in with Facebook so customers can check out in just one click.

Shopify has a wide range of professional themes, which means you don’t need any coding experience to get started with creating your online store. You also have the option of uploading an unlimited number of product photos directly on their site for free. And if you want something more customized, there are various ways to collaborate with designers via the app store. Most importantly, all of these updates are immediately available for you whenever they occur. With other platforms like BigCommerce, you have to update manually by uploading the new software onto your hosting account.

There are several different options available when it comes to shipping products out to customers worldwide. Aside from that, Shopify’s inventory management system is super easy to use. For example, if you are in the US, all you need is a unique zip code for your store associates to quickly find out which post office is servicing your area best.

Another feature of Shopify worth mentioning is its detailed analytic reports. These let you monitor everything happening with your online business in real-time. You can see how many people visit your site daily, where they are located, and what transactions they are making. This is incredibly important for any business owner looking to advertise their site and attract more customers.

Shopify has a wide range of apps available that you can integrate with your store, so there is no limit on what you can do to help sell products online. Some examples include MailChimp, which lets you send out marketing emails, and Google Analytics, which provides customer heatmaps, so you know where people stop scrolling.

Finally, Shopify offers several different pricing options for small business owners that start at $29 per month. There are also additional fees whenever an order is processed through your store (2-3% of the final purchase value). However, these prices are unlikely to change as long as you stay with Shopify, unlike other companies that may apply hidden charges. Also, there are no contracts to sign for this type of monthly service. Instead, they offer a 14-day trial period that gives you the chance to fully test everything out before committing to Shopify.

Smoolis | Easy Multilingual Website Builder

Smoolis is an eCommerce platform that allows consumers to have access to a wide range of products. Smoolis provides consumers with the opportunity for online shopping through their website, which offers all their products at low prices. As well as being able to shop online on Smoolis’ website, they are also available for social media marketing. Facebook and Twitter pages are regularly updated with new deals, vouchers, and promotional codes. Products are shipped across the UK by partnering with major courier suppliers such as DPD or Royal Mail Recorded delivery. 

The Smoolis website has recently undergone an update to make it easier for customers to use. They are now covering larger screen areas without menus overlapping – allowing for a more efficient shopping experience.

Smoolis offers all products at low prices through their website, which is easy to use and navigate.

GoDaddy

The GoDaddy eCommerce platform allows you to design and build a complete website for your product or services. You can create an online store that professionally displays your products with options such as colour schemes, page layouts, and custom widgets. Here are some of its main features:

Transaction assistance – Many extensions from PayPal’s eCommerce tools suite give you access to a range of payment gateways that will help you receive payments from customers worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Product and content management – No need to install plugins or any other software. You can view your site’s traffic statistics, including reports on search terms that led people to your store, the pages visitors viewed, and the products they purchased.

Easy design – Use this eCommerce platform’s drag and drop editor complete with templates, page layouts, and widgets to build a beautiful yet professional website fast and hassle-free. There is also an option for unlimited product images so you can quickly upload all of your products in just a few clicks.

SEO – GoDaddy’s eCommerce platform lets you create search engine optimized websites through its Site Audit tool, which gives you access to Google Webmaster Tools as well as Bing Webmaster Tools. This gives you an edge in search engine rankings.

Social integration – The platform’s content sharing features allow you to connect your website with various social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest. You can use these to share content like images of the products on your site or helpful articles about running your online store.

Square Online | Build a Free Online Store

Square, a popular eCommerce platform known for its ease-of-use and quick setup, also offers an online ordering feature. The service is currently only offered in San Francisco and New York City, but you can set it up to accept online orders from anywhere. The service started as a simple smartphone application but has expanded into other services like e-commerce (online store), payroll processing, and merchant services.

In the second quarter of 2018, Square’s adjusted revenue was $431 million with a total payment volume of $45 billion. Square has reported that they’ve processed over $100 million in online sales since launching its online ordering feature in 2015.

The Square Online store features all Square Point of Sale (POS) but powers them with your existing eCommerce website or marketplace account. As long as you already have an existing eCommerce website, adding this functionality is straightforward, with no coding knowledge necessary. You can also manage the process yourself without any extra help from Square’s staff—though if you want personalized assistance, buying an online store setup from Square costs $299 per month plus transaction fees (2.% + 10¢).

The Square Online store lets you manage your inventory in real-time, making it easy to keep items in stock. You can also view analytics about your business and track the performance of individual products to find out what’s selling well.

Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart)

Shift4Shop (3dcart) is a comprehensive eCommerce platform that clients can use to sell products on the internet. A developer named Ross Abbott designed 3dcart and launched it on January 23, 2004. Since its launch, 3dcart has undergone several major revisions and upgrades.

Today there are over 1177 modules included with the core of 3dcart’s software and more than 208 payment gateways supported by this program; some of the most common ones include PayPal, Authorize.net, and Google Checkout. If you need support for a shopping cart other than those already listed, you will need to purchase a module from an outside developer to add that gateway into your store’s checkout process. For clients looking for just one or two additional payment options, though, this can be a plus – as it means that there are modules available for download on the company’s website.

The basic elements of 3dcart include streamlined page layouts, integrated marketing tools, built-in shopping carts for various payment channels, an intuitive backend dashboard, customization capabilities via themes and modules, integration with many popular social networking sites like Facebook, shipping options (though only domestic), customizable product pages, instant shipping calculations provided by FedEx (through a module), easy scaling through multi-channel selling (also handled through modules) and lots more.

3dcart seems like an excellent choice for small online businesses looking for eCommerce solutions that will help their businesses grow and expand over time. The software itself is quite capable, and it’s clear that there are many ways for clients to customize the experience to suit their specific needs. It also seems like customers can do a lot with 3dcart without having to shell out additional cash; while modules cost extra, most of them appear to be optional add-ons rather than necessities ( once you get past your basic selling needs).

Weebly

Weebly is a quality website platform that can create your online store, which offers a free trial and three different paid versions. All have an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, so you can set up a saleable store within minutes of signing up. There are no limits on the number of pages or products you can add, although it will cost you if you want to use many of the more advanced features.

If looking for an eCommerce site builder, then Weebly probably isn’t the service for you. The business has launched its commerce feature in some countries, but this only lets users sell digital downloads such as photos and audio tracks. This does mean you can use a Weebly site to set up a simple store for those kinds of products, but it isn’t as flexible as some other platforms.

The basic Weebly plan starts at $8/month, and then the higher three plans are Pro, which is $16/month, Business that costs $24/month, and finally the top-level package named ‘Websites,’ which is priced at $34/month.

Weebly eCommerce platform review: Only one plan offers support for an unlimited number of pages – this is the second-highest tier, known as Websites. Even if you sign up for this option, there are still limits on how many total files you can upload, which is an additional constraint.

Conclusion

The eCommerce business is changing rapidly. As more and more people turn to digital shopping, businesses of all sizes need to understand the platforms available to decide what will work best for their needs. We hope our research has helped you decide which of the top 10 eCommerce platforms is right for your business.