Retail eCommerce sales were up to 4.28 trillion in US dollars globally. And it is projected to reach 5.4 trillion US dollars by 2022.
Online retailers need to use the right SaaS eCommerce software to scale their business to keep up with this growth. But with so many platforms available, how can you know which one is suitable for you?
This article guides you in selecting the right platform before investing in SaaS eCommerce software for your business.
Table of Contents
1. B2C and B2B Compatibility
A single cloud platform that supports both B2B and B2C eCommerce requirements may be the best choice. These SaaS platforms give you the flexibility to develop new channels and models with minimal investment.
Additionally, by investing in a single cloud platform, you don’t have to maintain multiple software systems. The software should provide dynamic product imaging, zooming, quick views, and product comparison features.
Also, find out if the platform has social media “shareability” capabilities. Some advanced SaaS eCommerce software comes with real-time inventory and product tracking features.
2. Integrations
Next is the feasibility of adding different integrations and plugins. Most credible software enables you to add plenty of tools to run your business.
Choose the plugins according to your business requirements. Additionally, check if the platform offers omnichannel commerce solutions based on your industry-specific needs.
Features like sales and order management, inventory and merchandising management, and customer service and marketing management can help improve the operational efficiency of your business.
High-grade navigation capabilities facilitate easier product searches and allow customers to find what they are looking for. Here are some popular plugins you will need for your business:
- Accounting plugins for sales, revenues, taxes, and profits
- Email marketing tools to connect and interact with your customers
- Live chat integration or social media plugins to share your content
3. SEO Friendliness
You can’t ignore SEO while establishing your business or making your brand visible on digital platforms. Using good SEO practices is beneficial to improve your online store’s ranking on the search engine. You can use a cloud optimization tool like ‘NitroPack’ to give your site an instant boost of performance. It will help you to get a good score on google PageSpeed too. Check out this NitroPack review and decide for yourself.
When investing in an eCommerce SaaS platform, consider some of these factors:
- Does it enable you to add a blog to your website?
- Does it allow you to use your domain name?
- Does it allow customers to leave reviews or feedback?
4. Mobile Friendliness
Did you know that mobile commerce sales are expected to rake in some $3.5 trillion by 2021? As consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile devices and smartphones to shop online, it is important to look for an eCommerce platform that allows customers to access your website via desktop and mobile.
Select a credible eCommerce platform that offers a responsive web design programmed to resize automatically. It means that content is adjusted to fit the screen size of any devices-laptops, mobile, or tablets. A SaaS platform that offers pixel-perfect designs can help create an excellent customer experience. These advanced software solutions offer better control over content delivery and response speeds.
5. Customer Service
Customer service is a vital element to attract more buyers and retain older ones. But software outages and server downtime can prevent your customers from accessing your website.
Choose a platform that offers faster solutions with 24/7 availability to resolve issues.
Also, ask if the service provider integrates self-service and password-protected customer centres for the users. This feature enhances the shopping experiences with personalisation, user-defined default addresses for faster checkouts, and secure access to multiple credit/debit cards for faster payment processing.
6. Security
Nobody wants to insert their credit card information on a dubious website. Web security is vital to keep hackers and cyber thieves from accessing sensitive information about your store or customers.
Before investing in SaaS eCommerce software, ensure that your platform supports HTTPS/SSL for a safe and secure checkout. Also, the software should be PCI-DSS compliant to ensure extra security.
7. Scalability
Initially, you may not want to pay for features or storage you are not using, but you might need additional features as your business takes off.
Any software you are looking to invest in should be fundamentally designed to handle workloads beyond its capacity. Businesses need software that grows with them.
It would help if you had eCommerce software that uses decoupled microservices, runs stateless, reduces latency, and avoids databases. Select a platform that gives you the option to scale without charging outrageous fees.
Choose the Most Reliable SaaS eCommerce Platform to Grow Your Business
Starting a new business online is challenging, and with so many options to choose from, it might be a daunting task. Figure out what your business will need as you grow and which eCommerce software suits your requirements the best. Knowing what to look for before investing in a platform can help you find success.
