E-commerce marketing is a useful practice for online business ventures. This is because it applies tactics and strategies that can drive the number of visits to your online business site and convert those visits on your site into sales by establishing product or service loyalty and patronage.

Because of this, it is important to know which e-commerce marketing platform is the right one for your business. You can either do research on these platforms or seek expert advice on which one works best for your industry. So how do you go about in searching for the right e-commerce marketing platform?

It should be worth noting that with the right e-commerce marketing platform, your online business can grow in terms of sales and sustain that growth over time. Another thing to have in mind is that the e-commerce marketing platform should have applicable marketing strategies both online and offline. And so, the search begins for the right e-commerce marketing platform.

Evaluate Your Current Business Situation

In the search for the right e-commerce marketing platform, one has to consider the current status of the business. First, know the size and type of your business – is it a small business, a middle-sized or a large business? After this, know the current situation of the business, is it in the beginning stages, is it planning to launch, is it currently an established business, or is it planning expansion? In short, knowing where the business currently stands is one of the most important aspects to consider so that your business stage may have the right fit with the features and capabilities of the e-commerce marketing platform you choose.

Know the Marketing Needs of Your Business

The next thing to know is the current and future needs of your business. Identify the essential needs such as how many products you have that need launching, promotion, and upgrade. Know the current profitability and expenditure picture of your business by reviewing your balance sheet regularly. Also, identify what are the important business data and how you want to manage them by storing in a reliable database.

Looking ahead, know the other external systems and applications you may need to expand your business in the future and reach a wider market. Always be on the lookout for changes and innovations in your target market or for things that can affect your business.

Consider the Features of the Platform

Knowing your current business landscape and the needs of the business are essential so that you can align them with the features of the e-commerce marketing platforms you have on your list. The first things you need to look for in a prospective platform are the following:

  • Reliable bandwidth and uptime for Hosting environment,
  • Unlimited application programming interface (API) call volumes
  • A customizable site with free themes
  • Wide range of applications available that include pre-built integrations with best-in-class service providers
  • Site optimization, checkout, and customization
  • PCI compliance
  • SEO features and fully customizable URLs
  • Built-in basic e-commerce features such as promotions, discounts, analytics, catalog management, etc.

For small businesses, e-commerce marketing platforms such as WooCommerce or Shopify have features and solutions best suited for this type of venture. Magento is the platform best suited for middle-sized and large businesses where a market strategy is in place, the marketing directions are set and clear, the products and services are established and there is an existing target market and audience.

The reasons why Magento is the recommended platform for an intermediate and large business? Innovation and flexibility. Magento offers the integration of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system into the platform. This is made possible through the development of a dedicated and capable team of professionals via the Magento API. Thus, a custom solution by Magento and ERP integration can offer flexibility and versatility of options for businesses while also staying attuned with the needs of the business – tailor-made customization not possible with out-of-the-box solutions. Because of the professional-made customization, the Magento platform will demand a hefty price. If you want a custom design for your business, the budget cost for Magento is way higher than the cost of out-of-the-box templates, but the benefits and gains will be worth the cost. The Magento pricing guide by Solvature can give business owners an idea of how much does Magento cost and the pricing guidelines that come with it.

Weigh the Price and the Payoffs of the Platform

Depending on the current state and needs of your business, there can be more than one platform that can fit well with the business state and needs. However, most of the time, e-commerce marketing platforms that have these features come with a high price, as in the case of Magento. Although there are free platforms available, the features of the free platforms are limited and may not meet all of your business needs.

The e-commerce marketing platform can be considered an investment due to the significant cost and the potential gains businesspersons can achieve from acquiring the platform. The payoffs or benefits include a flexible product management suite, streamlined merchandising, an adaptive pricing system, extensive and effective promotions, user-friendly search capabilities and personalized sales and services. All these can help increase profitability, expand marketing horizons, reach out to a wider audience and potential customers, revitalize marketing strategies and improve business stability. These payoffs cannot be observed or felt overnight, but can happen gradually until they become apparent in the future. So continue to monitor the progress and changes made in your business by the acquisition of an effective e-commerce marketing platform. The key is to always look forward into the future.

Searching for the right e-commerce marketing platform can take a lot of things to consider. Business owners should first know where they are currently with their businesses to identify what they need. Next, business owners have to carefully evaluate the features of potential e-commerce marketing platforms and align these features with their business needs. Lastly, consider the price options and alternatives for the platform you are considering. Weigh the options if the price is worth spending on the benefits and possible profit gains that can be achieved in the future. It takes wise decision making from businesspersons and advice from e-commerce marketing experts to arrive at an effective marketing solution.