There are several ways to create your online store. The choice of one or the other can vary the degree of complexity of the same. It can be done through an e-commerce platform such as Prestashop, Magento or OsCommerce. We can also use WordPress itself and create an online store using the Woocommerce plugin.
On the other hand, it is also true that many entrepreneurs prefer to create their online store from scratch, without using an open source software tool, in order to have a greater degree of security and greater control of the tool.
What is the best way to create an online store for your business? If you have an SME, for which of these tools or platforms should you choose?
Let’s talk a little about the different tools that exist in the network to create an online store. It is important to understand that, in any case, the idea is to have a hosting and an own domain name.
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Create an online store with Prestashop
One of the options you have is to use the Prestashop platform. As you can see in the demo itself, you can create a modern and efficient online store with a back-office with everything you need to manage your online business. Billing, products, discounts, SEO, etc.
There is a large market of Prestashop templates that can help you find the model you need. Now, the best thing is to customize your store to the maximum so that it has an original and attractive design for the user.
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Create an online store with Magento
Another option you have is to create your online store with Magento, something that has a higher level of complexity and what we do recommend you to count on our web developers.
Magento is the platform chosen by online stores with more products, more traffic and a greater degree of complexity. However, it has a large community where it is possible to solve doubts and find the necessary functionalities for our store. Read more Marketing Strategy for Business Growth.
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Create an online store with Shopify
Shopify is a Canadian company that allows you to create an online store in a matter of minutes, with all the detailed information to be able to grow your business and takes the administration correctly. This platform has more than 1,000,000 active users and there are more than 600,000 businesses based on it.
It may be the most convenient option for you if you want to create a simple online store that you can create and manage yourself, although it is convenient to keep in mind that it is probably not the best option for you if you want to create a business on a large scale.
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Create an online store with Woocommerce and WordPress
Many companies are betting on WordPress technology and the WooCommerce plugin to create their online store. This allows them to work with a platform that they probably already know and have a simple online store in which they can receive transactions and manage sales, with a wide variety of payment methods.
Implementing WordPress with WooCommerce may seem easy, but in any case, you need a good design that is attractive to your online store. Adapt, customize and take care that everything is in order is the work of a good graphic designer and web programmer.
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Create a custom online store
This option consists of developing an online store from scratch. The above are tools that either allow you to download a package of files and install them on your own server, or give you the opportunity to create an online store in the cloud with your own domain. In this case, it would be to create the online store from scratch, with some important advantages.
You will not be using open source, so if there are vulnerabilities in this type of applications (which are open source and are visible to anyone), nobody can take advantage of them and try to hack your store. Your code is exclusive and of quality.
Being an online store developed from scratch, you decide how you want it to be your back-end and front-end, so you will also have an original and exclusive design that will not be copied from any other store and adapted to your needs.
The biggest drawback of creating an online store is that the development process is long, as well as the price increases. However, we believe that it is a good option for those who want maximum flexibility and exclusivity, as well as reducing security risks for the future.
If you need to create your online store, we encourage you to contact us and we will provide the advice and information you need to start developing it.
You can also check and compare web hosting comparison at Mango Matter Media before you finalize on one.
