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#Magento2 #eCommerce #Analytics

Open Source eCommerce Platforms

Today, Magento platform supports over 260,000 online stores. Magento is definitely a popular choice among merchants. But is it the best choice for you too? Or maybe there exist a couple of lucrative alternatives where rapid growth with huge revenues is possible too?

Magento is an open-source ecommerce platform (CRM). Basically, Magento is free to use. Bear in mind that to create an online shop on Magento platform, you have to understand the basics of coding and programming. Or, to simplify the process, you may use connectors and other popular extensions and add-ons.

If you're in search of an easy-to-use ecommerce online store builder with analytical tools, where all the needful features are free or semi-free and are already built-in and fully operational, we’ve got at least three best alternatives to Magento! Details are below!

Shopify: eCommerce for Beginners

Shopify is great for beginners. If you want to stay tuned and be constantly updated with new features and add-ons, Shopify’s management has a variety of options for you. Let’s discuss them below.

For newcomers in the world of eCommerce, a CRM with good customer support members is an important part of the website development process. Here, in Shopify, the support team works 24/7. They will surely help you out in almost every situation you may face when setting up your store for the first time.

If you’ve never built a website before, customer support is a key piece in making your site-building process as smooth as possible. Out of all the platforms in our review, Shopify stands out with the best customer support service ever!

Simple and intuitive website builder includes many of customly designed themes, blocks, features, icons, etc. All modern and essential tools for your further data analysis are here too.

E-mail marketing becomes an easy process with full integration of social networks. Add here a bulk of ready-made letters, templates, discounts, banners, promos - this cocktail is absolutely doomed to success!

Without coding, you will have a well-designed fully operational and unique online shop staffed with all the needful in one place.

5 Shopify Subscription Plans

Except for Lite, every plan comes with the essential features. Among them are:

  • in-built marketing add-ons:
  • digital gift cards and promo letters;
  • vouchers & discounts;
  • 133 currencies at your disposal .

    • For more sophisticated merchants there are more than 4500+ free & paid applications and add-ons with extended capabilities for your shop. Be sure to find the right set functions and features covering all your needs and desires.

    1. Lite – $9/month (doesn’t include website page builders)
    2. Basic – $29/month (all must have features are included)
    3. Shopify – $79/month standard features pack
    4. Advanced – $299/month with premium features pack
    5. Plus* – starts from $2,000/month; can be negotiated and customized for your needs.
    *For big online stores with massive varieties of items and abroad sales.

    The staff of Shopify is well-educated, smart and skilled. Team members write how to guides, blogs, answer questions coming from the users on Shopify’s forums and communities, etc. The knowledge base is stuffed with relevant articles with up to date information. Also, at your disposal are free podcasts, tutorials, courses of different kinds, and more. Great for the beginning, isn’t it?

    BigCommerce: For Quick Growth & Maximum Profit

    BigCommerce is for online shops that are promising, flourishing and growing. More advanced tools and top-notch features are included in the subscription plans only. To help you prepare your online store for growth, BigCommerce is here!

    The platform smoothly operates for you to promote a quick growth of your web shop in terms of generating more sales and, as a result, income & revenues. For this, all the key features and algorithms are automated, the experience you will have using this CRM is personalized and updates according to your needs and business alterations in your store, as well as in the market at large. Bringing up the best strategies to attract new customers, BigCommerce combines all these powers enabling you to maximize your revenue and grow as fast as possible.

    To add more, you can sell via various channels, Facebook & Pinterest, for example. If you want to economize, you may choose your own payment gateway and all the transactional fees will be free of charge. Connecting your store to such marketplace giants, like Amazon and eBay is also possible with BigCommerce!

    5 BigCommerce Standout Features

    1. a single-page checkout to boost conversions;
    2. plenty of payment methods: Apple, Google, and Amazon Pay, etc.;
    3. modern and adaptive to changes: when you’re ready for more advanced features, the software scales with you;
    4. built-in automatic in-depth and renewable SEO on-page optimization;
    5. smart & intuitive analytical tools like conversion audits, abandoned cart emails data set, advanced market segmentation, etc.

    Moreover, all features are the same and are presented in full in each and every BigCommerce tariff plans. To put it simply, no matter what your subscription plan is you will get a full pack of eCommerce vitals such as: discounts and coupons, enterprise-grade bi reporting tools, product ratings and reviews, a built-in fully functional blog, real-time shipping quotes through various carriers.

    4 BigCommerce Pricing Plans

    Standard – $29.95/month ($50k annual revenue cap); Plus – $79.95/month ($180k annual revenue cap); Pro – $299.95/month ($400k annual revenue cap); Enterprise – Custom pricing for merchants making more than $400k annually. Negotiates in person and every Enterprise pricing plan is unique in its nature because all set on an individual basis only.

    Be sure, BigCommerce CRM has no other transaction or any hidden fees except for subscription plan payment. And what is more pleasant here is that the platform has no restrictions or any other limitations put on adding members, product assortment, goods or/and services, etc.

    Comparative Table Brief

    Magento Shopify BigCommerce
    Is it suitable for beginners? No, you need to learn how to code & understand the web development lexicon in order to succeed. For beginners. Even if you do not know anything - the support team is always ready to offer you help. No, the platform is for rapid business growth and for huge stores with high potential preferably.
    User Community Magento Forum - a large community with an average online of 200+ users among 460000+ totally registered. Shopify Community has four clusters: discussions, groups, events, and blog. BigCommerce Community is user-friendly with staff members answering the questions and contributing to the how-to knowledge base.
    Flexibility & Customization Very flexible, you may do with your Magento store whatever you want and apply every suitable add-on or theme for your consideration with no limitations. Has more than 4000+ applications with 70+ mobile friendly themes. 10 of them are for free! SEO optimization, SMM integration to sell across social media like Facebook or Pinterest. Single page checkout with plenty of payment methods. Comprehensive analytical tools and features.
    What kind of business(es) suits best? Best suits for medium to large businesses. Best for beginners with small niche businesses online. High growth potential and promising ventures.

    Magento is now Adobe Commerce

    Adobe BI extension Adobe Commerce is a platform for creating multi-functioning management & marketing experience for B2B and B2C. With Adobe Commerce Power BI integration, every Adobe Commerce merchant can load his or her online webstore data to Power BI, thus having it vizualized. Adobe Commerce BI Extension when integrated to Power BI will help to have a clear view on your future business development.