eCommerce Platforms in India

There are major four types of e-commerce solutions that you can know about. Now, you need to decide which is your type and then decide accordingly.

B2B- It refers to business-to-business eCommerce solutions. As the name suggests, it is an e-commerce solution for two business parties. For instance, a furniture company purchasing raw materials from the wood industry. This can be termed as business to business solution. In such cases, B2B solutions can be very helpful. It is among the largest e-commerce solutions to date.

B2C: This is the most evident type of e-commerce solution. Here the business sells its products to the consumers. Be it a clothing online site or Netflix, these sites are providing services and products to the consumer whereas the consumer is paying for it.

M-commerce: This is leading development in the field of e-commerce solutions. Mobile-commerce has spiked up due to a large number of movie phone users. Most online purchases occur through cell phones.

C2C: This one refers to the customer-to-customer solution. Here the third party acts as the intermediary and helps perform the business. For instance, suppose XYZ is a platform that helps an e-commerce site ship products to customers. Here, XYZ is not the online platform and neither the one providing shipment permission. It is just taking a product from one place and sending it to the other while transferring legit information of both the side. These are called customer-to-customer e-commerce services.

C2B: Customer to business. This is not much in popularity or has a larger base due to East businesses. In this, the consumer can upload the product images as reviews to the site, and then the online site pays the customer for using the image. This way, the brand becomes the consumer, and the consumer becomes the seller.

The various features that the eCommerce solutions offer are extremely helpful in building a strong and huge business. Even if you have a small-sized business, you can count on this software solution. The various features it may include are-

Automated tasks: From product lining to fixing the prices, taxes, and shipment charges, everything is done by the e-commerce software. Without e-commerce software, you need not get into this and invest a lot of time and effort. But this is a major solution that lets you sit down and plan other corners of your business without taking tension of this section.

Website design: If you are a fresher to the online business and have no idea about how to start building your website, an e-commerce solution is here for you. It offers you the templates that you can choose from to design your website. You can give basic instructions about your choices for your perfect website interface and the services will be provided accordingly. So, you need not worry about website designing anymore when you have e-commerce solutions and services. The software integrates with the order management software.

Central database: The eCommerce solutions suite also offers you the space to store all the information related to the products and the customers. It is a huge benefit as well because you need not manage the documents manually anymore. It also saves you office space. You can also easily retrieve any data or document when needed or have a quick insight. So, data management will become much easier with the help of this software.

Search bars: The software designs your website in a way that searching for the particular product becomes easier for the customer. There is a plethora of products on an online website and finding them one by one can be a tedious task that no customer wants to go through. But with a proper search bar, your customers can type down their preferred product and get the desirable results with just a click.

Business integration: Sometimes you need third-party help for running your business. The eCommerce solutions offer you this feature as well. You can easily integrate with third-party apps to perform your desired tasks.

Business marketing tools: Not just the e-commerce solutions and services offers you ideas for website design and product management. It also helps you find ways to advertise your website and the products. In short, you can have an effective marketing system for your company with the help of e-commerce solutions

Analytic: You cannot ping any product on your website that you wish to. It is very important to know the market needs and requirements before jumping to this step. The e-commerce solutions help you know exactly is the current trend of the market and what is the expected demand for particular products in the market. With this, you can better arrange your products and the website.

Looking out in the market with just a mindset of having the best e-commerce solutions is not enough. One software can be beneficial for others but may not be much effective for your business. So, you must follow these steps in order to reach a better conclusion.

Gather your team and ask them to participate in the discussion. Discussing with your team provides you different viewpoints that help you decide what type of software do you exactly need.

Plan your budget. This must be the initial step because it is the central parameter of making any investment. Consult your financial team and then decide what’s affordable for your business. Try to fix the one that does not hamper any other investment plans of your business. The software easily integrates with the POS software.

Pen down the loopholes in your current business model. It is obvious to have some because that’s the reason why you are looking for an online business solution.

Now, pen down the expectations that you, your employees, and the company has with the e-commerce solutions. This is important to note because only then you can tally it with the features of a particular software and decide if it’s fit for your business or not. So, write down your company’s needs by discussing them with your team.

Surf the market. You need to make sure that you visit all the possible corners to bring out the maximum possible options for your company. You can ask your team to participate and help in this task so that it doesn’t become hectic.

Shortlist the options that you have in front of you. See which one matches your requirements the most and then shortlist accordingly.

With the remaining one, check the compatibility of your employees. It is the employees who are ultimately going to use the services to maintain the website. So, make sure they find it easy and helpful to use.

Read the reviews minutely because they provide you the authentic insight into the particular software.

Look for the one that provides the demo sessions. It is easy to understand the usage of the particular software for which demo is necessary.

After all this, you are all set to buy the one you find the most suitable.

There are a few things that you need to consider before purchasing e-commerce solutions. These include-

Customizable templates: The very basic service that an e-commerce solution offers you is website designing. They generally have a set of templates that you can choose from. But it is not always necessary that your desired template may include all the features that you want. So, you must go for the one that offers the customizable templates so that you can suggest changes as per your choices.

Cart tools: Managing the online business platform is not easy. You need to have a proper track of the products purchased by the customers, their wish list, etc. For all these tasks, you need a shopping cart tool that can include all these things in a place.

Payment system: The e-commerce solutions must offer you payment solutions. It must be able to help your website with fixing the prices and taxes of the products. The customers must be given the freedom to choose their preferred mode of payment. The software enhances the capabilities of small business HR software.

Mobile version: Most of the customers prefer online shopping via their mobile phones. Therefore, it has now become mandatory to choose the one that offers you the movie version of your website so that you can reach the maximum possible customers.

Customer support: The e-commerce solutions must offer your customers the quick support they might need every now and then. The customers must be able to contact the website anytime they want. Therefore, the website must include the customer support page.

Marketing tool: The e-commerce you are looking for must provide you the service of marketing. This is an inevitable need because you need to advertise your website as much you need to create a good user interface.

Budget: The e-commerce solutions and services that you find the most suitable for your business must fall under your budget.

E-commerce solutions act as the major helping hand for online businesses. Hence, it brings a lot of benefits that you can have the privilege of. These may include-

Reaching out to your online customers is always a boon for any online company. E-commerce solutions help you gain a wider customer base along with great exposure. Everything is now searched online by most of the customers. So, having a wider base of business on the online platform will only bring you fortunes.

You can manage your website in a better way. The online business solutions arrange everything in your online store that could be streamlined properly. From setting products and interface to selling and transaction, it helps you throughout.

E-commerce offers you a variety of services including transactional help. Using the modified system of transactions, it becomes easier for you to manage the reception counter of your e-commerce business. It is faster and much accurate than the traditional manual method of billing.

Website design is the first thing that the customers look for and what impacts the customer’s mind. So, having a well-designed website is a major task. E-commerce solutions are all up for this task and you can attract more and more customers using this benefit.

No geographical barrier is experienced. A seller from north India can easily sell products in south India. That is the greatest benefit of online business platforms. Using e-commerce solutions can help you reach the maximum possible locations without any hassle. Hence, you need not care much about the location of your customer, if you are capable of shipping there, nothing else matters.

Using e-commerce solutions to build your online platform is much easier and cost-effective than building an offline market. You need not arrange space for the large complex and malls for your business. Just a beautiful online website and that’s all you need to trade.

So, these are some of the benefits of using e-commerce solutions and services for your online business platform.

Since the boon in the online businesses, there has been the introduction of a wide range of e-commerce solutions. You have a plethora of options in this context. To ease your task of choosing, here are some of the leading masters in e-commerce solutions-

Shopify: it is one of the most popular and leading online business solutions. It has a wide customer base with many popular business partners. It can help you build a strong and beautiful website and create a huge customer base.

Big Commerce: In a very short span of time, this e-commerce solution brings your site a lot of are aged products. It also builds a very beautiful website interface that attracts many customers.

Zepo: It is a well-recognized and popular e-commerce solution in India. It offers an easy interface that could be easily used by all types of users be it, newbies. Also, it offers a great idea of the local market as well.

Wix: It has a wide customer base in India as it provides an easy and sober interface. They have hundreds of templates that you can choose to build your website. They are also master in building attractive logos for your company.

When you start your business online, you immediately put yourself in front of a large number of people who may become customers. The best eCommerce software guides you through the process of creating a website for online shopping. The following is a list of advantages that you will obtain by adopting online store software if you are considering moving your existing firm to online eCommerce solutions.

• The use of eCommerce solutions software, in particular for smaller and medium-sized businesses, creates a level playing field for competition with more established companies. It is possible for independent artists and enterprises to make use of it to promote their wares to a larger customer base and get speedy recognition over the online platform.
• Marketing your firm may be accomplished more quickly and easily online. It expands your company's online presence across significant eCommerce platforms and makes it possible for you to communicate with a greater number of customers. You are able to build buzz really quickly for major-day specials, discounts, and events.
• Your customer may choose to communicate with you directly. You are also free to keep your company open all 24 hours of the day, every day of the week. Transactions carried out through the internet are completed quite quickly. As a result, there are no issues with the receivables. You might also provide your customers a selection of payment methods that are simple and easy to use, which will encourage them to make purchases from your online store.

If you have your own in-house IT personnel, you have the option of building an online store platform from the ground up. If not, there are a number of ready-to-use, off-the-shelf applications that are available and can be customized to match the requirements of your eCommerce business. Some examples of retail eCommerce software platform solutions are Zepo, Shopify, and BuildaBazaar. These platforms make it possible for users to start their own online enterprises via a series of uncomplicated steps.

The market is inundated with various types of eCommerce software to meet the demands of various users. eCommerce solutions are available for both small and big organizations. The top eCommerce systems are broadly classified based on three criteria: license model, sales scenario, and data interchange. A greater grasp of these areas will enable you to make an informed selection about the kind of eCommerce software that will best meet your business's demands. Okay, let's get into the specifics.

• On the basis of licensing model

1. On-premise 

The sorts of eCommerce software that needs the consumers to make a one-time expenditure in the early phase are dubbed on-premise eCommerce solutions. Installation of hardware and software is included in the investment. Apart from that, customers must cover the expense of software upgrades and support on a yearly basis, as well as the cost of maintenance and data transfer. Additionally, considerable technical expertise is required to use the programme. Yet, the benefits of this kind of software include security, dependability, and customization. Hybris, IBM WebSphere, Intershop Communications, Oorjit, and Sana Communications are a few instances of this kind of eCommerce platform. Because of the costs involved, it is not regarded as a software option for small firms.

1. Software as a service (Saas)

This is one of the most popular cloud-based SaaS eCommerce solutions. All apps are maintained and hosted in data centers. Users must pay according to the sort of subscription they choose under this model. This kind of eCommerce software has an advantage over on-premise eCommerce solutions in that it is less expensive, readily scalable, hosted, and regularly improved by service providers. Nevertheless, on the flip side, SaaS lacks data security and provides limited connectivity with the back-end system, giving consumers less control. Nonetheless, it is one of the top eCommerce software options for small enterprises.

1. Open-source

Since it provides customers with a free platform, this is one of the top eCommerce software options for small enterprises. To deploy the platform, customers simply need a basic understanding of web design. Users have the ability to install, configure, manage, and operate the eCommerce software, as well as edit the source codes. This sort of eCommerce platform comes with a variety of plugins, add-ons, and extensions, which increase their performance. Additionally, they are adaptable, and the source code is editable. The disadvantages are that it does not support normal back-end integration and that the cost of hosting determines its overall performance. Magento, PayCart, PrestaShop, and Thelia are examples of open-source eCommerce software.

• On the basis of sales scenario 

The eCommerce ecosystem covers all types of sales cycles, ranging from B2C (business to customer) through C2C (consumer to customer) (customer to customer). As a result, the greatest eCommerce systems are built to accommodate each stage of the sales cycle. This category includes the following kinds of eCommerce software:

1. Business to consumer 

This is the most common kind of eCommerce ecosystem, in which firms offer things to customers for usage. These businesses' websites are available to all visitors. To place an order, users must first log in. In the event of a general inquiry, however, no login is necessary. Since small companies are often engaged in this sort of no-middleman transaction, B2C eCommerce platforms are among the top eCommerce solutions for small enterprises.

1. Business to business 

In this kind of scenario, one corporation sells its goods to another. It does not include direct consumer sales, but rather trade sales. As a result, such online shops can only be accessed by logging into the system. These shops sell things at wholesale prices with discounts and assortments. There are several top B2B eCommerce systems.

1. Consumer to business 

Customers offer their items to businesses in this kind of eCommerce environment. Customers in this approach get bids from multiple firms. Customers evaluate the offers and ultimately choose the provider that best meets their demands.

1. Consumer to consumer 

In an eCommerce setting, the consumers really do business with one another, as the name of the setting indicates. The most well-known example of an eCommerce website that facilitates this kind of transaction is eBay.

• On the basis of data exchange 

Every eCommerce website has data chunks such as user data, product information, and other information about the consumers and items. The eCommerce companies even provide consumers with special offers such as discounts, cashback, and other deals that vary depending on the user account. All of this information is saved in the databases of back-end systems like CRM software (customer relationship management) and ERP software (Enterprise resource planning). When needed, the information is obtained.

There exists Business Logic that describes the way data should be produced, presented, saved, computed, and recreated. For improved functionality, there should be a relationship between business logic and the database. Data is exchanged based on the sort of connection established between the two. Data sharing for information retrieval occurs in two forms: integrated and interfaced. As a result, eCommerce software is integrated or interfaced.

1. Integrated eCommerce tools

A link between the database and business logic is automatically formed in this sort of eCommerce platform as a consequence of the installation of a component of a software solution in the back-end systems. To provide consumers greater flexibility, the finest eCommerce software should interface with the back-end system. The data saved in the back-end system may be utilized at the front end. This form of eCommerce software doesn't need any investment since the business logic and database of the back-end is simply re-used on the front end instead of rebuilding them.

1. Interfaced eCommerce tools 

With this sort of eCommerce platform, the link between business logic and database is manually made when the eCommerce software is installed on top of the back-end. As a consequence, the information accessible in the back-end systems is reproduced or copied. This form of eCommerce software has its own database and business logic which is frequently synced.

To have a decent picture of the problem of self-hosted vs. hosted e-commerce, we shall describe it in simple words. Self-hosted e-commerce systems provide you complete control over your business's customisation. It is possible to put it up and operate it on a shoestring budget, but it is time-consuming and requires a lot of upkeep.

On the contrary, hosted eCommerce platforms allow you to swiftly start up your online e-commerce firm since they handle all technical parts of an e-store for you. Nevertheless, they are more expensive than self-hosted systems and do not enable you to personalize your company platform.

As a consequence of this, the choice will come down to how you want to run your company: for immediate ease of use (hosted), or for more flexibility and autonomy over the longer term (self-hosted).

• Business to business 

Under this kind of model, a number of different enterprises sell their wares and services to other types of commercial organizations. Provider of hosting services for websites, for example.

• Business to customer 

This is the most frequent sort of electronic business, in which a company sells products and services to a customer. It is similar to a regular retail market that has been put up remotely via the Internet. Consider Amazon Shopping.

• Customer to customer 

A consumer offers his services to another consumer using online platforms such as eBay and other similar websites using this kind of eCommerce solution.

• Customer to business 

C2B eCommerce is the word used to describe online business transactions in which a consumer sells goods or services to a business. Freelancing is the best example of consumer-to-business (C2B) interactions since it allows individuals to market their abilities and be hired by businesses to fulfill certain roles.

• Customer to administration

Under this paradigm, a public entity or agency engages in direct electronic commerce with the client.

• Business to administration

Here, the government obtains services directly from business enterprises. The best eCommerce systems provide business automation, online monitoring of products and services, access to consumer demands, data analytics, simple cash transfers, and many other features for creating an eCommerce shop.

With the advancement of technology, the electronic market is gaining a stronger hold on practically every business sector, including banking and finance, education, retail eCommerce and wholesale commerce, manufacturing, auctions, entertainment, and so on. Any sector you can think of, eCommerce has impacted it!

With a growing number of customers from all around the globe seeking to make purchases online, the e-commerce industry is seeing phenomenal growth. One advantage that the eCommerce company has over traditional commerce is the convenience of being able to place an order without leaving the confines of one's own house, as well as the simplicity of being able to return and replace an item.

In addition, companies that deal in eCommerce are constantly working to enhance their platforms by adding more effective eCommerce tools and making use of more recent technology in order to provide superior customer support and enhance the shopping experience for end users. As a direct consequence of this, the environment of online commerce is one of those ecosystems that is always evolving and becoming more advanced with each passing day.

From artificial intelligence and voice search to Omni-platforms, eCommerce companies are incorporating a variety of technologies in order to profit on the market. The future of eCommerce software cannot be predicted, but one thing is certain: every firm will seek to improve its services, expand its product options, and shorten delivery times.

The most important eCommerce developments in software are also worth investigating thoroughly. Businesses must ensure that the software they invest in is designed with an underlying awareness of the major trends that are disrupting their industry, and selecting an application that has been developed with an understanding of current and emerging trends can also help to make purchases more future-proof.

• Artificial intelligence 

The ideal eCommerce platform will utilize artificial intelligence, and machine learning is a major development in this sector. This technology lets software analyze data and form intelligent judgements and learn lessons. This suggests that the programme can recognise demand peaks and automatically make strategic modifications to meet them. It might also track supply and sales and automatically remove unpopular or unavailable goods.

• Chatbots 

AI-related trends include chatbots and conversational interfaces. Speech recognition technologies and widespread usage of voice assistants have hastened this trend. Customers and staff grow increasingly comfortable with live chat software and want it. Conversational interfaces also aid impaired individuals. Chatbots or voice recognition may provide staff with new ways to use the software and make the eCommerce platform more accessible to consumers.

• Privacy options 

Retail organizations have prioritized personalization in recent years, but consumers are becoming more aware of how much data businesses collect and worried about how it may be exploited. B2B eCommerce solutions also have privacy requirements. Transparency and alternatives are crucial. Certain eCommerce software solutions monitor consumers' browsing and purchase behavior, although customers may opt out.

• Cloud technology

Several companies are taking use of remote or hybrid work. According to Capterra, 85% of Canadian workers wish to work remotely after the epidemic. Remote workers need the necessary tools to succeed. eCommerce software must be accessible remotely for businesses that enable remote workers. Even companies that haven't adopted this strategy may consider it. Cloud-based solutions are great for this since they can be accessed from anywhere using any internet-connected device.

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