More people are now setting up online businesses to help increase their income streams. This has been made easy due to the many b2b e-commerce platform solutions available. Business owners are also looking to reach more customers from the ever-growing number of internet users.
Plenty of factors come into play when looking for the best e-commerce solution. Most of the time, entrepreneurs consider their budget a constraining factor. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. There are plenty of open-source tools that cost less and have more features. Below are some features you should consider when choosing a B2B e-commerce platform.
Cloud-Native Support
There are plenty of hosting solutions available. Some business owners even choose to set up their servers and host their platforms in-house. However, hosting services can be pretty expensive. You will also need to manually update your platform, which can be rather cumbersome.
Cloud-native support is the latest trend. Cloud services such as Azure are cheaper than web-hosting and offer some handy features. They are more secure, and you can automate most processes such as checking for and implementing updates.
In-Built SEO and Marketing Features
When it comes to online businesses, content is king. How will you drive more organic traffic to your website? One of the cheapest and most efficient methods is SEO. A good B2B e-commerce platform should have in-built SEO features. This feature will help you curate product descriptions that will rank high.
On the other hand, marketing is also essential. Nowadays, plenty of APIs and extensions can handle email marketing.
API Integrations
Customer experience plays a significant role in the success of your online shop. Statistics show that customers will always return if the web experience is excellent. Your platform needs to be responsive on all devices. A considerable number of people visiting your site do so via their smartphones.
Customers will also want a site that loads faster and does not have too many redirects. A B2B e-commerce platform that allows third-party API integration will allow you to add some handy features to your site. APIs are faster, lightweight, and more efficient than plugins.
Headless
The debate around headless vs. non-headless e-commerce solutions has been ongoing for quite a while. Headless e-commerce solutions have the edge over non-headless platforms. First, the significant difference is that headless e-commerce platforms are decoupled. This means that the backend and frontend are separate entities. One of the best headless B2B e-commerce platforms is Virto Commerce, and you can learn more about it on this website link.
The backend comprises the database and APIs that handle requests from the frontend. The storefront is lightweight and fast, ensuring customers get the best experience. Developers can also implement new features without causing any downtime.
Bottom Line
If you’re planning to set up an online business, you should consider all the above factors. In addition, other things such as your budget and scalability will come into play. If you are not a techie, you should consult a web expert.
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