The Best Way to Present Your Business Online in 2024

Nowadays, every businessman focuses on taking his business to new customers. Owning an online marketplace has become mandatory for any business, which is the best way to reach new customers. Just like an offline retail store, businessmen can list their products along with their specifications on their websites and find nationwide or worldwide customers. A survey by AlixPartners revealed that 48% of consumers have permanently shifted to online shopping after the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused increased demands for eCommerce solutions and contactless payments.

According to Forbes, one out of three businesses don’t have an official website. Nearly 71% of businesses own online marketplaces and 20% of them claim to use social media as an option. Using social media for promoting and selling products and services isn’t a bad option. But it may put some limitations. And yes, definitely it might not be effective in the long term. An eCommerce website can be considered a better option here. Over 80% of consumers compare prices online before making a purchase, which shows customers leaning towards online shopping.

So, we can say that having an eCommerce website is the best way to present your business online in 2024 and the future. Such websites can be built from scratch using programming languages like PHP, Node JS, etc, or using eCommerce platforms like Magento, OpenCart, PrestaShop, WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.

The online store creation process from scratch can be expensive and time-consuming. Building it using eCommerce platforms can be time-saving and cost-effective. Such online business platforms offer plenty of pre-designed themes and plugins, which can make the process even easier. We prefer using the following platforms for building online marketplaces:

• Magento
• OpenCart
• PrestaShop
• WooCommerce
• Shopify

Magento

Magento is a PHP-based eCommerce platform. Its flexibility, scalability, and powerful features have made it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes. Bitrix Infotech’s Magento website builders utilize all its benefits and key features under Magento development services. Some of its key features include:

• Content Management System: Magento allows you to create and manage product pages, blog posts, and landing pages.
• Shopping Cart: Magento’s shopping cart will allow customers to add and manage products and orders.
• Marketing Tools: Magento comes with multiple digital marketing tools such as E-mail marketing, Search Engine Optimization tools, and social media integration.
• Payment Processing: Magento supports multiple payment processors to allow consumers to make online payments including fiat and crypto payment gateways.
• Security: Magento is a PCI-compliant platform. So we can say that it is secure.

OpenCart

OpenCart is an open-source platform, which doesn’t require any licensing fee. Its user-friendly interface and large community support make it popular among businesses. However, it’s considered to be one of the best options for small-size businesses. Bitrix Infotech’s OpenCart website builders help businesses build OpenCart-based websites under OpenCart development services including its multilingual and multi-currency support.

PrestaShop

PrestaShop is an eCommerce platform, which provides some basic features for free. It primarily focuses on flexibility and customizations. Bitrix Infotech’s PrestaShop development services work best for growing businesses. Here are its key features:

• Highly Customizable: There are a bunch of free and paid modules to refine the look of your website.
• Mobile First: PrestaShop’s designs are mobile-friendly.
• SEO-Friendly: SEO-friendliness of PrestaShop-based websites attracts organic traffic.
• Marketing Tools: PrestaShop comes with multiple online marketing tools that boost your marketing efforts.
• Payment Processing: PrestaShop lets businesses integrate payment gateways to accept payments online.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is an eCommerce platform that helps businesses transform a WordPress website into an eCommerce website. It is flexible, scalable, and easy to use. Bitrix Infotech’s professional WooCommerce website builders are capable of building reliable online marketplaces under WooCommerce development services. Some popular features of WooCommerce are:

• Cost-Effective: WooCommerce is a free platform. We can even find plenty of themes and plugins for free.
• Open-Source: Businesses can have complete control over their stores and data.
• Mobile-Responsive and Secure: WooCommerce helps you build a website that is secure as well as accessible on all devices.

Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular and used eCommerce platforms for building online marketplaces. Shopify is a useful platform for businesses of all sizes. Below are the key features of Shopify:

• Easy to Use: Shopify’s drag-and-drop builder allows to build websites for those individuals who don’t know much about coding.
• Management Features: Shopify’s product management, inventory management, and order processing simplifies the shopping experience.
• Large app store: Businesses can add any functionality they need to their stores, such as marketing automation, accounting, and shipping with the help of over 7000 apps available.

Things to keep in mind:

• Always prefer reliable eCommerce development services. Bitrix Infotech also offers such services at a competitive price.
• Boost your online presence through social media platforms and effective digital marketing. Don’t forget to connect to your audience and keep them updated about special offers.
• Prices on online marketplaces are usually aggressive as selling on such platforms eliminates intermediaries like dealers. Keep prices aggressive to get noticed in the competitive market.
• Always keep your website’s design responsive to all devices.
• Always focus on content marketing. Generating quality backlinks helps you improve off-page SEO.
• Build an email list and send targeted newsletters, promotions, or updates as a part of Email Marketing to stay connected with your audience.