Building an eCommerce platform is like a dream coming true for many aspiring entrepreneurs. The success rate of the marketplace platform is determined by many factors and one of the major factors is the platform we choose to build the marketplace. One of the widely used platforms in the market is Shopify.
Shopify is a user-friendly eCommerce platform and it is good for beginners who start their online store. When you enhance your business you cannot have Shopify as the platform lacks in many regions and you need to find Shopify alternatives.
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Why is a Shopify Alternative needed?
There are several reasons why we search for Shopify alternatives. Since the demand is high there are many Shopify competitors who are emerging in the market. Let us analyze the reasons that Shopify lack to withstand the market requirement.
Customization is difficult – Customization requires technical knowledge and we cannot expect the admin to be technically strong in all cases. So users face a lot of difficulties in setting their own marketplace platform.
Shopify uses PhP language called liquid to create themes for the marketplace. But this is not user-friendly language and this is one of the main reasons people prefer Shopify alternatives.
Lack of email hosting – With Shopify you cannot have emails with your own domain name. for eg. You cannot have an email id like info@myshopname.com. Still, the email forwarding is possible. If someone sends mail to info@myshopname.com, the platform will directly forward the email to your personal Gmail account.
Shopify is expensive – If you are searching for a cost-effective platform then you need to definitely look for Shopify alternatives as all plans of Shopify are quite costly and it is not recommended for startups who plan to start their store within their budget.
Themes are costly and even if you need to integrate any third-party payment gateways then you need to pay additional charges. If you have a money shortage then you need to search for Shopify alternatives.
Why is a Bigcommerce Alternative needed?
Just like Shopify, Bigcommerce is also a reputed eCommerce platform that is widely used by developers to build a marketplace platform. But this platform has its downside that needs to be analyzed. Let us find out the reasons that made users think about bigcommerce alternatives.
Inavailability of add-ons – Bigcommerce has numerous features that will enhance the performance of the marketplace platform but at the same time, you will find difficulty in finding add-ons to features.
Lock-in – When you build your marketplace website in bigcommerce it is very difficult to navigate your hosting to your self-hosted server. You cannot expect to migrate the platform without loss of data.
Pricing – The pricing of the platform is costly when compared with other leading eCommerce platforms. When there are several open-source platforms are available, users are not willing to spend on this platform
What could be the Best Choice over these pain points? Let’s Explore!
For every pain point that we face in running a marketplace platform, will be a solution. The issues that Shopify has can be easily solved by ZielCommerce which is one of the best Shopify alternatives. Zielcommerce has its unique way of providing a seamless experience to its users and its advanced features will benefit users in building a challenging marketplace platform. Let us get to know the key features of Zielcommerce in detail.
- One-time License Cost – Zielcommerce comes with a one-time license cost and there is no other hidden cost when you purchase this eCommerce application. You can pay once and enjoy the platform completely.
- 100% Customization Features – users can experience end-to-end customization with Zielcommerce. Along with customization, you can also enjoy the scalability that will support your business growth and hold more user data. This is the key reason that zielcommerce is considered to be one of Shopify alternatives by users.
- On-Cloud & On-Premise Deployment – deployment of the platform is quite simple and easy with Zeilcommerce. The application takes the overall control starting from the beginning of the development of the platform till on-cloud deployment.
- Headless Approach – with Zielcommerce, you can separate the front-end and back-end and work with your store without the front-end. This will increase user experience with the application and enhance the performance of the platform effectively using the headless eCommerce approach.
- Can be used globally, No restrictions – all data is stored in a cloud that can be accessed anywhere, any time by the user. So you can stay connected with the platform without any geographical restriction.
Feature Comparison – ZielCommerce vs Shopify vs Bigcommerce
| Feature | ZielCommerce | Shopify | Bigcommerce |
| Payment gateways integration | ZielCommerce supports more than 80+ payment gateways that are quite popular for users. | With Shopify you can find around 45+ payment gateways | Bigcommerce supports 50+ payment gateways in its platform. |
| Dedicated mobile application | Zielcommerce comes with an exclusive mobile application that can be used both in Android and iOS. | Mobile application support is restricted | Though the platform has mobile applications, it is not that much user-friendly. |
| Communication channels | Zielcommerce provides multiple communication channels like chat messengers, emails, SMS, WhatsApp, and many more and allows vendors and buyers to communicate freely | Shopify supports very few communication channels | Communication is not that easy within the platform. |
| Revenue models | Zielcommerce supports multiple revenue models like commission fee, subscription fee, listing fee, third-party advertisements, and many more | Shopify supports basic revenue models | Bigcommerce support commission and membership model |
| Business model | Whatever your business model can be, Zielcommerce supports all business types and provides features accordingly | Supports selective business models | Supports selective business models |
| Pricing | Zielcommerce is affordable and even startups can get a perfect solution by purchasing zielcommerce | Shopify is costly | Bigcommerce is costly |
Conclusion
It is always essential to put more effort into selecting the right eCommerce platform for your marketplace. Even if you have selected Shopify for your eCommerce platform, it is not too late to search for Shopify alternatives.
Check for Shopify competitors and make wise decisions before you switch to any of Shopify alternatives to renew your marketplace platform.
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