The Best Ecommerce Platform in 2024

Summary

This video offers a comprehensive guide to choosing the right e-commerce platform for your online store. It reviews pros and cons of various platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, Big Cartel, BigCommerce, Magento, and Amazon. The presenter shares special discounts and emphasizes the importance of 24/7 support, customization, and ease of setup. Shopify is highlighted for professional sellers, while WooCommerce is praised for its affordability and customization. Amazon FBA is also discussed as a lucrative passive income opportunity, with a free course offered for viewers interested in selling on Amazon.

Takeaways

• 🛒 The video aims to guide viewers on choosing the right e-commerce platform for their online store by discussing the pros and cons of various options.
• 💰 E-commerce is a growing industry with significant potential for growth, as it only accounts for 15% of all retail sales, and is expected to increase with 65% of Americans shopping online by the end of the year.
• 🏪 Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform, especially among professional sellers, offering 24/7 support, a wide range of themes, and ease of setup, but it can be expensive and has limited customization options.
• 🔗 Shopify provides numerous apps, plugins, and integrations, reducing the need for custom development, but the quality of support has reportedly declined.
• 🌐 WooCommerce is the most popular e-commerce platform overall and is free, requiring only hosting costs, and is known for its extensive plugin library and customization options, though it may lack user-friendliness for advanced customization.
• 🎨 Squarespace is known for its beautiful website designs and 24/7 support but is not primarily an e-commerce platform, which can limit functionality and flexibility for online stores.
• 🚫 Wix and GoDaddy are not recommended for e-commerce due to their origins as website builders with added e-commerce functionality, which may not meet the needs of serious online sellers.
• 🆓 Big Cartel is a free platform suitable for small stores or artists but lacks features, integrations, and does not offer 24/7 support, making it less ideal for businesses looking to scale.
• 📈 BigCommerce and Magento/Adobe Commerce are platforms that have shifted focus or rebranded, with the latter being highly customizable but complex, not recommended for those without development resources.
• 💡 Amazon offers a vast marketplace with minimal setup required and benefits from Amazon's marketing efforts, but comes with high competition and the risk of being removed from the platform.
• 🛍 Walmart.com is another growing platform with potential for physical retail placement but remains smaller in scale compared to Amazon, with a focus on a percentage-based sales fee rather than a subscription model.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to discuss the pros and cons of various eCommerce platforms and to help viewers decide which platform to use for creating their online store.

What was the total amount spent on online retail in the last year according to the video?

Over six trillion dollars was spent on online retail in the last year.

What percentage of retail sales does e-commerce currently make up, and what is the projected growth?

E-commerce currently makes up about 15% of all retail sales, and it is expected that by the end of the year, 65 percent of all Americans will purchase something online.

Why is Shopify the most popular eCommerce platform for professional sellers?

Shopify is popular among professional sellers because it is built from the ground up to support e-commerce, offers 24/7 support, and provides a wide selection of free and paid themes for a beautiful site design.

What is the starting price for Shopify's most basic plan?

The starting price for Shopify's most basic plan is $29 per month.

What is the main disadvantage of Squarespace when it comes to e-commerce?

The main disadvantage of Squarespace for e-commerce is that it was not originally built with e-commerce in mind, and it lacks the extensive plugin and app options that other platforms offer.

What is the main advantage of WooCommerce over other platforms mentioned in the video?

The main advantage of WooCommerce is that it is a free e-commerce platform with a large library of plugins and add-ons, and it is the most popular eCommerce platform globally.

What is the estimated market share of Amazon in e-commerce sales?

Amazon is estimated to have around 50% of all e-commerce sales.

What is the benefit of selling on Walmart.com according to the video?

Selling on Walmart.com can lead to the possibility of getting products into Walmart's physical retail stores, which can significantly expand a seller's market reach.

What is the recommended hosting service for WooCommerce, and what are the benefits of using it?

The recommended hosting service for WooCommerce is Hostinger. It offers affordable hosting starting at two to three dollars a month, and using the provided link and coupon code can result in additional discounts.

What is the main recommendation for a beginner looking to start an e-commerce business on a budget?

For beginners on a budget, the recommendation is to start with WooCommerce due to its affordability, ease of setup, and extensive customization options.

What is the advantage of creating your own website using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce over selling on marketplaces like Amazon?

Creating your own website gives you ownership and control over your business, and it is not as susceptible to being kicked off the platform as with marketplaces.

What is the free course offered at the end of the video for those interested in Amazon FBA?

The video offers a free five-hour Amazon FBA course to educate viewers on how to make money selling products on Amazon.

Outlines

00:00

🛒 Overview of E-Commerce Platforms

This paragraph introduces the topic of choosing the right e-commerce platform for creating an online store. It emphasizes the importance of selecting the right platform due to the rapid growth of e-commerce and the potential for expansion in the market. The speaker promises to discuss the pros and cons of various platforms and offers special discounts at the end of the video. Shopify is highlighted as a popular choice for professional sellers, with its user-friendly setup, 24/7 support, and a wide range of themes and apps. However, it also mentions the potential high costs and limited customization options of Shopify.

05:01

🏢 Comparison of E-Commerce Platforms

The second paragraph compares different e-commerce platforms, starting with Squarespace, noted for its beautiful website templates but criticized for its lack of e-commerce functionality and limited app options. Wix and GoDaddy are also discussed, with Wix being criticized for its limited e-commerce features despite its ease of setup and GoDaddy for its overpriced hosting packages. Big Cartel is mentioned as a free platform suitable for small stores but lacking in features and integrations. BigCommerce and Magento (now Adobe Commerce) are also briefly discussed, with the former being outdated and the latter being highly customizable but complex.

10:01

💡 WooCommerce and Other Selling Platforms

This paragraph focuses on WooCommerce, the most popular e-commerce platform, which is free but requires hosting costs. It offers a vast library of plugins, ease of setup, and full customization. However, it may not be as user-friendly for deeper code changes and lacks some basic features that can be added via plugins. The paragraph also touches on Amazon and Walmart as selling platforms, with Amazon being a massive opportunity due to its vast customer base and marketing spend, and Walmart offering potential retail access. The cons include competition on Amazon and a smaller market share for Walmart. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of eBay and Etsy, noting the fees and potential for removal from these platforms.

🚀 Final Recommendations and Resources

The final paragraph provides recommendations based on the user's business needs and budget. WooCommerce is suggested for beginners or those with uncertain business prospects due to its affordability and ease of setup. Shopify is recommended for those seeking a more professional approach, despite its higher costs. The speaker also promotes a free five-hour Amazon FBA course for those interested in selling on Amazon and emphasizes the importance of owning a website for long-term business stability and growth. The paragraph ends with a reminder of the available discounts and courses for viewers.

Keywords

💡eCommerce platform

An eCommerce platform is a service that enables merchants to build and manage their online stores. In the video, various eCommerce platforms are discussed, each with its own pros and cons, to help viewers decide which one is best suited for their online store needs. Examples from the script include Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon, which are all platforms that facilitate the creation and management of online stores.

💡online store

An online store is a virtual marketplace where consumers can browse and purchase goods or services over the internet. The video emphasizes the importance of choosing the right eCommerce platform to create an online store, as it is a key factor in the success of an online business. The script mentions that e-commerce is growing rapidly, and starting an online store is a timely opportunity.

💡Shopify

Shopify is a popular eCommerce platform designed specifically for online retail. It is highlighted in the script as a favorite among professional e-commerce sellers due to its user-friendly interface, 24/7 support, and a wide range of themes and apps. The video also mentions a free 14-day trial and a free SSL certificate as part of a special offer for Shopify.

💡WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free eCommerce platform that is highly popular and has a vast library of plugins. It is mentioned as the most popular eCommerce platform overall, with the added benefit of full customization capabilities. However, it may require more technical knowledge for deeper customization compared to other platforms.

💡Squarespace

Squarespace is an eCommerce platform known for its beautiful website templates and 24/7 customer support. However, the script points out that it was not initially designed with e-commerce in mind, which may limit its functionality for online stores compared to platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

💡Wix

Wix is an easy-to-use platform for building websites that later added e-commerce functionality. The script does not recommend Wix for e-commerce due to its limited features and integrations, suggesting that it may not meet the needs of a fully-fledged online store.

💡Big Cartel

Big Cartel is a free platform suitable for artists and creative individuals who want to set up a small online store with up to five products. The script mentions it as an option for those looking to start an online store without an initial investment but warns of its limitations in features and scalability.

💡Amazon FBA

Amazon FBA, or Fulfillment by Amazon, is a service that allows sellers to store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and Amazon handles the storage, shipping, and customer service. The video script presents Amazon FBA as a significant opportunity for creating a passive income business, with the advantage of leveraging Amazon's massive customer base and marketing efforts.

💡customization

Customization refers to the ability to modify and tailor aspects of an online store to fit specific business needs or preferences. The script discusses the varying levels of customization available on different eCommerce platforms, with WooCommerce offering full customization but at the potential cost of user-friendliness for less technical users.

💡integrations

Integrations are the connections between an eCommerce platform and other software or services that enhance the functionality of the online store. The script mentions that Shopify has a wide range of apps and plugins, which provide various integrations, while other platforms like Squarespace may have limited integration options.

💡Amazon competition

The term 'Amazon competition' refers to the rivalry among sellers on the Amazon platform. The script acknowledges the high level of competition on Amazon, with millions of sellers, but also highlights the potential for success, as evidenced by the many sellers who have made significant earnings through the platform.

Highlights

The video will help viewers choose the right e-commerce platform by discussing their pros and cons.

E-commerce is growing rapidly, with 6 trillion dollars spent last year, and only 15% of retail sales are online, indicating significant growth potential.

Shopify is popular among professional sellers, offering 24/7 support and a wide range of themes for customizing the store's appearance.

Shopify's ease of setup allows creating an online store in just four minutes.

A free 14-day trial of Shopify is available, including a free SSL certificate for secure online payments.

Shopify's extensive app and plugin offerings eliminate the need for custom development for most features.

Shopify's main drawbacks include higher costs starting at $29/month and limited customization for product and checkout pages.

Squarespace is known for beautiful website building but lacks e-commerce focus and plugin availability.

Wix is easy to start with but not recommended for e-commerce due to its limitations in features and integrations.

GoDaddy is not recommended for creating online stores due to its high costs and lack of features.

Big Cartel is a free platform suitable for artists and creatives but lacks advanced features and integrations.

BigCommerce and Magento (now Adobe Commerce) are not recommended for new e-commerce businesses due to their complexity and cost.

WooCommerce is the most popular e-commerce platform, offering free use, extensive plugin options, and ease of setup.

WooCommerce requires hosting fees but offers a customizable and professional platform for e-commerce businesses.

Amazon offers a massive opportunity for e-commerce sales with low setup and marketing costs, but comes with high competition.

Walmart.com is growing rapidly and offers the potential for in-store sales, but has a smaller market share compared to Amazon.

Selling on platforms like eBay and Etsy can be profitable but comes with fees and the risk of account suspension.

The video recommends Shopify for a professional e-commerce business and WooCommerce for budget-conscious beginners.

A free five-hour Amazon FBA course is offered for those interested in creating an Amazon-based e-commerce business.

Transcripts

by the end of this video you will know

exactly which one of these you should

use to create your online store because

we're going to go over the pros and the

cons of every single eCommerce platform

in this video but make sure you stay

till the end of the video because I have

the hookup I have special discounted

prices for all these platforms that I'm

going to share with you at the end of

this video and last year over six

trillion dollars was spent on online

websites and e-commerce is growing like

crazy but still e-commerce only makes up

15 of all retail sales which means that

right now is the perfect time to start

your online store because there's still

a ton of room to grow and by the end of

this year it's expected that 65 percent

of all Americans will purchase something

online but if you want to be one of the

millions of people that are making money

online you're going to need to create a

website and in this video we're going to

tell you exactly which platform you

should use let's start with Shopify

which is one of the most popular

e-commerce platforms out there though

it's not actually the most popular the

most popular e-commerce platform is

woocommerce but still Shopify is the

most popular eCommerce platform for

professional e-commerce Sellers and

that's because it's built from the

ground up to support e-commerce they

also offer 24 7 support and one of the

big benefits of Shopify is you can

choose from a ton of different free or

paid themes that's going to make your

site look beautiful it's also the

easiest e-commerce platform to set up in

fact you can create an online store

using Shopify in just four minutes I

also have a free 14-day trial for you of

Shopify that you can use by clicking the

link down below and when you use the

link down below you also get a free SSL

certificate that'll make sure that your

website is secure so that you can take

online payments another Pro of Shopify

is they have a ton of apps plugins and

Integrations so whatever you want your

website to do there's probably already

an app out there that's doing that back

in the old days when you had an

e-commerce store you would have to hire

a developer to Custom Design some

element of your website but because

Shopify has so many apps and plugins you

won't need to hire a developer you can

just use one of those existing Solutions

the biggest con for Shopify is that it

can be kind of expensive starting at 29

a month for the most basic plan and

going up from there on top of that if

you want to use apps plugins or

different Integrations you're going to

have to pay even more money for those

features another con is that there's

limited customization for the product

page and the checkout page some of the

other platforms we'll talk about later

allow you to have full customization

like woocommerce and even though you

have 24 7 support with Shopify the

quality of support you get has gone

downhill with Shopify over the last few

years if you are looking for a cheaper

option than Shopify stay tuned for

woocommerce it's actually a free

e-commerce platform that I'll be talking

about later but next up is Squarespace

and Squarespace helps you to build

beautiful websites there is a huge

selection of designer made templates

that look beautiful they also offer 24 7

customer support but the biggest con

with Squarespace is that it's not built

with e-commerce in mind it started out

as a place to build websites and they

later added on this e-commerce

functionality there's also not a lot of

plugins or apps so a lot of times

there's things that you want your

website to do that you just can't do

with Squarespace and starting at 16 a

month Squarespace is more affordable

than Shopify but it's missing so many

features that I do not recommend this

platform unless you're an artist or a

Creator and you're trying to make a

beautiful website first and foremost and

then you're just going to happen to be

selling some CDs or some art on it as

well Wix is another platform that's easy

to start and setup they also have a

relatively large app Marketplace and

it's a reliable platform with good

security but I do not recommend Wix for

a number of reasons the biggest reason

is because it started out as a website

builder and then they added the

e-commerce functionality later on and it

shows there's a limited amount of for

and a lot of the features that you would

expect as an e-commerce store owner just

aren't there with Wix GoDaddy is another

one of those platforms I do not

recommend that you use they do have

affordable prices on domain names but a

lot of people get tricked into buying

their hosting packages and trying to

create an online store using godaddy.com

and I do not recommend going with them

because it's overpriced and I just don't

have as much features and functionality

as these other platforms that we're

talking about have Big Cartel is a free

platform where you can put up to five

products on your online store absolutely

for free it's simple to make a small

store and Big Cartel is made for artists

and creative type people but the Cons

with Big Cartel is there's just not

enough features and not enough

Integrations and I know that a lot of

people want to start their eCommerce

store for free but the problem is as

your business grows it's going to be a

big pain in the butt to move from Big

Cartel to one of the more professional

platforms so I do not recommend going

with Big Cartel especially when

woocommerce all also is free and we'll

be talking about that later in this

video there's also limited templates and

they do not have 24 7 chat or phone

support like some of the other platforms

we're talking about do but if you're an

artist or a creative type and you're

just looking to sell some paintings this

might be a good solution for you big

Commerce is another platform that used

to be really popular but they since have

completely pivoted and now they only

cater to medium and large sized

businesses I still see people

recommending Bigcommerce but do not even

think about Bigcommerce anymore unless

you are a medium to large size business

Magento is another platform that used to

be really popular three four five years

ago they since have rebranded to Adobe

Commerce and the pros with this platform

is its highly customizable the cons are

it's extremely complex you're going to

need to hire a designer or developer to

create your entire website and overall I

do not recommend this platform and now

finally let's talk about woocommerce and

even though there's a lot of Pros with

woocommerce there's also a lot of Cons

with this platform the first pro in the

biggest Pro with woocommerce is it's

free

sort of even though woocommerce is free

to use you're going to have to pay for

hosting there are a lot of options for

hosting and getting hosting for your

website is extremely affordable I

recommend going with hostinger and

hosting your website with them only

costs between two to three dollars a

month if you use the link in my

description plus I have to hook up with

them that'll give you an extra 10 off if

you use the coupon code down below and

not only is woocommerce one of the most

affordable options it's actually the

most popular eCommerce platform out

there and because of that there is a ton

of plugins and add-ons in fact

woocommerce has the biggest library of

plugins out of all the e-commerce

Platforms in the world it's also

extremely easy to set up it's only going

to take you around five minutes to

create your woocommerce store and there

are a ton of free mobile friendly

templates that you can choose from

there's also templates that you can pay

a little extra for if there's something

specific that you want but probably one

of the biggest Pros with woocommerce is

that it's fully customizable you can

change anything that you want but one of

the Cons with woocommerce is even though

yes it is fully customizable it's not

the most user friendly it's really easy

to set up and get going but if you want

to make changes deeper down in the code

you might want to hire a professional

another con is that a lot of the basic

features are missing from woocommerce

now luckily because they have such a big

app and plug-in catalog you can usually

find a plugin that will work to fix that

issue but that means that you're going

to need to install a few plugins in

order to use woocommerce another con is

that it's not as professional as

platforms like Shopify the technical

support is not as good as it is on

Shopify and because with woocommerce you

have to deal with a hosting company

sometimes there's going to be issues

that are a little bit more complicated

to fix but now let's talk about Amazon

which is maybe the biggest opportunity

to make money online right now and

that's because Amazon is a one trillion

dollar company and last year there was

over 500 billion dollars of sales on

their platform and what most people

don't realize is that Amazon allows you

to sell products on their website and

this is the easiest way I've found to

create a legitimate passive income

business and about 50 percent of all

e-commerce sales happen on amazon.com

and last year alone they spent over 10

billion dollars on marketing which means

if you sell on Amazon you don't need to

spend as much money on marketing because

there's already customers on the

platform it's also easy to sign up and

it's the easiest platform to get set up

because you don't need to create an

entire website all you need to create is

a single product page and at the end of

this video I'm going to share with you a

completely free five-hour Amazon FBA

course that will show you how to make

money selling products on Amazon now

there are some Cons with selling on

Amazon and the biggest one is that there

is a lot of competition a lot of other

sellers there's over nine million

sellers on Amazon 4 000 new sellers are

joining every single day because this is

such a big opportunity and I know that

seems like a crazy amount of competition

but keep in mind there's only around 2

million active sellers on the Amazon

platform only a little over 1 million

sellers here in the United States but

the crazy thing about that is of those 1

million sellers over 40 percent have

made at least a hundred thousand dollars

selling products on Amazon so yes there

is a lot of competition on Amazon but if

you sell on Amazon correctly you can

avoid this competition I talk about that

in the free course I'll give to you at

the end of this video another option is

selling on Walmart.com which is growing

extremely rapidly last year they did

over 50 billion dollars on their website

alone another produce selling on Walmart

is if you make a lot of sales on their

website they're highly likely to get you

into the retail stores and Walmart is

the biggest retail giant they did over

500 billion dollars of sales in their

retail store so if you do well on

Walmart.com you have access to all these

stores there's also no monthly

subscription fee when selling on

Walmart.com they only charge you a

percentage of all the sales that you

make but the biggest con with selling on

Walmart.com is it's way smaller than

Amazon only making up around 6.3 percent

of all e-commerce sales you can also

sell on sites like eBay and Etsy and

with all these platforms it's a lot

easier to make money because these

platforms already have customers going

to their website every single day but

there are some cons when selling on

these platforms but the biggest con is

you're going to have to pay a fee when

you make sales on these platforms

Walmart and Amazon charges you a fee of

around 15 of all sales that you make

eBay and Etsy will also charge you fees

another con when you're selling on these

platforms is they can kick you off

whenever they want however when you

create a website using Shopify

woocommerce or one of the other

platforms we talked about you own the

website and they can't kick you off as

easily so if you want to make a lot of

money I recommend selling on Amazon I

had one product that's done over a

million dollars in sales I've since

taught this technique to people like AJ

and Brent and AJ did 500 000 in his

first year and Brent has done over a

million dollars in sales but that being

said even if you plan on selling on

Amazon you still want to create your own

website using one of these platforms and

out of all these platforms I recommend

either Shopify or woocommerce if you're

on a budget or you don't know how well

your Ecommerce business is going to do I

recommend going with woocommerce it's a

great beginner platform it's extremely

affordable and it's easy to set up

however if you're looking to have a more

professional e-commerce business I

recommend going with Shopify yes it is

more expensive but in the long run it's

probably going to be money well spent

and I have links for discounted

woocommerce hosting and discounted

Shopify plans in the description down

below but if you are looking to create

your own Amazon FBA business you can

click on this video right here it's a

free five-hour course I put so much time

and energy into it so make sure you

click on that video I'll see you in the

next video and thanks for watching