With the ever increasing popularity of online stores in recent years, users' expectations of an online shopping experience have also increased. Earlier, it has been just enough to include some standard features and a bit of customization. These days, however, an e-commerce platform has to provide things like integration with social media, ability to handle various devices like mobiles, laptops and tablets, search engine optimizing  and so on. In order to give the users' the kind of experience that they have come to expect of late, it is necessary to consider all the features that a pre-built e-commerce platform offers to a user.

Why to use pre-built E-Commerce platforms

Although the choice to use a pre-built platform as opposed to a custom built solution would depend on individual circumstances, there are a few things you should consider when making a choice.

Firstly, there is the time and cost factor. A pre-built solution is usually much easier to customize and deploy. Although the customization would be limited as compared to a customized solution, it is generally enough for most merchants. It's also much cheaper to just buy additional plug-ins in a pre-built platform. Secondly, pre-built solutions tend to be upgraded rather regularly. They also benefit from community participation and enhancements which provides users with free plug-ins, themes and other goodies.

Choosing the right platform for you

Even if you have decided to proceed with a pre-built platform, the choice does not end there. There are a number of great options available and it is not always clear what to look out for when making a choice. A few key factors to consider include:

Functionality: Customization and optimization options on offer, theming capabilities, marketing capabilities, etc. are some of the basic things to look for. There are many options to consider here and many of these choices would depend on what your product/ service is. User reviews might be important for a certain kind of product while other products might sell more successfully with promotions like coupons, gift certificates etc. Some merchants might offer memberships with certain benefits while others might simply rely on "featuring" certain products. There are endless possibilities for every kind of product and you have to decide what works best for your particular situation.

Admin and security features: Value added options to analyze your traffic and purchase patterns are an important feature which can directly impact your top line. Security features include things like PCI compliance, CAPTCHA, SSL certificates and so on.

Cost: There might be a fixed payment plan or a percentage (of sales) based payment plan. This is a simple matter of doing the math to pick the most cost effective options.

Host location: The platform may be hosted by the provider at their server or may be hosted directly by you. The choice depends on your technical expertise, how much extra time you are ready to invest and how much traffic you expect.

Payment Method: You would need to check what all payment processors are supported with a particular e-commerce platform. Platforms like Payzoff can ensure payment can be received from scores of countries using dozens of payment options.

Choosing the right e-commerce platform is a very important decision which needs to be taken early on. In case this is not entirely clear at the onset, then it may be a safe bet to go with a platform that has the flexibility to allow for changes later on.