Top 10 startup platforms and Top 10 tools for startups to use
Looking for the best startup tools to use in 2022? You’ve come to the right place. Join us as we look at the top 10 platforms and tools for startups you should be using in the year ahead.
If you have an eCommerce business, you need all the help you can get to grow. This is especially true if you don’t have a big budget, or a team of staff to support you.
With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide to our top ten eCommerce platforms and top ten eCommerce tools.
The current list is an addition to our Workbench for a startup
The top 10 startup platforms and tools to use this year
The right eCommerce platform can make or break your startup. There is a wide range of eCommerce platforms out there with many different features. Here are our top ten eCommerce sites and how they could benefit your business.
- Shopify;
- Wix;
- Squarespace;
- Adobe Commerce (powered by Magento);
- BigCommerce;
- WooCommerce;
- Weebly;
- Prestashop;
- Volution;
- WordPress.
1. Shopify
Shopify is one of the most well-known and loved eCommerce platforms in the world. Startups of all shapes and sizes are fans because it’s easy to use and makes customizing an online store as easy as possible.
One of the things we like the most about Shopify is that it lets you import products from other eCommerce platforms. This means if you used another eCommerce platform for your startup, but things didn’t work out, you don’t have to create your products again.
Prices range from $29 to $299 a month, with a free 14-day trial.
2. Wix
Similar to Shopify, Wix is another eCommerce platform that is simple to use and easy to set up. A lot of the customization is done through drag and drop, meaning that no coding knowledge is needed.
Another advantage Wix has is that you can set up marketing automation. This means you can send shoppers a friendly reminder if they add an item to their cart but don’t buy it, helping to boost your conversion rates.
Prices for Wix’s eCommerce plan range from $18 to $30 a month.
3. Squarespace
Squarespace has become extremely popular with startups in recent years, thanks to its excellent customer support, stunning templates, and ease of use.
One of the advantages Squarespace has over other eCommerce platforms is the ability to manage inventory. You can amend stock levels, get alerts when a product is running low, and even set up waiting lists to let shoppers know when a sold-out item is back in stock.
Prices for Squarespace’s eCommerce plan range from $28 to $41 a month.
4. Adobe Commerce (powered by Magento)
Formerly known as Magento, you need web development skills to make the most out of Adobe Commerce. However, if you have them, it is one of the most scalable and flexible eCommerce platforms around.
Adobe Commerce has a lot of features you can use to make your eCommerce site stand out, including reward points, gift registries, and the option to promote product bundles. Users also comment that it is particularly good for SEO, increasing the odds of getting to the first page of the search engine results.
Pricing is available on request.
5. BigCommerce
One of the great things about BigCommerce is the scalability it provides. This means that you can start using it as a small eCommerce business, and the platform will grow and evolve as you do.
It also looks great and is fully responsive on a smartphone, something which is very important to shoppers considering one out of every two purchases is now made on a mobile device.
Prices range from $29.95 to $299.95 a month, with a free 15-day trial.
6. WooCommerce
Another one of the major players in the eCommerce platform market, WooCommerce has a lot of rich features that will easily adapt to your startup, no matter which industry you are in.
Unlike the other platforms on this list, WooCommerce is slightly different as it is built into WordPress, meaning you can easily incorporate it into your existing WP site.
WooCommerce is free to use, but you can pay for additional features.
7. Weebly
Weebly is one of the most cost-effective options on this list, making it a good option for startups on a smaller budget. However, just because it is cheaper, doesn’t mean it lacks functionality.
The eCommerce platform is well-known for having lots of attractive template designs to choose from, as well as the ability to send emails from within the platform.
The basic option is free, with prices increasing to $25 a month.
8. Prestashop
Like Weebly, Prestashop is another one of the cheaper options available, but this certainly shouldn’t take it out of the running for your business!
The platform itself is completely free; you just pay for any premium themes and modules you would like to use on your website. This means you can completely customize your site to look and behave exactly how you want.
9. Volusion
Volusion is best known for its excellent customer service. This means that if you need a little extra support getting your new eCommerce site up and running, this eCommerce platform has you covered.
Another advantage of this platform is its ease of use, making it simple to add new product descriptions and images.
Prices range from $29 to $299 a month, with a free 14-day trial.
10. WordPress
While WordPress isn’t an eCommerce site builder as such, it does have a lot of plugins (like WooCommerce) you can use to integrate shopping onto your website.
If you’re already used to building sites in WordPress (and bear in mind that about one in three sites is built on the WP platform), this can be a huge advantage.
WordPress is free to use, but you may have to purchase some eCommerce plugins.
The top ten tools for startups in 2022
Once you have your eCommerce platform sorted, you will want to find some great tools to use alongside it.
Here are our top ten eCommerce tools which will add extra functionality to your business.
- Google Analytics;
- Slack;
- Mockplus;
- Optimizely;
- Veeqo;
- Smile.io;
- Buffer;
- Oberlo;
- Unbxd;
- Mailchimp.
1. Google Analytics
No eCommerce platform is complete without Google Analytics.
Free to use and easy to install, this tool will help you see which pages web users are visiting, what products people are buying and how shoppers are searching on your site.
2. Slack
Whether you have a team working from home, or a collection of freelancers and consultants you need to keep in contact with, Slack makes it easy to stay connected.
It also comes with a mobile app so you can send messages and hold meetings while you’re on the go.
Slack is free to use, but you can pay between $7.15 and $13.28 a month for additional functionality, including unlimited message storage.
3. Mockplus
When you’re designing your eCommerce site, a wireframe design is a fantastic way to determine what needs to go where on your pages.
Mockplus makes it simple to put together a prototype of your website that you can use when creating your site or, alternatively, give to your web developer.
Prices range from $199 to $9999 a year. If you prefer, you can buy a license to use the software as long as you like.
4. Optimizely
A/B testing is a valuable way of seeing what works on your eCommerce site and what needs improving. You have two pages, each with one key difference and then see which one members of the public respond to the best.
With the Optimizely tool, you can create two landing pages or product pages and test each one to see which results in the most conversions.
Pricing is available on request.
5. Veeqo
If your eCommerce platform of choice doesn’t come with inventory management as an option, you will need a way to ensure that you don’t sell out.
Veeqo pulls inventory from all your selling channels (including brick-and-mortar stores if you have them) in real time, meaning you can ensure your stock levels are as accurate as possible.
Prices range from $164 to $273 a month, with a free trial.
6. Smile.io
Formerly known as Sweet Tooth, Smile.io offers rewards programs for your startup, meaning you can offer gifts and prizes to your best customers. You can integrate Smile.io into your eCommerce platform of choice, no matter the size of your online store or the products you sell.
Building brand loyalty is especially important in the early days of a startup. With tools like Smile.io, you can foster engagement and encourage people to advocate for your business.
Prices range from $49 to $599 a month. There is also a free plan with limited features.
7. Buffer
When you launch your eCommerce site, you will need some social media channels to show off your latest products and entice prospective customers to make a purchase.
A social media scheduling tool like Buffer can help you plan your social media campaigns. You can also schedule messages to go out at any time of the day – perfect if your startup targets an international audience.
Buffer has a free scheduling plan where you can schedule 10 messages at a time on three different social media platforms. Alternatively, you can pay $5 a month per social media platform and receive unlimited scheduling.
8. Oberlo
Dropshipping is not without its challenges. You want to make sure you are getting your products at the right price as well as make sure they are sent to your customers in good time. As a result, Oberlo has explicitly been designed for businesses that sell drop shipped products.
This tool allows startups to import dropshipped products into their eCommerce store and track them as they are being delivered to customers.
There is a free version with limited features, or you can pay $29.90 a month for additional functionality.
9. Unbxd
When you have created your eCommerce site, it’s essential to make sure your products are as easy to find as possible. You could have the best-looking site and the most affordable prices, but if your customer can’t find what they need, you’re wasting your money.
If you haven’t got the resources to optimize your online store yourself, Unbxd uses artificial intelligence (AI) to audit your eCommerce site for you. The tool will provide lots of recommendations to give your store an extra boost and increase conversion rates.
Prices range from $99 to $1999 a month.
10. Mailchimp
Some of the eCommerce platforms above come with inbuilt mailing list systems. However, if your eCommerce site doesn’t have that functionality, Mailchimp can manage the process for you.
One of the easiest-to-use and cost-effective mailing list tools on the market, Mailchimp lets you build mailing lists using a popup on your site. You can also create automated emails to encourage customers to continue their shopping or let them know when new products are in stock.
Mailchimp offers a free version where you can store up to 2,000 contacts. The paid-for version starts from $9.99 a month.
In summary: which tools are the right ones for your startup?
In this article, we’ve gone through the top ten eCommerce platforms as well as the top ten tools for startups.
There are a lot of different tools and platforms out there. The ones you choose will ultimately depend on your budget, your skillset, and the products you want to sell.
Which of the eCommerce platforms and tools on this list will you be using as we move into 2022?
Want some extra support finding the right platforms and tools for your startup to use? You are launched is here to help
We’ve been working with lean startups since 2014, offering them the support and advice they need to take their business to the next level.
Contact us today, and we can help you find the right tools to help your startup succeed.
