eCommerce Platforms

I set up my first online store in 1996, selling Atkins Vitamins, and assorted personal care products. Keep in mind that the first online stores went live in 1994, and Amazon.com was launched in ’95. Back then there weren’t any eCommerce platforms like there is today. We worked with a local developer who must have written most of the code on his own. We were selling products all over the world – it was an exciting experience. Although the eCommerce platforms have evolved considerably since then, at their core they are still very much the same.

– Tom Rogers

I set up my first online store in 1996, selling Atkins Vitamins, and assorted personal care products. Keep in mind that the first online stores went live in 1994, and Amazon.com was launched in ’95. Back then there weren’t any eCommerce platforms like there is today. We worked with a local developer who must have written most of the code on his own. We were selling products all over the world – it was an exciting experience. Although the eCommerce platforms have evolved considerably since then, at their core they are still very much the same.

– Tom Rogers

I set up my first online store in 1996, selling Atkins Vitamins, and assorted personal care products. Keep in mind that the first online stores went live in 1994, and Amazon.com was launched in ’95. Back then there weren’t any eCommerce platforms like there is today. We worked with a local developer who must have written most of the code on his own. We were selling products all over the world – it was an exciting experience. Although the eCommerce platforms have evolved considerably since then, at their core they are still very much the same.

– Tom Rogers

Needs vary, that’s why we offer a number of eCommerce Solutions

We will work with you to determine the best fit for your business. Here’s a quick overview:

WooCommerce

If you’ve got a WordPress website, you probably want to consider WooCommerce which powers 29% of all online stores! It was developed by WooThemes, who offers many tools and themes for WordPress.

WooCommerce is free to download, as it is “open source” software. They do not maintain a dedicated support team so users must find solutions via forums and online documentation. Click here for an excellent review.

Automattic, the company that owns WordPress, recently bought WooThemes. Word is that they will keep WooCommerce as a stand alone company. But will also look to incorporate it into WordPress.com. In either case, we can expect great things from WooThemes as the integration sinks in.

Software as a Service (SaaS) Systems

If your primary goal is to have an online store, then you might consider a SaaS based system.

These platforms provide their own hosting, and will update the software as needed, taking away that responsibility from you the user. Each offers different bells and whistles, often depending on outside developers to create plugins that integrate within their platform.

Volusion

Volusion eCommerce software offers ample features, strong security and excellent customer service options. The software can manage your brick-and-mortar store and drop shipping orders as well as standard online store purchases. Overall, it’s one of the best eCommerce software services on the market.

They offer 16 free responsive templates, but most go for $895.

Plans start at $15/month (100 products). Advanced plans range from $35 to $135/month (includes a personal account manager).

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an all-in-one, feature rich ecommerce platform that allows even the most novice of user to create a fully functional online store and sell both physical and digital products online.

They offer around 20 free responsive templates. Paid templates range from $145 to $195.

Plans start at $29.95/month for up to $50K in online sales per year.

Miva

For 15+ years the Miva Merchant Ecommerce Platform has been the foundation on which real businesses have succeeded online. It remains the only Enterprise-level ecommerce platform to include all features in all pricing plans, making it a good fit for where you are now AND where you want to go.

They have real U.S.-based, in-house 24/7 phone support available for free to all customers.

There are two plans: $79.95/month for the “Small Business Edition“, while “Enterprise” goes for $1,495/month.

Tom set up NEC’s Miva based store in 2005 and managed it up until early 2018. It has now been migrated to WordPress.