Today, many small businesses establish digital storefronts for customers who prefer shopping online. With the revenue of the global ecommerce market projected to reach over $4.3 trillion USD in 2025 and over $5.8 trillion USD by 2029, now is a good time to expand into ecommerce.

Below, we’ll discuss how ecommerce platforms work, which features to look for, and some common challenges of ecommerce platforms.

What’s in this article?

• What are ecommerce platforms and why do small businesses need them?
  
• Which features should small businesses look for in an ecommerce platform?
  
• How to choose the best ecommerce platform for your small business
  
• How does Stripe work with ecommerce platforms?
  
• How much do ecommerce platforms cost?
  
• What are common challenges small businesses face with ecommerce?
  
• How can small businesses refine their ecommerce strategies?
  

What are ecommerce platforms and why do small businesses need them?

An ecommerce platform is a digital system that allows businesses to sell their products online. It creates a structured digital storefront so visitors can browse a business’s products, pick their variations (e.g., size, color, subscription length), and complete a secure payment.

Many small businesses rely on these systems because they make online sales more predictable, reduce manual work, and are easier to manage day-to-day. Even one-person shops can benefit from automation that tracks orders and reduces back-and-forth with customers. Ecommerce platforms can also decrease the time spent on technical website tasks, since many aspects of hosting and design are built in.

Which features should small businesses look for in an ecommerce platform?

If you are considering an ecommerce platform, a good starting point is to research one that’s simple and user friendly. Below are some other elements to keep in mind:

• Easy-to-design storefronts: A well-built shop helps customers browse and buy without getting lost. Many platforms include built-in templates or design tools so businesses can add branding, images, and product details without requiring coding.

• Flexible product management: Businesses need a manageable way to add, remove, and adjust product listings. This is especially important if they often change their offerings or bundle their products.

• Inventory tracking: Having an overview of what’s in stock can help you avoid overselling or underselling. Many platforms enable you to track inventory levels in real time and send notifications when certain items are running low.

• Enhanced checkout experience: A slow checkout process with too many fields or redirects can derail a sale. A good platform refines its process from start to finish to reduce cart abandonment.

• Payment integrations: It’s advantageous to accommodate multiple payment options, such as credit and debit cards, digital wallets, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) services. Choose a platform that can integrate with your preferred methods.

• Shipping settings: Small shops need to provide reliable shipping options. Ecommerce platforms often allow you to create shipping labels, calculate delivery costs, and perform other shipping-related tasks.

• Basic marketing features: Some platforms include built-in promotional tools, such as discount codes and upselling.

• Analytics and reporting: You should be able to see the number of daily orders, revenue totals, and other statistics that track growth—all in one place.

How to choose the best ecommerce platform for your small business

Choosing the best ecommerce platform can depend on your business needs. Here are some factors to consider.

Know your business

Are you selling physical products, digital downloads, or services? Shopify and WooCommerce can handle physical goods, while Squarespace suits creatives who sell digital products or services. If you’re running a small shop with just a few items, almost any platform can work. But if you have an extensive catalog or products with many variations, consider BigCommerce or Adobe Commerce. These companies can handle complex online stores.

Consider your budget

Think about the long term. Will the costs associated with using the platform increase as your sales do? If growth is a priority, look for pricing that scales in a way that makes sense for you.

With WooCommerce, you’ll need to pay for hosting, themes, and extensions. Shopify and Squarespace bundle hosting with their monthly fees. Be aware of any transaction fees, and keep in mind that some platforms charge extra if you use a third-party payment processor instead of theirs.

Assess your tech skills

If you want an easy, fast platform, Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace are suitable options. You won’t need to do any coding.

However, if you’re comfortable with some development work—or have someone on your team who is—WooCommerce or Adobe Commerce provide more control and flexibility. The trade-off with a platform such as WooCommerce is that you’re responsible for updates and troubleshooting, while hosted platforms handle them for you.

Plan for growth

If you’re just starting your business, a simple platform might work fine. But if you plan to scale, plan ahead. For example, Shopify and BigCommerce can handle high traffic, extensive inventories, and advanced tools.

Additionally, ensure the platform integrates with the tools you’ll need later—such as email marketing software, customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, and analytics dashboards—so you won’t have to swap platforms.

Evaluate the payment and shipping options

Check which payment methods the platform supports. For example, many work with Stripe’s payment solutions, which also support several currencies and local payment methods.

Shipping can also be a hurdle, so look for tools that make it easier. Shopify, for instance, has shipping integrations for buying and printing labels and calculating rates.

Focus on the customer experience

Shopping on smartphones is increasingly popular, so your store needs to look and work well on mobile. A slow site will cost you sales. Platforms such as Shopify and Wix automatically adjust for mobile users and load quickly.

Check the marketing tools

If you plan to run email campaigns, retargeting ads, or other promotions, ensure the platform has the tools you need—or works well with apps that do. For example, Shopify and BigCommerce have built-in tools for email marketing and social media integrations. Etsy brings in customers directly, but it doesn’t give you as much control over branding.

Prioritize search engine optimization (SEO) and analytics

Ranking well in Google searches can help customers discover your business. Find a platform that gives you control over details such as product URLs, meta descriptions, and image tags. WooCommerce and Shopify are both good choices for SEO.

The platform should also collect and display precise data about your sales, customer behavior, and traffic. Built-in analytics are great, but even platforms that have them can still connect with Google Analytics for additional insights.

Don’t overlook support

If you’re new to ecommerce, reliable customer support is important. Shopify and BigCommerce have 24/7 support. An active user community is also a big plus. WooCommerce has extensive forums, tutorials, and other resources.

Test before committing

Take advantage of free trials. Test the interface, establish a mock store, and see how it feels to use. Look closely at the details. Is it easy to upload products? Does checkout feel smooth? If anything feels clunky, it might frustrate your customers later.

How does Stripe work with ecommerce platforms?

Stripe is a dynamic solution for integrating with ecommerce platforms. It simplifies payments, improves security, and offers tools to help businesses scale. Here’s how it can help your online business.

Payment processing

• Multiple payment options: Stripe supports credit cards, digital wallets (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay), Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments, and BNPL providers such as Afterpay. This flexibility lets customers use their preferred payment types.

• Global reach: Stripe accepts payments in more than 135 currencies to facilitate international sales.

• Recurring payments: Stripe offers tools to manage recurring billing and to easily handle upgrades, downgrades, or cancellations.

Integrations

• Customizable checkout: Developers can build fully custom checkout experiences, so the whole process feels on-brand.

• Easy plug-ins: For nontechnical users, Stripe integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, and other platforms with minimal setup.

• Application programming interface (API): Stripe’s API allows businesses to create custom workflows, automate processes, or build entirely new applications.

Security

• PCI compliance: Stripe handles compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), so businesses don’t need to address payment security standards alone.

• Fraud protection: Stripe Radar uses machine learning to detect and block fraudulent transactions before they go through. It’s constantly improving based on global payment data.

• Encryption: Stripe encrypts sensitive data to keep customer information safe.

Financial management

• Detailed reporting: The Stripe Dashboard has clear metrics on sales, refunds, fees, and disputes. This makes it easy to track performance at a glance.

• Payout flexibility: You can choose when and how often you receive payouts to help manage your cash flow. This flexibility is particularly important for small businesses.

• Tax tools: Stripe Tax calculates and collects taxes automatically on transactions around the world, making it a key tool for businesses that are expanding internationally.

Scalability and growth tools

• Software-as-a-service (SaaS) and subscription support: Stripe Billing makes it simple to manage complex subscription models, with features such as usage-based billing and prorations.

• Solutions for platforms and marketplaces: For businesses that manage multiple sellers, Stripe Connect handles payouts to multiple parties while monitoring compliance and reporting.

Customer experience

• Fast checkout: Stripe’s prebuilt checkout process is designed to reduce friction for customers. Link, Stripe’s accelerated checkout experience, enables customers to pay using their saved payment details—making checkout even faster.

• Localized options: Stripe dynamically alters the payment experience based on a customer’s location, such as by showing local payment methods.

Improvement and future-proofing

• Constant updates: Stripe frequently launches new features, such as integrations with AI tools, cryptocurrency payment capabilities, and advanced analytics.

• Partnerships: Stripe also works with a wide range of third-party apps and tools to expand its functionalities even further.

How much do ecommerce platforms cost?

Ecommerce platforms often charge monthly fees for access to their digital storefront tools, templates, hosting, and support. Many plans begin at a basic tier of about $25–$30 per month, which is often the simplest way to sell your wares online; you can later scale up if you want more advanced features.

Here are some of the features you might be charged for:

• Domain name: You can usually buy or connect a custom domain through your ecommerce platform. The cost often depends on the domain name extension and other factors.

• Transaction fees: Some platforms charge a transaction fee in addition to standard payment processing fees. These fees matter for small businesses that operate on thin margins.

• Apps or add-ons: Some ecommerce platforms have app marketplaces that offer functionalities for marketing, design, printing shipping labels, and more—along with free apps.

• Payment processing: You might encounter per-transaction fees, which often include a small fixed cost plus a percentage fee.

• Theme or design templates: Some are free, while more comprehensive designs might carry a one-time cost.

What are common challenges small businesses face with ecommerce?

Stocking an online store can already be difficult on its own, but running it well also presents challenges. Below are some common issues small businesses might face.

• Limited time or expertise: Small teams have to juggle product creation, marketing, shipping, accounting, and more. It can be an obstacle to find time to update your site or troubleshoot problems if you’re not a technical expert.

• Growth: Your business could start with 20 orders per month, which might be easy to handle manually. But upon growing to 200 or 2,000 monthly orders, you might find some processes that used to work start to break down at scale. It’s important to choose a platform that can handle increases in volume without breaking your site.

• Inventory and shipping: Customers might get upset when data doesn’t sync between an online platform and an offline store, or if there are shipping delays. Balancing online and offline sales requires careful coordination, but many new sellers might overlook this until something goes wrong.

• Payment disputes and refunds: Chargebacks can increase as you start selling to a broader audience. Shoppers might file disputes if packages arrive damaged or if they don’t recognize the charges on their statements. Create a plan for responding to these issues before they arise.

• Web traffic: An online store is only as successful as its volume of visiting customers. Without marketing or a strong social media presence, it’s hard to stand out. That’s doubly true for product categories that already have many established players in the space.

• Trends and technology: The ecommerce industry is constantly changing. If your store appears outdated or untrustworthy, people might leave. Make sure to monitor innovations and new payment options often.

How can small businesses refine their ecommerce strategies?

Fine-tuning your ecommerce strategy means focusing on the areas with the most impact. Here’s some guidance to help you get started.

Make your website easy to use

• Ensure your site looks great and works well on small screens.

• Make it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for with clear menu options, a search bar, and a clean layout.

• Compress your images, use a reliable web hosting service, and remove unnecessary code to accelerate your load times.

Show off your products

• Use well-lit, polished shots of your items. Show the product from different angles, perhaps with a demonstration in a short video.

• Tell customers exactly what they’ll receive if they purchase the product. Emphasize the features, explain why it’s a good buy, and detail any accessories they can expect.

• Include interviews and testimonials to build trust and help nudge people toward a purchase.

Make the checkout simple

• Let people check out as guests. Having fewer hurdles can result in more sales.

• The more payment options you can include, the better positioned you are. Allow customers to pay with credit and debit cards, mobile payment apps, BNPL services, and other methods your customers prefer.

• No one likes surprises when they’re about to make a purchase. Communicate to customers the shipping cost and delivery times at checkout, so they know what to expect.

Design your site for SEO

• Use relevant keywords in your product titles and descriptions, so search engines can find you.

• Write blog posts and guides, or make videos that answer frequently asked questions from your customer base.

• Ensure that your site is easy for search engines to crawl and that there are no broken links.

Build your social media presence

• Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook let people buy right from your posts. Use these tools if it makes sense for your business.

• Assure that your visual identity appears the same across all channels to establish your brand.

• Respond to comments, post videos, and occasionally go live. Engaging on social media can help you connect with your audience.

Pay attention to the numbers

• Tools such as Google Analytics and your ecommerce platform’s reports can tell you what’s working and what’s not.

• Test different headlines, layouts, or promotional ideas to gauge what resonates with your customers.

Be strategic with marketing

• Build an email list and send discounts, reminders about abandoned carts, or new product updates. However, don’t send emails too frequently, or you’ll risk people unsubscribing.

• Platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook allow you to focus on audiences that might include your most likely customers. Avoid wasting money on broad campaigns.

• Give repeat customers perks such as discounts and early access to sales.

Provide good customer support

• Use live chat or chatbots to answer questions quickly.

• Include FAQs and visible return policies to save everyone’s time.

• Keep customers informed about their orders, shipping updates, or any delays.

Focus on keeping customers

• Use purchase history to recommend products that customers might actually want.

• If you notice people are buying products repeatedly or at regular intervals, make it easy for them to subscribe.

Stay flexible

• Trends such as AI-powered recommendations and voice searches are becoming more widespread, so try adopting them and monitor their effectiveness.

• Pay attention to feedback and rethink your strategy when necessary.