Choosing an e-commerce platform is a strategic step. The web offers "limitless opportunity" to grow online sales, but success depends on making an informed choice of e-commerce platform. You need to analyze several criteria: company size (micro-business, SME, or enterprise), budget, technical team, and commercial/technical goals. Each solution (SaaS or open-source CMS) has its strengths and limitations. This guide outlines the key points to help you decide and prepare the redesign or creation of your online store.

E-commerce platforms generally fall into two categories:

• Turnkey SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions, and
• Open-source e-commerce CMS you install yourself.

Hosting, security, and updates are handled by the vendor. These solutions offer quick setup and an intuitive interface, with dedicated customer support. In return, they run on a monthly subscription and may take a commission on each sale. Customization is often limited to the available themes and apps.

The source code is open and free, with no monthly subscription. You pay for hosting and any chosen extensions. These solutions offer unlimited customization and full control over your data. On the other hand, you must manage hosting, configuration, and maintenance yourself.

Shopify stands out for its simplicity. It lets you launch a store quickly without worrying about hosting or security. Shopify offers a wide range of themes and apps to extend functionality. The user experience is smooth and the interface intuitive.

WooCommerce is an open-source extension for WordPress. It turns a WordPress site into an online store. It offers full control over the site: themes and plugins are unlimited, and custom development is possible.

BigCommerce is an all-in-one SaaS platform that manages the technical infrastructure. It includes numerous e-commerce features and supports large catalogs. Ideal for businesses that want to scale without technical barriers.

PrestaShop is a French open-source e-commerce CMS. It offers many advanced features and full control over the site. Very popular in French-speaking Europe, it's suited to stores from small to large.

Magento is the solution for very complex sites and large enterprises. It's a robust open-source CMS that meets the needs of very large organizations. It includes a rich set of features by default (multi-store, PIM, etc.).

The front end is decoupled from the back end via APIs. This provides great agility and allows for a fully tailored customer experience. The approach supports omnichannel and accelerates innovation.

PWAs let online stores behave like mobile apps. Smooth navigation, instant loading, push notifications… a must for converting on mobile.