Top Digital Commerce Platforms with Best Features in 2023

What is a Digital Commerce Platform? How Does it Work?

A digital commerce platform is a software application that enables both parties to interact, such as the consumer and the seller. There are many types of digital commerce, including business-to-business (B2B), consumer-to-consumer (C2C), and consumer-to-business (C2B). The purpose of this platform is to provide consumers with the ability to discover products, store around, and then make a purchase.

Like any other business, an online business requires additional software to manage backend functions like accounting, inventory management, customer service, and order management. The process of putting together a complete platform is quite difficult, which results in frequent maintenance of your website and inefficient functionality.

This problem can be resolved with the help of new business software that integrates all essential digital commerce and business functionalities into a single system. Both users and stores benefit from it, as it builds a network around them. Remember that a digital commerce platform is a business model, not just a piece of technology.

With these platforms, you can get everything from web design and product listings to shipping, taxes, and marketing is done. You can manage your inventory and orders, communicate with customers, sync with other apps, and more with this web-based application.

In this article, we’ll discuss what a digital commerce platform is, its features, the top five platforms, and how to choose the right one for your stores.

5 Key Features of Digital Commerce Platform

The features offered by each platform may differ. The sheer number of platforms and features available can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to determine which platforms will meet your store’s needs, or which ones will be cost-effective since they are scalable. The following features can help you choose to win the platform:

1. A Single Unified Platform –  Unified platform provides a single data source and reporting solution that enables self-service. The platform should integrate digital commerce, accounting, POS, inventory and order management, business processes, customer service, financial, merchandising, and customer service on the cloud.
   
   
2. Data Security – Information about your customers is protected against cybercrime when you have website security in place. Hence, platforms specialising in providing enhanced security features, such as SSL certificates and two-factor authentication, are important.
   
   
3. Mobile Optimization –  The goal of mobile optimization is to provide visitors accessing your site from mobile devices with a mobile-optimised experience. Many people prefer to shop and research items on their cell phones or tablets, so it is important to choose a mobile-friendly platform.
   
   
4. Order Management – Create a convenient purchase, fulfilment, and return process for the customer. Maximise profitability by centralising order management. It is ideal to view the inventory of all your supply chains and channels from a single view. An organisation that doesn’t have an order management system may struggle to manage orders or fill them correctly.
   
   
5. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – CRM refers to a strategy that manages interactions with customers, both existing and prospective. CRM streamlines processes, builds relationships with customers, increases sales, improves service, and increases profitability. Getting better relationships with customers will help you grow your business.

Top Digital Commerce Platforms

1. Sekel Tech – Sekel Tech is an all-in-one digital commerce platform provider and offers everything for your online store. The platform helps retailers manage their online presence, store orders, and consumers’ journey from online to offline. With this platform, you can manage your inventory, optimise your site, and track conversions. Additionally, they offer live chat, phone, and email support 24/7. With Sekel Tech, anyone can easily sell online, in a retail location, or anywhere else. 

Sekel Tech platform is perfect for a wide range of businesses, from startups and small businesses to large corporations and enterprises. Sekel Tech’s efficiency, automation, and access to critical information set it apart from the competition. Among Sekel Tech’s many features are business intelligence, inventory management, and shipping solutions. It also provides amazing capabilities for customer segmentation and personalization.

Features –  Content Management, Web Traffic Reporting, Multi-Channel Communication, Geo Rankings, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Data Security.

Pros – 

• It is robust and feature-rich. 
• Excellent organic discovery performance. 
• Customer service is very responsive and helpful.

Cons – 

• No free version.

2. Wix –  Wix is an easy-to-use tool for creating professional-looking digital commerce websites. Using the application, you can pick a theme, and add colours and features, such as a gallery, calendar, and other features. For assistance, you can use the online tutorial or contact customer support’s team of professionals.

The Wix platform automatically optimises your website for search engines and mobile devices. The Wix App Market is also available if your website was built with Wix. A wide variety of web apps are available to customise your site. Compared with Shopify or WooCommerce, Wix offers a greater variety of customizable templates. It’s free to use Wix, but it charges for premium plans if you need your domain or e-commerce site.

Features – Content Management, Calendar Management, Billing & Invoicing, Alerts/Notifications, and Confirmation/Reminders.

Pros –

• Easy to use and set up. 
• Provides marketing automation services.
• Themes are available for free on this site. 

Cons –

• Poor SEO performance. 
• A lack of upselling capabilities.
• Having difficulty integrating with the marketplace.
  
  

3. BigCommerce –  BigCommerce is a leading SaaS eCommerce platform that empowers merchants to build, innovate and grow online businesses of all sizes. This leading open SaaS solution offers merchants enterprise-grade functionality, customization, and performance while being easy to use and manage.

Enterprise-level eCommerce stores can use BigCommerce solutions for B2B wholesale websites. The platform offers a high level of uptime, fast page loading, and security, which is second to none. Compared to Shopify, BigCommerce offers more design customization options.

Features – Data Security, Discount Management, Cataloguing/Categorization, Data Import/Export, and Inventory Management.

Pros –

• SEO performance that stands out.
• Multichannel selling capabilities.
• Provides flexibility and scalability.

Cons –

• There is a higher pay rate in high-volume stores. 
• Loading speed is inconsistent. 
• One-click selling is not allowed. 
  
  

4. Shopify – Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms for businesses. There are almost all the features you need for your online business – themes, quick customizations, easy product management, payment processing, order monitoring, shopping cart software, and so on. Those features are all built into the design of Shopify, as well as high levels of security.

Additionally, Shopify offers Shopify Plus for enterprise clients. Besides its most fantastic premium features, it costs more. Comparatively, Shopify’s interface is a bit more friendly than other eCommerce platforms.

Features – Inventory Management, Promotions Management, Multi-Channel Marketing, Mobile Commerce, and Email Marketing.

Pros – 

• Is well suited for drop shipping. 
• Applications that offer one-click selling. 
• An easy-to-use platform with fast loading. 

Cons – 

• Inability to customise the checkout.
• Process Apps can be pricey in the long run. 
• Having trouble with SEO and content marketing. 
  
  

5. WooCommerce – WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce platform that allows you to create your online shop with themes, payment options, shipping methods, and more. The platform manages multiple customer accounts, payments, orders, inventory, and stores for small and large businesses.
   

In contrast to other platforms on this list, WooCommerce is built on WordPress and can be used from a WordPress site. You can convert it into an eCommerce store through the WooCommerce plugin if you already have a WordPress website.

Adding eCommerce capabilities to WordPress is easy with WooCommerce, which provides product catalogues, subscriptions, and memberships. It has extensions for printing shipping labels and integrating with email marketing platforms.

Features – Email Marketing, Reviews Management, SEO Management, Data Security, and Mobile Access

Pros – 

• Providers of multiple services.
• It’s best for Search Engine Optimization. 
• One-click selling apps are available. 

Cons –

• It needs a lot of extensions.
• It can be difficult to troubleshoot. 
• The cost of hosting is high. 
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How to Choose the Right Digital Commerce Platform

An e-commerce website can help boost an existing business or kick-start a new one, so it’s important to choose the best one to meet your organisation’s needs. You can use Sekel Tech’s method to ensure that your business has the right platform.

• Organic Discovery Friendliness –  The organic discovery process is one of the most important factors for your shop’s success. It takes time to build, and it’s easier when your platform has best practices built in and keeps up with changes in Google’s algorithms. Many digital commerce platforms offer organic discovery capabilities, so you must check the details. 
  
  
• Plugins and Integrations –  Plugins and integrations are key factors to consider. The level of integration offered by different platforms may not be the same, so you should have a clear understanding of the online store’s scope. Accounting, email marketing, payments, shopping, customer loyalty programs, and more are some of the most commonly used plugins. 
  
  
• Support –  Will the vendor provide you with the necessary support when things go wrong, and things do go wrong, and we know things do go wrong? To avoid problems, you should always look for vendors that offer 24-hour emergency support by email, web chat, or phone.
  
  
• Flexibility and Scalability –  A digital commerce business can grow if you plan strategically and rely on support from the platforms. Be sure to choose a platform that integrates APIs for store customization. In addition, it should have automation features. When a business owner is considering options initially, they may overlook this factor, but when profits start rolling in, they’ll need an option that can be customised.
  
  
• Product Management System –  Product Management Systems are the heart of your business. Today’s users need out-of-the-box product management solutions to make online shopping a delight. It’s important to evaluate features and functions such as bulk product upload, categorization, advanced features, shipping options, and dynamic filters when assessing store functionality. 
  
  

The requirements and needs of every online store vary according to its products, categories, target markets, and the business’ journey. Likewise, B2B companies have different requirements for their online store, and a digital commerce startup won’t have the same needs as a small business looking to expand online. Hope this guide helps you choose the platform that’s right for your online store.

Take Advantage of Sekel Tech’s Digital Commerce Platform

In choosing the right platform for your business, it’s tempting to choose a popular platform or one that offers the most features. In your selection process, your business objectives and customer needs must be the focus. If you want to win and keep customers, and sharpen your competitive edge, you need a platform that has the features and functions you need and can customise the experience to meet those needs.

As a trusted partner of global digital commerce startups and enterprises, Sekel Tech understands how important and overwhelming this decision can be. Today, there are many platforms available for digital commerce. Among the most frequently selected digital commerce platforms India, Sekel Tech is one of the most popular choices among brands across all industries. 

A powerful dashboard with easy-to-use features of Sekel Tech is the backbone of many of today’s leading brands. Our goal is to assist you in making the right decision for your business, not just in terms of platforms but also in terms of digital commerce strategy.