Most Anticipated eCommerce Website & CMS Development Platforms 2020

Thanks to the advent of tools for eCommerce development, more & more people are selling online. It’s not too difficult for businesses to sell on the internet. You need an eCommerce website having payment gateway integrated, with a list of all your products and relevant information. Due to technology, things have advanced a lot. You just need to focus on having a product which people will want to buy. Then, you can make the website yourself or hire a specialist such as an eCommerce developer to get things done.

Just as how we convey feelings using a language, a website is made using a CMS platform. There are many of them in that market, each with their respective merits & demerits. If you approach an eCommerce website development company for developing your website, they may ask for a platform of choice. As to whether you have any specific preference for a platform or a budget in mind? As per your skills and business requirements, you can opt for the one which will suit you. Here is a list of most anticipated eCommerce Website & CMS Development Platforms in 2020, with respective advantages & disadvantages.

WooCommerce Development

The platform of choice for most aspiring businesspeople. WooCommerce offers lower costs of website creation, compared to all others in this article. As it’s based on the popular open-source WordPress platform. It’s very easy to find a WooCommerce developer, chances are you may find them in your city/district. There are thousands of themes to choose from, of which some are free. It’s recommended to go for WooCommerce development when your budget is on the lower side. A downer is that it’s a technical platform, so you can’t develop the website yourself. You’ll need to hire a WooCommerce website development company to develop and maintain the website. In the coming year, the imperative is on the platform to become easier for non-programmers.

Shopify Development

Shopify remains the go-to choice for non-programmers who want to make an eCommerce website themselves. The famous “jam boy”, Fraser Doherty MBE, has even mentioned about it in various talks. Which basically implies how easy Shopify development is for beginners. Everything is presented intuitively, in the platform. Of course, one needs the services of a Shopify developer to implement next-level code features. However, the platform is rather restricted, in terms of the number of themes and extensibility. Also, it can be quite expensive, to get features made by a Shopify website development company. This year, it’s expected that the platform will be launched at lesser rates in some developing countries.

Volusion Development

Though Volusion has been in the market for many years, it couldn’t reach the expected level. In recent years, Volusion development has been picking up, perhaps in a bid to catch up on the lost ground. As a result, the tool offers a bundle of features, in an intuitive UI. There is a stream of loyal Volusion developers, who consider it the best platform for eCommerce. Hence, there is a good source of resources online, even if one can’t find a local Volusion website development company. If you can’t outsource to remote areas, then you may find it tough to get a solution developed. Though this may change in the near future, as the company is focusing on growing in emerging markets.

Prestashop Development

Also based on open-source, Prestashop can get your site running, without pinching the pocket. The core functionality is developed in PHP-MySQL, which is effective for most tasks. It’s possible to make your website quite powerful, though you’ll always need a technical person for Prestashop development. If your site requirements are vast, they can be carried out via a Prestashop website development company. You can also recruit a Prestashop developer from developing geographies, at lesser rates. A downside is that one has to rely on third-party mobile apps, as there’s no official app yet. It is hoped that an official app would be launched soon, on similar lines as WooCommerce.

3dcart Development

Every year, 3dcart keeps getting better and better. Famous for its efficient and friendly UI, 3dcart development is quite easy, even for beginners. There’s a reason why it’s used by SMEs to sell things like hardware, pet food, lawn equipment, gifting items, etc. They could get it done without requiring the services of a 3dcart website development company. All the basic features are there, though advanced level functionalities aren’t there. There are several apps by 3dcart developers on their website, however, the list isn’t too vast. Also, there is no official mobile app. It is hoped that they’ll launch it in 2020.

BigCommerce Development

True to its name, BigCommerce can let you do a lot of eCommerce transactions in a big manner. The last few years have seen massive strides in BigCommerce development, in terms of both usability and features. Prospective customers can take a 15-day trial without giving their credit card, and then decide whether to pay further. The website is full of useful resources on different industries and case studies. You don’t need a BigCommerce developer to set up your site, as you can contact their sales team. For the requirements of a big website, surely, you’ll need to recruit a BigCommerce website development company. The downside is that the plans can be quite expensive and developer resources are slightly limited. Though the number is increasing, it’s hoped that 2020 will see more such facilities for the end-users.

Magento Development

The most powerful eCommerce tool also happens to have the most complicated UI. Magento powers some of the biggest online selling websites in the world. Its inventory management and finance functionalities are simply magnificent. For large scale enterprises and serious players, Magento development is a must. It’s easy to find a Magento website development company, locally as well as on online marketplaces. A major downside is, as said earlier, the complexity. You’ll always need a Magento developer to get things done, even for certain usage in the CMS. Ardent users pray for an easier UI in 2020.

Weebly Development

Steadily making inroads, Weebly remains the first choice for those who want a no-frills platform. Weebly development is fairly straightforward, especially for first-time entrepreneurs. The user interface is indeed easy to get around. You need not rely on a Weebly developer to get a hang of the system. However, the absence of some serious features for big-time entrepreneurs is missing. The ecosystem is restricted, due to which all your requirements can’t be fulfilled, even by a Weebly website development company. Long term users of the ecosystem anticipate more useful features getting added to it this year.

Squarespace Development

Squarespace has the best user experience among all CMS platforms. Mac users will find things familiar, in its whitespace UI design. Doing Squarespace development for normal websites and eCommerce ones is a breeze. Even though the platform is more expensive than others, it does SEO automatically, which reduces your marketing budget. There is a limited number of themes to select, to add things like custom CSS you’ll need a Squarespace developer. All the essential metrics and analytics are there for admins and sellers. You need not hire a Squarespace website development company for most needs, just schedule a call with the sales team. Last year their revamped mobile app added several new features, including the ability to design pages. This year, it’s anticipated that they’ll refine the same further.

Wix Development

The Internet is filled with success stories of hobbyists who made their first eCommerce store with Wix. What makes Wix development a success among first-timers is the way the tool presents itself. Features are less, yet the focus given on each is detailed. This makes it easy for anyone to set up their online store, even if they’ve never made a website before. For the need of advanced features and apps, check out a section on their website called Wix Arena. It makes it possible for anyone to hire a Wix developer or a Wix website development company. In 2020, the plan is to make the platform more powerful for developers and increase integrations.

WordPress Development

WordPress powers a greater number of CMS websites on the planet, than any other platform. The first choice of bloggers, it’s now gaining traction among eCommerce as well, due to WooCommerce. The open-source platform comes in two variants – WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The first one doesn’t require the services of a WordPress developer, as the cloud-hosted solution takes care of your needs. The features and themes can be limited though. To make use of all the plugins, themes and customizations, you’ll need to contact a WordPress website development company. The platform can be a bit too technical at times, with frequent updating of plugins and theme functionalities. The WordPress development roadmap for 2020 consists of an easier UI and a more stable platform.

Joomla Development

Another open-source platform, Joomla has always been popular among its users. It’s cost-effective, due to several free extensions and themes available on the platform. Non-techies can’t do Joomla development themselves, owing to its underlying architecture and functionalities. You’ll have to hire a Joomla developer or a Joomla website development company to set up your online store. This year, it’s expected that Joomla 4 stable version will release. It’ll be focusing on improved user experience, better security, and faster speed.

Drupal Development

Drupal powers around 3% of the world’s websites. On similar lines as Joomla and WordPress, it’s good for users with a technical bent of mind. You’ll need to recruit a Drupal developer to set up your website. For advanced users, they can hire a Drupal website development company to fulfill their complex business requirements. You can even connect with experts on their website, as per your industry. Drupal 9 will be launching in June 2020, an extension of Drupal 8. That way, Drupal development will be easier for existing version 8 developers to make a switch.

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