Working a number of on-line shops could be daunting. Easy duties like order and stock administration can shortly develop into overwhelming while you’re working with totally different platforms and integrations.
However this is the excellent news: multi-store ecommerce platforms like Magento and WooCommerce can assist you use a number of shops with out juggling totally different platforms and instruments.
Curious to learn the way? Learn the remainder of our information to search out out.
We’ll clarify every thing you could find out about multi-store ecommerce platforms, together with what makes a very good multi-store platform and the highest 5 platforms available on the market. We’ll additionally share a step-wise course of for selecting a multi-store platform so you may choose one of the best one.
If you happen to’re in a rush, listed here are the highest 5 multi-store ecommerce platforms:
- WooCommerce — finest for small companies.
- Magento — finest for small, medium, and huge companies with in depth catalogs.
- Shopify Plus — finest for direct-to-consumer manufacturers.
- BigCommerce — finest for omnichannel companies.
- OpenCart — finest for small companies that run affiliate applications.
Preserve studying to study why we selected them and if they seem to be a good match for your enterprise.
Get able to develop your enterprise with one of the best multi-store ecommerce platforms
Multi-store ecommerce platforms offer you full management over your storefronts, stock, orders, and buyer knowledge — all from one handy place. That is necessary when your enterprise grows, and you could serve extra prospects throughout totally different areas.
Earlier than we discuss in regards to the high 5 multi-store ecommerce platforms, let’s discover the components that contribute to a very good multi-store platform.
What makes a very good multi-store ecommerce platform?
The very best multi-store ecommerce platforms usually present options like stock administration, built-in fee gateways, and built-in advertising instruments. Listed below are 10 options to think about in a multi-store ecommerce platform:
- Person-friendly interface: Intuitive back and front finish interfaces streamline retailer administration and supply prospects with a pleasing shopping for expertise.
- Stock administration instruments: Stock administration instruments simplify monitoring inventory ranges, updating product info, and dealing with order success.
- Efficiency: Quick and dependable efficiency ensures your on-line shops load shortly and might deal with visitors surges with out slowing down or crashing.
- Customizability: Design and performance customization instruments assist you personalize the web buying expertise.
- Fee gateway integrations: Built-in fee gateways present prospects with a safe checkout expertise.
- Capability to scale: Scalability is significant for dealing with rising merchandise, prospects, and transactions with out sacrificing efficiency.
- Advertising, promotions, and web optimization options: Publication help, product web page metadata customization, and reductions are essential for driving visitors and rising income.
- Internationalization options: Multilingual and multi-currency help are obligatory for localizing the buying expertise to your worldwide prospects.
- Integration capabilities: Integrations with third-party providers and instruments can assist streamline your operations.
- Safety measures: Security measures like two-factor authentication and consumer position administration defend your on-line retailer and buyer knowledge from undesirable entry.
The 5 finest multi-store ecommerce platforms
Now that you just perceive how to decide on a multi-store ecommerce platform, let’s discover the highest 5 choices available on the market and the explanations to decide on them.
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an open-source resolution that permits you to arrange a number of shops with WordPress. You possibly can construct shops with unbiased catalogs utilizing WooCommerce and WordPress Multisite or use a third-party plugin to create a number of shops with a shared catalog.
WooCommerce is extremely extensible and allows you to customise each a part of your on-line retailer utilizing plugins. It additionally helps a number of currencies, languages, and fee choices by default, making it top-of-the-line free multi-store ecommerce platforms available on the market.
Finest multi-store ecommerce platform for: Small companies that want a cheap ecommerce resolution and people with present WordPress web sites.
Key WooCommerce options for multi-store ecommerce:
- Intuitive consumer interface.
- Internationalization help.
- Versatile transport and tax configuration.
- 140 region-specific fee gateways.
- Huge ecosystem of themes and plugins.
WooCommerce worth: Free to obtain and use. Managed WooCommerce internet hosting plans begin from $15.83 monthly when paid yearly.
2. Magento
Magento is an open supply ecommerce platform that helps a number of web sites and retailer views by default. It empowers you to streamline your operations by managing stock, prospects, and order success from a single database.
Magento is the right resolution for constructing multi-store web sites as a result of it’s extremely scalable and customizable. Whether or not you are promoting a couple of hundred merchandise or tens of 1000’s, Magento will present your prospects with a quick and responsive buying expertise.
Finest multi-store ecommerce platform for: Small, medium, and huge companies with in depth catalogs and superior customization wants.
Key Magento options for multi-store ecommerce:
- Multi-source stock administration.
- Multi-currency and multilingual help.
- Highly effective advertising and promotional instruments.
- A number of fee and transport choices.
- Customizable modular structure with sturdy API help.
Magento worth: Magento Open Supply is free to obtain and use. Managed Magento internet hosting plans begin from $62 monthly earlier than reductions.
3. Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus is a superb multi-store ecommerce resolution for constructing a number of websites with out worrying about internet hosting, safety, and efficiency. It is extremely user-friendly and permits you to handle as much as 9 free shops moreover your foremost retailer.
Based mostly in your contract, Shopify additionally permits you to purchase extra shops for $250 monthly per retailer or a income share throughout all shops. However one of the best half is that Shopify Plus helps limitless shops beneath a single model, permitting you so as to add a number of shops effortlessly.
Finest multi-store ecommerce platform for: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) manufacturers that want a user-friendly and scalable ecommerce platform.
Key Shopify Plus options for multi-store ecommerce:
- Helps limitless shops.
- Integrates with main ERP, CRM, and third-party purposes.
- B2B ecommerce and wholesale channel entry.
- Absolutely customizable checkout.
- 24/7 precedence help.
Shopify Plus worth: Shopify Plus pricing begins from $2,000 monthly and is calculated based mostly in your annual turnover.
4. BigCommerce
BigCommerce gives all of the instruments you could run a number of on-line shops with none technical abilities. With a couple of clicks, you may create separate shops for various product classes, manufacturers, audiences, or areas.
BigCommerce’s internet hosting infrastructure is strong and scalable, enabling your retailer to deal with giant visitors volumes simply. Its drag-and-drop editor permits you to design distinctive, personalised buying experiences throughout a number of shops with out touching code.
Finest multi-store ecommerce platform for: Omnichannel B2B and B2C companies that want a totally managed ecommerce platform.
Key BigCommerce options for multi-store ecommerce:
- Unified retailer administration.
- Open API structure.
- Help 100+ currencies by default.
- Customized pricing help with tariffs and buyer teams.
- Highly effective reporting instruments.
BigCommerce worth: Free 15-day trial. Paid plans begin from $39 monthly for as much as 3 shops and $30 monthly for each extra retailer.
5. OpenCart
OpenCart is an open supply platform that offers you a centralized dashboard to handle merchandise, prospects, and orders throughout a number of shops. It permits you to create separate storefronts for various manufacturers, product strains, or goal markets, every with a singular design.
OpenCart provides helpful options like built-in order administration, buyer evaluations, and analytics, which can assist you monitor gross sales and make data-driven selections. It is also extremely customizable, making it excellent for ecommerce localization.
Finest multi-store ecommerce platform for: Small companies and DTC manufacturers that want a light-weight ecommerce platform with online marketing instruments.
Key OpenCart options for multi-store ecommerce:
- Personalized design, catalog, content material, and fee for every retailer.
- Centralized retailer administration.
- Multilingual and multi-currency help.
- Retailer-wise analytics and reporting.
- Online marketing module with customized monitoring codes.
OpenCart worth: Free to obtain and use. OpenCart Cloud plans begin from $59 monthly.
How to decide on the appropriate multi-store ecommerce platform for your enterprise
Here is a easy four-step course of that will help you discover the right multi-store ecommerce platform.
1. Take into account your tech assets
Begin by assessing your technical abilities and assets. If you happen to’re not tech-savvy or lack the experience to handle advanced software program, you will want an answer that permits you to arrange a number of shops with out coping with a lot code, like WooCommerce or BigCommerce.
2. Take into account your wants
Take into account why you want a number of shops to grasp which options to search for. For instance, if you’d like a devoted B2B channel, you will want a platform with B2B options. Equally, you will want multi-currency and multilingual help if you wish to supply localization.
3. Take into account your price range
Multi-store platforms have prices like month-to-month subscriptions, internet hosting, or transaction charges. Decide a price range and search for inexpensive platforms that supply the options you require to get one of the best return in your funding.
4. Take into account your merchandise
Take into account the dimensions of your catalog and the kind of merchandise you promote earlier than selecting a multi-store ecommerce platform. As an example, in case you have a big catalog with totally different product varieties like digital, bodily, and bundled merchandise, you will want a platform like Magento or OpenCart.
Begin rising your enterprise with the appropriate multi-store ecommerce platform right now
We have defined what makes a very good multi-store ecommerce platform and shared the highest 5 decisions available on the market. Now, it is your flip to decide on.
Shopify Plus and BigCommerce are glorious multi-store ecommerce platforms that deal with internet hosting and efficiency optimization. Whereas they do not supply a lot management, they’re nice for small companies with easy wants.
Nonetheless, if you’d like a feature-rich and customizable multi-store ecommerce platform, think about WooCommerce, Magento, or OpenCart. They offer you full management over your on-line retailer and are extremely scalable.
Plus, while you host your web site with a managed internet hosting supplier like Nexcess, you get a SaaS-like possession expertise with out restrictions or a hefty price ticket. Browse our managed internet hosting plans to learn the way.