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E-Commerce Platforms

Which e-commerce platform or online store is suitable for my e-business?

The Right E-commerce Platform

Your e-commerce platform is the technical foundation for all your e-commerce activities. But in most cases, online store software alone will not be enough. Manufacturers of e-commerce solutions are increasingly limiting themselves to the development of core store functions. They expect their customers to customize the store to their individual wishes using plugins and add-ons. And other systems such as PIM, email marketing, CRM and content management systems are often combined with the store software to form a platform.

A smiling young man sits in front of a laptop. He is holding a credit card in his hand. The image implies an online transaction and symbolizes xt:Commerce.
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xt:Commerce
xt:Commerce

Continuously developed over many years, this tried-and-tested store system now offers a wide range of features.

Dive into xt:Commerce now

A requirements analysis should therefore not only include the store itself, but also possible or already integrated peripheral systems. It is also not very helpful to compare the e-commerce functions specified by the manufacturers. In many cases, it is only during setup that it becomes clear whether the given functionalities meet the actual requirements.

 

Man at desk with laptop looking out the window

Regardless of whether you are a newcomer or run an established e-commerce website: If you want to offer your customers an outstanding customer experience, then choosing the right e-commerce platform is crucial.

Our Store Systems

Blackbit Supports You With Leading E-commerce Platforms

Gartner regularly analyzes the latest developments in various IT markets and publishes its market research findings in an annual report. Gartner's view of the digital commerce sector focuses on adaptable and new technological approaches for efficient customer solutions.

A digital commerce platform is defined as the core technology with the specific purpose of making customers, goods and services accessible through an interactive and individually controlled shopping experience (see article in our blog). In its 2020 report, Gartner lists a total of fifteen digital commerce platforms.

Gartner Magic Quadrant 2021 for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms

We have selected three of the e-commerce platforms recommended by Gartner that we have been supporting online retailers with for some time: BigCommerce, Shopify and Shopware. When making our selection, we made sure that the solutions were relevant in German-speaking countries, including having a large developer community and a cloud and future-proof software architecture. Our platforms Pimcore (CoreShop) and xt:Commerce, which we have been using for e-commerce projects for many years, round off the range.

Gartner Magic Quadrant 2021: A visual comparison model that shows the position of e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Adobe and Salesforce in a quadrant diagram. The platforms are evaluated based on their ability to offer a comprehensive e-commerce solution and implement it effectively.

How Do I Find the Right E-commerce Platform?

Regardless of the individual functionalities of the e-commerce solution, there are some basic characteristics that should be taken into account when choosing your online store. We would like to provide you with some information to help you choose the right e-commerce platform for you:

1

Best of breed or integrated platform
2

Best SaaS e-commerce or on premise
3

Open source or licensed software
4

Special requirements in B2B e-commerce

Best of Breed or Integrated Platform?

Experience shows: The more additional extensions are installed in your online store, the more unstable the operation becomes and the more complex the maintenance of the e-commerce platform becomes. Companies are therefore well advised to choose an e-commerce solution that already covers the most important functions as standard. There is no such thing as the right e-commerce platform or the best e-commerce platform. There are only platforms that best meet the specific requirements of a customer.

There are basically two approaches:

An integrated platform that combines as many e-commerce and marketing functions as possible under one roof eliminates the need for many interfaces and thus ensures consistent processes in the administration and front end. This often pays off in the form of a better user experience for the visitor and greater efficiency for the user in administration. Such an integrated platform is often associated with higher investment costs and is therefore more suitable for large companies.

Alternatively, various software solutions that specialize in one aspect of e-commerce can be integrated with each other. These specialized systems are often superior to an integrated platform in terms of their partial functionality. In practice, however, it is often the case that interfaces limit the usable range of functions, meaning that the actual usable range of services may fall behind that of an integrated platform. If these limitations are consciously accepted and integration is possible as standard, the investment costs are often lower and this approach is therefore more suitable for small companies.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of SAAS and On-Premise E-commerce Platforms?

The solutions we support differ not only in their e-commerce functions, but also in their operating and license models. For example, xt:Commerce, Pimcore and Shopware can be operated on premise - i.e. on your own server. BigCommerce, Shopify and Shopware are Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that are operated by the provider itself and leased to the store operator. Shopware is available as a cloud version (another name for SaaS) and a SaaS version has been announced for Pimcore.

Manufacturer Support vs. Customizability

To compare the advantages and disadvantages of both operating models, you can imagine an iPhone with and without jailbreak. The closed iPhone is regularly supplied with updates by the manufacturer, who ensures secure and reliable use. However, customization is only possible within the limits set by Apple. An open iPhone can be customized almost indefinitely. However, the responsibility for safe and reliable use lies with the user.

Performance

SaaS solutions generally run with good performance. However, it is quite possible to outperform a SaaS giant like Shopify in terms of performance, even with xt:Commerce. This requires the appropriate technical know-how, as maintenance, monitoring and backups must then be carried out by the agency and the customer themselves.

Costs

While the software license must be purchased for on-premise solutions and the installation of the software incurs higher initial costs, the upfront investment for SaaS software is significantly lower. Here, the customer rents software including hosting.

Data Protection

In terms of data protection, many companies feel more secure with an on-premise solution, as customer data is stored on their own server. In reality, however, cloud companies have created technical and legal standards that are difficult to implement for individual companies that host their servers themselves.

Open Source Solution or Licensed Software for the Online Store?

Pimcore is published under an open source license, BigCommerce and Shopify can be described as SaaS e-commerce software and xt:Commerce is classic licensed software. As the store operator generally does not have access to the source code of a SaaS e-commerce solution and cannot modify it, SaaS e-commerce is similar to licensed software.

But what is the difference between licensed software and free software?

License E-commerce Software

Advantages

  • No license costs
  • Further development
    If the software (like Pimcore) is supported by a large developer community, rapid further development is possible.
  • Source code can be viewed and edited
    Bugs can be fixed by anyone. Agencies and customers often contribute to bug fixing and further development via pull requests.
  • Customizable software
    The software can be modified and adapted to your own requirements.

Disadvantages

  • Further development
    With an inactive community, further developments come to a standstill.
  • Often no guarantees and support
    Without support from the manufacturer, store operators are dependent on help from the community.
  • Open source code harbors dangers
    Security-relevant vulnerabilities are more likely to be discovered and abused.

Open Source Software

Advantages

  • Guarantees and support from software manufacturers
  • Greater security
    Manufacturer takes care of the security of the e-commerce software and provides patches

Disadvantages

  • License costs
  • Fewer innovations and individual solutions
    Often fewer innovative and individual solutions and extensions are available than with open source systems

In order to combine the advantages of free software with those of licensed software and to exclude possible disadvantages, many open source software manufacturers offer enterprise subscriptions that ensure regulated customer service and include missing guarantees and additional functional enhancements

Screenshot Viani online shop

 

What Criteria Must B2B Store Software Fulfill?

Online sales have many facets - special requirements of B2B e-commerce:

  • Different logins within a customer account that should be managed by the customer themselves
  • More complex pricing (e.g. individual prices at item level, special conditions for selected customer groups, discounts for bulk purchases)
  • Extended shopping cart functions (e.g. shopping suggestions based on previous orders, seasonal events and current campaigns)

If the e-commerce platform is to serve B2B and B2C customers equally, then product ranges, pricing and special functions must be carefully differentiated. In some cases, even the presentation of the articles differs in that B2B customers are offered additional information.

Benefit From Blackbit’s E-commerce Expertise

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when choosing the right store system or e-commerce platform. It is worth taking the time to thoroughly weigh up the decision from the customer and retailer perspective. This is the only way to avoid bad investments in the introduction of software that, in retrospect, is not the best fit for your company and your customers.

As an experienced digital commerce agency, we will be happy to help you define your requirements and advise you personally on choosing the right e-commerce solution. On request, we can of course also support you in setting up and customizing your e-commerce platform and in developing and implementing online marketing strategies for sustainable e-commerce success. Arrange a non-binding initial consultation now.

The Best Advice - From Platform Selection To E-commerce Marketing

We have proven partner technologies for every e-commerce requirement - and experts who are on hand to provide you with help and advice. We develop strategies, set up your online store, ensure high-performance, secure hosting and support you in marketing your products.

Shopify

The all-in-one e-commerce solution with integrated payment and low entry barriers is popular worldwide.
Learn more
xt:Commerce

Continuously developed over many years, the tried-and-tested store system now offers a wide range of functions.
Learn more
Shopware 6

Experienced e-commerce player with a new foundation: As a store system made in Germany, Shopware is particularly well suited to the DACH region.
Learn more
BigCommerce

Challenger in headless commerce: The store system for small and medium-sized companies is growing in Europe and Asia.
Learn more
E-commerce hosting

Speed, reliability and security at a high level - plus simple expandability and fast change management.
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E-Commerce Marketing

Today, marketing measures are predominantly implemented online. The Internet has therefore become the leading medium for most of our customers.
Learn more