As commerce moves online, business need to anticipate changing customer expectations and deliver engaging and personalized experiences across all channels
the entire shopping journey is transitioning
· Desktop ➡️ mobile
· Greater need for more responsive applications
· The entire in-venue experience
The list goes on
In the digital age, businesses of any size - trying to sell anything online (which is a growing number of merchants) - need a platform that nimbly keeps them at the forefront of user experience and innovation.
SaaS eCommerce platforms are designed for this very problem
A 3rd party vendor houses and maintains the cloud servers the software is hosted on; merchants access the software via the internet and pay a monthly subscription to use the software. eCommerce SaaS platforms are an out-of-the-box solution. They do not take months to set up nor do they require an entire IT team just to get started. What they do offer is a ton of value out of the gate including offering cart functionality, product management, marketing, accounting, and much more.
SaaS eCommerce platforms also help knock down traditional barriers to selling online including
Maintenance - no need to worry about bug fixes or updates
Security & Compliance - take a lot of legal hassle off your plate
Cost - small upfront cost & increased savings
Scalability - Software makes it easy to take on more customers, process more orders, and add functionality. Additionally, you do not have to rebuild your platform ever time business processes change
Integration - APIs give you the best of all worlds
While there are many advantages to eCommerce SaaS platforms, they may not be the best fit for every business. Given the nature of the software offering, they oftentimes lack customization, handling complexity, or non-traditional sales avenues (B2B, DTC, etc.)
We really get excited about industries, tools, platforms, businesses, and anything else you can think of when they make it easier for more players to enter the game and get an At-bat
We think eCommerce SaaS platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify do just that.
Learn Something
nchannel: Advantages and Disadvantages of SaaS eCommerce Platforms
Devesh Rajarshi: Best eCommerce Platform for your Online Store in 2019 — Open Source vs. SaaS-Based
3dcart: What is eCommerce and How can it Benefit Your Business?