The rise of internet shopping has made selling products online a very viable option for businesses. If you hope to participate in e-commerce activities, you will need to select and implement an e-commerce platform, which is a software application that allows you to run an e-commerce store online; from ordering to stock management and payments. In addition, any business with an online presence should engage in search engine optimisation or SEO, which is vital to ensuring that a site’s visibility through search engines is maximised. Choosing a suitable e-commerce platform with SEO capabilities and ensuring you have the expertise to implement and operate it are vital to your success.
The consequences of neglecting SEO
SEO aims not only to ensure that your site enjoys increased traffic through search engines like Google, but also that the hits your site receives are more likely to be potential clients and translate to a higher conversion rate. Neglecting your site’s SEO means decreased or unrelated traffic and therefore poorer business.
Choose an e-commerce platform with SEO capabilities
There are numerous e-commerce platforms with SEO capabilities on the market, and two of the most frequently implemented are Magento and BigCommerce. Both are hugely popular platforms with good SEO features. Both Magento and BigCommerce allow you to customise your URLs, keywords, title tags and product descriptions. Both solutions also enable you to generate an XML sitemap. However, learning how to get the most out of the SEO functions can seem a daunting task. To ensure you’re fully utilising your chosen platform’s SEO capabilities, it is therefore advisable to engage the help of an expert.
Magento vs BigCommerce
There are numerous factors you will want to take into consideration when deciding between Magento and BigCommerce. Magento is the most popular platform on the internet at the moment and offers a huge range of customisation options. However, fully utilising Magento’s features requires proficiency in HTML, CSS and PHP and it is generally not the easiest tool to work with without the help of a web developer. BigCommerce is much easier to set up and has an easy to use shipping function, but is not as customisable as Magento and has a limited range of templates. BigCommerce also tends to cost less per month than Magento.
Decide which platform is best for your business
The nature of your e-commerce business can help to determine which platform is the better option. If you are working for a big brand that requires an e-commerce site with superior customisation, Magento with its huge stable of features can enable your site to look its best. On the other hand, if you’re running a small home-grown business and want a simple, fuss-free system that can be implemented quickly, BigCommerce might be more suitable for you.
Choosing an e-commerce platform is not an easy task, and in order to pick a solution that doesn’t compromise your online visibility, it is best if you speak with a professional SEO consultant who can advise you on which platform would be best for your business.
Marketing.com.au thanks Bernard for sharing his advice on e-commerce sites and the importance of SEO capabilities.
Aside from developing a league of veteran snowboarders, Bernard is SEO Works’ Director of SEO Services, helping businesses in Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA succeed online through the implementation of best practice Inbound Marketing.