The 5 best CMS in 2024
That's it, the year 2024 is coming to an end and it's time to take stock.
At Feedcast we're nice because we've put together a little top of the best e-commerce CMS so that you can have an overview of what's out there. And good news, you have a choice! We'll point you in the direction of the platform that's potentially best suited to your needs and we'll give you all the information you need to fully understand the concept.
Are you 100% ready? Let's get started!
It's all very well to talk about CMS and e-commerce platforms, but what exactly are they?
To begin with, the CMS, an acronym for Content Management System, exists to simplify your life. Quite simply. Indeed, it is an online software that allows you to manage your website more easily without needing any technical knowledge of computer language. And yes, this is not negligible.
An e-commerce platform is a way to build a specific online experience. The aim is to achieve sales, as this maintenance offers your customers the possibility to buy your products everywhere and all the time. Practical. The only condition? To have a hosting solution in mind. Without it, you simply cannot store your information on the web, on a server. That would be a shame, because it is this data that allows your users to access the entire content of your site.
There are two ways to do this:
Simple: some websites offer a hosted platform themselves. You don't have to worry about hosting, especially as the costs are usually automatically included in the packages.
This option is a little more complex because you have to use your own space or rent one from a hosting provider. The management of your shop is therefore a little more complicated, more tiring because you have to manage every detail: updates, maintenance, bug fixes...
Once you have your e-commerce business idea, you can choose the platform that suits you best. You will need to define several elements in order to choose the option that best suits your needs. Your goals are unique so the choice of platform will vary accordingly.
You should therefore :
Consider all the possibilities the platform offers
Consider your marketing tools and how they can be integrated into the platform
Look for a modern platform that is constantly evolving and keeping up with the latest technology
Don't forget about the budget, it's an important factor, so budget for all your expenses.
Ask yourself if the platform is compatible with your business. Does it meet the characteristics, needs and entire universe of your business?
Do not neglect the quality of the payment gateways. They must be safe and secure. If your payment solutions are shaky, your site will not appear reliable and, above all, trustworthy to your customers
And the coolest thing of all: allow yourself to think big, don't hesitate to think about the future growth of your business. Don't forget what your goals are so you know where you want to end up in the future
Here we go: the ranking of the best platforms. We have grouped them together according to our professional opinion. It's up to you to see which ones would best suit your needs and which ones would provide you with the most interesting features.
At Feedcast, we think Shopify is the most sophisticated and comprehensive SaaS e-commerce platform. With many tools and top of the line capabilities for multi-channel selling, it's our favourite in this ranking.
Direct sales on your website, in your shop, on social networks
A large choice of e-commerce themes (about 70), both paid and free
Free bandwidth and unlimited online storage space
Free and smart services such as free email marketing service for abandoned cart recovery, SEO optimization...
A mobile application that allows you to manage your business on your computer as well as on your smartphone
Modest price starting at 27 euros per month for the basic package
The + → possibility with this platform to create your business with little budget and technical knowledge. It is possible to evolve into an international brand (and therefore it is not necessary to change e-commerce platform).
The - → Its service is the most expensive in the ranking
Wix is also a platform offering several advantages on various points. In second place, it has nothing to be ashamed of compared to Shopify.
Many customizable templates
Web hosting
Convenient and easy "drag and drop" functionality
Domain name registration
Possibility to create a basic website for free! But you will have to pay for a package to do e-commerce and create your own online shop
Basic package per month at 20.40 euros
The + → Wix has a range of efficient and functional tools for e-commerce such as: order tracking, online payments accepted, selling products on different sales channels and creating relaunch campaigns following an abandoned cart
The - → A lack of features that are important though: for example there is no alert when there is an out of stock situation.
Feedcast's advice: for a company with more than a dozen products on sale, opt for a platform with more elaborate stock management.
Complementary to the WordPress platform, and thus, known for making low-cost blogs in a relatively qualitative way, WooCommerce is used in a similar way but rather to create an online sales platform.
In the first place: a content management system (CMS). In the background: an e-commerce platform
Basic sales functions but it is possible to add applications and extensions to the shop
Price: 27 euros per month maximum
The + → ease of use
The - → malfunctions related to the added extensions. You also have to manage the hosting of your website, so these are additional costs.
Prestashop is an interesting platform for people who cannot yet invest much in their shop as the service is free but is not ridiculous in terms of the features offered.
Open source e-commerce platform
Ideal for new businesses
Several features available such as: stock tracking, online shopping cart, international sales and analysis reports
The + → It's free! When someone tells you that nothing is free in this world, you can reply "Yes, Prestashop".
The - → Requires some technical background as there is no customer service, so Prestashop users solve their technical problems by themselves sometimes with the help of the community. Maintenance is quite heavy due to third party hosting, heavy configuration, several extensions and modules that are not official.
SquareSpace is an affordable platform for those starting out as it does not require strong technical knowledge.
Ideal functionality for beginners of "drag and drop".
Solid logistical arrangements
Ability to sell gift cards but also products by subscription
First subscription with a modest budget of 17 euros per month
The + → Requires little technical knowledge
The - → Significant work to be done in terms of configuration since at its core, the platform lists itself primarily as a website creation vehicle. Only two integrated transaction portals - Stripe and Paypal.
There are therefore many CMS to launch an e-commerce shop. Each of them offers different features and benefits, and it is important to choose the one that best suits your needs and your business. However, once you have chosen your CMS, it is important to think about how you will manage your advertising campaigns! You can easily connect your shop, regardless of your CMS, to easily import your products and advertising data.Using Feedcast, you can efficiently manage all your advertising campaigns across different channels!
Don't hesitate to sign up for a free trial of Feedcast!
At Feedcast we're nice because we've put together a little top of the best e-commerce CMS so that you can have an overview of what's out there. And good news, you have a choice! We'll point you in the direction of the platform that's potentially best suited to your needs and we'll give you all the information you need to fully understand the concept.
Are you 100% ready? Let's get started!
It's all very well to talk about CMS and e-commerce platforms, but what exactly are they?
To begin with, the CMS, an acronym for Content Management System, exists to simplify your life. Quite simply. Indeed, it is an online software that allows you to manage your website more easily without needing any technical knowledge of computer language. And yes, this is not negligible.
An e-commerce platform is a way to build a specific online experience. The aim is to achieve sales, as this maintenance offers your customers the possibility to buy your products everywhere and all the time. Practical. The only condition? To have a hosting solution in mind. Without it, you simply cannot store your information on the web, on a server. That would be a shame, because it is this data that allows your users to access the entire content of your site.
There are two ways to do this:
Hosted e-commerce platforms
Simple: some websites offer a hosted platform themselves. You don't have to worry about hosting, especially as the costs are usually automatically included in the packages.
Self-hosted platforms
This option is a little more complex because you have to use your own space or rent one from a hosting provider. The management of your shop is therefore a little more complicated, more tiring because you have to manage every detail: updates, maintenance, bug fixes...
Once you have your e-commerce business idea, you can choose the platform that suits you best. You will need to define several elements in order to choose the option that best suits your needs. Your goals are unique so the choice of platform will vary accordingly.
You should therefore :
Consider all the possibilities the platform offers
Consider your marketing tools and how they can be integrated into the platform
Look for a modern platform that is constantly evolving and keeping up with the latest technology
Don't forget about the budget, it's an important factor, so budget for all your expenses.
Ask yourself if the platform is compatible with your business. Does it meet the characteristics, needs and entire universe of your business?
Do not neglect the quality of the payment gateways. They must be safe and secure. If your payment solutions are shaky, your site will not appear reliable and, above all, trustworthy to your customers
And the coolest thing of all: allow yourself to think big, don't hesitate to think about the future growth of your business. Don't forget what your goals are so you know where you want to end up in the future
Here we go: the ranking of the best platforms. We have grouped them together according to our professional opinion. It's up to you to see which ones would best suit your needs and which ones would provide you with the most interesting features.
The big winner : Shopify
At Feedcast, we think Shopify is the most sophisticated and comprehensive SaaS e-commerce platform. With many tools and top of the line capabilities for multi-channel selling, it's our favourite in this ranking.
The specificities:
Direct sales on your website, in your shop, on social networks
A large choice of e-commerce themes (about 70), both paid and free
Free bandwidth and unlimited online storage space
Free and smart services such as free email marketing service for abandoned cart recovery, SEO optimization...
A mobile application that allows you to manage your business on your computer as well as on your smartphone
Modest price starting at 27 euros per month for the basic package
The + → possibility with this platform to create your business with little budget and technical knowledge. It is possible to evolve into an international brand (and therefore it is not necessary to change e-commerce platform).
The - → Its service is the most expensive in the ranking
In second place: Wix
Wix is also a platform offering several advantages on various points. In second place, it has nothing to be ashamed of compared to Shopify.
The specificities :
Many customizable templates
Web hosting
Convenient and easy "drag and drop" functionality
Domain name registration
Possibility to create a basic website for free! But you will have to pay for a package to do e-commerce and create your own online shop
Basic package per month at 20.40 euros
The + → Wix has a range of efficient and functional tools for e-commerce such as: order tracking, online payments accepted, selling products on different sales channels and creating relaunch campaigns following an abandoned cart
The - → A lack of features that are important though: for example there is no alert when there is an out of stock situation.
Feedcast's advice: for a company with more than a dozen products on sale, opt for a platform with more elaborate stock management.
For easy use: WooCommerce
Complementary to the WordPress platform, and thus, known for making low-cost blogs in a relatively qualitative way, WooCommerce is used in a similar way but rather to create an online sales platform.
The specificities :
In the first place: a content management system (CMS). In the background: an e-commerce platform
Basic sales functions but it is possible to add applications and extensions to the shop
Price: 27 euros per month maximum
The + → ease of use
The - → malfunctions related to the added extensions. You also have to manage the hosting of your website, so these are additional costs.
For small budgets: PrestaShop
Prestashop is an interesting platform for people who cannot yet invest much in their shop as the service is free but is not ridiculous in terms of the features offered.
The specificities :
Open source e-commerce platform
Ideal for new businesses
Several features available such as: stock tracking, online shopping cart, international sales and analysis reports
The + → It's free! When someone tells you that nothing is free in this world, you can reply "Yes, Prestashop".
The - → Requires some technical background as there is no customer service, so Prestashop users solve their technical problems by themselves sometimes with the help of the community. Maintenance is quite heavy due to third party hosting, heavy configuration, several extensions and modules that are not official.
Accessible for beginners: SquareSpace
SquareSpace is an affordable platform for those starting out as it does not require strong technical knowledge.
Features:
Ideal functionality for beginners of "drag and drop".
Solid logistical arrangements
Ability to sell gift cards but also products by subscription
First subscription with a modest budget of 17 euros per month
The + → Requires little technical knowledge
The - → Significant work to be done in terms of configuration since at its core, the platform lists itself primarily as a website creation vehicle. Only two integrated transaction portals - Stripe and Paypal.
There are therefore many CMS to launch an e-commerce shop. Each of them offers different features and benefits, and it is important to choose the one that best suits your needs and your business. However, once you have chosen your CMS, it is important to think about how you will manage your advertising campaigns! You can easily connect your shop, regardless of your CMS, to easily import your products and advertising data.Using Feedcast, you can efficiently manage all your advertising campaigns across different channels!
Don't hesitate to sign up for a free trial of Feedcast!
Updated on: 08/02/2024
Thank you!