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E-Commerce May 05, 2020

How to Choose the Right Enterprise eCommerce Platform

Jane Vyshnova

Jane Vyshnova

CEO

Author

How to Choose the Right Enterprise eCommerce Platform

Content

  1. What Features Should Enterprise Ecommerce Solutions Contain?
  2. List Of The Best Enterprise Ecommerce Platforms
  3. Magento Enterprise Edition [Information is out of date]
  4. Magento Commerce [Updated in 2021]
  5. Shopware Enterprise [Updated in 2021]
  6. BigCommerce [Updated in 2023]
  7. Demandware
  8. Hybris
  9. Enterprise ecommerce solutions comparison [Updated in 2021]
  10. eCommerce Features
  11. The Best Enterprise eCommerce Solutions: Final Thought

The question of how to choose an ecommerce platform for your enterprise can be challenging. As we know, an enterprise ecommerce platform is very expensive. 

Moreover, you need a lot of effort and it takes a lot of people to set up, maintain and run an online shop at the enterprise level. For that reason, you need to be very careful with your decision when choosing a solution for the enterprise.

Moreover, since the enterprise has significantly different requirements from small or medium businesses, you should make the maximum effort during the research stage. If you will select the wrong platform, it will have a negative impact on your business.

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The article below contains insights into what features should have a perfect enterprise-level eCommerce platform and enterprise eCommerce platform comparison. The Dinarys team thinks that this information will give you a clear idea of the suitable features of popular enterprise eCommerce solutions and will help make the decision making process a little bit easier.

What Features Should Enterprise Ecommerce Solutions Contain?

As we said above, the enterprise level ecommerce solution should be different from a standard solution for online retail. How can you make the right choice?

The best way is to put some group effort into the decision-making process since it is a business-level decision. Some companies can even hire a consultant from outside the organization. Why? They do this to receive objective feedback and insights on the company’s needs. Still, you can create a list of your requirements when it comes to the platforms you are looking for.

Then, the best ecommerce platform for the enterprise should meet all your business goals since it will have a great impact on your short-term and long-term future.

To help you with this task, we have gathered a list of vital features for an enterprise eCommerce website.

Top five crucial features of eCommerce websites of enterprise-level retailers are:

  1. Performance of the website;

  2. Capacity to handle traffic;

  3. Product images and description;

  4. Secure payments and data security  

  5. Mobile-friendly online store.

All of these have a great impact on your online business. If you want your enterprise-level online store to be successful, pay attention to all these features.

Below you will find out more information about every feature and understand why they are important.

Statistics show that eCommerce brought in 15% of total retail sales this year in the US. That is why selling online is so important for retailers. But, to be a successful retailer, you should be aware of the most common issues eCommerce businesses are faced with.

Statistics show that eCommerce brought in 15% of total retail sales this year in the US

1 Performance of the Website

The speed of your eCommerce website has an impact on your customer experience and decisions.  Akamai agency said a delay of 100-milliseconds reduces conversion rates by 7%. Moreover, an online shop delay of 2-seconds increases bounce rates by 100%. As for mobile shoppers, 3-second delays result in a 53% chance that customers will leave your website.

an online shop delay of 2-seconds increases bounce rates by 100%

Online shops with low speeds do not have a good position with search engines. For Google and other engines, the page loading speed is a ranking factor. So, if your online shop is too slow, it may not show up despite all the efforts you put into SEO.

To avoid this problem, your future eCommerce platform at the enterprise level should be high performing.

 eCommerce platform at the enterprise level should be high performing

2 Capacity to Handle Traffic

Another important feature of an enterprise e-commerce website is the ability to handle large amounts of traffic to your website.

If your online store is flooded with a huge amount of visitors, the website could break down. Moreover, such situations often result in the server being overwhelmed and catastrophic problems for your business reputation.

To avoid this issue, we recommend SaaS (software-as-a-service), cloud-based ecommerce platforms enterprise editions, supplied with up-time guarantees.
Product Images and Description for enterprise ecommerce website

3 Product Images and Description

Adding, importing, and updating product information is a routing many online retailers wish to avoid. Moreover, this process is very time-consuming.

Unlike a physical store, where shoppers can see products and read its packaging, the online shop can only provide product images, descriptions, and specifications.

When you are in the process of searching for the best enterprise ecommerce solution, pay attention to the platform API (application programming interface). If your future online shop will have an integration with API, you can send product information directly to the website from your PIM (product information management system) or ERP (enterprise resource planning). This approach will save your time and effort so you can concentrate on more important aspects of your online business.

Secure Payments and Data Security for enterprise online store

4 Secure Payments and Data Security

When online shoppers make a purchase on your online store, they provide you with their name and payment details. This is why you need to keep this information safe and secure. Your best future platform for enterprise eCommerce websites should be safe, because failure may cost a fortune for you and your business.

The study, conducted by Ponemon Institute said, a data breach costs businesses about $141.00 for each compromised record. For enterprise-level companies, the total of data breaching is about $3.6 million.

If you want to avoid this problem, we advise selecting the most secure ecommerce platform. It should be Level 1 Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS) certified.

This means that the platform can take care of your customer information and your online shop is secure.

all retail eCommerce sales will come from mobile devices and account for 45% of online sales

5 Mobile-friendly Online Store

A recent article by Business Insider informed us that, by 2020, all retail eCommerce sales will come from mobile devices and account for 45% of online sales.

To be successful, your enterprise eCommerce website must be mobile optimized, since not all enterprise level online shops are right for mobile.

For this, you can choose a responsive theme for your enterprise eCommerce platform or hire an eCommerce agency to develop it for you.

Now you have a clear idea about the most essential features for an ecommerce enterprise platform and the reasons why they are important.  With this in mind, it is time to take a closer look at the top ecommerce platforms for large retailers and decide which solution is most suitable for you.

List Of The Best Enterprise Ecommerce Platforms

When looking for the best platform for an enterprise ecommerce store, consider such popular enterprise level ecommerce platforms like Magento, Shopware, Demandware, and Hybris. Below, you will find the top enterprise ecommerce platforms, including their pros and cons.
Magento has an Enterprise Edition that meets most business needs

Magento Enterprise Edition [Information is out of date]

Magneto is a leader in eCommerce, since the platform is very agile and has great customization. Online retailers think that Magento is the best eCommerce platform for enterprise because it has a wide range of modules and integrations to provide shoppers with a great experience and seamless customer journey. Therefore, if you want to save money on further online shop customization, this is your choice.

The platform has a free community version, which contains most of the core functionality.

For enterprises, Magento has an Enterprise Edition that meets most business needs. This solution is supplied with online customer support, faster indexing, built-in page cache, and other benefits.

The platform offers powerful marketing capabilities, shopping experience, and customer loyalty programs. Its most popular features are:

Recently that platform released a Magento 2.0 version without previously perceived platform weaknesses. To find the best version for you, you can consult with an eCommerce agency to weigh the pros and cons. If you want to migrate from Magento 1.x version to Magento 2.0 take into account that custom modules and integrations won’t work.

Pros

Magento is a self-hosted eCommerce solution with tons of modules and plugins. This allows online retailers to add new features to meet their business needs at any time. If your online shop need maintenance, you can easily find a developer or certified eCommerce agency.  

Cons

Unlike other enterprise eCommerce platforms, Magento Enterprise has no built-in tools for omnichannel retail. But don’t panic, because Demandware provides users with such features. In addition, in the beginning, you will need an eCommerce team to set-up an online shop for you. If you will migrate from Magento 1.x version to Magento 2.0, you will lose most of the custom modules.

Cost

The price of Magento Enterprise is $22.000-$25.000. You will also need additional budget for the design, server, and development.

Magento Commerce

Magento Commerce [Updated in 2021]

Magento Commerce (formerly known as Magento Enterprise Edition) is a leader in the ecommerce domain since the platform is very agile and has a great level of customization. Online retailers think that Magento is the best enterprise ecommerce platform because it has a wide range of modules, integrations, and built-in tools to provide shoppers with a great experience and seamless customer journey.

Therefore, if you want to save money on further online shop customization, this is your choice.

The platform has a free community version, which contains most of the core functionality.

There is Magento Commerce for enterprises. It meets most business needs for medium and large businesses. This solution is supplied with online customer support, faster indexing, built-in page cache, and multi-source inventory management, and PWA Studio and PayPal Smart Buttons.

The platform offers powerful marketing capabilities, a shopping experience, and customer loyalty programs. Its most popular features are:

That platform released a Magento 2.4.20 version without previously perceived platform weaknesses. To find the best version for you, you can consult with an ecommerce agency to weigh the pros and cons. If you want to migrate from the Magento 1.x version to Magento 2.4.2.0 take into account that custom modules and integrations won’t work and must be adjusted accordingly for a proper update.

Pros

Magento is a self-hosted ecommerce solution with tons of modules and plugins. This allows online retailers to add new features to meet their business needs at any time. If your online shop needs maintenance, you can easily find a developer or certified ecommerce agency.  

Cons

Unlike other enterprise ecommerce platforms, Magento Commerce has built-in tools for omnichannel retail such as a PWA Studio. It provides you a set of tools to build your own Progressive Web Application and gives customers an opportunity to feel comfortable on both mobile and desktop versions of the Magento Commerce website. Demandware provides users with similar features. Besides, in the beginning, you will need an eCommerce team to set-up an online shop for you. If you will migrate from Magento 1.x version to Magento 2.0 without that team, then all custom modules will be turned off but the development team will be able to have them working in a proper way on the up-to-date Magento Commerce 2.4.2 version.

Cost

The price of Magento Enterprise is $22,000-$25,000+ per year. You will also need an additional budget for the design, server, and development.

Also read: How to Choose the Best Magento Developer?

Shopware Enterprise

Shopware Enterprise [Updated in 2021]

Shopware is a modern, flexible, feature-rich, and developer-friendly platform. Being focus on customer experience, it provides a lot of shopping functions (such as multiple storefronts, multiple languages​​, and currencies) out-of-the-box.

Shopware is considered an optimal solution for webshops of any size. Its architecture is rigid and modern. You may add plugins, templates, and extensions in accordance with the defined development process. They can be easy integrated into the admin environment as well.

Due to its power and agility, Shopware Enterprise Edition takes one of the leading places in the top ecommerce platforms list. It allows you to easily map B2B and B2C business processes in one system solution. 

Pros

Replying to the question of how to choose ecommerce platform, you should pay attention to the advantages. 

Shopware Enterprise Edition allows keeping implementation costs low due to the modular design. The next advantage you also get with Shopware Enterprise Edition is acquiring a thought-out solution with an extremely short time to the market. 

Shopware Enterprise system architecture provides high scalability. And also with Shopware, you get a strong partner at your side.

Cons

Among the disadvantages of Shopware is the focus on the German market. Shopware is perfectly adapted to the German market. Although it may seem that expertise and specialization in German e-commerce is an advantage, it isn’t always the case. 

Cost

Shopware Enterprise provides all the capabilities to make your online business prosperous. It has scalable features that include individual care, developer support, 24/7 customer support, client management, exclusive access to the Enterprise portal, and all the features that Shopware Professional Plus contains. It has custom enterprise pricing.

Also read: How to Choose a Great Shopware Developer?

 

Bigcommerce

 

BigCommerce [Updated in 2023]

BigCommerce stands out as a modern, adaptable, and feature-rich platform that is friendly for developers. With a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience, it offers numerous shopping functionalities, including multiple storefronts, diverse language and currency support, right out-of-the-box.

BigCommerce is an ideal choice for online stores of any size, offering a robust and contemporary architecture. It allows for the seamless integration of plugins, templates, and extensions, adhering to a defined development process. These additions can be effortlessly incorporated into the admin interface.

Owing to its versatility and efficiency, BigCommerce holds a prominent position among the top e-commerce platforms. It facilitates the easy integration of both B2B and B2C business processes within a single system solution.

Pros

When selecting an e-commerce platform, consider the benefits BigCommerce offers. It keeps implementation costs manageable through its modular structure. Another significant advantage is the provision of a well-conceived solution that ensures a remarkably swift market entry.

The system architecture of BigCommerce ensures high scalability. Furthermore, partnering with BigCommerce means having a reliable ally for your business.

Cons

One limitation of BigCommerce is its primary focus on the US market. While this specialization in the American e-commerce sector may seem beneficial, it isn't universally advantageous.

Cost

BigCommerce equips your online business with all the tools necessary for success. Its scalable features include personalized attention, developer support, 24/7 customer care, client management, exclusive access to the Enterprise portal, and all functionalities encompassed in the BigCommerce Professional Plus package. Pricing for BigCommerce Enterprise is tailored to individual business needs.

 Demandware provides online merchants with features for seamless businesses across all channels

Demandware

If your business plan includes omnichannel retail, Demandware is the best solution for you. Demandware feature list allows online merchants to run seamless businesses across all channels, including online and physical stores.

By default, the platform has such perks as POS, order management, and offline store operations. Moreover, this hosted solution has tools to assist store visitors and enhance their physical store experience.

Pros

Demandware is aimed at omnichannel retailers who search for a smooth and end-to-end ecommerce platform. Online shop owners will not have to worry about service maintenance because it is one of the fully hosted cloud-based ecommerce platforms.

Cons

It could be a problem to find a good developer to maintain your online store on this platform, since Demandware is not very popular among eCommerce tech people. In addition, if you find the team, the price of development and maintenance would be very expensive compared to other platforms. So, how much does demandware cost?

Cost

The price of Demandware depends on the online retailer’s income. CPC Strategy shows that companies with annual sales between $20 million and $500 million pay platform fees from $200,000 to $700,000, annually. Server fees vary from $250,000 to $600,000 per year.

Hybris tools are available in several languages

Hybris

If you are looking to expand overseas or have a strong international presence, take a closer look at this platform. By default, the platform comes with:

In addition, Hybris tools are available in several languages.

The platform is also very powerful when it comes to:

Pros

Built-in multi-language, multi-site and multi-currency capabilities make this platform a perfect choice for international retailers. Users might also enjoy its product management and centralized content features.

Cons

Most platform users gave this platform low scores when it came to ease of updating and reporting capabilities. Hybris also has additional fees for integrations.

Cost

The price of Hybris starts at $54,000 per year. The platform has several pricing plans:

Enterprise ecommerce solutions comparison [Updated in 2021]

We have already reviewed the pros and cons of these platforms and now it’s time to compare their main features and price. From the solutions given above Magento and Shopware are considered the best choice, so let’s start these enterprise ecommerce platforms comparison.

Pricing

When you are determined to choose a solution, the price is considered one of the crucial factors in relation to its capabilities and business needs. As we have already mentioned the cost of Magento Commerce is $22,000+/year, but Shopware cost can’t be defined it is available on request. But there is one more advantage of Shopware on this point. Unlike Magento Commerce, Shopware provides a free version.

eCommerce Features

Due to its impressive features, the Shopware platform succeeds in the ecommerce industry for 18 years. Among the features that Shopware offers are defined:

Considering the price Magento requires, the list of e-commerce features is endless. To prove this, let's dive deeper into its outstanding features. Among them are defined:

The Best Enterprise eCommerce Solutions: Final Thought

Choosing the right ecommerce platform is very important, especially for enterprise-level companies.

For that, you should build a list of the main platform features and then research the best enterprise level ecommerce platform or choose ecommerce platform from the list of those which we reviewed in this article.

If you are looking for an ecommerce team to set-up, maintain, or customize your enterprise online store, do not hesitate to contact Dinarys. Just fill in the contact form below and our managers will get in contact as soon as possible.

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