Choosing An E-Commerce CMS: Criteria To Take Into Account

If you have decided to use a CMS to develop your e-commerce project, you will have to choose a platform among the many solutions available. The abundance of e-commerce CMS solutions makes this choice complicated. To do this, you need to develop a list of criteria that are important to you. These criteria, added to your requirement levels, will help you choose the right e-commerce CMS.

The Primary Criteria For Choosing Your E-Commerce CMS

When you have identified several potential CMS for your e-commerce project, it will be appropriate to compare their basic functionalities. Here are the criteria you must take into account when choosing the CMS for your future e-commerce site:

Adaptation of the CMS to the size of the company
Ease of handling and comfort of use of the CMS
Notoriety, community and user reviews
Catalog and prices of additional modules
SEO optimization of the platform
Quality of support service for customers
SEO Optimization

We give you more in-depth explanations of each of these criteria below. Of course, this list is not exhaustive, and you will undoubtedly have, depending on your expectations, some additional measures. Once you have defined your requirement levels for each step, you can search for a CMS adapted to your project and your expectations. Explanations and importance of criteria for choosing an e-commerce CMS

Adaptation Of The CMS To The Size Of The Company

Not all of the many CMSs available are suitable for the size of your business. You must, therefore, select those that are suitable for your structure (VSE, SME, large companies). Some platforms are more geared towards large companies that receive millions of sessions; this is certainly different from what you will need when launching your business creation. Here are some CMSs suitable for VSEs and SMEs: Prestashop, Woocommerce, Shopify, Magento, and Opencart.

Ease Of Handling And Simplicity Of Use

The ease of using the platform is another essential criterion, especially if you need more technical skills. Getting started is necessary before launching your online business. When the CMS is complicated to understand, you will almost certainly need to take training (which will undoubtedly be paid for).

Then, for the personalization and development of your e-commerce site, the CMS must be easy to use if you plan to be able to do it yourself. Otherwise, you will need a web agency or recruit an employee competent in this field.

Notoriety, Community And User Reviews

The notoriety of the e-commerce CMS is an important criterion. Even if it is not an absolute rule, the most used CMSs are often efficient. Otherwise, no one would have turned so massively towards the platform. To check if the CMS in question is appreciated by its users, you should consult their reviews.

Next, you need to look at the user community. A developed community allows us to help each other and find solutions. The larger the community, the more likely you are to find exciting modules to complete your site. A French community is preferred to communicate more easily with users (unless you understand English perfectly).

Catalog And Prices Of Additional Modules

To improve your e-commerce platform, you will most certainly need additional modules (or extensions). This is particularly important because these other modules often require a fee. If you are able to list additional modules you might need on your platform, compare the prices and quality of these modules on the CMS you are interested in.

Quality Of Support Service For Customers

The quality of the support service is an essential criterion for choosing an e-commerce CMS. It is necessary to have support available according to your desires. Then, you must check the scope of the services offered to be sure to obtain a solution to all your needs: installation assistance, handling, training, advice, resolution of technical problems, etc.

If this is important to you, it’s worth comparing prices. Some CMS offer free support (which often implies paid use of the CMS), while others are paid, such as Prestashop support for example. Whenever possible, prioritize the quality of the asset rather than its price.

SEO Optimization Of The Platform

Finally, SEO is a significant problem if your marketing strategy does not involve exclusively advertising and partnerships. Moreover, any internet company must have an SEO strategy to position itself in search engines. When practical, SEO helps attract qualified natural traffic.

To be well positioned, it is necessary to offer high-added-value content and have an SEO-friendly site. If you are using a CMS, you need to make sure it is sufficiently optimized for SEO. Also, check that extensions exist to improve it.