In the bustling world of online business, we’ve all pondered over which ecommerce platform will give us the best leg-up in SEO. It’s a decision that can make or break success, especially as we look towards 2024. The right platform equips us with the tools to boost our website’s visibility, drive organic traffic, and skyrocket our business to new heights.
Whether you’re launching your first venture or expanding an existing one, the ecommerce platform you choose can significantly influence your success. It’s not just about the platform’s functionality, but also how easy it makes it for potential customers to find us. From WooCommerce, ideal for comprehensive customisation, to Wix, perfect for startups wanting to get things done quickly, or BigCommerce, tailored for businesses aiming for scalable growth – the choice is vast and can be overwhelming.
Planning to start an online store? Remember, implementing SEO is crucial. Surveys show that 44% of online shoppers kick off their search with a search engine. So, choosing the right platform is more than a decision, it’s a strategy.
Key Takeaways
- The right ecommerce platform plays a critical role in boosting a website’s visibility and driving organic traffic, making it crucial for online business success.
- Best ecommerce platforms for SEO include Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce, Squarespace and Volusion. Each comes with unique features and potential drawbacks.
- Shopify is often deemed the prime choice for SEO due to its user-friendly interface, extensive plugin library, and essential SEO features like canonical URLs and customisable metadata.
- Key features to consider while choosing an ecommerce platform include site speed, URL management, customisation options, indexing control, and mobile optimisation.
- Understanding the significance of SEO in increasing visibility and attracting potential customers is essential for any ecommerce site. One should have proper SEO tools in place for better search engine rankings.
- When choosing the best ecommerce platform, businesses should focus on easy migration, batch uploading capabilities, support for canonical tags, control over Robots.txt file, log file access, content marketing and blogging capabilities, having a stage environment for testing and robust security protocols.
What Makes an eCommerce Platform SEO-Friendly?
When selecting the right platform, one crucial aspect is often kept in view — is it SEO friendly? Now, one might ask, what makes an eCommerce solution SEO-friendly?
Let’s break it down.
Primarily, an SEO-friendly platform ought to help smooth crawling and indexing by search engines. Simply put, search engines should be able to seamlessly access, read and record the content from your eCommerce site to guarantee it’s part of search results, based on relevancy. Later, the better the site’s accessibility to search engines, the more likely it is to rank higher in search results. In search engine lingo, we call this crawlability and indexability.
The platform should allow for customisation of metadata. That means you should be able to define unique title tags, meta descriptions and alt tags for images to ensure search engines accurately understand the content of each webpage, which in turn enhances the visibility of your product listings.
Next on the radar is URL structuring. A well-defined, meaningful URL is easier for search engines to comprehend. It helps make clear what a webpage is all about. An SEO-friendly eCommerce platform should allow the creation of clear, simple and structured URLs that are easily readable — not just by search engines, but also by humans. In short, it should enable easy URL customisation.
Another significant point is mobile optimisation. An increasing number of shoppers now prefer to shop on their mobile devices. Hence, a platform that gives you the ability to offer a seamless and engaging mobile shopping experience is highly beneficial for visibility in mobile search results.
Then comes site speed. It’s a popular belief that fast loading websites lead to better user experience, hence better rankings. No one likes to wait, do they? An SEO-friendly platform will provide the tools or features necessary to optimise your site for speed.
Finally, when opening an online store, need we remind you about importance of security? Web users and search engines alike favour secure websites. Adopting a platform that supports the use of secure websites (HTTPS) isn’t just good SEO practice, it’s about ensuring customer trust.
1. BigCommerce
Diving headfirst into the world of BigCommerce, we have uncovered a multitude of features and facets that make it an appealing choice for SEO optimisation in eCommerce.
Pros of BigCommerce
Brightly shining in the arena of about 50,000 live stores, BigCommerce ranks as a top player in the crowded eCommerce platform market. Its appeal extends to a broad user base, with notable specialities in the domains of home and garden retail, apparel and automotive products, respectively claiming 15.7%, 15% and 6.6% of its store distribution.
Also, it’s a trusted platform with small stores, especially those employing between one and nine workers. This shows testament to its user-friendly parameters and compact yet fully functional design.
To make the most of social outreach, 34.6% of BigCommerce stores integrate the Facebook Pixel app, while 31.9% have teamed up with Google Analytics. USPS, UPS, and FedEx are also popular logistics partners, clearly embracing the art of versatility within the platform’s structure.
Thinking of switching platforms? Well, the stats tell an intriguing story. 37.5% of shops jumping onto BigCommerce migrate from Shopify. But that’s not all, WooCommerce and Custom Cart follow suit with 17.5% and 14.6% respectively seeing the benefits of shift.
No entrepreneur can ignore the power of social media in today’s digital world. From our observation, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter rank as top social platforms for BigCommerce users, engaging 28.6%, 23.6% and 13.7% of their customers respectively.
A powerful SEO arsenal further bolsters this platform. A diligent focus on providing canonical website URLs and offering robust customisable HTML and metadata options aids businesses in best matches for search queries while dodging duplicate content mishaps. Not to mention, BigCommerce’s support for schema markup is the icing on the cake, adding more context to product listings and enhancing their SEO visibility.
Cons of BigCommerce
Even though its significant strengths, BigCommerce isn’t infallibly perfect. A few areas of potential concern make their presence known.
The issues it brings to the table include cost and complexity, which are the flip sides of the remarkable functionality it provides. Compared to its competitors like Shopify and WooCommerce, BigCommerce costs a bit more. Although it offers a vast array of features, new users may find the interface somewhat overwhelming.
Well, that pretty much sums up our take on BigCommerce. As we investigate deeper into other platforms in our next sections, you’ll see how they stack up against this eCommerce heavyweight.
2. Magento
Step into the marvellous world of Magento! It’s a full-throttle ecommerce platform that offers limitless possibilities. Merchants from around the world utilise it to sell products effectively. Impressively, it powers 0.6% of the internet and has representation across the globe. Let’s investigate into the ups and downs of Magento.
Pros of Magento
Magento ticks many boxes for ecommerce platforms, especially for budding online retailers. Here’s what makes Magento a winner:
- Fully Customisable: Magento is an open-source platform. It means you’ve got the power to make it your own. If you fancy a specialised checkout process or an intricate navigation bar, you’ve got it. It’s a bit like a meal kit. You get the ingredient list (the basic website outline) and you decide how to whip up the dish – to match your brand’s taste, of course!
- Massive User Base: There’s strength in numbers, and Magento certainly isn’t short on them. Almost 267,000 active ecommerce sites run on Magento 1 and Magento 2. The majority of these users are in the United States, followed by the UK and the Netherlands.
- Ecommerce Big Guns: Magento squirrels away a place in the hearts of many. It’s trusted by some heavyweight brands like Coca Cola and Ford. It’s also the third most popular ecommerce platform, globally.
- Lightning-Fast Growth: Magento-fuelled merchants steam ahead, growing three times faster, on average. Moving to Magento has proved fruitful for close to 7500 customers who migrated from platforms such as OpenCart, osCommerce, and VirtueMart in just last year.
- Heavy Transactions: Magento isn’t just about small transactions. It’s got the muscle to handle 155 billion USD worth of transactions every year.
- SEO Game Strong: A leading eCommerce platform like Magento offers canonical URLs, protecting you from potential duplicate content issues that might spring up from mobile redirects. It also allows for customisable HTML and metadata features. A definite boost for your SEO rankings!
- Complexity: Yes, it’s customisable. But with such power comes a dose of complexity. Learning to balance being a Magento Jedi might require some time and surprisingly, patience
3. Shopify
In the vast ocean of eCommerce platforms, Shopify has managed to set itself apart as one of the big fish primed for SEO success. It’s reliable, easy to use, and oozes a certain kind of charm that makes it a desirable choice for online retailers. But within the clamour and applause, let’s not forget that every platform has its shadows. So, before you dive headfirst into adopting Shopify, let’s take a voyage into its bright spots and dark corners.
Pros of Shopify
Arguably one of the greatest strengths of Shopify is its user-friendly interface. Not everybody’s a tech whizz, and Shopify acknowledges this by offering an intuitive interface that’s as easy as pie to manoeuvre. It’s plug and play, gentlemen and ladies, no need for that pesky coding!
Its prowess doesn’t stop there. Shopify also flaunts brilliant mobile support. Remember, most traffic to Shopify comes from mobile devices. Precisely 79% of it if we’re counting. That’s a hefty piece of the pie, and Shopify handles it like a charm. It’s not just about responsiveness; it’s about providing a smooth, frictionless shopping experience on a smaller screen. Bravo, Shopify!
eCommerce SEO is a doozy, but on Shopify’s deck, it’s a wee bit less so. Crucial SEO features like canonical URLs and customizable metadata are all on board. It even lets you control indexing by sitemap submission. But perhaps the jewel in Shopify’s SEO crown is the automatic redirection of mobile users to appropriate URLs, amplifying site ranking without the annoyance of duplicate content issues.
Speaking of figures, did you know Shopify boasts a market share of 20% in the UK? And if we hop across the pond to the US, about 29% of eCommerce websites cruise on the Shopify platform.
Cons of Shopify
Alas, not all that glitters is gold, and Shopify has a few tarnishes too. While its simplicity is celebrated, it may not shake hands well with those craving deeper customisation. With Shopify, tweaks are mostly limited to what’s on offer in its theme and app store, and anything outside of it might need a band of coding elves.
Shopify isn’t a pixie when it comes to price tags. Costs can pile up for those who need advanced features, and the transaction fees can bite a piece right out of profit margins unless you tie knots with Shopify Payments.
4. WooCommerce
Diving deeper into the world of eCommerce platforms, let’s take a long look at WooCommerce. It’s a standout platform, powering a whopping 65 million websites worldwide. Interesting, isn’t it?
Pros of WooCommerce
As one of the most prevalent eCommerce platforms on the internet, WooCommerce holds a massive 36.68% market share. Which means it’s doing something right! A few noteworthy aspects of WooCommerce make it an attraction for online businesses:
- Wide-ranging Plugins: WooCommerce is all about putting power back in your hands. With over 980 plugins on offer for WordPress, the platform enables a high degree of customisation.
- Smashing Sales: We’ve got the numbers to prove it’s not all talk. WooCommerce-powered online stores drummed up more than £10 billion in sales in 2018. Around 12,639 WooCommerce websites currently generate more than £100,000 in sales revenue each. That’s not too shabby, eh?
- Open-source & Free: You heard it right. WooCommerce itself doesn’t cost a penny. It’s an open-source plugin, making it a hit amongst those starting or running a frugal business.
- Knows the Art of Scaling: Got products? Lots of them? No worries. With around 8,434 WooCommerce websites skilfully managing over 10,000 products, it proves that WooCommerce doesn’t fumble when it comes to scale.
Cons of WooCommerce
No platform is flawless, and WooCommerce is no exception. It’s key to cast an eye on potential drawbacks before fully committing to WooCommerce as an eCommerce solution for your business:
- Complexity: It’s a powerful platform in disguise. While that sounds great, WooCommerce can be a bit of a puzzle to set up and configure, particularly for beginners.
- Attracts Unwanted Attention: Popularity can be a double-edged sword. Being a well-known platform makes WooCommerce a target for hackers. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Hence, upping your security game is crucial with WooCommerce.
- Cost-Associated Extras: While WooCommerce basks in the glory of being free, there are additional costs. Think hosting, domain registration, and the premium themes and plugins—all these extras can add up.
5. Squarespace
In the world of ecommerce, Squarespace confidently carves out its place. With flexible templates and a strong support base, it’s certainly a platform worthy of consideration. Nevertheless, there are pros and cons to Squarespace as with any platform, and it’s important to weigh these before deciding if it’s the right fit for your ecommerce needs.
Pros of Squarespace
Squarespace stands out for its blogging capabilities. In previous sections, we stressed the significance of blogging for site SEO, and Squarespace fulfills this need effectively. Another plus is its mobile-responsiveness. In the age of smartphones, a site that performs well on mobile is a must, and Squarespace delivers.
Also, Squarespace boasts a robust base of user support. The community is active and ready to assist you with any queries or challenges faced while setting up your ecommerce site.
Here are some crisp stats about Squarespace:
| Squarespace Facts | Statistics |
|---|---|
| Websites using Google analytics | 1 in 5 |
| Websites accessing analytics via Facebook Pixel | 23000 |
| Online stores using UPS for delivery | 99.3% |
| Market share in Singapore | 2.4% |
| Market share in Australia | 1.9% |
| Market share in Denmark and Norway | 0.8% |
Cons of Squarespace
But, no ecommerce platform is without its detractors, and Squarespace is no exception. Usability tends to be the sticking point; users have complained that Squarespace lacks essential features like auto-saving your work, which could be a big miss if you’re in a place with spotty Wi-Fi.
Also, though Squarespace offers a wide range of visually stunning templates, it can sometimes present a steep learning curve for folks new to the platform. It could take a while to navigate fully around Squarespace and master its features.
To conclude – wait, aren’t we allowed to conclude? Well, let’s just say it’s essential to consider all these factors when deciding whether Squarespace is the right ecommerce platform for your needs.
6. Volusion
As we thread the path further, the spotlight brightens on Volusion, a well-established ecommerce platform. Known for its towering presence in the ecommerce market, Volusion has a friendly rapport with search engine optimisation.
Pros of Volusion
Boasting on over 6801 live stores using their platform, Volusion has a solid mark on ecommerce plate. Statistically, Volusion has seen a steady growth with a 0.5% increase quarter-over-quarter and a 2% increase year-over-year in 2022 Q4.
Speaking of scalability, here’s some data that speaks louder than our words:
| Item | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Stores in the US | 74% |
| Stores in Canada | 4.2% |
| Stores in the UK | 2.6% |
| Stores with 1-9 employees | 39% |
| Stores with 10-24 employees | 9% |
This doesn’t just end at infographics. Volusion users have the toolset for top-notch SEO performance. Features like canonical website URLs help avoid pitfalls of duplicate content, ensuring page rankings aren’t muddled.
Also, businesses can harness the power of Customizable HTML and metadata. These let users tweak the website’s code for improved rankings, and enhance visibility in search results. Also, Volusion provides agility with indexing control via sitemaps, allowing users to dictate which website pages should be indexed by search engines. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?
Cons of Volusion
Yet, no platform is without its bumps and craters. Volusion may throw a curveball for beginners. It can be a bit of a steep trek up if you’re new to ecommerce platforms with a lot to learn. And while Volusion excels at many things, it falls short of essential features compared to its competitors. For one, it could use an explainer video feature to boost conversion rates. Video marketing is a juggernaut and platforms need to hop on this trend.
Also, the domain usage on Volusion swings heavily towards .com domains, with 89.4% of the stores operating under a .com domain, limiting variety. But remember, every dark cloud has a silver lining. It’s all about finding what fits well with your business needs.
Let’s take a look at the Best eCommerce Platform for SEO:
The first tool we’d like to shed some light on has to be Shopify. Many experts reckon Shopify as the prime choice in the arena of search engine optimisation. Why? Well, there’s a multitude of compelling reasons supporting this claim.
To start with, it’s simple and straightforward. Shopify stands out for its user-friendliness, particularly fantastic for business owners without coding expertise. With its intuitive interface, getting your online store up and running becomes less of a strenuous task and more of an exciting journey.
Also, Shopify boasts a vast variety of plugins, enriching your eCommerce experience with added features with just a few clicks. Say goodbye to complex coding and hello to effortless shop management with Shopify.
Nevertheless, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution in the SEO arena; it’s integral to align your online store’s needs with the capabilities of your chosen platform. For that reason, let’s investigate a bit deeper into the nuts and bolts of SEO-friendly features and how they boost your online presence.
Having a canonical URL for your website is a powerful SEO feature for many eCommerce platforms. When you’re juggling multiple URLs for each page, this tool becomes a lifesaver – and a ranking-saver too! By directing traffic from multiple sources to one main site, you can avoid duplicate content issues and see your site’s search ranking soar.
But wait, there’s more. The best eCommerce platforms let you flex your SEO muscles with customisable HTML and metadata. Why does this matter? By tweaking your site’s code, you can improve search rankings and catch the eye of both search engines and customers alike.
Also, indexing control is another desirable feature in eCommerce platforms. This tool niftily tells search engines what pages to index, keeping irrelevant pages out of the spotlight and focus on what truly matters to your audience.
So, armed with these insights, you’re well-equipped to pick the best eCommerce platform that meets your SEO goals. Shopify, with its user-friendly interface and rich plugin library, certainly is a strong contender, but remember to consider the individual requirements of your online business. Keeping your eye on those invaluable SEO features will ensure you’re always one step ahead in the ever-competitive online marketplace.
Why Is SEO So Important for E-commerce Websites?
The true power of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) lies in its ability to increase visibility and bring a sea of consumers to our digital doorstep. It’s pivotal for any e-commerce site’s success. Without SEO playing its part, attracting traffic or generating leads from our site can be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.
Consider SEO as the magnet that pulls in potential customers who are already on the lookout for what we offer. By optimising relevant keywords in our website, we’re essentially setting a trail of bread crumbs that lead directly to our digital store’s doors. Controlling the narrative in this way allows us to guide our audience towards making important buying decisions.
It’s fair to say, SEO isn’t just another cog in the e-commerce machine. Rather, it’s the oil that keeps the entire system running smoothly. But let’s not simply stop at comparing SEO importance to oil! Without it, our digital ship risks getting lost in the vast sea of the internet.
A fine-tuned SEO strategy isn’t just ideal – it’s essential. In the densely populated e-commerce world, standing tall and being recognised is no easy task. We require versatile tools and skilful tactics to achieve better search engine rankings. The popular tools on our radar include:
- KWFinder
- Ahrefs
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- SEMrush
- Raven SEO Tools
By adopting popular e-commerce platforms known for their SEO strengths, we’re giving our businesses a fighting chance in the competitive online marketplace. So, when we are choosing an e-commerce platform, it’s vital to match our needs with their capabilities. Utilising platforms renowned for diverse SEO features, such as Shopify, means we’re on the right track.
At the end of the day, if we’re not ranking, we’re not winning. SEO lets us take the reins and steer our e-commerce business in the direction we want. It’s the unsung hero that bolsters visibility, page rankings, and eventually, our bottom line.
And remember, friends, SEO isn’t just for Christmas – it’s for life. So let’s embrace it, refine it, and let it show us the way to e-commerce nirvana.
Features to Consider in Ecommerce Platforms
Your choice in an ecommerce platform should reflect the needs and aims of your business. While every platform comes with their unique offerings, it’s important to pay close attention to several essential features that can significantly impact your website’s SEO performance and user experience. These include speed, URL management, customisation options, indexing control, and mobile optimisation.
Site Speed
Speed matters. It’s as simple as that. Whether your customers are browsing product sections, filling up their carts or checking out, every second counts. If your site is slow, your customers may lose patience, sending them packing to a faster competitor’s digital doorstep. So what’s our top tip here? Choose a platform with robust speed optimisation features. Choose fast, always.
Notably, modern ecommerce platforms offer reasonable speed by default. Regardless, look for platforms with features such as modification, caching, script minimisation, and CDNs to improve your site’s loading speed. This isn’t just nice to have; it’s essential.
Canonical Website URLs
Double handling? Not in our books. Every page on your ecommerce site gets its own unique URL. Without proper management, these URLs can cause duplicate content issues, harming your rankings.
Here’s where canonical website URLs step in. These nifty little fellows automatically redirect users to the right URL, avoiding awkward duplicate content issues. Going for an ecommerce platform that offers canonical URLs isn’t just good, it’s brilliant.
Customizable HTML and Meta Data
When it comes to SEO, what goes on behind the scenes matters just as much, if not more. Customisable HTML and metadata can offer a significant advantage. It allows for code tweaking, helping you enhance both the ranking and appearance of your website in search engines. So having an option to customise HTML metadata? That’s ticking an important box in our books.
Indexing Control
Have you ever been lost in a library? That’s the last thing we want for users exploring our websites.
That’s why indexing control matters. The ability to control and manage what pages on your site are being indexed by search engines can really make a difference. With proper indexing control, you ensure search engines and users alike find exactly what they’re looking for. Top-notch experience? Check.
Mobile Optimization
In our always-on, always-connected world, people use their smartphones for just about everything. And when we say everything, we mean shopping too.
Your ecommerce platform isn’t just for desktop browsing. It needs to work smoothly on mobile devices. Whether a customer is using a smartphone or a tablet, your site should be just as user-friendly, functional, and importantly, just as fast. Mobile optimisation is a must-have feature, bridging the gap between desktop and mobile use.
There you have it: five crucial features to take into account when choosing an ecommerce platform. Remember, it’s not just about picking the platform with the longest list of features. It’s about finding the platform that offers the right features for your business, setting you on the path to SEO and ecommerce success.
How to Choose the Best eCommerce Platform?
Exploring the vast market options can seem daunting, but fret not! We’re dishing out the secrets to acing this eCommerce platform selection process. The most rewarding platforms will undoubtedly depend on factors varying from your inventory size, the need for control over post-migration tasks, to your business’s security needs. Here are some areas to focus on:
Migration
Eyes on the prize – a smooth, hassle-free transfer is vital. Right from your existing merchandise data to crucial SEO-based elements like meta tags and backlinks, our aim is to have the new platform embrace and seamlessly integrate these components.
Batch Uploading
Raise your hand if you fancy manually inputting heaps of information! No takers? That’s why we’re all aboard the batch upload bandwagon. An essential tool for time efficiency, particularly for businesses with extensive product lists. Opt for platforms with notable batch uploading capacities. Remember, speed is also of the essence when updating your inventory.
Canonical Tags
We don’t want to butcher the SEO game with vexing duplicate content – that’s a no from us! So, it’s worth selecting platforms that support canonical tags. These nifty tags guide search engine bots and help preserve the authenticity of your website’s content.
Robots.txt
Let’s allow you to take charge of what areas web crawlers can peruse. Sounds like a plan? Then a platform that equips you with control over your Robots.txt file is the one for you. Direct crawler traffic in a way that suits your website architecture and ease yourself into the dynamics of SEO in a jiffy!
Log File Access
For the Sherlock Holmes in all of us, delving into the mysteries of user behaviour and website traffic patterns is a joy. Log file access enables you to do just that! A platform that provides this feature is your detective assistant, helping you develop more targeted marketing strategies in the future.
Content Marketing and Blogging
Content marketing is not merely about the right keywords. It’s also about telling your brand’s story, sparking interests, and driving engagement. A blogging capability is a potent tool in this area. And oh, it doesn’t hurt that it gives the SEO game a mighty push as well.
Stage Environment
In this ever-evolving eCommerce drama, we all need a rehearsal space, don’t we? A stage environment permits you to test out new features, designs, or plugins without putting your live site at risk. Naturally, it’s a desirable attribute!
Security
Finally, one word – Security. Any platform that fails to offer a robust security system is rightfully a no-go area. Why? Because safe transactions are crucial for successful eCommerce trading. So, let’s make sure the platform offers stringent safety protocols.
Every step of this journey moulds the future of your eCommerce business. So armed with these insights, don’t settle for anything less than a platform that delivers everything you need, and then some!
In the spinning, ever-changing world of eCommerce, we reckon being meticulous, having the right tools in your arsenal and seizing the opportunity to experiment and evolve is the key. Don’t worry, we’re here to guide you along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the article emphasise when selecting an e-commerce platform?
The article emphasises the importance of several aspects while selecting an e-commerce platform. These crucial factors include a smooth migration process, batch uploading capabilities, the benefits of canonical tags to avoid content duplication and control over Robots.txt for web crawler management.
What importance does content marketing have in SEO?
Content marketing plays a significant role in SEO as it improves visibility and attracts more traffic. By creating relevant and valuable content, you establish authority and a connection with your audience, which positively impacts your SEO.
What does accessing log files help with?
Accessing log files help in analysing user behaviour on your e-commerce platform. This can give insights into how consumers navigate your website, identify any issues they encounter, and can lay the foundation for significant improvements.
Why is the stage environment required for an e-commerce platform?
A stage environment is required for testing new features and updates before making them live on the actual website. This ensures that the new features are working correctly and won’t adversely affect the website’s functionality.
Why is the security of an e-commerce platform important?
The security of an e-commerce platform is paramount. It protects sensitive data such as customer details and payment information. If a platform is insecure, it could lead to data breaches, resulting in trust issues and potential financial losses.
